The researchers selected 4213 adults from 34 populations across six continents for their study. They had a wide range of lifestyles and included hunter-gatherers, farmers (both arable and pastoral), and people from industrialised populations.
Kashyap pointed out that even Western medical frameworks, such as the Hippocratic humors, were inspired by Ayurveda’s tri-dosha theory (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), and ancient epistemological tools like Pramanas mirrored modern evidence-based medicine.
The current recommendation for adults is 150-300 weekly minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, or 75-150 weekly minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, or a combination of the two.
The initiative is part of the government’s efforts towards making healthier choices at work places to keep a check on the rising trend of obesity in the country. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), overall, 24% of Indian women and 23% of Indian men are overweight or obese.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has released a new technical brief for the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in traditional medicine, acknowledging India’s efforts in integrating AI with traditional medicine systems, particularly Ayush systems, as it follows the country’s proposal on the subject.
The new portfolio will include classical formulations, OTC products and medical foods. Classical formulations will be available through prescription while the OTC and medical foods lines will be supplied through a wide network of retail and digital platforms. The OTC range features innovative medicine formats such as creams, transdermal pads, essential extracts, etc., for special customer segments (women, child, elder, etc.) and applications (pain, sleep, stress, skin etc.).
Loneliness spans all age groups but is especially common among youth and in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Between 17–21% of individuals aged 13–29 report feeling lonely, with teenagers most affected. In low-income countries, 24% of people report loneliness—more than twice the rate in high-income nations.
Among men, lung cancer leads with 14 per cent cases followed by oral cavity and colorectal cancers at 10 per cent each. The incidence of prostate cancer and liver cancer is pegged at 9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. In women, breast cancer tops at 34 per cent followed by cancers of thyroid (11 per cent), colorectal (9 percent), uterus (6 per cent) and ovary (4 per cent). He said liver cancer has increased among both the genders in the last two decades.
Integrative healthcare is expanding rapidly in the country due to the growing demand for a more people-centric approach to wellness and a deeper understanding that ill-health arises from various levels of our life and the relationships between the different systems of mental, physical and societal life both individually and collectively, the meeting hosted by Bob Blackman MP, noted.
There has been an increase in the diagnosed cases, particularly among the young generation, which apart from the increased awareness and screening, could be linked to factors like iodine deficiency and changes in diet. Iodine deficiency remains a major global cause of thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism, which is reported to affect about 200 million people globally.