With the Union Cabinet expanding the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to provide health coverage to people aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly be distributing these health cards to beneficiaries over the age of 70 years, marking the beginning of the expanded scheme. Everyone of age 70 or more will be entitled to a cover of Rs 5 lakh annually, shared within the family. This means if there are two elderly beneficiaries in the household, the cover will be split among them.

According to a report from the CDC, an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers has caused one death and left 49 others ill, primarily affecting residents in Colorado and Nebraska. The slivered onions used in the burgers are suspected to be the source of contamination. In response, and in line with safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove these onions from their supply, and the distribution of slivered onions has been paused in the affected areas.

A recent Danish study reported a link between metformin use by fathers-to-be and an increased risk of congenital malformations. But this large study, based on >3 million pregnancies shows, Men with T2DM planning pregnancy can be reassured that taking the drug metformin may not increase the risk of birth defects in their baby. It showed that metformin can continue to be considered a suitable drug for managing blood sugar levels in men planning to have children.

A team of Indian-origin scientists, has discovered new function of a protein that may treat age-related illnesses. According to the study, the cells can create proteins incorrectly, and the clean-up process can become faulty or overwhelmed. As a result, proteins can clump together, leading to a harmful build-up that has been linked to such diseases as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) is likely to recommend exempting Goods and Services Tax (GST) on term life insurance premiums and health insurance premiums paid by senior citizens. During a recent meeting, the GoM decided to exempt GST for health insurance coverage up to Rs 5 lakh for individuals (excluding seniors), while premiums above this threshold will still attract 18% GST. Currently, 18% GST applies to life insurance premiums as well.

The size of the cardiac & anti-diabetes drugs market in India has more than tripled in the last 10 years, said the latest report from Pharmarack. The size of anti-diabetes market has grown from Rs 5,000 crore in 2014 to 17,000 cr now & cardiac market from 10,000 cr to nearly 30,000 cr, the reason being innovator molecules. It indicates the shift of consumption from the existing molecules to newer molecules. The cardio-diabeto segment contributes to almost one-fifth of the overall domestic pharma market today.

This is the most exciting news in the world of diabetes. Last month, a patient with Type 1 diabetes was reported to be insulin-free a year after stem cell transplant. Another patient with Type 2 diabetes showed similar success. Both were from China. Scientists tried out pancreatic transplant, islet cell transplant or stem cell transplant. Although islet transplants can restore insulin secretion, there aren’t enough donors & they require the use of immune-suppressing drugs to prevent rejection of donor tissue. Read more..

Exposure to high levels of heat could affect growth of fetuses in the womb and infants up to 2 years of age, an analysis of over 600 pregnancies in the west African country. For every degree Celsius rise in average daily heat in the 1st trimester, the weight of a baby at birth corresponding to gestation period was found to be lowered. The researchers followed a total of 668 infants for their first 1,000 days of life. Read the complete news here..

The death of a 26-year-old Indian employee has triggered significant discussions around attention to mental health at workplaces. A recent report on the issue, published by Mercer Marsh Benefits, also pointed out a significant gap in mental health support at Indian workplaces, as reported by employees. About 43% of organizations in India do not offer mental health benefits in their group medical insurance plans, and 63% of employees are dissatisfied with the current mental health coverage available.

The government is planning to ban additional fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) this month, as an expert panel has concluded that they lack therapeutic justification, according to a report. Currently, around 16 FDCs are under scrutiny. The expert committee is preparing to submit its findings to the drug regulator soon. In the hearing the panel determined that there was ‘no therapeutic justification’ for these FDCs and noted potential risks to human health.