Consuming 3-5 cups of coffee daily can help lower your risk of diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, and fatty liver risk, according to a top neurologist.

While coffee is known to provide multiple health benefits, the expert suggested drinking the beverage without sugar and with less milk.

Taking to social media platform X, Dr. Sudhir Kumar from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, listed out some health benefits of coffee.

“Most notable benefits are lower risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, fatty liver, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, depression, and certain cancers,” he said.

A team of researchers has identified critical biomarkers that can predict disability worsening in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) -- a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS).

The findings can potentially transform treatment strategies for millions of people suffering from MS worldwide, and will also pave the way for more personalised and effective treatment plans.

The team from Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal in Spain conducted an observational study on 725 MS patients, across 13 hospitals in Spain and Italy.

They found that high levels of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) -- a protein indicating nerve cell damage -- at the onset of MS could predict both relapse-associated worsening (RAW) and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA).

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called on countries to strengthen policies to promote healthy diets and physical activity to combat the rising levels of overweight, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cancers -- a leading cause of death.

“The burden of overweight, obesity, and associated metabolic disorders has been steadily rising, affecting both children and adults,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

She noted that these have spiked cases of “non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer” and these are now “responsible for nearly two-thirds of all deaths in the Region”.

In yet another groundbreaking invention, brain-computer interface company Neuralink has developed a Blindsight implant that can restore vision to people who lost both eyes, said founder Elon Musk on Wednesday.

The experimental implant received the US Food and Drug Administration's "breakthrough device" designation on Tuesday.

“Much appreciated, US FDA!” Musk said in a post on X, adding that the device “will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see”.

Musk noted that the device can also help people blind since birth to see for the first time, if “the visual cortex is intact”.

A 38-year-old man who arrived from the UAE last week is put under observation for suspected MPox.

The man from Edavana near here arrived from UAE last week.

After a few days, he developed rashes and also had fever. On Monday, he was admitted to the state-run Manjeri Medical College Hospital and has been isolated.

A sample has now gone for testing to Kozhikode Medical College and results are awaited.

Doctors treating the patient said that his fever has come down.

Even as injectable weight loss drugs have become a popular option for people struggling with obesity, 1 in 4 or 25 per cent consider using them without consulting their doctor, exposing themselves to several health risks, finds a study on Tuesday.

Cost and lack of insurance coverage are some reasons for seeking prescription alternatives, said the team from The Ohio State University, US, who surveyed 1,006 adults in America.

“Some people are skipping the doctor’s office and reaching out to potentially unreliable sources such as unlicensed online pharmacies or telehealth sites, which could expose patients to risks,” the team said.

Following the death of a 23-year-old from Malappuram due to Nipah virus infection, authorities have made compulsory the use of masks in the district from Monday till further notice.

Health and revenue officials are now preparing the route map for the deceased and also the contact list to ensure that all the basic protocols of Nipah are followed.

The deceased, a 23-year-old student at Bengaluru, was a native of Chembaram near Naduvath in Wandoor. He died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna last Monday.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the "epicenter" of the ongoing Mpox outbreak in Africa, will launch its first phase of the vaccination campaign on October 2, the government has announced.

The vaccination effort, which runs until October 11, follows the receipt of over 265,000 doses from international partners, according to the minutes of the weekly Council of ministers meeting late Friday, news agency reported.

"The process of procuring 3,000 doses of vaccines for children is sufficiently advancing," the minutes said.

Immediate treatment is crucial to warding off sepsis -- a life-threatening emergency caused by a dysregulated host immune response to an infection, said experts on World Sepsis Day on Friday.

World Sepsis Day takes place annually on September 13 and is aimed at raising awareness of the devastating condition that claims millions of lives globally each year.

In 2020 alone, there were 48.9 million sepsis cases globally, leading to 11 million deaths -- representing 20 per cent of all global deaths.

The burden is particularly heavy in low- and middle-income countries, where 85 per cent of sepsis-related deaths occur.

Driven by cardiac, antimalarial, and gastrointestinal therapies the Indian pharmaceutical market has seen more than 6 per cent growth in the month of August, according to a report.

The report by market research firm Pharmarack showed that the pharma market growth surged as these therapies registered nearly double-digit value growth.

While cardiac and antimalarial therapies saw the highest growth (9.7 per cent), it was followed by gastrointestinal therapies which registered 8.7 per cent growth.

Sheetal Sapale, vice-president (commercial) at Pharmarack attributed the market growth for August month to new introductions and price growth.