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.

Amid the continuously rising temperatures in India’s national capital, the Delhi government has launched several measures, from cool roofing to misting systems at bus stops, to ORS support for schoolchildren, and rest periods for construction workers, to beat the heat.

Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, who reviewed the Heat Wave Action Plan 2026 and directed officials to ensure its strict implementation, noted that the action plan this year is more scientific and robust than in previous years.

Heatwave in Delhi: IMD Predicts Yellow Alert

The action plan comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows no respite from heat for Delhi.

The agency has issued a yellow alert for today, with heatwave conditions likely at isolated places and maximum temperatures expected to reach 43-45°C. On Sunday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees above the seasonal average.

However, very light rain is likely towards the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies and very light rain are forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, which is expected to bring a slight drop in maximum temperatures.

Also read: Heatwave in India: Delhi Govt Issues Advisory For Schools, Urges Hydration And Reduced Outdoor Activity

Heatwave Action Plan 2026

• According to a statement issued by the CMO, the government is laying a special focus on school children and supplying ORS to them.

Schools are likely to administer an ORS solution before children leave school, if required, to reduce the risk of dehydration during their commute.

• For construction workers, strict measures will be enforced during peak heat hours. Outdoor work may be halted between 12 noon and 3 p.m. during severe heatwave conditions.

Workers will also be provided with drinking water, caps, and Gamchas coverings for protection against the sun. First-aid kits and ice packs will be made available at worksites when needed.

• The government also launched a ‘Cool Roof Policy 2026’. As part of it, reflective coating has already been applied over nearly 28,674 sq ft at the Kashmere Gate ISBT, helping reduce indoor temperatures.

High-pressure misting systems will be installed at bus stops, while anti-smog guns will be used to cool densely built-up areas.

• Further, the Heatwave Action Plan 2026 has been carried out a detailed scientific assessment of the entire city using satellite data to identify high-risk zones. The action plan will focus on “thermal hotspots”, areas that in 2025 recorded severely high temperatures. This includes

1. Ayanagar (45.5°C)
2. Najafgarh (43.7°C in 2025)
3. Safdarjung (46.8°C in 2023)

1. Sawda,
2. Mubarakpur Dabas,
3. Bhalswa,
4. Nand Nagri,
5. Gokulpuri
6. Bakkarwala.

Read: Is It Flu or Heat Stress? Delhi Doctors Report Rising Fever, Sore Throat Cases Amid Heatwave

• Departments such as the DDA, the Education Department, and the Delhi Jal Board have been asked to ensure water and shade not just for people but also for animals and birds.

• Cool rooms in Hospital

In addition, 39 Quick Response Teams and trained ASHA workers are on standby. Arrangements for cold drinking water and ORS will be made at busy public locations, including bus stops and terminals.

• The Chief Minister has also asked to implement a special priority protocol to ensure an uninterrupted 24x7 power supply to critical facilities such as hospitals, Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), and mobile towers.

While psychedelics—psychoactive substances known to alter perception and mood—have long been sidelined, the US President Donald Trump and his administration are bringing them back to mainstream treatment.

In a significant push, Trump last week signed an executive order where he directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite a review of psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine.

The executive order signed on Saturday is designed to fast-track both research on and access to these drugs. It also includes a $50 million investment in state governments to study how psychedelics might help people struggling with mental health illnesses.

Emerging research shows psychedelics can help improve mental health, especially in conditions where traditional treatment approaches have not been useful. However, these drugs also come with several health risks that cannot be overlooked.

According to FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, ibogaine could “soon” be on track to receive FDA approval once the agency reviews data from late-stage clinical trials, CNN reported.

“Once we have them in-house, we’ll be issuing National Priority Vouchers for a review within one to two months instead of the standard one-year time frame. And that’s because this is a national priority,” Makary said.

“These are potentially promising treatments,” he said. “We’ll see how the data reads out when we get the applications, but we don’t want to waste any time, because this is an urgent matter given the mental health crisis,” the Commissioner said.

Makary noted that if ibogaine gets approved, these will be "given in a controlled, supervised setting in a hospital.”

What Is Ibogaine?

Historical evidence suggests that ibogaine was first used by the Pygmy people in Central Africa as a sacred medium, believed to be a gift from God, which allowed them to reconnect with the divine and the dead.

It was later, during the colonial period, that the communities in the region used the compound for unity and shared experience.

Also read: RFK Jr. And Trump Cabinet Want Psychedelics To Be Legal After FDA Shut Down; What This Means For The Controversial Drug?

It was in 1962 that Ibogaine was first seen as a potential treatment for substance-related disorders by researchers in the US. While studies back then showed promising results, psychedelics were considered controversial and, broadly, “abandoned” by researchers.

Since 1967, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the US has classified ibogaine as a Schedule I controlled drug. Schedule I substances are those that currently have no accepted medical use and have a high potential for abuse. They are also illegal to use.

However, in recent years, ibogaine has garnered several high-profile supporters, including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and podcast host Joe Rogan.

Is Ibogaine Beneficial? What Are The Health Risks?

As per preliminary research, ibogaine has the potential to alter certain brain pathways, which can improve some mental health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, or depression.

The executive order is a “great step,” Dr. Kirsten Cherian, a researcher at Stanford University who led a landmark study on ibogaine, was quoted as saying to CNN. Cherian added that the order may open the door to offering the treatment in US research facilities.

“The first step is to be able to do the research at home,” she said. “And it could open up a lot of research possibilities. It is kind of an exciting time.”

As per the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association, Ibogaine’s effects are prolonged, beginning a half hour to three hours after ingestion and can last more than 24 hours.

Individuals who have used ibogaine report experiencing a dream-like state with visual and sensory distortions. After the peak effects of the substance abate, users report going through a period of reflection and report having residual effects lasting up to 72 hours that include heightened awareness, mild stimulation, and disturbed sleep.

The hallucinogen is also known to raise the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which could cause vomiting. This makes the use of the substance particularly risky for individuals with preexisting heart problems. There has been a total of 33 ibogainerelated deaths publicly reported in scientific literature to date.

In a groundbreaking move, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first-ever dual adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapy to treat hearing loss.

AAV-based gene therapy offers potential treatment for patients with OTOF gene-associated severe-to-profound hearing loss.

Developed by American Biotechnology company Regeneron, Otarmeni has been approved for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with severe-to-profound and profound sensorineural hearing loss (any frequency more than 90 dB HL) associated with molecularly confirmed biallelic variants in the OTOF gene.

To date, no disease-modifying treatments exist for OTOF-related deafness.

“Today’s approval is a significant milestone in the treatment of genetic hearing loss,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, in a statement.

“Through the national priority voucher pilot program, the agency is accelerating therapies for rare diseases with unmet medical needs while proving we can successfully review even the most complex submissions—such as novel dual vector gene therapies and combination products requiring coordination across multiple offices and centers—in significantly shortened timeframes,” Markary added.

Importantly, the company has announced that it will offer the therapy free of cost to qualifying individuals, at least during the initial rollout phase. The company cited its commitment to accessibility and patient impact as key reasons behind the decision.

How Otarmeni Works

Hearing loss affects over 430 million people worldwide, with a significant portion caused by genetic mutations. Genetic mutations cause about half of congenital hearing loss. Variants in the OTOF gene account for 2 per cent to 8 per cent of inherited, non-syndromic cases.

Until now, treatment options have largely been limited to hearing aids or cochlear implants, which assist hearing but do not address the underlying cause.

Genetic mutations cause about half of congenital hearing loss. Variants in the OTOF gene account for 2 per cent to 8 per cent of inherited, non-syndromic cases.

The OTOF gene is responsible for producing otoferlin, a protein essential for transmitting sound signals from the inner ear to the brain. Without it, sound cannot be processed, resulting in profound deafness.

Otarmeni is for patients with preserved outer hair cell function and no prior cochlear implant in the same ear.

Otarmeni includes a dual adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (AAV1) vector gene therapy administered as a single dose per ear surgically into the cochlea via a syringe and catheter provided in the Administration Kit and connected to an infusion pump.

The therapy delivers a functional copy of the OTOF gene to inner hair cells to restore otoferlin production and auditory signaling.

Are There Any Side Effects

The FDA noted that the common side effects included middle ear infection, nausea, dizziness, and procedural pain. Providers should monitor for surgical complications. It noted that the therapy is not recommended for patients with anatomy that prevents safe access to the inner ear.

The FDA approval comes after a landmark study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the benefits of hearing restoration. In trials, 80% of children aged 10 months to 16 years showed real improvement in just 24 weeks. This is not expected in the natural history of the disease without intervention.