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.

A new study suggests that rising temperatures, floods and droughts could affect the predictability and frequency of waterborne disease outbreaks. Climate change can alter the traditional patterns of disease transmission in ways that are more complex than previously understood.

Researchers state that public health systems can no longer rely on existing weather-disease relationships, as global warming has significantly changed the environmental conditions and their influence how pathogens survive, spread and infect people.

Effect Of Climate Change On Waterborne Diseases

The review says that increasing temperatures, extreme rainfall, prolonged droughts and flooding do not simply increase disease risk. Instead, they can alter the timing, intensity and location of outbreaks, making them less predictable.

"Climate change is resetting many of the environmental conditions that determine when and where waterborne diseases emerge," the researchers noted, emphasizing that disease surveillance systems must evolve to keep pace with these changing dynamics.

According to the researchers, several climate-related factors work together to increase the likelihood of contaminated water and disease transmission.

Also read: Cholera Outbreak In Sudan: 117 Dead, 838 Suspected Cases, Says WHO

Higher Temperatures

Warmer water allows bacteria, viruses and parasites to multiply more rapidly. Pathogens such as Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera, thrive in warmer aquatic environments.

Heavy Rainfall And Floods

Extreme rainfall can overwhelm sewage systems and contaminate drinking water with human and animal waste. Floodwaters also spread pathogens into rivers, lakes and groundwater supplies.

Drought

Although drought reduces water availability, it can also increase disease risk. Limited water supplies often become more concentrated with pathogens, while communities may be forced to use unsafe water sources.

Poor Sanitation After Climate Disasters

Storms, cyclones and floods frequently damage sanitation infrastructure, creating conditions where waterborne infections can spread rapidly.

These factors interact in different ways depending on geography, infrastructure and local climate, making future outbreaks increasingly difficult to forecast.

Also read: How To Spot Leptospirosis, Dengue, Malaria During Monsoons? Early Symptoms Not To Neglect

What Diseases Are Likely To Be Affected By Climate Change?

Researchers say climate-sensitive waterborne illnesses include:

• Cholera
• Acute diarrheal diseases
• Typhoid fever
• Hepatitis A
• Gastroenteritis
• Other bacterial and parasitic infections spread through contaminated water

Children, older adults and people living in regions with limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation are expected to face the greatest risks.

What Do Experts Recommend?

The researchers stress that instead of reacting to outbreaks the governments should strengthen climate-friendly public health systems. The key recommendations include:

• Expanding water quality monitoring
• Improving disease surveillance
• Investing in resilient water and sanitation infrastructure
• Developing climate-informed early warning systems
• Strengthening emergency preparedness for floods and droughts

Researchers say that understanding the evolving relationship between climate and infectious diseases will be essential to protecting communities across the world as global temperatures continue to rise.

Climate change is increasingly being recognized as a major public health threat, extending beyond heatwaves and air pollution to affecting patterns of infectious diseases.

The new review suggests that future waterborne disease outbreaks may not simply become more frequent but also less predictable, requiring health systems to adapt quickly to a changing climate.

As extreme weather events become more common worldwide, researchers warn that protecting safe water supplies and strengthening surveillance will be critical to reducing the growing burden of waterborne diseases.

Nearly nine out of every 10 Indian adults have at least one abnormal blood lipid level, according to a recent nationwide study by ICMR-INDIAB.

The findings highlighted a massive looming public health crisis that could increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases across the country in the near future.

India’s Silent Cholesterol Crisis

The findings, which were reported between July 17 and July 19, 2026, reveal that dyslipidemia, an unhealthy imbalance of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, affects an alarming number of Indian adults.

Despite being preventable and treatable, the condition often remains undiagnosed because it presents with little to no symptoms until serious complications surface.

The study was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) in what is one of the country’s largest community-based metabolic health surveys, involving over 113,000 adults from different states and Union Territories.

Also read: As Sonam Wangchuk's Indefinite Fast Continues, Doctors Explain When Hunger Strike Becomes Medically Dangerous

Women And Urban Residents At Greater Risk

According to the study, women, those living in urban areas, and residents of Central India carried a disproportionately higher burden of abnormal lipid levels.

Researchers also found that dyslipidemia was significantly more common among people with prediabetes or diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

These metabolic conditions substantially increasing the risk of various cardiovascular diseases and complications.

What Is Dyslipidemia?

Dyslipidemia refers to unhealthy levels of fats circulating in the bloodstream. These include:

• High LDL (bad) cholesterol, which contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries.
• Low HDL (good) cholesterol, reducing the body’s ability to remove excess cholesterol.
• High triglycerides, another blood fat that contributes to cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis.
• Elevated total cholesterol

ICMR-INDIAB programme has already shown that lipid disorders remain one of the concerning health risks. However, the latest study highlights just how serious the problem has become, with nearly 90% of adults exhibiting at least one lipid abnormality.

Also read: US Senator & Trump's Close Ally Lindsey Graham Died Of Aortic Dissection: All About The Fatal Heart Emergency

Why Is India Facing A Cholesterol Crisis?

Factors like rapid urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, obesity and rising diabetes rates are likely contributing to the worsening burden of cholesterol.

Unlike many chronic diseases, dyslipidemia can be managed through early detection and lifestyle change. Doctors recommend the following preventive measures:

• Regular lipid profile screening, especially after age 30 or earlier for high-risk individuals.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Exercising regularly.
• Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats while limiting saturated and trans fats.
• Managing diabetes and blood pressure.
• Taking cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins when prescribed.

India has witnessed a steady rise in metabolic disorders over the past two decades, with cases of diabetes, obesity, hypertension and abnormal cholesterol increasingly surging.

Researchers warn that unless preventive measures are strengthened and strict lifestyle changes adopted, the country could face an even greater burden of heart disease and other related disorders in the future.

Climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike has entered a critical stage. After 20 days of without food, Wangchuk's condition worsened significantly. The spectacle drew nationwide attention as concerns over his deteriorating health continue to grow.

The protest, which began on June 28 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, is aimed at demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in national entrance examinations like NEET and broader education reforms.

Wangchuk has experienced substantial weight loss ever since his hunger strike started. Doctors also warned that prolonged fasting could lead to serious complications, including organ involvement.

Sonam Wangchuk's Hospitalisation & 'Chalo Sansad' March

On July 18, Delhi Police shifted Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site to Safdarjung Hospital following medical advice and court-directed health monitoring. The move sparked controversy, with supporters alleging that he was moved to the hospital against his wishes.

According to the hospital, he’s receiving the necessary medical care, and his vital parameters remain stable.

“Sonam Wangchuk is being given the required medical intervention at VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital. His vital parameters are stable at present; however, his blood parameters remain marginally altered, and considering the physiological stress and systemic effects of prolonged fasting, he requires continuous medical care under the close observation of a multidisciplinary team of experts", the hospital's spokesperson said.

Despite being hospitalised, Wangchuk has remained firm on continuing his fast. In a handwritten note that was shared on his official X handle, he urged supporters to participate in the planned "Chalo Sansad" march on July 20.

When Does Hunger Strike Become Medically Concerning?

Also read: Watch: What Really Happens To Your Body After 72 Hours Without Food?

With Wangchuk's health continuing to deteriorate, his protest has renewed public interest in the medical dangers of prolonged hunger strikes.

The deterioration of one's health after a period of prolonged fasting is a medical emergency but it is highly variable.

Dr M Wali, Principal Director, Internal Medicine, Pacific One Health, says, "The timing of health deterioration becoming a medical emergency varies on various factors. It depends on age, existing health parameters before fasting, hydration, medications, environmental conditions and most important whether the person is taking only water or electrolytes. There is no fixed timeline for vitals to deteriorate."

24-72 Hours

In the first three days, the doctor says that the body suffers from spells of hunger, dizziness, and mild drop in blood pressure.

3 to 9 Days

During this period, fluctuations in blood sugar can start. The expert says that during this time, the body relies heavily on stored fats. Weight loss, low blood pressure, slow pulse, dehydration, and electrolytes imbalance start happening too.

10-14 days

Experts say that this is the critical period when serious complications can arise, especially like kidney injury, heart rhythm abnormalities, confusion, and collapse.

According to Dr Anshu Rohtagi, Sr Consultant at Department of Neurology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "After sustained and prolonged complete fasting of couple of weeks, the risk of permanent organ damage and death increases manifold although survival depends on hydration and status of nutrition. Someone refusing both food and water can deteriorate much faster - sometimes in a few days also."

Also read: How Colonialism Continues To Bear An Impact On The South Asian Health Crisis

Another expert says that during this time, certain critical symptoms are evaluated that could cause serious complications.

According to Dr Niraj Tyagi, renowned critical care specialist, "The visiting medical team looks for signs that generally prompt urgent medical evacuations. Some of them are loss of consciousness or inability to stay awake, confusion or delirium, chest pain, abnormal heart rhythm, very low blood pressure causing fainting or shock, persistent low blood pressure, severe dehydration, little or no urine output, dangerous imbalance of electrolytes and kidney or other organs injury."

According to human rights experts, "Whether someone can be shifted to medical facility or treated against their wishes depends on local laws, court orders, and, most importantly, whether the person is in sound mental health to take informed decisions."

Treatment Plan

Dr. Wali explains how the treatment course looks like for someone who has been without food for weeks.

He says, "Once shifted to medical facility, treatment depends on the patient's condition and may include careful rehydration, correction of electrolytes imbalance, continuous cardiac and kidney monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation. Doctors usually monitor potassium, magnesium, and glucose closely during re-feeding."

He adds, "It is important to note that even after recovery, the person may remain medically vulnerable even if they feel well."