NEET PG 2025: 3 New Exam Centres Added in JnK

Jammu & Kashmir- The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has recently released the tentative list of exam cities for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET PG) exam for the academic year 2025. In this, three more new NEET-PG exam centres have been added in Jammu and Kashmir.

The three new NEET-PG exam centres include Baramulla, Budgam and Pulwama of J&K. These 3 new centres are now among the new centre options in addition to the already existing Samba, Jammu and Srinagar centres.

Earlier, there were only two examination centres in Jammu and Kashmir, one in Srinagar and the other in Jammu. Adding new examination centres will ease the difficulties of the candidates from Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Read: NEET PG 2025 Tentative list of 233 exam cities released, Here’s How to select

The move comes after aspirants from Jammu and Kashmir urged authorities to set up additional exam centres in Srinagar and Jammu for NEET PG-2025. They had said that nearly 90 per cent of the candidates were allotted centres in Jammu while only a few have got centres in Srinagar, reports Rising Kashmir.

Last year, around 2,800 candidates appeared for the NEET PG exam. Whereas, this year the number has increased to 4,000 and is expected to reach 5,000 by 2026. Despite this increase, the number of exam centres in Jammu and Kashmir remains limited.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the NBE has increased the number of exam cities, following the Supreme Court’s direction to the exam conducting body to conduct the exam in a single shift. The exam is scheduled to be held on August 3 in computer-based mode.

Now, as per the revised list of exam cities released by NBE, the NEET PG 2025 exam will be conducted in a total of 233 exam cities. Earlier, as per the NEET PG exam 2025 information bulletin, the exam was to be conducted in a total of 179 cities.

Also Read: NEET PG Supreme Court Hearing: With Double Shift Concerns Over, What will be Discussed Next?

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Exposure to ‘forever chemicals’ before birth may raise blood pressure during teen years, research suggests

Children exposed before birth to synthetic compounds called “forever chemicals” had higher blood pressure during their teenage years, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The study was also presented at the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Conference in Boston.

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Earned sick leave alone is not enough for uninsured workers, study finds

Earned sick leave—short-term, paid time off for employees who are sick or injured or must care for sick or injured family members—has been found to reduce the spread of infectious diseases in the workplace and increase employee access to preventive care.

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Algorithm streamlines vascular system design for 3D printed hearts

There are more than 100,000 people on organ transplant lists in the U.S., some of whom will wait years to receive one—and some may not survive the wait. Even with a good match, there is a chance that a person’s body will reject the organ. To shorten waiting periods and reduce the possibility of rejection, researchers in regenerative medicine are developing methods to use a patient’s own cells to fabricate personalized hearts, kidneys, livers, and other organs on demand.

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Illegal clinics busted in Panipat, 2 FIRs registered

Karnal: The Chief Minister’s Flying Squad raided two illegally operating clinics in Panipat, leading to the registration of two separate FIRs. The raids revealed serious violations, including individuals running medical facilities without valid licenses, degrees, or regulatory approvals-posing a significant threat to public health.

In the first case, Shabir Ali, a local resident, was booked at the Model Town police station under Sections 18(a)(i) and 18(c) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Section 34 of the National Medical Commission Act, and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), reports Hindustan Times.

Also Read: Quack who is Class 8 dropout arrested in Ganjam

The raid was carried out following a tip-off received by the Civil Surgeon of Panipat and led by Vishal, a medical officer at the general hospital. Upon entering the clinic, the squad found Shabir Ali seated in the doctor’s chair, claiming he was operating the clinic. While the board displayed the name of Ali’s daughter, a BAMS graduate, who he said moved to Saharanpur after getting married in November 2024.

The team also discovered a large stock of allopathic and injectable medicines, with some bearing the name Dr. S Khan. The fake doctor also failed to present any valid medical qualifications or operating license, prompting the FIR.

In a separate incident, another Panipat resident was found illegally running Dev EH Hospital and Medical Institute near Deswal Chowk. A second FIR was lodged at the Old Industrial police station under similar sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the National Medical Commission Act, and the BNS.

Also Read: 2 Quacks booked for illegal practice

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Panipat deputy chief medical officer Subash Galawat stated in his complaint that Devender presented certificates claiming a BEMS (Bachelor of Electropathy Medicine Surgery) degree and registration with the Electronomopathy Medical Council, Panchkula.

However, the team determined that these certificates are not recognized by the National Medical Commission or any legally authorized medical body. The FIR notes that the legitimacy of the council issuing these certificates needs verification by appropriate regulatory authorities.

Both individuals are now under investigation for unauthorized medical practice, which could pose serious health risks to unsuspecting patients.

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Breast Reconstruction in Older Patients Linked to Greater Efficiency, shorter operative time: Study

A new study published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery showed that older patients undergoing breast reconstruction tend to have shorter operative times and quicker reconstruction completion compared to younger patients. This may be due to increased patient motivation, fewer aesthetic concerns, or surgeons’ efforts to reduce anesthesia duration in this age group.

Breast cancer treatment is important because it may save lives, improve quality of life, and lessen the effects of this common and sometimes fatal illness. Enhancing the quality of life for survivors is becoming more and more important as breast cancer survival rates rise, and breast reconstruction is a key component of this effort. Even though recent research suggests that age shouldn’t be a deterrent to breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, older women’s use rates are still disproportionately low.

Although reconstruction is performed on over half of mastectomy patients, less than 10% of these individuals are older than 60. Older patients are less likely to use breast reconstruction, even if results and satisfaction are comparable across age groups. Therefore, in order to determine the variables causing this gap, Jacquelyn Roth and team carried out this study to look at age-related disparities in care schedules and surgical length.

From 2017 to 2023, information on individuals undergoing breast reconstruction was gathered. The duration of index and aggregate procedures, the time between the diagnosis of breast cancer and the consultation for plastic surgery (PS), the index reconstructive surgery, and the final reconstructive treatment were among the outcomes. Both absolute age and age-quartile mediated differences in outcomes were examined using multivariate regression.

Q1 (15.8–44.2 years, mean=38, n=415), Q2 (44.2–52.1, mean=48; n=415), Q3 (52.1–60.6, mean=56; n=416), and Q4 (60.6–85.4, mean=67; n=413) were the age-based quartiles (Q) into which 1659 patients were separated. Comorbidity loads, reconstruction modality, and insurance type varied substantially among quartiles, with Q4 patients having the largest burdens.

According to multivariate regression, shorter index (β=−0.002, P=0.019) and aggregate (β=−0.002, P=0.005) procedure durations were predicted by increasing age. In terms of clinical timescales, shorter timeframes between diagnosis and ultimate surgery were predicted by increasing age (β = -0.006, p = 0.013).

When compared to Q1 patients, Q2 (β = -0.263, p = 0.046) and Q4 (β = -0.625, p = 0.021) patients had shorter time between diagnosis and PS consult. Overall, when compared to younger patients, older individuals having breast reconstruction had shorter operating times and faster reconstruction completion times. 

Source:

Roth, J., Godek, M., Yu, B., Fung, E., & Taub, P. J. (2025). Older age may predict expedited care for motivated breast reconstruction patients. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery: JPRAS, 106, 416–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2025.05.031

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FDA Approves First Triple-Drug Polypill for Initial Hypertension Treatment

The FDA has approved Widaplik, a polypill combining telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide, for the treatment of hypertension in adults, including as initial therapy. This is the first triple-combination pill approved for first-line treatment in patients likely to require multiple medications to reach blood pressure targets.

WIDAPLIK is a proprietary single pill combination of three medicines: telmisartan, amlodipine and indapamide and is available in three doses: a standard dose and two low doses. It is the first and only FDA-approved triple combination medication for use as an initial therapy in patients likely to need multiple drugs to achieve blood pressure goals. WIDAPLIK, with its three different doses, can deliver the efficacy benefits of a triple mechanism approach early in the treatment pathway with an established safety profile and good tolerability.

Globally recognized treatment guidelines now recommend the use of single pill combination therapy for most patients and acknowledge the benefit of early use of combination therapy.

In the US, nearly half of adults have hypertension and only around one in four have their blood pressure under control. Hypertension is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure and is estimated to cause 460,000 deaths in the US each year.

Mark Mallon, Chief Executive Officer of George Medicines, said: “Data show that most patients with hypertension will require two or more medicines to bring their blood pressure under control. WIDAPLIK can provide patients with hypertension, including those who are starting treatment, with a different approach to control their blood pressure. With its triple combination efficacy, established safety profile, good tolerability and its availability in a single pill, WIDAPLIK has the potential to address key challenges in current hypertension treatment approaches. With planning underway for the upcoming US commercial launch of WIDAPLIK, and further regulatory submissions in other territories anticipated during 2025, George Medicines is well-positioned to positively impact the global burden of hypertension.”

Dr. Paul Whelton, Show Chwan Chair of Global Public Health at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Past President of the World Hypertension League, said: “I am very excited and pleased to have WIDAPLIK approved for the treatment of hypertension in the US. Single pill combination antihypertensive therapy has great potential to improve hypertension control in the US and worldwide. Most patients with hypertension need multiple therapies to achieve their blood pressure goals. The new dose options available with WIDAPLIK offer a treatment regimen that could benefit a broad range of patients, including those just starting treatment.”

The FDA approval is based on positive results from two international Phase 3 trials, which compared WIDAPLIK against placebo and against dual combinations of its component drugs.

In both trials WIDAPLIK significantly improved blood pressure and control rates vs comparators. In clinical trials, the most common adverse event reported in patients treated with WIDAPLIK is symptomatic hypotension. WIDAPLIK is contraindicated in patients with anuria, known hypersensitivity to telmisartan, amlodipine, indapamide, or to other sulfonamide-derived drugs, or to any other component of this product. In patients with diabetes, WIDAPLIK is not to be co-administered with aliskiren. A boxed warning in the labeling informs physicians and patients to discontinue WIDAPLIK as soon as possible after pregnancy is detected due to fetal toxicity. For full Prescribing Information, visit here.

The US commercial launch of WIDAPLIK is anticipated in Q4 2025.

George Medicines is an independent spin-out company from The George Institute for Global Health, one of the world’s leading medical research institutes with a focus on addressing global health inequity. The Company’s WIDAPLIK development program built on earlier research by The George Institute, including the 700-patient TRIUMPH trial undertaken in Sri Lanka in 2016/17, which found that among patients with mild to moderate hypertension, treatment with a low-dose triple combination pill led to an increased proportion of patients achieving their target blood pressure goal versus usual care.

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High Eosinophil Counts in COPD Patients Tied to Increased Risk of Heart Failure and Kidney Disease: Study Shows

China: A new study published in BMC Pulmonary Medicine highlights a significant association between elevated blood eosinophil counts and the presence of extrapulmonary health conditions in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Conducted by Dr. Hong Chen and colleagues from Chengdu Second People’s Hospital and Sichuan University, the research suggests that eosinophilic inflammation may contribute to systemic complications in COPD beyond the well-known respiratory effects.

The researchers analyzed data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) covering 2013 to 2018. The study focused on 614 adults diagnosed with COPD, categorizing them based on their blood eosinophil counts (BEC): those with levels below 300 cells/μL and those with levels at or above this threshold.

The study led to the following findings:

  • Patients with elevated eosinophil counts (≥300 cells/μL) had a significantly higher prevalence of extrapulmonary comorbidities than those with lower counts.
  • 85.3% of individuals in the high-eosinophil group had at least one extrapulmonary condition versus 71.4% in the low-eosinophil group.
  • After adjusting for potential confounders, high eosinophil levels were associated with a two-fold increase in the odds of having any extrapulmonary comorbidity (OR 2.03).
  • Elevated eosinophil counts were linked to a 69% higher risk of congestive heart failure (OR 1.69).
  • High eosinophil levels were also associated with nearly double the risk of renal dysfunction (OR 1.95).
  • There was no significant association between eosinophil levels and pulmonary comorbidities.
  • The findings suggest that eosinophilic inflammation may play a role in systemic health issues beyond the respiratory system.

“Our analysis indicates that higher eosinophil counts in COPD patients may serve as a signal for non-respiratory complications, particularly involving the cardiovascular and renal systems,” noted the authors.

To strengthen their findings, the researchers conducted sensitivity analyses using additional eosinophil cutoffs, which consistently confirmed the association between rising eosinophil levels and increased risk of extrapulmonary disease.

The authors emphasized the potential clinical implications of these results, suggesting that therapies targeting eosinophilic inflammation might benefit lung function and help mitigate broader health risks in COPD patients. However, they called for further prospective studies to explore causal pathways and determine how best to incorporate eosinophil monitoring into comprehensive COPD management strategies.

“The study highlights the importance of viewing COPD as a systemic disease and not just a condition of the lungs, especially when elevated eosinophil levels are present,” the authors concluded.

Reference:

Chen, H., Hu, X., He, C. et al. Association of blood eosinophil counts with pulmonary and extrapulmonary comorbidities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: data from NHANES 2013–2018. BMC Pulm Med 25, 256 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12890-025-03734-6

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Higher long-term variability of serum uric acid associated with diabetic retinopathy risk: Study

A new study published in the journal of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice found that patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus had a greater chance of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR) if their serum uric acid levels were variable.

With a projected global incidence of 12.2% in 2045, diabetes mellitus (DM), a metabolic condition marked by persistent hyperglycemia brought on by absolute or relative insulin insufficiency, has emerged as one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses. Diabetes-related hyperglycemia and other metabolic irregularities can have a significant impact on the body’s organs, resulting in retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, among other problems.

One significant ocular consequence of diabetes is DR, which affects 22.27 percent of people with diabetes. Additionally, 6.17 percent of people with diabetes have vision-threatening DR (VTDR), making DR the most common cause of visual impairment in people of working age.

Purine metabolism produces uric acid, and high blood uric acid levels are a frequent metabolic change seen in diabetic patients. Several clinical investigations have linked higher serum uric acid levels to diabetic retinopathy. Thus, this study assessed the relationship between the onset and/or severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and the variability of serum uric acid (SUA).

At Shanghai General Hospital, 730 DM patients lacking proliferative diabetic retinopathy at baseline participated in a prospective trial. Every subject had several DR evaluations using fundus photography and SUA measures throughout the course of at least a year of follow-up. To evaluate SUA fluctuations, average real variability (ARV) was computed for every patient, taking into consideration different follow-up frequencies and visit counts.

With a Log-rank p-value of 0.0055, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the group with higher SUA ARV scores had a greater chance of developing and progressing DR.

The hazard ratios for DR deterioration in patients in the third and fourth quantiles of ARV are 2.2 (p = 0.008, 95 % CI: 1.2206∼3.8201) and 2.74 (p = 0.017, 95 % CI: 1.1339∼3.7255), respectively, as compared to patients in the first quantile, according to Cox regression with Backward Stepwise Selection of covariates.

Overall, in DM patients, high long-term variability is strongly linked to the onset and exacerbation of DR, indicating the significance of the advantages of ongoing serum uric acid management.

Source:

Zhu, Q., Wang, H., Qu, Y., Jiang, Y., Liu, X., Liu, X., Xiao, Y., Lv, K., Xing, X., Niu, T., & Liu, K. (2025). Association between long-term serum uric acid variability and diabetic retinopathy: A prospective study in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 226(112306), 112306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112306

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High dietary fiber intake may reduce likelihood of stroke, death, reveals research

A recent study published in Stroke by Lai et al. (2025) highlights a significant association between high dietary fiber intake and reduced mortality from stroke. The research indicates that individuals consuming higher amounts of dietary fiber have a lower risk of dying from stroke compared to those with lower fiber intake. This finding aligns with previous studies that have demonstrated the protective effects of dietary fiber against cardiovascular diseases, including stroke.

The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating fiber-rich foods into the diet, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. These foods not only provide essential nutrients but also contribute to overall cardiovascular health. The mechanisms by which dietary fiber exerts its protective effects include the reduction of blood pressure, improvement of lipid profiles, and enhancement of insulin sensitivity. In addition to the findings by Lai et al., a meta-analysis by Threapleton et al. (2013) supports the inverse relationship between dietary fiber intake and stroke risk. Their analysis concluded that greater dietary fiber consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of first stroke, reinforcing the importance of dietary fiber in stroke prevention strategies. Given the substantial evidence linking dietary fiber intake to reduced stroke mortality, public health initiatives should focus on promoting diets rich in fiber. Such dietary modifications are a cost-effective and accessible means to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the burden of stroke-related deaths.
Keywords: dietary fiber, stroke mortality, cardiovascular health, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, stroke prevention
References:

Lai, S., et al. (2025). High dietary fiber intake may reduce likelihood of stroke death. Stroke. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.124.049093

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