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.

India's neighbor in the east, Bangladesh, is facing the worst of a crisis in the form of a massive measles outbreak. As per media reports, measles in Bangladesh has taken 545 lives. Facing this growing challenge, the authorities are in complete disarray.

The nation has been struggling with the disease almost from the beginning of the year, but as of now, the situation has worsened and appears as one of the worst outbreaks of measles since the inception of the country in 1971.

According to the local media, the country has a total of 458 suspected deaths and 87 confirmed deaths linked to measles since mid-March of this year. On the other hand, Bangladesh has seen 64,940 suspected measles cases and 8,719 confirmed infections in the same period.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of Bangladesh has said that since the 15th of March, the number of admitted patients with measles was 51,585. This information was directly released by the Health Emergency Operations Center and Control Room, which is under the authority of DGHS.

Why The Measles Cases Are On The Rise In Bangladesh?

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that gaps in immunization worsened during and after the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled the government, leaving large numbers of children unprotected. UNICEF emphasized the need to boost vaccination programmes and provide more funding for health facilities in the future.

Why The Situation Can Go South From Here?

Bakrid or Eid al-Adha is an occasion that is widely celebrated in Bangladesh. This Eid usually sees massive gatherings and festivities. As measles is a highly contagious disease, the chances of spreading the disease during the festivities are very likely. The public health experts and doctors are warning against attending mass gatherings. Other than that, usual long-distance travel and family visits during Eid holidays could spread the disease at an exorbitant pace.

What Is Measles?

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through direct contact or through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is a vaccine-preventable disease that can cause devastating complications, including blindness, pneumonia, encephalitis, and long-term immune dysfunction.

Symptoms usually appear in 7 to 14 days after exposure and may include:

• high fever,
• cough,
• runny nose,
• red eyes,
• rashes across the body.

How To Stay Safe From Measles?

• Maintaining good hygiene, such as frequent handwashing and covering the mouth while coughing or sneezing, helps reduce transmission.

• Avoiding close contact with infected individuals and ensuring proper nutrition to boost immunity are also important.

• Public awareness and community health programs play a crucial role in prevention.

When it comes to weight loss, many try their own ways to drop the extra kilos. While portion control is advised, there are many who turn to starvation just to drop the extra kilos. In 2016, Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi won the Nobel Prize for his findings on autophagy. These findings facilitated a better understanding of conditions like dementia and Parkinson's disease. Autophagy refers to natural regeneration, which occurs at a cellular level. It reduces the chances of contracting diseases while also increasing lifespan.

Since then, drugmakers have been working towards coming up with a drug that can stimulate the process; wellness and diet experts have been willing to find a way to naturally induce the process by restricting carbs, fasting, and engaging in high-intensity exercise.

What do scientists have to say?

Experiments were also conducted on mice, and it was found that the ones who were put on genetic tools, fasting, or drugs had a tendency to live longer and remain in better overall shape. However, it is still unclear how the same effect can be replicated in humans. In mice, for instance, the effects of fasting on the brain are evident within 24 hours. In other body parts, such as the liver, the effects occur more quickly. Despite knowing that fasting is good for health, experts are unsure about the ideal duration of fasting for maximum health benefits. Researchers say that fasting does not induce autophagy, but it does have other health benefits.

What is autophagy?

Autophagy is derived from "self" and "phagein," which means "to eat." The process involves cells degrading and recycling their components. It provides fuel for energy and building blocks for cell renewal. Post-infection, it can destroy viruses and bacteria. Cells use the process to get rid of damaged organelles and proteins, and it helps counteract the adverse effects of ageing.

Autophagy was discovered in the 1960s, but its importance was recognised after Yoshinori Ohsumi's research. Researchers said that what they discovered protected against diseases like Huntington's, Parkinson's, and some forms of dementia. It also seemed beneficial in the context of infection control, along with protecting against excessive inflammation. New lifestyle books now suggest that the process can be switched on by making changes to diet and lifestyle or by observing a fast.

The impact on muscle mass

A book titled Glow 15 by Naomi Whittel shares a 15-day programme including 16-hour fasts three times a week. It shares a plan that reduces protein intake on some days, involves eating carbs later, and combines all this with high-intensity exercise. In the basic tests themselves, volunteers at Jacksonville University in Florida experienced several health benefits. Some of the participants lost about 3.5 kilos in 15 days. Others saw improvements in lean muscle mass, blood pressure, and a reduction in fine lines. Researchers said that none of these changes could cause harm to health.

Is fasting safe for all?

Researchers note that fasting too much is not a good idea for anyone. Before making drastic or major changes to lifestyle or diet, it is advised to check with a doctor first. Experts look at autophagy with optimism, and studies show that proteins together form clumps in the nerve cells of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients.

Amid the rising concern over GLP drugs and their rampant misuse, India is set to tighten regulations around them.

The government is also trying to find out the potential side effects of using the drug. The authorities have instructed the citizens, especially the consumers and medical professionals, to report if they observe any negative reaction with the usage of any GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide.

In India, there is a strict policy regarding drug standards. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an apex body under the health and family welfare ministry, is the organization that regulates drug standards.

Recently, the IPC issued a public notice for observing the safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs, including popular semaglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, the Mint reported.

Notably, Indian regulatory authorities, including the health ministry, the IPC, and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), are making enormous efforts to monitor the potential risks of these weight loss medications.

As part of this, the IPC and other bodies are calling for post-marketing surveillance to ensure patient health, identify any previously undocumented side effects, and create a safety net for the citizens.

According to the Mint report, the IPC said in the document, “Apart from semaglutide, any adverse event caused by other GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as dulaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide) should also be reported to the PvPI – Pharmacovigilance Programme of India.”

The patients, consumers, and medical professionals can report adverse events (AE) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to ARD monitoring centres.

In addition, ADR forms are also available on the IPC website, and there is a toll-free number of 1800-180-3024. The mobile app ADR PvPI 2.0 is easily available on the Google Play Store and the ADRMS software.

Also Read: GLP-1 Drugs: Why India Needs Stricter Rules Now

What is the GLP-1 Drug Mainly Used For?

The GLP-1 drugs are a popular genre of medication that mimics the original GLP-1 hormone in the human body and is responsible for controlling blood sugar, slowing digestion, and increasing feelings of fullness. Several big names fall under the GLP-1 drug category, like semaglutide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide.

What Are The Side Effects Of GLP-1 Drug?

There are several possible side effects related to the use of the GLP-1 drug:

• One of the most common side effects is vomiting and nausea.
• This medication can also cause general digestive disruption, thus causing diarrhoea or constipation.
• Some other possible side effects include fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, bloating, and decreased appetite.
• In some rare cases, gastroparesis, pancreatitis, and thyroid C-cell tumors.