NMC Allows 30 percent faculty posts in 5 depts to be filled by Medical MSc, PhD degree holders

NMC Allows Appointing Medical MSc, PhD degree holders as 30 percent faculty in 5 depts

The National Medical Commission (NMC) Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations have allowed medical MSc, PhD degree holders to be appointed as faculty in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Microbiology departments.

This follows a 2020 change that reduced non-medical faculty appointments in these departments to 15%, with some departments like Microbiology and Pharmacology restricted to 0%. The 2025 regulations restore non-medical faculty appointments to 30% in these subjects.

The Apex Medical Commission recently released the final Medical Institutions (Qualifications of Faculty) Regulations, 2025, in the official Gazette on June 30, 2025, and laid down the eligibility qualifications of medical teachers at medical institutes.

Relaxing the existing norms for appointing non-medical faculty in medical colleges, NMC has specified in these new regulations that non-MBBS holders can teach in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Microbiology Departments in medical colleges if they possess a Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy Degree in the respective fields of Medical Anatomy, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Physiology, Medical Pharmacology, and Medical Microbiology.

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NMC Allows Appointing Medical MSc, PhD degree holders as 30 percent faculty in 5 depts

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Amidst NMC inspection bribery scandal, demand for restructuring NMC intensifies

Amidst controversy over NMC inspection bribery scandal, demand for restructuring NMC escalates

Amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the corruption case involving inspection-related malpractice in the medical education sector in India, the institutions have urged the Prime Minister of India (PMO) to ensure the strengthening of the National Medical Commission (NMC) for autonomous, transparent, and accountable medical education reform.

The Association of National Board Accredited Institutions (ANBAI) has urged PM Modi to restructure the Apex Medical Commission, use technology-based assessment methods, and align educational priorities with public health needs.

This representation comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a systemic corruption racket in the medical education sector and booked 34 individuals, including officials from the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission (NMC), for their alleged involvement in manipulating the regulatory framework for private medical colleges. Among those named in the FIR are eight officials from the Union Health Ministry, a National Health Authority officer, and five doctors from the NMC’s inspection team. Prominent private medical college figures have also been implicated.

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Amidst controversy over NMC inspection bribery scandal, demand for restructuring NMC escalates

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Data show teclistamab can benefit many multiple myeloma patients who would have been ineligible for pivotal trial

Teclistamab-cqyv is a T-cell-engaging bispecific antibody that targets multiple myeloma cells via the B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) receptor. It received accelerated approval in 2022 for patients treated with four or more lines of prior therapy based on results from the Phase I/II MajesTEC-1 clinical trial.

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Can one video change a teen’s mindset? New study says yes—but there’s a catch

A mental health hack designed to promote mental well-being could shift how teenagers view themselves—according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

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Can psychedelic mushrooms turn back the clock? Study suggests psilocybin preserves telomere length

A compound found in psychedelic mushrooms may have antiaging properties. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, may extend both cellular and organismal lifespans.

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Health system partnership may help cut senior emergency room visits

An innovative partnership between a health system and local congregations in neighborhoods with high need that provides individual companionship to older adults has found significant reductions in loneliness and a corresponding reduction in emergency department visits.

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Key mechanisms of enzyme involved in rare metabolic disease identified

An international research team has published a study in the journal The FEBS Journal that significantly advances the knowledge of a rare hereditary metabolic disease: classical homocystinuria. The team was coordinated by the Liver Diseases and Computational Chemistry groups at the CIC bioGUNE research center, member of BRTA.

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Elevated Fibrinogen/Albumin Ratio Signals Higher Risk of Kidney Injury in CHF Patients Undergoing CAG: Study Finds

China: A recent study published in the Journal of Inflammation Research highlights the significance of the fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) as an independent predictor for the development of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The findings suggest that FAR may serve as a simple yet effective biomarker for early risk stratification in this high-risk population.

Patients with congestive heart failure face a heightened risk of mortality and poor clinical outcomes, particularly when undergoing contrast-enhanced procedures. One significant complication is contrast-induced acute kidney injury, which can further impair renal function and worsen prognosis. While the fibrinogen/albumin ratio has emerged as a potential inflammatory marker, its association with the risk of CI-AKI or all-cause mortality in CHF patients has not been well established.

To address this gap, GuangHui Zhang, First Clinical Medical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China, and colleagues investigated the correlation between preoperative FAR levels and the occurrence of CI-AKI and overall mortality in individuals with CHF.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a retrospective observational study involving CHF patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG). The patients were categorized into groups based on their fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) quartiles. To evaluate the relationship between FAR and clinical outcomes, the researchers employed multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses.

The study revealed the following findings:

  • The study included 7,235 CHF patients, with a mean age of 65.8 ± 11.7 years.
  • Among the participants, 2,100 (29.0%) were female, and 1,094 (15.1%) developed CI-AKI.
  • A non-linear relationship was observed between FAR and CI-AKI, with the risk of CI-AKI increasing as FAR increased.
  • After adjusting for confounding variables, patients with FAR > 0.150 had the highest risk of CI-AKI (OR = 1.572).
  • Multivariate COX proportional risk model revealed that patients with FAR > 0.150 had the highest risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.20).

The authors of this study concluded that the fibrinogen/albumin ratio is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients with congestive heart failure undergoing coronary angiography. They emphasized that assessing FAR before the procedure could help clinicians identify high-risk patients and implement strategies to prevent CI-AKI.

The study has several limitations, including its retrospective design, which may introduce biases. It did not assess blood viscosity indicators or specific CI-AKI biomarkers like cystatin C, NGAL, or KIM-1. Additionally, dynamic changes in FAR were not analyzed, and further research is needed to explore their impact on long-term renal function in CHF patients.

Reference:

Zhang G, Huang D, Chen J, Yang X, Ruan H, Huang X. Fibrinogen/Albumin Ratio is Associated with the Occurrence of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure. J Inflamm Res. 2025;18:5149-5159. https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S507160

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Delayed Puberty in Boys Linked to Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Study

A new study study presented at a joint meeting of the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and the European Society of Endocrinology, boys who experience delayed puberty are 2.5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. This increased risk is independent of weight and socioeconomic status, highlighting pubertal timing as a key factor in long-term metabolic health.

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 90% of diabetics and is influenced by genetic, environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic variables. Previously known as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabetes often strikes individuals 45 years of age or older, but it is also increasingly being diagnosed in children, teenagers, and young adults, and researchers are looking at the different risk factors. Uncertainty surrounds the association between male delayed puberty and adult-onset type 2 diabetes. Therefore, Orit Pinhas-Hamiel and colleagues looked at the relationship between the chance of acquiring type 2 diabetes in early adulthood and delayed puberty throughout adolescence.

Nearly, 9,64,108 Israeli teenage boys (mean age 17.3 years) who were screened before military enlistment between 1992 and 2015 and monitored until December 31, 2019, were the subjects of this population-based study conducted nationally. Board-designated specialists used laboratory testing and physical examination to diagnose delayed puberty. The Israeli National Diabetes Registry was connected to the data. We used Cox proportional hazard models.

Almost, 0.45% of teenage boys were diagnosed with delayed puberty. Over a total follow-up of 15,242,068 years, T2D was identified in 6,259 people without delayed puberty and 111 people (2.58%) with delayed puberty. Teenagers without delayed puberty had an incidence rate of 41.3 T2D per 105 person-years, whereas those with delayed puberty had an incidence rate of 140.3.

After adjusting for birth year, socioeconomic position, cognitive function, education level, and country of birth, the hazard ratio (HR) for T2D among those with delayed puberty remained almost constant at 2.52. The HR was 1.37 with further modification to the baseline BMI. When limited to those diagnosed at or before the age of 35, the link was much stronger (1.65), and it remained after adjusting for baseline health condition.

Using adolescents without hypogonadism as the baseline group, the adjusted HR was 1.31 in a sensitivity analysis restricted to overweight and obese adolescents. Overall, independent of baseline BMI and other variables, teenage boys who have delayed puberty have a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes in their early adult years. These results point to delayed puberty as a possible indicator of metabolic risk that needs more research.

Source:

Pinhas-Hamiel, O., Simchoni, M., Derazne, E., Bardugo, A., Bendor, C. D., Vinograd, A., Lutski, M., Zucker, I., Afek, A., & Twig, G. (2025). Delayed puberty and early-onset type 2 diabetes: a nationwide cohort study of 1.6 million adolescents. Endocrine Abstracts. https://doi.org/10.1530/endoabs.110.oc2.6

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High HDL-C Linked to Increased Risk of Low Muscle Mass in Older Men: Study Reveals

China: A recent study conducted in China has shed light on a surprising link between high levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)—often termed “good cholesterol”—and a greater risk of low muscle mass in older adults, especially men. The research, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, was led by Dr. Weixiao Zhang from the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Nanjing BenQ Medical Center, affiliated with Nanjing Medical University.

The investigation involved 1,995 adults aged 50 and above, aiming to explore the connection between HDL-C levels and chest CT-defined muscle mass. Researchers measured the muscle area of the erector spinae at the T12 vertebral level and analyzed how HDL-C levels corresponded with low muscle mass, a key indicator of sarcopenia.

The study led to the following findings:

  • Higher HDL-C levels were consistently linked to reduced muscle area in older adults.
  • The association was stronger in men (β = -3.16) compared to the overall group (β = -1.91).
  • There was no statistically significant association between HDL-C levels and muscle area in women.
  • Elevated HDL-C levels more than doubled the risk of low muscle mass in the entire cohort (OR = 2.28).
  • In older men, the risk of low muscle mass was three times higher with increased HDL-C levels (OR = 3.28).
  • The sex-specific differences suggest a stronger adverse effect of high HDL-C on muscle health in men than in women.

The researchers employed multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models to validate these findings, both confirming a linear relationship between HDL-C levels and the risk of low muscle mass. These results suggest that HDL-C, traditionally associated with cardiovascular benefits, may also play a role in age-related muscle health, though not necessarily a protective one.

Despite the compelling data, the study acknowledges some limitations. The observational nature of the research does not allow for causal conclusions. Additionally, functional assessments like grip strength, which are important in diagnosing sarcopenia, were not included. The findings are also limited to a Chinese population, and further studies across diverse ethnic groups are necessary to broaden applicability.

Moreover, since the study participants were drawn from individuals undergoing CT scans for lung cancer screening, the possibility of selection bias cannot be ruled out. Lifestyle factors like diet and exercise, which could influence both HDL-C and muscle mass, were also not accounted for.

The authors concluded, “The findings present HDL-C as a potentially useful biomarker for identifying older individuals, particularly men, who are at increased risk of muscle loss. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind this association and whether interventions targeting HDL-C could aid in sarcopenia prevention or management.”

Reference:

Zhang W, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang D, Wang J and Chen X (2025) Associations between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and computed tomography-defined low muscle mass in older adults and sex-related differences. Front. Endocrinol. 16:1600431. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1600431

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