Low-dose CT chest scans could help detect pneumonia in at-risk patients while exposing them to only small amounts of radiation, a new study has found. The research, published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, shows that ultra-low-dose scans can effectively detect pneumonia in patients with compromised immune systems, enabling doctors to treat the infection before it becomes life-threatening. According to the researchers, these scans expose patients to just 2% of the radiation dose used in a standard CT scan.

"This study paves the way for safer, AI-driven imaging that reduces radiation exposure while preserving diagnostic accuracy,” lead researcher Dr Maximiliano Klug, a radiologist with the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, said in a news release. He added that CT scans are the gold standard for detecting pneumonia but there are concerns regarding the risk posed by repeated exposure to radiation. There is a solution- ultra-low-dose CT scan. However, the problem is that these scans can be grainy and hard to read, researchers said.

Study Gives Solution To This

To overcome that, Klug's team developed an AI program that could help "de-noise" low-dose scans, making them sharper and easier to read. Between September 2020 and December 2022, 54 patients with compromised immune systems who had fevers underwent a pair of chest CT scans -- a normal dose scan and an ultra-low-dose scan. The AI program cleaned up the low-dose scan, and then both sets of images were given to a pair of radiologists for assessment. Radiologists had 100% accuracy in detecting pneumonia and other lung problems with the AI-cleaned low-dose scans, but 91% to 98% accuracy in examining the scans that hadn’t been improved through AI, results show.

"This pilot study identified infection with a fraction of the radiation dose," Klug said. "This approach could drive larger studies and ultimately reshape clinical guidelines, making denoised ultra-low dose CT the new standard for young immunocompromised patients.

How Can You Detect Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The symptoms can range from milk to severe, which includes:

Coughing with or without cough

Fever

Chills

Trouble breathing

Chest pain, especially when breathing deeply or coughing

Sweating or chills

Rapid heart rate

Loss of appetite

Bluish skin, lips, and nails

Confusion.

How to detect Pneumonia in coughing newborns and toddlers?

Pneumonia can severely affect newborns and young children as their lungs are comparatively more sensitive. As per Dr Goyal, young children can cough for various reasons including seasonal infections and tonsillitis, which is very common in this age group. But if they look visibly irritable and have poor sleep patterns, then parents must reach out to an expert. "I am not saying that parents must visit a hospital but any local paediatrician would be able to detect pneumonia in your kid.

One of the country's most popular condiment brands, Everest, is under tight FSSAI scrutiny after the food regulator ordered a temporary ban of sale of its hing (asafoetida) and a few masalas.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prohibited the sale of compounded hing manufactured by Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo and Company after laboratory testing found samples that did not meet food safety standards.

The regulator has spotted compliance issues in three Everest spice blends. They include egg curry masala, chicken masala, and its widely sold garam masala.

To clarify, the three Everest masalas have not been banned permanently. They have been flagged for non-compliance, and the company has been asked to explain the violations and submit an action plan to resolve the said issues.

Why Is Everest's Hing Under Fire?

The action against hing came after a consumer complaint that prompted FSSAI to begin surveillance of major hing brands.

Samples were collected from Everest's facility in Mumbai and its manufacturing unit in Umbergaon, Gujarat, to be sent for laboratory testing.

According to FSSAI, its compounded hing samples tested contained only 0% to 3% alcohol-soluble extract, despite the prescribed minimum being 5%.

Compounded hing, which is not pure raw asafoetida, is a regulated food product made by blending raw hing with other ingredients like starches, flour, and gum Arabic. The required alcohol-soluble extract helps establish whether sufficient raw asafoetida is present in the final product.

FSSAI said the test results indicated that the products contained 30% to 40% less raw hing than required.

The regulator also found a separate problem in six varieties of raw hing tested at the Laljee Godhoo facility. Their starch content ranged between 15% and 32%, while the permitted maximum is 1%.

Also read: FSSAI Proposes Red Front-Of-Pack Warning Labels On Junk Food: How Will This Benefit Consumers’ Health?

What About Everest's Egg Curry, Chicken And Garam Masalas?

The regulator also detected non-compliance in Everest egg curry masala, chicken masala, and garam masala. However, unlike the hing products, these three spice blends have not been prohibited from sale.

The companies have been asked to explain the violations and submit action plans elaborating how they intend to comply with the food safety standards.

FSSAI has also advised the manufacturers to voluntarily recall substandard hing products already in the market.

Also read: US FDA Recalls Injectables Over Fiberglass, Steel Particles: See Affected Drugs

Motive Behind FSSAI's Action

FSSAI's action is a preventive food safety measure. The regulator said the manufacturers must address the violations and ensure their compounded hing meets the prescribed standards. The prohibition on the product will remain in place until compliance requirements are met.

For consumers, the episode also highlights the fact how food adulteration or substandard manufacturing is not always visible to the naked eye. A spice may look, smell and taste perfectly fine while still failing a major food safety standard.

Laboratory testing is therefore crucial for identifying problems like incorrect composition or inadequate levels of the ingredient in a product.

This comes at a time when FSSAI is tightening rules over food standards and labelling. Just days ago, the regulator proposed hexagonal red, front-of-pack warning labels for packaged junk foods that are high in sugar, salt or saturated fats. It told the Supreme Court that the aim is to make such information easier for consumers to understand.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed putting prominent red, hexagonal warning labels on the front of packaged junk foods and beverages that are high in saturated fat, sugar or salt.

The proposal was submitted to the Supreme Court on August 28, marking a major update after years of debate over front-of-pack labelling.

The proposed labels would carry warnings like “HIGH FAT”, “HIGH SUGAR”, “HIGH SALT” or “HIGHLY SWEETENED BEVERAGE”, allowing consumers to identify products high in nutrients of concern without having to turn the packet around and decipher the nutrition panel.

Packaged Junk Foods To Carry Red Warning Labels Soon

At present, packaged foods generally provide nutritional information on the back or side of the package. For many shoppers, comparing the sugar, salt or fat content of several products can require some additional work of flipping and searching.

The proposed design is a red-coloured hexagonal symbol placed prominently on the front of the package. The first phase is expected to apply to products that are high in any two or more of the specified nutrients, according to the proposal reported by Reuters. The proposal also includes exemptions for certain foods that have single ingredients.

Also read: FSSAI Flags Food Firms For Misleading ‘100%’, ‘Energy Drink’, Immunity Claims

How Could The Red Label Help Consumers?

A prominent warning on the front of a packet could make it immediately obvious that a product contains high amounts of certain nutrients. This could be particularly useful when consumers are choosing between similar products.

It could also help parents make quicker decisions when buying packaged foods for children, who are increasingly being exposed to processed and ultra-processed foods.

The idea is not necessarily to tell consumers “never eat this”. Instead, the warning provides information before the purchase, allowing people to decide how frequently one should consume a type of packaged food.

A warning label, however, cannot compensate for an overall unhealthy diet, and consumers may still choose products carrying a warning. Its value lies in making important nutritional information harder to overlook.

The proposal comes after growing pressure from health activists and the Supreme Court, which has pushed the government to act on front-of-pack warnings amid concerns over rising obesity and chronic lifestyle diseases in India.

Also read: Centre Bans Cough & Cold Medicines For Children Under 4: What Parents Need To Know

The push for front-of-pack warnings is not coming only from health advocates. A recent LocalCircles survey of more than 83,000 consumers across 314 districts found strong support for prominent warnings on packaged foods and beverages high in sugar, salt or saturated fat.

80% of consumers said FSSAI should mandate such warnings, while another 11% wanted them specifically on ultra-processed foods. That means 91% supported front-of-pack warnings in some form, while only 4% felt existing format of nutrition information was more than enough.

Consumers also appeared to favour a warning that could be understood at a glance. 44% preferred a red warning symbol stating that a product was high in sugar, salt or saturated fat, while 27% chose traffic-light colour coding. Only 2% preferred a conventional black-and-white numerical nutrition panel.

But perhaps the most striking finding was what consumers said they would do with that information. 94% said a prominent warning would influence their buying decision.

Of these, 44% said they would avoid the product altogether, 26% would compare it with healthier alternatives and 24% would buy it less frequently. Only 6% said the warning would not affect their purchase.

Also read: ₹5 Crore Fake Medicine Racket Busted Near Bengaluru: Why Counterfeit Drugs In ICUs Are A Major Health Risk

Food Companies Have Opposed These Labels

The move has faced resistance from parts of the food and beverage industry. Companies and industry groups have argued that warning labels could be confusing or ineffective and that consumers should instead be encouraged to practise portion control.

Reuters reported that Coca-Cola India executive Mili Bhattacharya described it as “very simplistic” to believe that a symbol alone would significantly change people's diets.

Health advocates, however, have argued that consumers deserve clearer information about products that are high in nutrients linked to chronic disease.

Just a day before FSSAI proposed the red warning labels, Nestlé CEO Philipp Navratil said food manufacturers should be consulted as India develops its front-of-pack labelling rules.

According to Reuters, Navratil said the rules should be developed through a scientific approach and with input from food manufacturers.

The industry has previously pushed back against some proposals for warning labels, arguing that nutrition information needs to be presented in a way that gives consumers sufficient context rather than simply flagging individual nutrients.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide), typically used to control Type 2 diabetes, to also reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke, the American drug maker said.

Mounjaro is already approved as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar in adults and children aged 10 and older with Type 2 diabetes. It targets the GLP-1 protein and is also used for weight loss. In the US, the obesity version is sold under the brand name Zepbound.

Mounjaro: What Cardiovascular Risks Can It Reduce?

The FDA approved Mounjaro to lower the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including:

• Cardiovascular death
• Non-fatal heart attack
• Non-fatal stroke

Also read: UK Woman Dies After Sudden Abdominal Pain Following Increase In Her Mounjaro Dose

The approval applies to adults with Type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for these events.

“For people with Type 2 diabetes, heart disease is the leading cause of death, and Mounjaro – the number 1 most prescribed branded Type 2 diabetes medicine for adults in the US – now gives them a proven way to lower that risk, adding to the strong foundation it has already built in A1C and weight,” said Kenneth Custer, executive vice president and president, Lilly Cardiometabolic Health.

How Was Mounjaro Approved?

The FDA approval was based on results from a trial that showed Mounjaro outperformed Trulicity, Lilly’s older diabetes drug, in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in a large, head-to-head study.

The trial showed that Mounjaro reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 8% more than Trulicity.

It was the largest and longest tirzepatide study to date, enrolling more than 13,000 participants across 30 countries over more than four and a half years.

The most commonly reported adverse events in SURPASS-CVOT for Mounjaro were gastrointestinal-related, generally mild to moderate in severity, and occurred primarily during the dose-escalation period.

What About Novo Nordisk’s Drugs?

Read More: GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Tied To Over 60 Reported Deaths In Australia

“Mounjaro is the first and only GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist proven to lower heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death risk in adults with Type 2 diabetes at high risk for these events – in addition to its established A1C and weight loss benefits,” according to Lilly.

However, Danish rival Novo Nordisk secured FDA approval for its weight-loss drug Wegovy to lower heart risks in 2024 in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.

In 2025, the FDA also approved its older diabetes drug, Rybelsus, to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in diabetic patients.

What Is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is a brand name for tirzepatide, an injectable weekly treatment first approved by the US FDA for the control of Type 2 diabetes.

Unlike older weight-loss drugs that act on metabolism or suppress appetite as their primary mechanism, Mounjaro acts on two key hormones: GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). These control the release of insulin and sensations of fullness.

By mimicking their action, Mounjaro decreases hunger and enhances blood sugar control — two key obstacles in successful weight maintenance.

How Does Mounjaro Work?

The key to Mounjaro’s success is tirzepatide, a dual-acting peptide that acts on receptors in the brain and stomach. When taken, it sets in motion a chain reaction of signals that tell the brain that you are full, helping reduce cravings and overeating.

Mounjaro also makes the body more responsive to insulin. In people with obesity, insulin resistance is frequent and can make weight loss more difficult. By enhancing insulin action, Mounjaro helps the body better control blood sugar and store less fat. In a sense, Mounjaro doesn’t simply allow you to eat less — it allows your body to use what you eat more efficiently.