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.

The two legendary German twins, Alice and Ellen Kessler, the greatest of entertainers, who rose to fame in the post war era died at the age of 89. They truly were inseparable, as they chose to leave the world in the same way they came, together. The sisters chose medically assisted dying on November 17, as reported by the German newspaper Bild.

The twin had shared that they "no longer wanted to live" and the decision to die together was made together with clarity and intention.

How Does Assisted Dying Work?

In terms of the Kessler Sisters, the police confirmed that there were no signs of foul play. The German Society for Humane Dying also stated that the sisters had chosen assisted suicide. This practice is legal in the country since 2019.

Read: Uruguay Becomes The First Catholic Latin American Country To Legalize Euthanasia

How Is Assisted Dying Different Than Euthanasia?

In assisting dying, the law allows and enables the individuals to self-administer the medication, so the choice and the agency to die remains with the individuals.

What Is Assisted Dying?

This refers to the practice of ending a person's life through medication. However, when the term 'dying' is replaced by 'suicide', the medication is then administered by self, whereas in other procedures, it may be done by a medical professional. Thus the term 'assisted dying' refers to both assisted suicide and euthanasia.

In assisted suicide, the person's will to die matters, and it may not require a terminal diagnosis. However, this definition to varies from country to country.

Also Read: Can Right To Die Be Practiced By Non-Terminally Ill Patients?

In many ways can assisted suicide be practiced including providing lethal medication, or helping the individual travel to another jurisdiction to die.

What Does The Law In Germany Say About Assisted Suicide?

In 2020, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court determined that individual autonomy should include the choice to die. This means that every person could decide for themselves. The law has a wider scope, which also includes any person helping an individual who has chosen to end their life, and they cannot be penalized for doing so. However, this condition only comes from the person who wants to end their life, and the decision must be taken freely.

The debate was introduced in 2015 due to the section 271 of the criminal code, which made assisted suicide almost impossible in Germany. The law stated that anyone who aided someone to take their own life could be jailed for up to three years.

Palliative sedation is administered to prevent suffering and ensure a dignified death. However, medication aims to relieve patients of unbearable pain, this is why its use as an alternative medically assisted suicide raises concerns. Currently, there is no approved medication for medically assisted suicide in Germany. though several medications are could be used, for instance in the United States, severely ill patients receive high doses of sodium pentobarbital and thiopental. However, pentobarbital is only approved for veterinary use in Germany.

In Germany, the intravenous route is often chosen, where the medication is administered through IV, and the patient must be the one opening the infusion. Doctors can assist but should not be directly involved in the act.

Every year on November 19, World COPD Day is organized to raise awareness, share knowledge and discuss ways to reduce the burden of COPD worldwide. COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and as per the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and has caused 3.5 million deaths in 2021 alone, of the 213 million people who were diagnosed with it. Projections indicate that the number of cases will increase to nearly 600 million by 2050, with a disproportionate rise expected among women and in low-and middle-income countries.

World COPD Day 2025 Theme

The theme for World COPD Day 2025 is 'Short of Breath, Think COPD'.

This year’s theme highlights a crucial issue: despite being the third leading cause of death globally, COPD is still widely overlooked and often misdiagnosed. Although it is a common, preventable, and treatable condition, many patients either remain undiagnosed or receive the wrong treatment. Early and accurate diagnosis can make a major public health difference, leading to better symptom control, improved lung function, and a higher quality of life.

Doctors stress that COPD should be suspected in anyone with persistent breathlessness, chronic cough, sputum production, recurrent lower respiratory infections, or a history of exposure to risk factors such as tobacco smoke, indoor cooking fuels, or occupational pollutants.

World COPD Day Origin

World COPD Day was launched in 2002 by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) in partnership with the WHO. The first event marked a turning point in global respiratory health awareness, encouraging collaboration across continents.

Importance Of World COPD Day

The importance lies in its ability to draw attention to one of the top causes of deaths worldwide. Furthermore, this day promotes awareness by educating the public about COPD symptoms, persistent cough, breathlessness, and chest tightness, which may be mistaken as symptoms of normal aging.

It also encourages prevention of COPD, especially by emphasizing on quitting smoking, improving air quality, and reducing workplace exposures that contribute to COPD.

It also helps in the improvement of healthcare access, supports research and innovation by encouraging collaborations, and reduces stigma by helping patients overcome psychological barrier and seek timely help.

What Is COPD?

As per NHS UK, it is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. It includes:

• emphysema – damage to the air sacs in the lungs
• chronic bronchitis – long-term inflammation of the airways

COPD is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who smoke. Many people do not realize they have it.

The breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit your normal activities, although treatment can help keep the condition under control.

Common Symptoms of COPD

• shortness of breath, particularly when you're active
• a persistent chesty cough with phlegm – some people may dismiss this as just a "smoker's cough"
• frequent chest infections
• persistent wheezing

Talking about things makes you feel better, and the Thor star Chris Hemsworth is right at it. Now 42, he is opening up about his father, Craig's diagnosis of Alzheimer's and have seen the corrosive effects on his memory and perception already. He is now making the best of it, by having it all documented on film. While he was in the middle of making National Geographic longevity series Limitless, he learned that he too carried two copies of the Alzheimer's signifying gene APOE4, one from each parent. Back then he confronted this on camera, while on shoot, and this feels like a great idea for him to do it again on A Road Trip To Remember, an hour-long documentary that will air on NatGeo.

“There was apprehension about how this would be portrayed,” Hemsworth admits. “I asked Dad what he felt, and he was actually enthusiastic. He wanted to do it.”

The Australian actor is now taking steps to stay mentally and physically fit, especially after knowing that he is predisposed for Alzheimer's disease.

Living With More Awareness Now

Chris, who shares three children with wife Elsa Pataky, says his father's struggles have made him reflect deeply on how he lives. Some hardships in life, he notes, simply can’t be avoided.

“For me, the biggest takeaway was the comfort crisis we face,” he says, as reported in Esquire. “We settle for what’s familiar, even when it’s wrong, because the unknown feels scarier. But pushing against that is where growth happens.”

His father’s reaction to the diagnosis has also taught him that even a grim prognosis can be approached with courage. “It causes fear, but it’s also a reminder not to take anything for granted,” Hemsworth says. “While he can, Dad wants to capture as many memories as possible.”

A Trip Down The Memory Lane

At the time of filming, Craig’s symptoms were sporadic—some memory lapses, moments of confusion, but overall lucidity remained. Alzheimer’s, however, does not improve with time. Knowing this, the father-son duo set out on a cross-country motorbike trip across Australia.

They retraced old memories:

• A house in Melbourne where the family lived in the early ’90s
• A Northern Territory ranch where Craig once wrangled bulls
• A specific bend in an Outback creek where the family played when the boys—Chris, Luke, and Liam—were small

Guided only by a fading photograph and half-recalled memories, they attempted to reconnect with moments that shaped their family’s early years.

The documentary also explores reminiscence therapy, guided by Dr. Suraj Samtani from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at the University of Sydney. The technique uses personal memories, photos, and familiar environments to stimulate the hippocampus, the part of the brain most affected by Alzheimer’s.

“One-on-one time with Dad was special,” Chris says. “Growing up, it was always all of us together.”

For Hemsworth, the experience has made one truth clear: the importance of connection.

“It became less about the science and more about the moments together,” he says. “Whether it’s 20 years or 20 days, hold on to every moment. Connect deeply, as often as you can.”