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.

Thailand has become the seventh country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve rubella elimination, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

It joins Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.

“The World Health Organization announced that Thailand has been verified for eliminating rubella as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to protect children, women and families from vaccine-preventable diseases,” WHO said.

Thailand’s Long Road To Rubella Elimination

Thailand launched its Expanded Programme on Immunization in 1977 and introduced a rubella-containing vaccine for girls aged six in 1986. The programme expanded to all one-year-old children in 1993.

Since then, Thailand has strengthened routine immunisation, outbreak response and surveillance, with a focus on underserved and mobile populations.

The programme focused on reaching underserved and mobile populations, rapidly investigating suspected measles and rubella cases through fever-and-rash surveillance, and maintaining laboratory-supported surveillance to detect and respond to virus transmission.

The South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission (SEA-RVC) reviewed Thailand’s surveillance, immunisation, outbreak response and programme data in June 2026, followed by a verification visit in July.

The Commission recommended Thailand for rubella elimination verification. Elimination means no endemic transmission for at least 12 months, supported by a high-performing surveillance system.

The WHO verification also confirmed that Thailand has systems in place to sustain this achievement.

“This verification is a proud moment for Thailand and a tribute to decades of commitment by our health workers, volunteers, partners and communities. By eliminating rubella, Thailand has protected newborns from preventable lifelong disabilities and reaffirmed its commitment to equitable health services for every child and family. We will sustain this gain and intensify efforts towards measles elimination,” said H.E. Mr Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, Thailand.

What Is Rubella And Why Is It Dangerous During Pregnancy?

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a contagious viral infection spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes. Symptoms are usually mild and may include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.

However, infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which can lead to lifelong birth defects. The risk is greatest when infection occurs early in pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester.

“Rubella is a terrible disease. It looks like measles, but in pregnant moms it causes spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. Babies born with congenital rubella syndrome have profound disabilities. Rubella elimination everywhere is a huge public health win,” said Dr Angela.

CRS can cause lifelong hearing and vision impairment, heart defects and developmental delays.

Before widespread vaccination, rubella was a leading cause of preventable congenital disabilities worldwide, according to WHO.

How Does The Rubella Vaccine Prevent It?

Rubella can be prevented with safe, effective and affordable vaccines.

WHO estimates that rubella causes around 100,000 infants to be born with CRS each year worldwide.

Despite vaccine availability, an estimated 17,865 rubella cases were reported in 78 countries in 2022.

The rubella vaccine contains a live attenuated strain, and a single dose provides more than 95% long-lasting immunity, similar to the immunity induced by natural infection. It is available alone or, more commonly, in combination vaccines such as MR, MMR and MMRV.

Actress Pamela Anderson has opened up about her hepatitis C diagnosis that once made her fear she had only a few years to live, highlighting how dramatically treatment for the viral infection has changed.

Speaking at the 2026 amfAR Gala Venezia during the Venice Film Festival, Anderson recalled being diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2002. She said doctors had told her she had around 10 years to live, describing the diagnosis as a “death sentence”.

Anderson has previously said she contracted hepatitis C after sharing a tattoo needle with her then-husband Tommy Lee. At the time, the diagnosis carried significant uncertainty because effective curative treatments were not yet available. But more than a decade later, Anderson announced that she had been cured of hepatitis C following antiviral treatment.

What Is Hepatitis C?

While some people clear the virus on their own, most people with hepatitis C who do not clear it develop chronic infection. Over time, chronic hepatitis C can cause liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 47 million people were living with chronic hepatitis C globally, with about 0.9 million new infections occurring each year.

In 2024, approximately 239,000 people died from hepatitis C, mainly due to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Also read: The Silent Killer: Why More Indians Need To Pay Attention To Liver Cancer

How Did Hepatitis C Become Curable?

The major breakthrough came with the development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Before these medicines became available, hepatitis C treatment relied heavily on interferon-based therapies, which could involve prolonged treatment and significant side effects and did not cure everyone.

The first interferon-free DAA treatments were approved in 2013 and 2014, marking a major turning point in hepatitis C treatment. WHO says these medicines can cure the infection in more than 95% of people, generally within a short course of treatment.

Unlike older treatments, DAAs directly target the hepatitis C virus and prevent it from multiplying. Treatment is now usually oral, much better tolerated and considerably shorter than earlier regimens.

WHO recommends pan-genotypic DAAs for people with chronic hepatitis C, with treatment generally lasting around 12 to 24 weeks depending on the person's condition.

Also read: RFK Jr. Accepts Pennsylvania Child’s Measles Death After Questioning It: Here's Why

Access Remains A Challenge

The transformation in treatment does not mean hepatitis C has disappeared. There is currently no vaccine against hepatitis C, and millions of people remain undiagnosed.

WHO estimates that by the end of 2024, only around 36% of people who had ever been infected knew their diagnosis, while only about 20% of those diagnosed with chronic infection had received DAA treatment. This makes early testing and access to treatment critical.

Anderson's experience also reflects how quickly medicine can change the outlook of a disease. “I’m not a victim, I’m a victor,” Anderson said while accepting the amfAR Award of Courage in Venice.

Just days after questioning whether the state had correctly linked the deaths of two unvaccinated people to the ongoing measles outbreak, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has acknowledged and accepted that measles caused the death of a six-week-old child in Pennsylvania.

The shift came after Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed that the infant had died from measles. The child was among two people reported by Pennsylvania health officials as having died in connection with the outbreak.

Kennedy had previously questioned the state's reporting and reportedly asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove the two deaths from its official tally. The CDC subsequently excluded them from its public data while the deaths remained under review.

What Did The Coroner Find?

The case of the six-week-old infant became particularly controversial because initial findings appeared to raise questions about whether measles was the direct cause of death.

According to Coroner Diamantoni, a review of the infant's medical records and clinical information showed that measles was the cause of death. The child had also been diagnosed with a rare congenital condition that made the infant particularly vulnerable to infections.

The other reported death remains more complicated. In that case, a forensic pathologist found that the infant died from a ruptured spleen and did not determine that measles was the cause, although measles was present. Diamantoni also said that the immediate cause of death was a ruptured spleen, which had further complicated the debate.

The coroner had said that he did not believe measles was the cause of death, although measles was listed on the baby's death certificate as a contributing condition.

Also read: Another Child Dies From Measles In US Amid Vaccine Concerns: Why The Virus Is More Than A Fever And Rash

Kennedy Says Shapiro 'Politicized' The Death

Kennedy's acknowledgement of the infant's death comes amid a public dispute with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro had criticised Kennedy after the federal health secretary questioned the state's reporting of the deaths, arguing that such statements could undermine confidence in vaccination and public health efforts.

Kennedy, meanwhile, accused Shapiro of “hastily politicizing” the deaths and argued that the state had announced them before the investigations were complete.

The dispute has now placed the focus not only on the deaths but also on how measles fatalities are investigated and recorded by state and federal health authorities.

Also read: Why Has CDC Challenged The Report Of Two Measles Deaths In Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania's Measles Outbreak Continues

Pennsylvania has been dealing with a major measles outbreak, with hundreds of cases reported and dozens of people hospitalised. State health officials have said the two people who died were unvaccinated.

The controversy comes at a time when measles is resurging in parts of the US, with declining vaccination coverage raising concerns among public health experts.

Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, particularly in infants and people with weakened immune systems. Vaccination remains the primary method of preventing infection and transmission.

An infected person can spread the virus to around nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed. Most people recover, but measles can cause serious complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death.