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.

Adolf Hitler may have lived with a rare genetic disorder known as Kallmann Syndrome, according to researchers and documentary producers who carried out DNA testing on what they say is the Nazi leader’s blood. The Cleveland Clinic notes that this condition can interfere with the start of puberty and may result in traits such as undescended testicles and a micropenis.

The new findings also rule out a long-standing rumor that Hitler had Jewish heritage, the research team said.

Hitler Likely Had Kallmann Syndrome, New DNA Investigation Suggests

For decades, wartime songs and jokes poked fun at Hitler’s genitalia, though none of those claims had scientific support. Now, an international group of historians and scientists believes their results strengthen theories about abnormalities in his sexual development.

Alex Kay of the University of Potsdam said the diagnosis could help explain Hitler’s lifelong distance from women and his probable lack of intimate relationships. “No one has really been able to account for his discomfort with women,” Kay noted, as per CBS News, “If he had Kallmann Syndrome, this may offer the explanation that has been missing.”

The full findings appear in an upcoming documentary titled Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator.

What Is Kallmann Syndrome?

Kallmann syndrome is an inherited condition in which puberty is either greatly delayed or does not begin at all, and the affected person also has a reduced or absent sense of smell. It stems from a shortfall of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a key hormone that signals the body to start puberty and develop sexual characteristics.

In this disorder, certain neurons that should move from the nasal region to the brain during early development do not reach their destination. As a result, the sense of smell is impaired and the olfactory bulbs remain poorly formed. The syndrome may appear alongside other birth defects and is seen far more often in males.

How Researchers Obtained Hitler’s DNA

As per The Guardian, according to the team, the genetic material was taken from a fragment of fabric believed to come from the sofa where Hitler killed himself. Their analysis pointed to a high likelihood of Kallmann Syndrome.

Britain’s Guardian, which reviewed the documentary, cautioned that the researchers were unable to collect new DNA from any of Hitler’s surviving relatives in Austria or the United States. Those family members, the newspaper said, declined participation because they wished to avoid publicity.

Claims And Criticism Around Psychological Predispositions

Producers at Blink Films, which created the documentary, reported that the DNA sample showed unusually high polygenic risk scores for autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. The Guardian highlighted that many experts remain skeptical of using these scores to comment on an individual’s mental health risk.

David Curtis, an honorary professor at University College London’s Genetics Institute, told the newspaper that such scores speak to trends in large groups, not to precise predictions about one person. Even someone in the highest percentile may still face only a small actual chance of developing a condition.

The research team added that even if Hitler had these predispositions, they could not excuse or rationalize his political decisions or the atrocities carried out under his command. World War II claimed more than 50 million lives, including six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.

Geneticist Turi King, known for identifying the remains of King Richard III and who contributed to this project, remarked that the results place Hitler among the groups targeted by his own eugenics policies. “If he had been able to examine his own DNA,” she said, “he almost certainly would have condemned himself.”

DNA Findings Reject Myth of Jewish Ancestry

The study also challenges the rumor that Hitler’s paternal grandmother became pregnant by a Jewish employer. According to the production team, Y chromosome evidence matches that of Hitler’s known male-line relative, which would not have been possible if the pregnancy had resulted from an unrelated man.

The myth resurfaced in 2022 when Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, invoked it while defending the invasion of Ukraine and repeating the Kremlin’s claim that its goal was to “denazify” a country led by Jewish president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Most people use tinned food at least once a week. The products are easy to store, last a long time and usually cost less than fresh items. Even so, a medical expert is asking shoppers to avoid eating food from a can in certain situations.

Now, a doctor has shared a serious warning about the risks linked to opening a dented tin. These damaged cans often show up in shops after being dropped or knocked during transport, then placed back on the shelf. An environmental medicine specialist strongly advises leaving them behind.

In a video, Dr Ashley Ennedy, who specialises in environmental medicine explained that dents may look harmless but can lead to severe illness. She added that a person could even become paralysed after eating food from a damaged can.

When a can is dented near the seams, the seal can weaken and allow clostridium botulinum to grow inside. This bacterium creates toxins that affect the nervous system.

Size Of Dent On The Tin Can Matters

The size and position of the dent play the biggest role, according to Toby Amidor, M.S., RD, a dietitian, food safety specialist and cookbook writer. She explained that dents often come from cans being dropped or struck. If the damage lies along the seam, bacteria can enter and place someone at risk. In that case, it is safer to throw the can away.

If the dent is tiny and the rest of the can looks sound, the contents are usually fine to eat. A small bend in a safe spot on a tuna tin, for example, can be inspected and used if everything inside appears normal.

Larger dents are another matter. A deep dent is one you can press a finger into, Amidor said. Cans with deep dents or dents on the seam should always be discarded.

What Is Botulism?

Botulism is a rare yet dangerous illness caused by a toxin released by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxin attacks the nerves and may lead to muscle weakness, paralysis, and trouble breathing. The infection can appear in several forms, including foodborne, infant, and wound botulism. Treatment usually involves an antitoxin that helps stop the toxin from causing more harm.

Symptoms of Botulism

The CDC notes that all types of botulism can be fatal and require immediate medical care. Symptoms linked to the toxin may include:

• Drooping eyelids
• Double or blurred vision
• A dry mouth
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty swallowing
• Trouble breathing
• Weakness or paralysis of the arms and legs
• Nausea and vomiting

Why Botulism Is Found in Canned Foods?

Clostridium botulinum produces the toxin responsible for botulism as part of its anaerobic growth process. This means it multiplies in places where oxygen is absent, such as the inside of a sealed can.

In the past, home-canning mistakes were a major cause of illness. People sometimes skipped steps or did not heat the jars enough to destroy spores. Once sealed, the bacteria could grow and release the toxin.

Better commercial canning methods and stronger food safety rules have made canned food outbreaks uncommon today. Even so, people are still encouraged to avoid dented tins as a precaution.

Prevalence of hypertension, or high blood pressure, among children and teenagers has almost doubled over the past two decades, rising from 3.2% in 2000 to more than 6% in 2020, according to a global analysis published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal. If left unchecked, high blood pressure can lead to serious problems such as cardiovascular disease and kidney damage.

Estimates also suggest that nearly one in five children and adolescents living with obesity have hypertension—roughly eight times higher than among those at a healthy weight (2.4%), researchers, including those from the University of Edinburgh in the UK, said. But what is driving this worrying trend?

High Blood Pressure Cases in Children and Teens Doubled Over 20 Years

The global rate of high blood pressure among children and teenagers has nearly doubled due to a dangerous mix of poor diets, low physical activity, and rising obesity levels, according to the largest review of its kind.

Health experts warned that 114 million children who have developed hypertension before reaching adulthood face potentially lifelong health risks, including cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and other serious complications.

The prevalence of high blood pressure in those under 19 increased to 6.2%, up from 3.2% in just 20 years. The findings are based on a meta-analysis of 96 studies covering more than 400,000 children across 21 countries and were published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.

Obesity and Lifestyle Habits Driving the Surge in Childhood Hypertension

The review highlighted obesity as a major driver of the sharp rise in childhood hypertension, with nearly 19% of children with obesity affected compared with less than 3% of those at a healthy weight.

“The near doubling of childhood high blood pressure over two decades should be a wake-up call for doctors and caregivers alike,” said study author Prof Igor Rudan, director of the Centre for Global Health Research at Edinburgh University’s Usher Institute, as per CNN.

The study also found that an additional 8.2% of children and teenagers have prehypertension, meaning their blood pressure is higher than normal but does not yet meet the criteria for hypertension.

Doctors noted that blood pressure tends to rise sharply in early adolescence, peaking around age 14, especially in boys. This underscores the importance of regular screening during these critical years.

Early Detection and Healthy Habits To Protect Children From Hypertension

Encouraging healthy habits, such as a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while limiting salt and sugar intake, can greatly reduce the risk of hypertension. Regular physical activity and limiting sedentary behaviours, including too much screen time, are also key.

For families with a history of high blood pressure, regular monitoring at home is strongly recommended. Early detection of elevated blood pressure can help reduce the risk of long-term complications.

The good news is that obesity-related high blood pressure can be reversed. However, Prof Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer of the British Heart Foundation stressed that governments must also take action to prevent childhood obesity in the first place. “This includes expanding restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods and exploring ways to encourage the food industry to make everyday products healthier.”