Heart disease is often linked to high cholesterol, obesity, or lack of exercise. However, there is mounting evidence that suggests that mental health plays a crucial role in cardiovascular well-being. Stress, anxiety, and depression can silently strain the heart, increasing the risk of serious complications.

A recent study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, showed that loneliness has a significant impact on proteins present in a person's blood. For the study, researchers used data from more than 42,000 participants to explore whether the 9.3% who reported social isolation and 6.4% who reported loneliness had different levels of proteins in their blood compared with those who did not. The researchers then studied data that tracked the health of participants over an average 14-year period.

"We found around 90% of these proteins are linked to the risk of mortality," Dr Chun Shen, Fudan University in China, who is also the lead researcher said. "In addition, about 50% of the proteins were linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke," he added.

Dr Shrey Kumar Srivastav, senior consultant at Sharda Hospital, said that subtle symptoms of heart disease, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling in the lower legs, dizziness, and jaw pain, are often overlooked or attributed to stress and ageing. "Women, in particular, may experience atypical signs like extreme fatigue, indigestion, or upper abdominal pain instead of classic chest pain, leading to delayed diagnosis," he added.

Can Mental Health Issues Trigger Heart Diseases?

Chronic stress can trigger harmful cardiovascular effects, including elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, and inflammation—key contributors to heart disease. Anxiety and depression further impact heart health by disrupting sleep patterns, raising stress hormone levels, and encouraging unhealthy habits like poor diet and inactivity.

Mental health issues like depression and anxiety have a profound impact on the heart. They don’t just affect emotions but can increase inflammation and put extra strain on the cardiovascular system, warns Dr Srivastav.

Certain risk factors, such as obesity and diabetes, disproportionately affect women, making them more vulnerable to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, due to gender-specific symptom variations, heart disease in women often goes undiagnosed for longer.

Obesity is more prevalent in women than men and is a major risk factor for heart failure. Diabetes, too, has a greater impact on women’s heart health, yet diagnosis and treatment delays are common. Addressing this gap requires increasing awareness, training healthcare providers, and promoting early diagnostic tools,” explains Dr Srivastav.

How Can You Protect Your Heart?

A simple yet effective way to support heart health is by committing to a brisk 30-minute walk daily. Walking not only helps regulate blood pressure and manage weight but also improves circulation and reduces stress.

"Regular physical activity, paired with a heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, significantly lowers cardiovascular risks," advises Dr Srivastav.

Heart disease can often go undetected until a major event occurs, making routine screenings essential.

- For women: Begin screenings around age 30 and continue with regular checkups.

- For men: Start screenings at age 35.

Health screenings, including blood pressure checks, cholesterol tests, and electrocardiograms (ECGs), are critical for early detection of silent heart conditions.

Three scientists from the US and Germany have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for optogenetics — a method that makes it possible to show how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviors in the living brain.

The Prize was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, 54, from the US, and Peter Hegemann,71, and Georg Nagel, 73, from Germany, “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics,” the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet said in a statement. A prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor will be shared equally between the laureates, it added.

At the Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, in Germany's Frankfurt, Peter and Georg discovered a protein called channelrhodopsin in a single-celled alga. Karl later transformed itinto a light-controlled switch for nerve cells.

The laureates have laid the foundation for a new era in neuroscience, the Nobel Assembly said.

Deisseroth is based at Stanford University in California, while Hegemann is from Humboldt University in Berlin and Nagel from the University of Wurzburg in Germany.

What Did Their Findings Show?

How the brain governs feelings, behaviors and bodily functions has long been a mystery, but optogenetics has fundamentally changed scientists’ understanding of the brain.

“Optogenetics provides opportunities for mapping the brain in a way that we could once only dream of,” said Per Svenningsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine.

In the 20th century, researchers began investigating which areas of the brain affect different functions. However, the methods available at the time could not establish causal relationships. The resulting picture of the brain was like a sketch map, filled with question marks and unknowns. Optogenetics has helped change that.

How Did Optogenetics Begin?

The discovery began with Hegemann, who wanted to understand how Chlamydomonas, a single-celled alga, swims towards a light source.

In the early 2000s, Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, an algal protein with unique properties found on the surface of the cell.

They found that when exposed to blue light, a channel opens through the protein, allowing charged ions to flow into the cell and create an electrical impulse. They also found that when the protein was introduced into other cells, those cells became sensitive to light.

How Did Deisseroth Transform the Discovery?

Deisseroth then introduced the gene for channelrhodopsin into nerve cells from rats. By illuminating the cells with blue light, he was able to trigger a nerve signal.

He published this breakthrough in 2005. Two years later, he demonstrated that the light-controlled switch could work in the brains of living mice.

This method of controlling nerve signals with light is now known as optogenetics and has rapidly gained global impact.

Using optogenetics, researchers have been able to reveal neural circuits involved in specific memories, feelings and behaviours relevant to neurological and psychiatric disorders.

In clinical medicine, researchers are also using the method in attempts to restore sight in people with visual impairment.

All About the Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prize was first awarded on December 10, 1901, following the will of founder Alfred Nobel, which he signed in Paris in 1895.

So far, 116 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded. The youngest medicine laureate was Frederick G. Banting, who was 31 when he received the award in 1923. The oldest was Peyton Rous, who was 87 when he received the award in 1966.

India’s first indigenously developed gender-neutral quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Cervavac, has received prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Serum Institute of India announced today.

WHO prequalification marks an important regulatory milestone and opens the possibility of UN agencies procuring Cervavac and supplying it to eligible countries. It could also expand access to HPV vaccination for both boys and girls globally.

“WHO prequalification of Cervavac is an important step in strengthening the global response to HPV. This milestone reflects the effectiveness of the vaccine and creates the opportunity for countries to prevent HPV-related risks. We are pleased to see this indigenously developed vaccine reach this achievement, and look forward to contributing to immunization coverage, advancing global healthcare,” said Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India, in a statement.

What Is Cervavac?

Cervavac is a recombinant quadrivalent HPV vaccine that targets HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), has already approved Cervavac vaccine for girls and boys aged 9 to 26 years. HPV types 16 and 18 are associated with several cancers, while types 6 and 11 are responsible for most genital warts.

In girls and women, Cervavac is indicated for the prevention of cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers caused by HPV types 16 and 18, as well as genital warts caused by types 6 and 11.

In boys and men, it is indicated for the prevention of anal cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 and genital warts caused by types 6 and 11.

The vaccine was developed with support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), in collaboration with the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Gates Foundation.

The WHO prequalification is the 32nd received by the Serum Institute for its products and biologicals.

Who Is Eligible for Cervavac?

Cervavac is approved in India for girls and boys aged 9 to 26 years.

Children aged 9 to 14 years receive the vaccine as a two-dose schedule, with doses given at 0 and six months. Those aged 15 to 26 years receive three doses at 0, two and six months.

The vaccine is administered intramuscularly and is available in 0.5 mL single-dose and 1 mL two-dose vial presentations.

Could Cervavac Join India’s Vaccination Program?

Cervavac is yet to be incorporated into India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP).

The vaccine is currently being studied as a single-dose vaccine. An ongoing study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is assessing whether one dose produces sufficient and sustained antibody protection compared with a single dose of Gardasil.

The results are expected in 2027. Evidence from the study could help determine whether Cervavac can be recommended as a single-dose vaccine and considered for inclusion in India’s national immunization program.

Rajesh Gokhale, secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, said Cervavac was initially not introduced into the national program because it required two doses. “The single-dose will come in (to the national program) after it has been clinically tested,” he was quoted as saying.

Cervavac currently costs around Rs 2,000 in the private market, although its potential price for government procurement has not been disclosed.

India’s HPV Vaccination Drive And Cervical Cancer Burden

India launched a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls in February 2026, using Gardasil-4, developed by Merck.

Cervavac was launched in India in September 2022 after Phase 2/3 trials found it to be non-inferior to Gardasil. At the time, Serum Institute had indicated that the vaccine could potentially be supplied to the government at a substantially lower price through public procurement.

Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern in India, with about 80,000 new cases reported annually and more than 42,000 deaths. India accounts for roughly one-fifth of the global cervical cancer burden.

An experimental antiviral drug, obeldesivir, is being tested in the Democratic Republic of Congo to assess whether it can prevent Ebola from developing further after a person has been exposed to the virus.

As the country continues to fight the deadliest Ebola outbreak, more than 250 people have now enrolled in the EBO-PEP trial, which is testing obeldesivir, an oral antiviral developed by Gilead Sciences.

The trial is being conducted in Ituri province, the epicentre where the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is concentrated.

According to Congolese health authorities, until now, more than 8,300 confirmed cases and 4,000 deaths across seven provinces have been recorded.

More About Obeldesivir Trial

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Obeldesivir is not being given to people who are already sick with Ebola in this trial. Instead, researchers are testing it as post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP.

PEP means treating someone after they have been exposed to an infection but before they develop symptoms.

The EBO-PEP trial is enrolling people who have had high-risk contact with a confirmed Ebola patient within the previous five days but do not have symptoms. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either obeldesivir or a placebo and are monitored for 21 days, with follow-up continuing to 42 days. The obeldesivir study is designed to include 998 people.

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Ebola is caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a strain for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment.

In May, WHO experts identified obeldesivir as a candidate for testing as post-exposure prophylaxis. They recommended that it be studied to establish whether it can actually prevent people exposed to the virus from developing Ebola.

WHO chief scientist Dr Sylvie Briand said at the time, “This is a promising treatment drug, but it has still to be implemented under a very, very strict protocol.”

The clinical trials are crucial as obeldesivir is still experimental for this Ebola strain. It was originally developed as an oral antiviral for COVID-19 and has shown promise against filoviruses, including Bundibugyo virus, in preclinical research.

Trial Began Three Months Ago

Also read: Congo Ebola Cases Top 8,000; Deaths Near 4,000 As Treatment Delays Remain A Concern

The EBO-PEP trial began enrolling participants in July 2026, just after WHO experts recommended obeldesivir. By September 18, more than 200 high-risk participants had enrolled. According to latest numbers, there are now more than 250+ people in the trial.

Gilead donated 2,400 bottles of obeldesivir to support the research. The company also donated remdesivir, which is being made available under a compassionate-use protocol for certain exposed children and pregnant or breastfeeding women who cannot participate in the obeldesivir trial.

The obeldesivir study is separate from the PARTNERS trial, which is testing treatments for people who already have Bundibugyo Ebola disease. That trial is evaluating MBP134, a monoclonal antibody, and remdesivir, including whether the two can be combined to improve survival. WHO launched patient enrolment for the trial in July.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit.”

He added, “The PARTNERS trial, established with national authorities and scientific partners in record time, offers real hope that we can deliver concrete results for – and with – the communities at the heart of the outbreak.”

The two trials therefore target different stages of infection. PARTNERS is studying treatment after Ebola develops, while EBO-PEP is asking whether obeldesivir can stop disease from developing after exposure.

Obeldesivir Trial's Goals

Participants are monitored closely to see if symptoms could emerge. The trial's goal is to determine whether people who receive obeldesivir are less likely to develop symptomatic Bundibugyo Ebola disease than those receiving placebo. Researchers will also assess the drug's safety.

The study is being conducted by ALIMA with the Democratic Republic of Congo's National Institute of Biomedical Research and France's ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases, alongside other national and international partners.