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.

Sunlight brings energy, positivity and vitamin D, but not for two-year-old Mollie Murray from Scotland, who has a rare genetic disorder that makes her “allergic” to the sun.

She is reportedly the only child in the UK known to be living with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a condition that makes the skin extremely sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The incurable disorder puts Mollie at risk of severe sun damage year-round. She can only safely go outside in protective full-length clothing or after dark.

“She burns all year round and has burnt in November before,” her mother, Kirsty Campbell, 35, a charge nurse, was quoted as saying to The Sun.

“Everyday life is difficult as she needs full protective outerwear for going outside and sun cream every two hours under her clothes.”

UV-Resistant Film Lets Mollie Play In Daylight

Now, thanks to the charity The Archie Foundation, UV-resistant film installed at Mollie’s home last month means she can play indoors during the day without the curtains being closed.

“It means she can do simple things like look outside for the postman or draw in daylight. My ex-partner was having to take playpark equipment into his house as it wasn’t safe outside. She’s so happy running around like a normal child,” her father, Ryan Murray, 34, said.

How Was Mollie Diagnosed?

Mollie was in and out of hospital from infancy with symptoms including seizures and severe reflux.

She first experienced severe sunburn on an overcast day in May 2025. It happened again two months later, eventually leading to her diagnosis with XPF.

Doctors have advised that Mollie is 10,000 times more likely to develop skin cancer than other children. Campbell also uses a UV monitor to check readings in every room and ensure it is safe for Mollie.

The Sun said that her family has been told she may develop neurological impairment and mobility problems in her 40s and 50s, but that she should have a relatively normal childhood.

What Is Xeroderma Pigmentosum?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes XP as a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder marked by extreme sensitivity to UV radiation, changes in skin pigmentation, skin cancer and, in some cases, neurological problems.

The condition usually appears in early childhood and significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.

XP affects roughly one in a million people in the US and Europe, although it is more common in some other parts of the world.

XP itself is not cancer, but it can increase the risk of skin cancer by thousands of times. Other cancers may also be more common in people with the condition.

XP is caused by mutations in specific genes that affect the body’s ability to repair UV-induced DNA damage. It is inherited from parents.

Symptoms Of Xeroderma Pigmentosum

• Skin: Severe sunburn even after brief UV exposure, dry or thin skin, early freckles, changes in skin colour, fragile skin and precancerous growths such as actinic keratoses.
• Eyes: Dryness, irritation, light sensitivity and corneal damage, which can potentially lead to vision loss.
• Neurological: Some people may develop difficulty swallowing, loss of reflexes, problems controlling muscles, cognitive decline and hearing loss.

How Is XP Diagnosed And Treated?

XP can be diagnosed through specialised laboratory tests, including studies of cellular sensitivity to UV radiation, chromosomal breakage, complementation studies and gene sequencing.

But there is currently no cure for XP. Management focuses on avoiding UV exposure, monitoring for complications and treating symptoms.

How Mollie’s Family Is Protecting Her

For Mollie’s family, the priority is to protect her while allowing her to experience as much normality as possible. The UV-resistant film has made a small but significant difference, allowing her to look outside, draw in daylight and play indoors without keeping the curtains closed.

Mollie’s family hopes to give her the highest possible quality of life while keeping her safe.

An 8-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the rare “brain-eating amoeba” infection believed to have been acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne.

The girl, identified by her family as Lillian Smart of Ruston, died on August 22, just one day after her eighth birthday. She had been hospitalised since August 15 after developing the infection.

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the case on August 19 but has not publicly identified the child. The tragedy has renewed attention on an extremely rare and fatal infection.

Why Naegleria Fowleri Can Become Deadly So Quickly?

The amoeba then can travel along the olfactory nerves through the nasal cavity and reach the brain, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Also, swallowing contaminated water does not cause PAM, and the infection does not spread from person to person. PAM causes severe inflammation and destruction of brain tissue.

The illness can initially resemble other infections, with symptoms including headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the disease progresses, patients may develop advanced symptoms like stiff neck, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and eventually coma.

One of the biggest challenges is the speed at which the infection progresses. According to recent CDC data cited in coverage of the Louisiana case, 173 Naegleria fowleri infections were documented in the US between 1937 and 2025, with only four known survivors. That puts the fatality rate at roughly 97%.

Also read: Louisiana Records 4th ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba' Case In Nearly 90 Years: What To Know About Naegleria Fowleri

Early Symptoms Mimic Other Illnesses

The initial symptoms of PAM can look like bacterial or viral meningitis, which can make the infection difficult to recognise immediately. An individual may initially experience fever, headache, nausea and vomiting before developing neurological symptoms.

By the time the amoeba is identified, significant brain inflammation may already have occurred. Diagnosis can involve testing cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue for the organism. So, rare early symptoms and rapid progression makes early diagnosis of this infection particularly difficult.

Also read: Brain-Eating Amoeba: What To Know About The Microscopic Killer That Took A 12-Year-Old Boy’s Life In Days

There Is No Cure For Naegleria Fowleri

There is no single drug that reliably cures PAM. Because so few cases occur, there have been no large clinical trials establishing a standard treatment regimen.

Doctors have used combinations of antimicrobial and antifungal medicines in survivors and severe cases, with treatment often including drugs such as amphotericin B and miltefosine, alongside intensive supportive care.

The CDC notes that successful treatment has involved combinations of several medicines, but outcomes remain poor.

Simple Precautions Can Reduce The Risk

The CDC recommends avoiding activities in warm freshwater, particularly when water temperatures are high. For people who do enter such water, precautions include:

• Using a nose clip or keeping the nose above water
• Avoiding jumping or diving into warm freshwater
• Avoiding stirring up sediment in shallow, warm areas
• Avoiding putting the head underwater in potentially contaminated water

Actor Michael Wright, best known for playing Eddie King Jr. in the 1991 musical drama The Five Heartbeats, has died at the age of 70 in Los Angeles. According to his kin, Wright died on August 19. His death was linked to heart failure along with complications from Marchiafava-Bignami disease, a rare degenerative neurological condition.

His wife, Susan Wright, announced his death in a social media post, “It is with profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness in my heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Michael Wright,” Susan wrote, remembering the actor as a “loved one, a friend, and an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations.”

Wright’s Died Due To Marchiafava-Bignami Disease

Also read: Two-Decade Long Study Sees 50% Higher Risk Of Distal Colon Cancer In Men With High Dietary Nitrite Intake

According to a statement from Wright’s family, he suffered heart failure together with complications from Marchiafava-Bignami disease. MBD is a rare neurological disorder that primarily affects the corpus callosum, the thick bundle of nerve fibres connecting the brain’s two hemispheres.

It is most commonly associated with severe alcohol use disorder and nutritional deficiencies, although it can occur in other circumstances.

The condition can cause symptoms including confusion, impaired consciousness, problems with movement, seizures and changes in cognitive function. As MBD is extremely rare, doctors may have difficulty recognising it, particularly in its early stages.

Wright's cause of death was heart failure due to the neurological disease. Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. Depending on the type and severity, this can lead to breathlessness, fatigue, swelling in the legs, rapid heartbeat and reduced ability to perform everyday activities.

Heart failure can develop because of conditions including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks, cardiomyopathy and abnormal heart rhythms. In Wright's case, his family said heart failure occurred alongside complications from MBD. They did not publicly provide further details about what caused his heart failure.

Also read: How Genetic and Genomic Testing Can Help Women Make Smarter Cancer Decisions

Wright Had A Career Spanning Nearly Five Decades

His most memorable performance came in The Five Heartbeats, where he played Eddie King Jr., the troubled lead singer of a fictional R&B group. He also appeared in television series including V and HBO's Oz.

Wright's career continued into later years, with his final credited appearances including the television series Black Lightning and the 2025 film Dope King.

Susan Wright said the family has requested privacy while grieving and said further details about his life and legacy would be shared later. She said she was experiencing “profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness” following his death.

She remembered her husband not only for his acting career but also as a loved one, friend and artist whose work had reached generations of audiences. Wright is survived by his wife, daughter, stepchildren and other family members.