EXERCISE IS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND THERAPY

Depression is a leading cause of morbidity, disability and mortality affecting over 280 million people worldwide.

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In a review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers pooled data from 73 randomised controlled trials involving nearly 5,000 adults with depression. The studies compared exercise with psychological therapies, antidepressants or no treatment.

Overall, exercise showed a moderate benefit in reducing depressive symptoms compared with no treatment. Exercise was also found to be comparable to psychological therapy in easing symptoms of depression. Light- to moderate-intensity exercise appeared to be more beneficial than vigorous exercise, and no single type of exercise proved superior. However, programmes that combined different forms of exercise, including resistance training, appeared more effective than aerobic exercise alone.

Five trials comparing physical activity with antidepressants suggested that exercise may be as effective as medication, although the evidence was limited and of low certainty. Long-term effects remain unclear, as few studies followed participants after treatment ended.

ONE DRINK A DAY RAISES ORAL CANCER RISK

A LARGE INDIAN STUDY published in BMJ Global Health finds that even low daily alcohol intakearound 9g, which is roughly equal to one standard drink-is associated with a 50 per cent higher risk of mouth (buccal mucosa) cancer in India. The strongest link is seen in people who consume locally brewed alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol use combined with chewing tobacco accounts for about 62 per cent of buccal mucosa cancer cases in India.

Mouth cancer is the second most common cancer in India, with 1,43,759 new diagnoses and 80,000 deaths a year. The most affected site is the buccal mucosa-the soft inner lining of the cheeks and lips. Disease rates have steadily increased, particularly among men, and survival outcomes remain poor.