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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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In yet another milestone in India’s digital healthcare, the government has launched the Swasth Bharat Portal, which aims to bring together the fragmented health systems in the country.
The portal, unveiled during the recent 10th National Summit on Innovation and Inclusivity by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda, signifies a decisive shift towards a more integrated, efficient, and scalable digital public health architecture.
The portal aims to enable seamless integration with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and support the exchange of patient records through the ABHA health account system.
The Swasth Bharat Portal has been conceptualized as an aggregator platform that integrates existing program systems through an API-based federated architecture.
It enables interoperability and convergence, creating a unified digital layer across programs.
It is a one-stop integrated platform that brings multiple national health programs onto a single interface.
It eliminates the need for multiple logins and repetitive data entry, and significantly reduces the administrative burden on healthcare providers while enhancing efficiency at all levels.
The portal also provides a single platform for easy access, along with data visualisation tools and the use of data at the local level for monitoring and evidence-based planning.
It is ABDM-compliant and supports integration with ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), enabling seamless and secure exchange of patient health records.
It is designed to evolve into a comprehensive and interoperable digital health ecosystem, further integrating with national registries such as the Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR) and Health Facility Registry (HFR).
The new portal will help:
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The Swasth Bharat portal will also lead to substantial government savings both in terms of human resources, time, and IT infrastructure as compared to the current individual portals being managed by different program divisions, the Health Ministry said.
Further, the portal enables a shift towards an integrated, efficient, and scalable digital public infrastructure with significant efficiency gains.
The Swasth Bharat Portal thus represents a transformative step towards convergence, efficiency, and data-driven governance in India’s public health system.
Researchers have just found that eggs should be eaten every day for lowering Alzheimer's disease risk. (Photo credit: AI generated)
Eggs are literally one of the healthiest foods on the planet. They offer proteins, healthy fats, vitamin D, choline, and other essential vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is a no-brainer that eating eggs is associated with several health benefits—from weight management to a healthier heart to even diabetes management. And now, according to researchers at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, eating eggs is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease as well. Alzheimer's is often diagnosed in people aged 65 years and above. Researchers have found that eating one egg a day for at least five days can reduce Alzheimer's risk by 27 per cent.
Experts at the Loma Linda University School of Public Health found that, as compared to people who never eat eggs, eating at least five servings of the high-protein food option can significantly reduce Alzheimer's risk. Furthermore, the study also noted that less frequent consumption of eggs can work wonders in helping to dodge memory loss and other cognitive health-related symptoms. Researchers in the study found that eating eggs one to three times a month can reduce the risk by 17 per cent, and eating two to four times a week reduced the risk by 20 per cent. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Eggs are a whole food, and that is because of the nutrients they offer and their subsequent benefits for overall health. They are also sources of essential nutrients that improve brain health—they offer choline, phosphatidylcholine, and acetylcholine—all of which are critical for synaptic function and memory. They are also sources of zeaxanthin and lutein, carotenoids that accumulate in brain tissues and are linked to lower oxidative stress and better cognitive performance. Eggs are sources of omega-3 fatty acids and phospholipids that constitute 30 per cent of the total egg lipids essential for neurotransmitter receptor function.
Researchers in the study said that their aim was to understand the relationship between modifiable dietary factors linked to Alzheimer's disease risk. Experts stated that they studied egg consumption in visible ways, for instance, eating them fried, scrambled, or boiled, or in hidden ways such as packaged or baked goods. Scientists emphasised that moderate intake of eggs is an important part of a balanced diet. Whether for breakfast, as a post-workout meal, or simply as a snack satisfying cravings, this versatile food option must find its way into your diet. And after years of research and studies (with more to come), it can be said that eggs are key to a healthy life now and even years later.
Credit: Reuters
Officials at the US Food and Drug Administration have blocked publication of several studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against COVID-19 and shingles in recent months, according to a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
While the studies found serious side effects to be very rare, the HHS said they were pulled over concerns about their conclusions. These withdrawals aim to limit access to vaccines, reflecting broader policy changes under US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a staunch critic of vaccines.
"The studies were withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data. The FDA acted to protect the integrity of its scientific process and ensure that any work associated with the agency meets its high standards," said Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the HHS, which oversees the FDA, in an email to Reuters.
The last one year of Trump administration, along with Kennedy as the head of the HHS, saw significant cut in research funding for vaccine development. It also fueled doubt on vaccines, and blocked other information supporting their safety.
The list includes research on COVID vaccine effectiveness by scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In October, the scientists were directed to withdraw two COVID vaccine studies that had been accepted for publication in medical journals. Further, in February, top FDA officials did not sign off on submitting abstracts about studies of Shingrix, a shingles vaccine, to a major drug safety conference.
“The design of that study fell outside the agency’s purview,” Nixon said on rejecting the shingles vaccine. He did not address a question about the Shingrix safety study, which found the vaccine to be safe.
Also read: Donald Trump’s 'Squirrel' Remark Fuels Debate Over Brain Health And Cognitive Tests
In June 2025, his office asked CDC staff members to delete from the agency’s website a 17-page summary supporting the safety of thimerosal, an additive largely removed from vaccines 25 years ago.
Further, in August, Kennedy called the journal Annals of Internal Medicine to “immediately retract” a large Danish study concluding that the vaccine additive aluminum salts were safe. However, the study was not retracted.
Recently, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who was serving as interim leader of the CDC, canceled the publication of a report concluding that the Covid vaccine sharply cut the odds of hospitalizations and emergency room visits last winter, saying the study had limitations.
“At a moment when public trust in institutions like the CDC is fragile, we cannot afford to lower our standards,” Dr. Bhattacharya wrote in an editorial about news coverage of his decision.
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Last June, a CDC panel backed by Kennedy voted to remove the mercury-based preservative thimerosal from flu shots, despite long-standing clinical evidence of its safety.
In August 2025, the HHS said it would wind down nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine development, canceling 22 federal projects overseen by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a government-backed funding body.
Other vaccines, including flu and hepatitis A, were also removed from routine recommendations. He also directed the CDC to stop recommending the vaccine for healthy pregnant women and children.
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