(Credit-Canva)
Headaches are a common symptom of a stressful lifestyle, your body not feeling well and other issues. While headaches can be dealt with easily, migraines are not so easy to handle. Migraines are a type of headache that feels like severe throbbing and pulsing sensation, almost like you are hearing your own heartbeat in your brain, usually on one side of the brain. Many people believe that migraines are not that big of a deal because you just have to deal with the pain, but that is not all migraine is, some people find it very difficult to do their daily tasks as they experience dizzying spells, nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound! These attacks can last hours and make it difficult for people to go about their daily lives as well. While there are medications available for migraine patients, these medications need time to take effect, so you may be in a lot of pain, but there are not many quick reliefs you can have in place other than learning the symptoms of a migraine attack and taking medication before it happens. But a new approval by the FDA may change this!
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Symbravo, a new medicine to treat acute migraine attacks in adults. This means adults can now use Symbravo to get relief from their migraine symptoms. The FDA's decision was based on the results of three big studies, called Phase 3 trials. These trials involved over 21,000 migraine attacks, so the FDA has a lot of information about how well Symbravo works and how safe it is. The FDA only approves medicines that have been shown to be both safe and effective through a thorough testing process.
"Migraine attacks can happen suddenly and really mess up people's lives. It's estimated that over 39 million people in the U.S. alone get migraines," said Herriot Tabuteau, M.D., CEO of Axsome Therapeutics told US News. This shows how common migraines are and how important it is to have good treatments. "Symbravo gives patients and doctors a new option that can quickly stop a migraine attack, keep it away, and let people get back to their normal activities, all with just one dose." Having a medicine that can give fast and long-lasting relief from migraine pain is a big deal for millions of people. This new treatment is a real step forward in how we treat migraines.
The trials took place in 3 steps, the Momentum trial study focused on people whose migraines had moderate to severe pain. The results showed that a lot more people taking Symbravo felt pain-free two hours after taking the medicine compared to those who took a placebo which is a dummy pill. Even better, many people felt relief for up to 24 and even 48 hours after just one dose. This long-lasting relief is really important for people with migraines because it means they can get back to their normal lives without worrying about the pain coming back. The study also looked at how many people were free from their worst symptom, like sensitivity to light or sound, or nausea. Symbravo worked better than the placebo in this area too.
While the intercept trial looked at people who took Symbravo when their migraine pain was still mild. Even when the pain was just starting, Symbravo was effective. The results were similar to the MOMENTUM trial, with many people getting pain relief and relief from their worst symptoms. Treating migraines early is often better because it can stop the pain from getting really bad.
And lastly the Movement trial which was to see how safe the medication is when people take it regularly. This study followed 706 people who had at least two migraines a month. The most common side effects people experienced were sleepiness and dizziness. While these side effects are important to know about, the study showed that Symbravo is generally safe for people to use on a regular basis.
Credit: iStock
Cancer care has evolved significantly over the last few decades. Today, success is measured not only by survival rates but also by quality of life, emotional well-being, and the ability to return to a regular life after treatment. Yet, in our pursuit of patient-centered care, an essential component often remains invisible: caregivers.
Every cancer diagnosis affects more than just the patient. Behind every woman navigating treatment is often a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or friend who assumes the role of caregiver. They accompany patients to appointments, help manage treatment schedules, provide emotional reassurance, and often become the primary support system through one of life's most challenging experiences.
Why Caregivers Need Support
Despite their indispensable role, caregivers frequently receive little formal support themselves.
As oncologists, we witness this every day. We see caregivers putting their own health, careers, and emotional needs on hold to care for a loved one. While patients are understandably at the center of treatment, caregivers often carry an immense psychological and physical burden that goes unrecognized.
Through years of clinical practice, I have come to understand that caregivers are not merely bystanders in the cancer journey; they are active partners in healing. Yet, many families find themselves navigating unfamiliar territory with little guidance on what to expect, how to cope, or where to seek support.
The guide was conceived as a practical, step-by-step resource to help caregivers navigate different stages of the cancer journey from diagnosis and treatment to recovery and survivorship. More importantly, it acknowledges their resilience, fears, sacrifices, and emotional struggles, while equipping them with the information and support needed to care for both their loved ones and themselves.
Cancer survivorship does not begin when treatment ends; it begins when patients and families start rebuilding their lives after cancer. Survivors may continue to face concerns around recurrence, fertility, body image, relationships, mental health, and long-term treatment effects. Caregivers, too, often carry lingering anxiety, exhaustion, and emotional trauma long after active treatment is over.
If we truly want to improve survivorship outcomes, caregiver support must become a standard component of oncology care rather than an afterthought.
This support can take many forms. It may include counselling services, support groups, educational resources, survivorship planning sessions, and opportunities for caregivers to openly discuss their own concerns. Equally important is creating healthcare environments where caregivers feel seen, heard, and included in care conversations.
It is about time cancer care should move beyond a disease-centered approach towards a more holistic understanding of survivorship. While medical treatment remains central, there is growing recognition that recovery is also shaped by emotional well-being, family support systems, fertility concerns, body image, nutrition, rehabilitation, and quality of life after treatment.
This broader view of cancer care requires us to look beyond the patient alone. Caregivers are often the invisible backbone of the treatment journey, yet their needs frequently go unaddressed. As healthcare professionals, we must acknowledge that supporting caregivers is not separate from supporting patients. It is an integral part of comprehensive cancer care and long-term survivorship.
As healthcare systems continue to advance, we must expand our understanding of what comprehensive cancer care looks like. A patient cannot thrive in isolation. When caregivers are empowered, informed, and emotionally supported, patient outcomes improve and survivorship becomes more sustainable for everyone involved.
Cancer survivorship is not an individual journey. It is a shared experience of resilience, hope, and recovery. By recognizing caregivers as integral members of the care team and providing them with the support they need, we move one step closer to a more humane and holistic model of oncology care, one that truly cares beyond cure.
(Dr. Jyoti Wadhwa, Principal Lead, Medical & Precision Oncology, Apollo Athenaa Women's Centre)
Credit: X/Instagram
Longevity expert and millionaire Bryan Johnson has revealed that he has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), a condition in which the immune system attacks the stomach lining.
In a post on X, Johnson, known for his radical experiments, including receiving blood transfusions from his teenage son, said he believes years of eating sugary cereals, drinking soda, consuming fast food and experiencing chronic stress contributed to the development of his autoimmune conditions.
Calling it a "bad news", the millionaire said: "I have an autoimmune disease. My stomach is eating itself". He added that "2–5% of people have this, too. Likely more, because it hides".
“As a kid, I ate sugar cereal, drank sugary soda, and gobbled down fast food. I had a few healthy years in my early 20s, but then became a young father of three and began building a business. Juggling that stress and grind, I let my health slip and gained 40 lbs,” he wrote.
He added that he later developed chronic depression and believes that during this period, his body began an autoimmune process affecting both his thyroid and stomach lining.
Also read: Donald Trump Posts AI Video of Himself Treating Critics for 'Derangement Syndrome'
Johnson said he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 21 during a routine blood test. He has since managed the condition with levothyroxine and Armour Thyroid.
“They are the hormones my body should be producing on its own, but wasn’t. By taking these pills daily, my body was able to operate as though my thyroid was functioning properly.”
He said his stomach had also begun attacking itself, but the condition went undetected because he had no symptoms. It was only discovered in May.
Johnson noted that autoimmune gastritis can cause irreversible damage, including nutritional deficiencies, anemia, and an increased long-term risk of stomach cancer.
Read More: Why Fentanyl Addiction Treatments Are Losing Effectiveness, Study Finds
Johnson said he had persistently low ferritin levels for the past 11 years despite not having anemia.
“We continually tried to raise my iron levels with food and supplementation, but nothing would work.”
He said he followed a plant-based diet, trained intensely, used a sauna and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and took iron supplements, but his iron levels remained low.
A colonoscopy ruled out slow gastrointestinal bleeding, while an upper endoscopy with five stomach biopsies revealed early autoimmune gastritis. The biopsies showed early atrophy confined to the stomach's acid-producing lining, while
the rest of the stomach remained unaffected.
“So this was never one problem. It was three, linked to one another: the iron deficiency, the autoimmune gastritis driving it, and the autoimmune thyroid disease alongside it.”
Johnson said he has undergone a large blood draw to sequence more than one million individual immune cells.
According to him, the goal is to identify the specific immune cell clones attacking his stomach lining. He compared immune cells to soldiers carrying unique "keys," explaining that the advanced sequencing technology can identify the rogue immune cells responsible for autoimmune gastritis.
Johnson said that once those immune cells are identified, the findings will help determine the most appropriate therapy to target and suppress the autoimmune attack.
Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is a long-term autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the stomach's parietal cells, which produce stomach acid, as well as intrinsic factor, a protein essential for absorbing vitamin B12. Over time, this damages the stomach lining and reduces the body's ability to absorb iron and vitamin B12, increasing the risk of nutrient deficiencies.
In many people, symptoms are caused more by these nutritional deficiencies than by inflammation of the stomach itself.
Common symptoms include:
Credit: iStock/Canva
The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has risen to 1,427 cases, while the death toll has climbed to 440, according to the latest government data.
More than 609 patients are hospitalized in Congo, while many have also recovered. Uganda has so far reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. There has also been one case in France and another in a US citizen medically evacuated to Germany, both believed to have been imported from areas affected by the ongoing outbreak.
The Ebola virus disease, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has no approved vaccine or treatment.
"Even without approved therapeutics, people are recovering from this disease, but, of course, we could save many more lives with safe and effective therapeutics in our toolkit," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
He said this while announcing the launch of the clinical trial of two therapeutics, with the enrolment of the first patient.
"The PARTNERS trial will evaluate the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, alone and in combination," he added.
Also read: Donald Trump Posts AI Video of Himself Treating Critics for 'Derangement Syndrome'
The study is being coordinated by the DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research, supported by a coalition of partners including WHO, and conducted in close cooperation with the affected communities.
According to Tedros, patients who enroll in the trial will receive comprehensive supportive care and close follow-up.
"We are also working to ensure they have access to the two drugs should they prove safe and efficacious in the trial."
In addition, the WHO has granted emergency use listing to the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus.
Further, the antiviral drug remdesivir, marketed as Veklury is also expected to start. Remdesivir became widely known during the COVID-19 pandemic and is being evaluated to determine whether it can improve outcomes when combined with the antibody treatment.
As per experts, it could take months, and possibly as many as 1,000 study participants, to determine whether either drug works.
Currently, the study is being offered only at one Ebola treatment center in Congo's Ituri province. The region has been heavily affected by violence, including attacks on healthcare workers responding to a virus spread through contact with infected patients' bodily fluids. Officials plan to expand the trial to other locations once it is safe to do so.
Read More: Australia Reports More H5 Bird Flu Cases: Does It Have Pandemic Potential?
Tedros said that despite the progress, significant challenges remain, including mistrust and violence.
This week, an Ebola treatment center in Ituri province was attacked, resulting in the deaths of two people. The center was set on fire, and patients fled.
Such acts not only endanger patients and health workers but also impede efforts to stop transmission and save lives.
He added that the complexity of the outbreak requires close coordination across the United Nations system.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral hemorrhagic fever first identified in 1976. Since then, more than 30 outbreaks have been recorded, primarily in Central and West Africa.
Common Symptoms of Ebola
© 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited