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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.
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The Pentagon has implemented a new policy requiring US service members aged 30 and older to undergo annual testosterone screening. The hormone is often associated with ageing, muscle and sexual health.
The policy, announced by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in July, is meant to identify testosterone deficiency and assess whether it could affect the health and performance of service members. The latest Pentagon guidance means the screening is now set to begin immediately.
But being over 30 automatically does not mean you need to get your testosterone levels checked. Medical guidelines generally distinguish between simply having a low testosterone reading and having clinically significant testosterone deficiency.
Testosterone levels naturally change with age, but a lower reading does not automatically mean a person has a hormone disorder.
The Endocrine Society recommends diagnosing hypogonadism only when a man has symptoms or signs consistent with testosterone deficiency as well as consistently low testosterone levels. It also recommends confirming a low result with a repeat morning fasting testosterone test.
Also read: GLP-1 Drug Semaglutide Extends Lifespan In Healthy Older Mice By 12%, Study Finds
Possible symptoms of low testosterone include:
Poor sleep, obesity, stress, medications and other medical conditions can also contribute to fatigue, low libido or changes in physical performance. That is why a blood test alone should not be used to diagnose the condition.
This is where the Pentagon's approach differs from conventional clinical practice. The Endocrine Society's guideline recommends against routine screening of men in the general population for hypogonadism. Instead, testing is generally considered when symptoms and clinical circumstances suggest testosterone deficiency.
That distinction has sparked questions from doctors about the evidence behind universal screening of military personnel aged 30 and above.
According to Reuters, four of six doctors consulted questioned whether there was strong evidence that testing every service member in this age group would improve combat readiness.
Also read: Nearly 8 In 10 US Young Adults Show Signs Of Heart, Kidney Risk: Why Early Checks Matter
The Endocrine Society also recommends evaluating the underlying cause of low testosterone before treatment. That is important because testosterone levels can sometimes be affected by an underlying illness or other reversible factors.
The symptoms, repeated hormone measurements and the reason behind the low level of testosterone play a key role in deciding whether someone actually has testosterone deficiency and needs treatment.
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While the GLP-1 drug semaglutide (marketed under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) has established its benefits in treating diabetes, supporting weight loss and improving heart health, a new study has found that it may also have the potential to extend lifespan in older, healthy mice — by 12%.
GLP-1 drugs have previously been found to delay the onset of several age-related diseases in animals. However, the new study, published in Nature, provides evidence in healthy older mice that these drugs may slow physiological aging itself.
“Most chronic diseases are deeply rooted in the aging process. If GLP-1 agonists do indeed slow it down, then a wide range of clinical benefits is exactly what you’d expect to see,” said Rafael de Cabo, a senior investigator at the NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA).
The NIH-funded study found that semaglutide extended lifespan in older, healthy mice by tempering some of the detrimental effects of aging.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, directly compared the effects of semaglutide with those of reduced food intake.
They found that the drug mimicked some of the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction, while providing greater benefits in some areas.
To understand the impact of GLP-1 treatment at a time when the effects of aging are most pronounced, the study authors, led by Danica Chen, administered semaglutide to 20-month-old female mice for three months.
Also read: Can Ozempic-Like GLP-1 Drugs Slow Aging, Boost Longevity?
Compared with a control group, mice treated with the drug showed improved muscle and cognitive function. Gene expression analysis also showed that several hallmarks of natural aging, including increased inflammation and reduced regenerative capacity, were reduced in the treated animals.
Animals treated with the GLP-1 drug semaglutide, had a median lifespan of 834 days — 12% longer than mice in the control group, which lived for a median of 742 days.
Another group of mice was treated with semaglutide until the end of life and were compared with calorie restriction to determine whether the drug’s benefits were simply due to reduced food intake or involved other effects.
Over five months, scientists administered semaglutide to one group of 20-month-old female mice, while another group received a 24% calorie-restricted diet that matched the treated animals’ feeding pattern.
The researchers found that semaglutide-treated mice showed improvements in activity, spatial memory and blood-sugar control.
The groups also differed in metabolic rate. It was reduced in the calorie-restricted animals but remained largely unchanged in the semaglutide-treated mice.
“These differences point to the possibility that GLP-1 drugs tap into a biological pathway independent of calorie restriction. Uncovering this potential route and the benefits that may specifically stem from it is an important direction for future research into the development of longevity-enhancing interventions,” said Chen, corresponding author of the study and professor of metabolic biology and nutrition at UC Berkeley.
Read More: GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro Tied To Over 60 Reported Deaths In Australia
While these findings may guide future research, they do not mean that similar results can immediately be expected in humans.
Additional clinical studies will be needed to determine whether GLP-1 drugs can improve longevity in human patients.
Future clinical investigations may also explore potential benefits in healthy older adults, Chen explained, which could broaden the application of GLP-1 drugs.
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The NHS is seeing a significant rise in emergency department visits among children aged 6-9 for mental health issues in England, according to an alarming new report.
According to an analysis by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), the rise has been fastest among the youngest children.
Attendances among 6–9-year-olds increased by 62% between 2019 and 2025, rising from 3,870 to 6,269. The report said this was the fastest rate of increase among all age groups.
“This is [a] faster rate of increase than any other age group. This finding is particularly worrying given the vulnerable nature of young children’s neurodevelopment and the potential of suffering for those children longer term without early intervention,” the report stated.
NHS England data also shows a 36% rise in mental health-related emergency attendances since 2019.
Children and young people are turning up at emergency departments in significant distress, including cases involving self-harm, eating disorders and emotional crises.
The figures, obtained by the RCPCH through a Freedom of Information request submitted to NHS England in April 2026, show that 75,491 children and young people aged 6–17 attended emergency departments with a recorded mental health concern in 2025.
This represents a 36% increase from 2019, when there were 55,525 such attendances.
The data also shows a growing number of children becoming, in effect, stuck in emergency departments while waiting for appropriate mental health support and a safe place to be discharged to.
The number of children and young people staying more than 12 hours in A&E rose by 217%, from 1,964 in 2019 to 6,235 in 2025.
Within this group, the number staying for more than 72 hours rose by 514%, from 55 in 2019 to 338 in 2025.
Dr Ronny Cheung, RCPCH Officer for Health Services, said the figures should serve as a wake-up call for the government.
“This must be a wake-up call for government. The growing number of children reaching crisis point with their mental health is deeply alarming, particularly among younger children. Without urgent action to provide support earlier, we risk storing up serious problems for the future, including more young people falling out of education, employment and training, where poor mental health is already a major driver.”
The government said it was looking to improve services and would be setting out plans soon. It is planning to publish a new mental health strategy later in the summer.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said improvements were already being made, including investment in mental health teams for schools and more than 150 new mental health hubs in community locations such as banks and libraries.
“No child should have to reach crisis point before getting the support they need,” he said, according to the BBC.
More than one million children in England had active referrals to mental health services in 2025, with anxiety remaining the leading reason for seeking support, according to a report published in June.
The annual report by Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza warned that England is facing a growing children’s mental health crisis.
New data for 2024–25 shows that 1,048,965 children had an active referral to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (CYPMHS) — nearly double the number recorded in 2018–19 and almost 10% higher than the previous year.
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