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Incidence of stroke and related deaths are rising substantially around the world, with <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword>, <keyword id="21334318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="high-temperatures" source="keywords">high temperatures</keyword> and metabolic risk factors such as high blood pressure and physical inactivity, driving these increases, according to estimates published in The Lancet Neurology journal. Researchers found that the contribution of high temperatures to poor health and early death due to stroke has increased 72% since 1990 and is likely to continue increasing in the future, thereby highlighting how environmental factors can impact growing stroke burden. Further, for the first time, particulate matter or PM air pollution was found to have the same contribution as smoking towards causing a fatal form of brain bleed, according to the researchers forming the <keyword id="20691740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-Burden-of-Disease" source="keywords">Global Burden of Disease</keyword>, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) group. The GBD study, the "largest and most comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across places and over time", is coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, US. Globally, the number of people experiencing a stroke for the first time rose to 119 lakh in 2021 -- up by 70% since 1990 -- while deaths related to stroke rose to 73 lakh, which was up by 44% since 1990, making the neurological condition the third leading cause of death after ischaemic heart disease (short supply of blood to heart) and COVID-19. They added that over three-fourth of those affected by strokes live in low- and middle-income countries. According to lead author Valery L. Feigin from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, the rapid growth in the number of people affected by stroke strongly suggested that <keyword id="23228151" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stroke-prevention" source="keywords">stroke prevention</keyword> strategies currently used are not sufficiently effective. "New, proven effective population-wide and motivational individual prevention strategies that could be applied to all people at risk of having a stroke, regardless of the level of risk, as recommended in the recent Lancet Neurology Commission on Stroke should be implemented across the globe urgently," said Feigin. The researchers also estimated that stroke-related liabilities attributable to 23 modifiable risk factors, including air pollution, excess body weight, high blood pressure, smoking and physical inactivity, increased from 100 million years of healthy life lost in 1990 to 135 million in 2021. These risk factors are present in huge numbers in Eastern Europe, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, they said. The authors also acknowledged substantial progress made in reducing the global stroke burden from risk factors linked to poor diet, air pollution and smoking. Poor health resulting from diets high in processed meat and low in vegetables declined by 40 % and 30%, respectively, while that due to PM air pollution and smoking fell by 20 % and 13%, respectively, they found. The results suggested that strategies for reducing exposure to these risk factors over the past three decades such as clean air zones and public smoking bans have been successful, the authors said. They called for implementing and monitoring the evidence-based recommendations set out in the 2023 World Stroke Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission on stroke for drastically reducing the global burden of stroke in the years to come and improving brain health and overall well-being of millions of people around the world. The recommendations include stroke surveillance programmes that monitor indicators of stroke such as incidence, recurrence, death rates and risk factors in a country, and care and rehabilitation services for people affected by stroke.

Stroke cases increasing globally, air pollution, high temperatures driving numbers, notes Lancet Study

New Delhi, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> is grappling with a profound nutritional shift, as highlighted by the latest <keyword id="20048711" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lancet" source="keywords">Lancet</keyword> study, with nutritionists attributing this "double whammy" of undernutrition and obesity to a dual challenge: inadequate consumption of quality foods and easy access to cheap, unhealthy alternatives. The Lancet study, published on Thursday, found that in India, nearly 44 million women and 26 million men were obese in 2022, respectively. The analysis by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) - a global network of scientists - and the World Health Organization (WHO) also found that about 12.5 million children aged between five and 19 were overweight in 2022. "These numbers are up from 2.4 million and 1.1 million in 1990 for women and men, respectively, while for children, the baseline number was about 0.4 million," said study co-author Guha Pradeepa, from Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, told PTI. Reacting to the study findings, nutritionist Sudha <keyword id="19944928" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vasudevan" source="keywords">Vasudevan</keyword>, who was not involved in the study, noted that while good quality foods are nutrient-dense like fruits and vegetables, unhealthy foods are usually processed, containing high-fat, sugar, salt, and refined carbohydrates. "We had not yet won the war against undernutrition-related health problems, but now we are additionally burdened by those coming from overnutrition or obesity, and resembling the developed nations in that sense," Vasudevan, Senior Scientist and Head of the Department of Foods &amp; Nutrition Research, MDRF, told PTI. The findings suggest trends of an "epidemiological and nutrition transition" of India, Vasudevan said. "While the developed countries might be economically equipped to deal with obesity and related healthcare burden, India is not and therefore, we are struggling," she said. The Lancet study looked at body mass index (BMI) to understand how obesity and underweight have changed worldwide from 1990 to 2022. It analysed the weights and heights of over 220 million people aged five years or older, from across more than 190 countries. The findings also highlighted a major shift in lifestyle over the past decades, including lack of exercise and healthy food, said Pradeepa. The study found that the adult obesity rate in India increased from 1.2 per cent in 1990 to 9.8 per cent in 2022 for women, while for men, it rose from 0.5 per cent to 5.4 per cent. Pradeepa attributed the spike in obesity rate to a combination of biological and social factors. "Biological factors involve constant, cyclical hormonal activity with pregnancy-specific weight gain, following which taking care of the child takes precedence. "On the other hand, social factors compel them to prioritise their children's and family's health over their own. These factors present as barriers to doing exercise for women and taking care of themselves," she explained. The findings revealed the need for innovative interventions in terms of introducing more physical activity and movement in a day, especially for women, said Pradeepa. She referred to <keyword id="20792091" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thandav" source="keywords">Thandav</keyword>, which is one such intervention, developed by Dr. R. M. <keyword id="20401278" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anjana" source="keywords">Anjana</keyword>, President of MDRF. Thandav is a ten-minute routine that combines the physical exercise aspect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with enjoyable dance movements. The routine thus makes the act of performing physical exercise more entertaining and recreational, and also more socially acceptable as girls and women can perform this easily at their homes, explained Pradeepa. Anjana along with colleagues at MDRF, have scientifically investigated the impact of Thandav on the physical fitness of Indian girls and women and published papers in journals such as Diabetes Technology &amp; Therapeutics.

From undernutrition to obesity, Lancet study unveils India's double whammy

New Delhi, Drugs to treat common infections in children and babies are no longer effective in large parts of the world, including India, due to high rates of antibiotic resistance, a study has found. The team led by researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia found many antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) had less than 50 per cent effectiveness in treating childhood infections such as pneumonia, sepsis (bloodstream infections) and meningitis. The findings, published in The <keyword id="6361830" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lancet" source="Orion">Lancet</keyword> regional Health-Southeast Asia journal, show global guidelines on antibiotic use are outdated and need updates. The most seriously affected regions are in Southeast Asia and the Pacific where thousands of unnecessary deaths in children resulting from antibiotic resistance occur each year, the researchers said. The WHO has declared that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. In newborns, an estimated three million cases of sepsis occur globally each year, with up to 570,000 (5.7 lakh) deaths. Many of these are due to lack of effective antibiotics to treat resistant bacteria. The study adds to mounting evidence that common bacteria responsible for sepsis and meningitis in children are often resistant to prescribed antibiotics. The research shows the urgent need for global antibiotic guidelines to be updated, to reflect the rapidly evolving rates of AMR. The most recent guidelines from the WHO were published in 2013. The study found that one antibiotic in particular, ceftriaxone, was likely to be effective in treating only one in three cases of sepsis or meningitis in newborn babies. Another antibiotic, gentamicin, was found likely to be effective in treating fewer than half of all sepsis and meningitis cases in children, according to the researchers. Gentamicin is commonly prescribed alongside aminopenicillins, which the study showed also has low effectiveness in combating bloodstream infections in babies and children. "Antibiotic resistance is rising more rapidly than we realize," said study lead author Phoebe Williams from the University of Sydney. "We urgently need new solutions to stop invasive multidrug-resistant infections and the needless deaths of thousands of children each year," Williams said. The study analysed 6,648 bacterial isolates from 11 countries across 86 publications to review antibiotic susceptibility for common bacteria causing childhood infections. The data collated largely arose from urban tertiary hospital settings with over-representation from particular countries, especially India and China. Williams said that the best way to tackle antibiotic resistance in childhood infections is to make funding to investigate new antibiotic treatments for children and newborns a priority. "Antibiotic clinical focus on adults and too often children and newborns are left out. That means we have very limited options and data for new treatments," she noted. "This study reveals important problems regarding the availability of effective antibiotics to treat serious infections in children," said study senior author Paul Turner, a professor at the University of Oxford, UK. "It also highlights the ongoing need for high quality laboratory data to monitor the AMR situation, which will facilitate timely changes to be made to treatment guidelines," Turner added.

Antibiotics for common childhood infections no longer effective in many parts of world: Lancet

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study found that AI was slightly better at detecting breast cancer than <keyword id="21667823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="radiologists" source="keywords">radiologists</keyword>.</li><li>AI made the same amount of errors as humans and reduced workload by about 44%.</li></ul>Much of the conversation around AI is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/email-scam-new-ai-generated-primary-source-breast-cancer-survivor-2023-3">(rightfully) ominous</a>, especially when it comes to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-jobs-will-ai-replace-labor-market-artificial-intelligence-impact-2023-7">job replacement</a>. But an area where AI could positively impact the world is in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-ai-letter-transform-healthcare-medical-field-drug-development-2023-3">medical breakthroughs or quicker diagnoses</a>, especially if it can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/artificial-intelligence-healthcare">reduce burnout</a> in healthcare professionals or scientists. A new Swedish study published Tuesday in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(23)00298-X/fulltext">Lancet Oncology Journal</a> put that theory to the test and found very promising results. Participants had their mammograms screened by either AI or two human radiologists — and AI was just as efficient (if not slightly more) at identifying signs of breast cancer. <h2>40,000 women were randomly assigned to AI screenings</h2>The study used over 80,000 women around the age of 54. A little over half were assigned to an AI-assisted screening, which involved at least one radiologist interpreting the results with the help of AI. The other half were assigned to a standard mammogram screening, with one to two radiologists reading the scans themselves. <h2>AI detected slightly higher rates of cancer with few errors</h2>The AI-assisted doctors accurately detected breast cancer in 28% of patients, while the doctors who did not use AI only spotted cancer in 25%. This meant AI assistance led to 41 more cancer diagnoses overall, including invasive and early-stage breast cancers. Additionally, AI had about the same error rate as the radiologists: The false-positive rate was 1.5% in both groups. <h2>AI reduced radiologists' workload by nearly half</h2>With the help of AI, the study concluded that fewer screen readings were needed and estimated a 44% reduction in workload. According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/29-physician-specialties-ranked-by-2022-burnout-rates.html#2">2022 Medscape survey</a>, radiologists ranked as some of the most burned-out medical professionals. Offloading some of the work to AI can potentially lead to earlier diagnoses of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html">one of the deadliest cancers in the US</a>.

Doctors are better at detecting breast cancer when they get help from AI, large study finds 

Iran may pay for you to be trans, but it comes with a cost &mdash; your dignity

US pharma giant Pfizer's new bivalent mRNA-based <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> booster vaccine has shown to be highly effective in reducing hospitalisation and deaths, particularly in vulnerable patients aged 65 years and above, according to a study published in The <keyword id="667497" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lancet-infectious-diseases" source="Orion">Lancet Infectious Diseases</keyword>. The bivalent mRNA-vaccines contain elements from both the original wild type Covid strain and an updated component from the <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> strain. These vaccines were designed to help improve vaccine-induced immunity against the Omicron variant and subsequent sub variants; and have replaced older style monovalent boosters used in the US, Israel, and other countries since September 2022. To probe the novel vaccine's effectiveness, a team of Israeli researchers in a study looked at 569,519 people aged 65 years and above between September 27, 2022, and January 25, 2023. Of these, 134,215 participants received a bivalent mRNA booster vaccination during the study period. The team found that those who received the bivalent booster dose had a 72 per cent lower risk of Covid related hospitalisation and a 68 per cent lower risk of Covid related death. "Bivalent mRNA booster vaccination in adults aged 65 years or older is an effective and essential tool to reduce their risk of hospitalisation and death due to Covid-19. Vaccination remains the primary tool for avoiding severe Covid-19," explains Dr. <keyword id="13478821" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ronen-arbel" source="Orion">Ronen Arbel</keyword>, Community Medical Services Division, Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv, Israel. "Our findings highlight the importance of new types of vaccines containing different variants of SARS-CoV-2, which are likely to induce broader immune responses and provide enhanced protection against severe outcomes," <keyword id="15336655" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="arbel" source="Orion">Arbel</keyword> said. However, the team acknowledged some limitations of their study, including the low numbers of hospitalisations and deaths, and that use of only the Pfizer bivalent vaccine means that generalisation of the results to other bivalent vaccines should be done with caution. Also, the study was not a direct comparison between bivalent and monovalent vaccines, since both were not administered at the same time in Israel during the study period. They also note adverse events are outside the scope of the study, but said that "preliminary short-term safety results published by the CDC have shown a comprehensive safety profile for the bivalent booster and reassured that adverse events reported after a bivalent booster dose are consistent with those reported after monovalent doses." "Our results suggest that the bivalent mRNA vaccine booster dose is associated with a reduced risk of severe Covid-19 outcomes in adults aged 65 years or older. Our findings highlight the importance of bivalent booster vaccination in populations at high risk of severe Covid-19 and the necessity to increase efforts to encourage eligible people to be vaccinated," the researchers said. The findings will also be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology &amp; Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2023) to be held in Copenhagen between April 15 and 18. SEE ALSO:

Pfizer's new bivalent mRNA Covid booster vax highly effective: Lancet

<ul class="summary-list"><li> Reducing processed meat intake by 30% could lower diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates, data shows.</li><li>Eating less processed meat could prevent about 500,000 disease cases in the US over the next decade.</li></ul>Cutting back on processed meat in your diet may reduce the risk of serious diseases, including some cancers, a new research analysis predicts.By eating 30% less processed meat alone, the US could reduce the rate of diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer by as many as hundreds of thousands of cases, according to the study published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00118-9/fulltext#%20">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, developed a simulation tool based on CDC health data to estimate how a simple dietary change might affect disease rates in the US.Processed meat has long been thought to be a culprit in chronic illnesses like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-meat-and-poultry-linked-to-heart-disease-risk-2020-1">heart disease</a>. Bacon, sausage, and ham contain <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/processed-meat-increases-cancer-risk-what-to-know-2018-12">preservatives called nitrates</a>, which previous evidence has linked to higher odds of developing certain cancers. Red meat and processed meats have also been linked to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-meat-intake-type-2-diabetes-risk-linked-harvard-study-2023-10">higher risk of diabetes</a>.The recent study could help researchers understand the potential benefits of cutting back on processed meat and how much it would take to make a difference.The researchers calculated that if Americans reduced their processed meat consumption by about a third (the equivalent of about 10 slices of bacon a week), there would be significantly fewer cases of some of the leading causes of death over the next decade. Specifically, there would be about 352,900 fewer cases of diabetes, 92,500 fewer cases of heart disease, and 53,300 fewer cases of colorectal cancer, according to the estimate.The study also found that eating less red meat could reduce rates of illness even more. However, more research is needed on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-meat-diet-unhealthy-as-processed-meat-study-2021-3">unprocessed red meat</a> like steak, as some studies have suggested that, in moderation, it may be less harmful than processed meat.One important caveat to the study is that the potential health benefits of cutting out processed meat also depend on what you replace it with. Some evidence suggests <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plant-based-upf-processed-linked-heart-disease-death-study-2024-6">plant-based processed foods</a>, including meat substitutes, are also linked to a higher risk of illness and early death.In contrast, diets high in unprocessed whole foods such as grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, and seeds have been linked to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-diet-food-list-cheap-easy-2023-11">longer, healthier life</a>.Our food choices also matter for the environment, according to Lindsay Jaacks, coauthor of the study and a professor at the University of Edinburgh.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/switch-from-meat-to-meatless-diet-environmental-benefits-2019-8">Meat production is a notorious contributor to greenhouse gases</a> and uses a huge amount of natural resources, such as land and water.The findings of the latest study add to a growing body of evidence that eating more sustainably is also good for our human health."This is a clear win-win for people and planet," Jaacks said in a press release.

Eating less bacon and other processed meat may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, study shows

<ul class="summary-list"><li>By 2100, 97% of countries are expected to have fertility rates below replacement levels.</li><li>Demography experts told BI that countries offering financial incentives won't solve this.</li></ul>The world is facing a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/asia-countries-worry-fertility-rate-affect-armies-few-soldiers-experts-2024-6">fertility rate crisis,</a> and experts warn that giving <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-making-incentives-wont-work-experts-cash-car-subsidies-medals-2024-6">financial incentives to would-be parents</a> isn't going to come close to solving it.<a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00550-6/fulltext#cestitle300">A Lancet study forecasts</a> that by 2100, over 97% of countries will have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/world-faces-a-low-fertility-future-hit-global-economy-report-2024-3">fertility rates below the population replacement level</a>.Some countries, fearing shrinking populations, have invested heavily in policies in the hopes of reversing the decline.In Tokyo, the rates are so low that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tokyo-government-launching-dating-app-marriage-rates-population-decline-japan-2024-6">government is launching a dating app</a> to help citizens find love and get married.The Japanese government has also tried to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-birthrate-reaches-record-low-billions-spent-2023-6">boost fertility rates</a> by offering up to a year of parental leave and even cash incentives.In South Korea, the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-fertility-rate-dropped-fresh-record-low-2023-2024-02-28/">least fertile country in the world,</a> Seoul is offering people money to <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-fertility-rate-dropped-fresh-record-low-2023-2024-02-28/">reverse their vasectomies or untie their tubes.</a>That's on top of South Korean companies offering employees up to $75,000 to have children, and a government allowance system that <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-parents-south-korea-seoul-750-per-month-population-declines-2024-2">gives all parents with newborns $750 a month</a> until their baby turns one.However, according to Trent MacNamara, a Texas A&amp;M professor whose work has focused on fertility rates, throwing money at the problem can only do so much."Theoretically, it's possible to produce higher fertility with traditional policy," he told Business Insider. "If a government transferred new parents about 5% of the costs of raising a child, we could expect a roughly 5% bump in fertility."But he noted that such measures come with "backbreaking costs" that governments are hesitant to bear, especially given the strain aging populations place on social welfare systems.MacNamara said that even in countries like South Korea, which has invested billions, the impact of the policies is still inconclusive.While governments are scrambling for solutions, none have discovered the holy grail — an affordable, practical policy leading to sustained fertility rate rises, he said.Sarah Harper, a professor of gerontology and the director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, says that cash incentives have a limited long-term effect."It encourages a mini-baby boom, followed by a baby crash, as those women who would have spread their childbearing across several years all go at the same time to get the cash bonus," she told BI.Harper said that instead of throwing money at the issue, the biggest chance for success is through promoting gender equity.She said that countries that promote "positive parenting, ensuring that mothers, as well as fathers, can continue their careers through acceptance in the workplace," have the best chance of maintaining birth rates.However, she added that even this is unlikely to return levels to above-replacement.Philip N. Cohen, a family demographer at the University of Maryland, said it's a "fool's errand" trying to solve the fertility crisis.He said that most policy ideas have failed, and besides, "human history in the period of modernity, the last few hundred years, is the history of declining birth rates."A few unique, ambitious policy ideas could, in theory, make an impact — like a social welfare fund for single mothers and mass immigration from poorer countries—but, Cohen said, they're unlikely to be implemented in most countries."That's politically fraught, even if the math of it makes perfect sense," he said.As for the overall trend, "there's no way I think we can turn that around," he said.

Throwing money at plunging birth rates won't solve the issue, demography experts say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Plant-based diets have been linked to lower blood pressure and slower aging. </li><li>But the plant-based ultra-processed food category is growing. </li></ul>Eating a plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of heart problems and a longer life.But plant-based foods that are ultra-processed, like vegan nuggets or potato chips, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(24)00115-7/fulltext#secsectitle0065">new study</a>.There is a simple swap, however, that could boost your health.People who switch out plant-based processed foods with whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, have been found to have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mostly-vegan-diet-lowers-blood-pressure-2020-7">lower blood pressure</a> and a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plant-based-diets-lower-heart-disease-risk-good-gut-bacteria-2021-1">reduced risk of diabetes</a>. They may also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vegan-diet-better-for-health-than-omnivore-identical-twins-study-2023-12">age slower</a>.In recent years, highly-processed plant-based meat alternatives have become popular. In 2023, the plant-based market was worth $8.1 billion, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://gfi.org/marketresearch/">the Good Food Institute.</a>Ultra-processed foods (UFPs) make up around 73% of the US food supply, according to a 2024 research paper by Northeastern University's Network Science Institute, which hasn't been peer-reviewed. Eating a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ultra-processed-foods-health-problems-study-2024-2">diet high in UPFs </a>has been linked to health conditions, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.To understand the impact that eating plant-based products and UPFs had on cardiovascular risk, researchers analyzed data from a UK Biobank longitudinal study.They looked at data from more than 118,000 people between the ages of 40 and 69 who answered questions about their diet. This information was later linked to hospital and mortality records to monitor cardiovascular risk factors.The study, published Monday in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, found that plant-based UPF consumption was associated with a 5% increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a 12% higher risk of early death.However, replacing plant-based UPFs with non-UPF plant-based foods was associated with a 7% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 15% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, the study said.In light of their findings, the authors recommended that dietary guidelines should emphasize not only limiting meat and animal products, but also the need to avoid UPFs in general."A higher intake of plant-sourced foods may only bring about better cardiovascular health outcomes when largely based on minimally processed foods while a higher intake of plant-sourced UPF may have detrimental effects on health," the study said.<h2 id="b7c93360-67cd-4cb1-b622-0692e382df08">Baked goods, snacks, and soda made up the majority of plant-based UPFs</h2>Although meat alternatives were included, processed baked goods were the main foods considered plant-based UPFs, Duane Mellor, dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association and Honorary Academic Fellow at Aston University, said.These included packaged bread, pastries, cake, cookies, potato chips, and sugar-sweetened beverages,Fake meat made up 0.5% of all ultra-processed foods consumed by participants in the study."It is important to emphasize that just because a food or drink is technically plant-based, it does not mean it is healthy," he said.Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King's College London, said: "As a nutritionist, I find the term "plant-based ultra-processed food" confusing and not helpful in formulating dietary advice to the public." Cake, soda, and cookies are unhealthy whether they're made industrially or at home, he added.

Ultra-processed plant-based food has been linked to heart disease and early death — but a simple swap could boost your health

No new Covid-19 variants have emerged in <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> during the recent surge in infections since the country ended its zero-Covid policy, according to an analysis of cases in <keyword id="1333" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="beijing" source="Orion">Beijing</keyword> published in The <keyword id="6361830" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lancet" source="Orion">Lancet</keyword>. The study suggests two existing <keyword id="1609796" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="omicron" source="Orion">Omicron</keyword> sub-variants, BA.5.2 and BF.7, among the most dominant variants in Beijing during 2022, accounted for more than 90 per cent of local infections between November 14 and December 20, 2022. Imported cases during the same period mostly involved different variants to those dominant in Beijing. Genome analysis of 413 new Covid-19 infections in Beijing spanning the time period when China lifted its most strict pandemic control policies suggests that all were caused by existing strains. "Our analysis suggests two known Omicron sub-variants - rather than any new variants - have chiefly been responsible for the current surge in Beijing, and likely China as a whole. However, with ongoing large-scale circulation of Covid-19 in China, it is important we continue to monitor the situation closely so that any new variants that might emerge are found as early as possible," said Professor George Gao of the Institute of Microbiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results represent a snapshot of the pandemic in China, due to the characteristics of Beijing's population and the circulation of highly transmissible Covid-19 strains there. In the three years since Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, the emergence of variants such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron has caused multiple waves of cases around the world. In the latest study, the authors analysed Covid-19 samples detected in Beijing in 2022. Genome sequences were generated using rapid, large-scale sequencing technology, and their evolutionary history and population dynamics analysed using existing high-quality Covid-19 sequences. Analysis of the 413 new sequences revealed they all belong to existing, known COVID-19 strains. The dominant strain in Beijing after November 14 2022 was BF.7, which accounted for 75.7 per cent of local infections. Another Omicron sub-variant, BA5.2, was responsible for 16.3 per cent of local cases. Professor Wolfgang Preiser and Dr Tongai Maponga of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, who were not involved in the study, said: "It is welcome to see this much-needed data from China. It is certainly reassuring that this study yielded no evidence for novel variants but not a surprise: the surge is amply explained by the abrupt cessation of effective control measures." However, they urge caution in drawing conclusions about China as a whole based on data from Beijing, saying that "the SARS-CoV-2 molecular epidemiological profile in one region of a vast and densely populated country cannot be extrapolated to the entire country". SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-launches-new-e-scooter-s1-air-starting-at-84999/articleshow/97774661.cms">Ola launches new e-scooter S1 Air, starting at ₹84,999</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/reliance-capital-case-battling-for-higher-value-to-stakeholders-says-iihl/articleshow/97776304.cms">Reliance Capital case: Battling for higher value to stakeholders says IIHL</a>

No new Covid variants emerged during China's recent outbreak: Lancet study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>South Korea has a fertility crisis, with the capital Seoul particularly hard-hit.</li><li>The city is proposing $730 incentives for reversing vasectomies and tubal ligations.</li></ul>Last year, South Korea's capital earned an unwelcome distinction: <a target="_blank" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Society/Singapore-and-South-Korea-fertility-rates-fall-to-record-lows">the least fertile city</a> in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-fertility-rate-dropped-fresh-record-low-2023-2024-02-28/">least fertile country in the world.</a>Now Seoul is seeking solutions, including offering up to $730 each to 100 people to reverse their vasectomies or untie their tubes.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/30/seoul-cash-vasectomy-tubes-reversal/?utm_source=flipboard&amp;utm_content=topic%2Fworld">According to The Washington Post,</a> Seoul's government allocated $73,000 in a proposed budget to cover the costs related to the reversals.The outlet reported that most of the cost is to cover medication and hospital stays, seeing as the cost of the procedure itself is already covered by South Korea's national health insurance.According to the Post, the proposed budget also includes about $5.9 million for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/hidden-costs-pregnancy-giving-birth-saving-money-2022-8">medical care for pregnant patients</a> over 35 and an additional $1.6 million for public wedding venues.The provision is aimed at easing the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/unexpected-costs-of-raising-family-prepare-your-budget-2024-2">financial burden of starting a family</a>, the Post said.Without considering immigration, countries need a <a target="_blank" href="https://data.oecd.org/pop/fertility-rates.htm">fertility rate of about 2.1</a> to maintain a stable population. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/world-faces-a-low-fertility-future-hit-global-economy-report-2024-3">Fertility rates</a> represent the average number of children a woman has in her lifetime.The global average is about 2.2, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/newsroom/news-releases/lancet-dramatic-declines-global-fertility-rates-set-transform">according to The Lancet.</a>In South Korea, however, the national fertility rate was 0.72 in 2023. It's even lower in Seoul, where <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-fertility-rate-dropped-fresh-record-low-2023-2024-02-28/#:~:text=South%20Korea%20has%20previously%20projected,rate%20of%200.55%20last%20year.">it hit 0.55</a> last year.On its current trajectory, South Korea's population of 51 million is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68402139#:~:text=Figures%20released%20on%20Wednesday%20show,halve%20by%20the%20year%202100.">on track to halve by 2100.</a>The fertility crisis has been blamed on factors including the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korean-millennial-income-housing-ambitions-jobs-2023-3#with-falling-marriage-rates-also-comes-a-sinking-birth-rate-and-young-koreans-no-longer-think-its-essential-to-have-children-9"> rising cost of living and raising a child</a>.The South Korean government has invested billions to encourage couples to have more children, including financial incentives.These have included subsidies for women to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/froze-my-eggs-cost-risks-worth-it-2023-11">freeze their eggs, </a>bonuses to companies that offer pro-childcare policies, and an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-parents-south-korea-seoul-750-per-month-population-declines-2024-2">allowance system that gives all parents with newborns $750 a month</a> until their baby turns one.Companies are also trying to help. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korean-firms-offering-bonus-workers-to-have-kids-2024-2">Business Insider's Matthew Loh</a> reported on how two South Korean firms offer employees up to $75,000 to have children.The incentivization to reverse tubal ligation or vasectomies isn't a first in the country, where other local governments are also taking action to address ailing birth rates.Other cities, including Gimcheon, about 125 miles southeast of Seoul, and Gunpo, 15 miles south of the capital, have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231220000834">offered similar subsidies in recent years.</a>

You Searched For "lancet" and got 11 results

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Eating less bacon and other processed meat may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, study shows

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Ultra-processed plant-based food has been linked to heart disease and early death — but a simple swap could boost your health

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No new Covid variants emerged during China's recent outbreak: Lancet study

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South Korean men can get $730 to reverse their vasectomies, an extreme attempt to increase the birth rate

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