#33: From ‘Pregnant’ Men to Insurer Troubles: Health’s Wild Week

The biggest stories in healthcare relayed to you every Sunday.

  • 👁️ From pupils to prognosis! US researchers built AI-powered eye scans that reveal sugar spikes and heart risks through vessel changes, all without a single blood drop. (ETHealth)

  • 🔮 Meet Delphi-2M: the AI brainchild of EU researchers that scans medical records like weather maps, forecasting the risk of acquiring over 1,000 diseases years ahead. (BBC)

  • 🚽 Good news from the gut! A new AI-powered poop test spots colorectal cancer with 90% accuracy, swapping colonoscopies for a simple gut bacteria check. (TOI)

  • 🥤 India’s age-old copper craze now has scientific backing, but if you’re pregnant or have kidney disease, the extra copper from the utensil can turn healthy hydration toxic. (TOI)

  • 🌰 Nutty news: Vitamin B3 shields skin from cancer. A study says this vitamin, found in nuts and seeds, can cut overall risk by 14% and 54% for those with prior skin cancer. (TOI)

  • ♂️ Man tests “pregnant”? Not a miracle baby, but testicular cancer, releasing Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone detected by pregnancy kits. (TOI)

  • 🩺 A daily low-dose aspirin (160 mg) could cut colorectal cancer recurrence by more than half for patients with a specific genetic mutation. Big win, but not risk-free. (TheGuardian)

  • ⚠️ Heads up, nimesulide users. India’s drug regulators want warning labels slapped on this painkiller: no use for pregnant women, kids under 12 or with liver/kidney disease. (ET)

  • ❣️ India has struck down Novartis’ patent on its blockbuster heart drug Vymada, clearing the way for low-cost, lifesaving generics. (ET)

  • 💥 After years of injections, Lilly’s new oral weight loss pill could be FDA-approved by December. With 12% weight loss in clinical trials, could this reshape obesity care? (Reuters)

  • 💉 FDA greenlights Merck’s Keytruda: a quick subcutaneous injectable, cutting infusion time to minutes for lung, melanoma and bladder cancer patients. (Reuters)

  • 💸 After Bajaj Allianz’s scandal, Star Health is in the spotlight! Hospital groups are accusing the insurer of halting cashless claims. Meanwhile, Madison India Capital quietly exits, selling its entire 1.15% stake in Star Health for ₹299 Cr. (ETHealth) (BS)

🇮🇳 India
  • 🚨 6 million kids in Maharashtra already live with non-communicable diseases like asthma, diabetes & heart disease! The state is now strengthening school screenings to catch problems early (Mid-day)

  • 🌡️ India’s climate isn’t just breaking thermometers, it’s tweaking puberty too. Humidity can speed up girls’ first periods, while scorching heat slows them down. (ETHealth)

  • 🌈 Tamil Nadu mandates LGBTQIA+ sensitivity training for med students & doctors, banning conversion therapy and boosting respect for sexual minorities. (MD)

  • 🫁 Breathe in, fall ill: Oncologists say air pollution is now driving a new wave of lung cancers in India, hitting even those who’ve never smoked. (HT)

  • ⚠️ Maharashtra’s doctor showdown! 1.8L medicos strike for 24 hours, opposing homeopaths practising modern medicine, warning of risks to patient safety and care quality. (TOI)

  • ⏳ Maharashtra Medical Council in hot water. Over 4 years, 219 complaints were filed (including medical negligence and fake certificates) but only 2 were resolved. (MD)

🌏️ Global
  • ⚖️Texas, US cracks down on mail-order abortion pills! Citizens can sue anyone sending the pills - $100K per case. Users are safe, but providers risk big fines. (Reuters

🇮🇳 India
  • 📈 Amanta Healthcare IPO soars: The pharma firm, focused on sterile liquid formulations and medical devices, listed at ₹135 on NSE, 7% above the issue price. (MSN)

🌏️ Global
  • 🏥 Roche is buying U.S. biotech firm 89bio for up to $3.5B to boost its pipeline in liver & metabolic diseases. (Reuters)

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