Cigarettes with ultralow nicotine levels are now being called the game-changer in the fight against smoking. If you are having trouble in quitting smoking, then, it is for you, that soon the Biden White House is expected to formally propose a plan that will order cigarette nicotine levels to be reduced, reports The Washington Post. For now though, it has been a failure, as these cigarettes, also known as VLN cigarettes that stands for very low nicotine are only available in 5,100 stores in 26 states. This is a very small fraction of the overall market for cigarettes. The company that makes it, 22nd Century, is struggling not because of the low supply, but also from the advocates who have long believed slashing nicotine levels altogether.

The Advent and ideation

Nicotine is a chemical that is produced naturally from tobacco that makes the cigarette and also keeps people hooked. While it is believed that it makes people alert, and get the "hit" to keep them going, it exposes the users to harmful substances, carcinogens, and increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and other illness.

Ultralow-nicotine cigarettes, like the VLN brand, contain about 95% less nicotine than the regular cigarettes. The idea is quite simple: without the addictive grip of nicotine, smokers will find it easier to quit. Research too has shown some promise. For instance, the studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that very low nicotine cigarettes reduced addiction potential significantly without having users to increase their smoking frequency. However, the problem is, why would anyone choose for a low-nicotine that does not make them feel the same way, when the high-nicotine cigarette is right next to it, making them feel the same way, with the same alertness, sold at the same price.

“It’s very hard to imagine someone actively choosing to continue to use a low-nicotine product for the same price when a high-nicotine product is right next to it,” said Eric Donny, a Wake Forest University School of Medicine nicotine researcher.

No wonder, the experiment with low nicotine product by Philip Morris' Next cigarettes in the 1980s and Vector Tobacco's Quest brand in the early 2000s, flopped.

FDA's Role in the Push

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has supported the development of such products, even allowing VLN cigarettes to be marketed as lower-risk options. However, these products remain a niche market, available in only a fraction of U.S. stores.

Recently, the Biden administration has considered a bold step—mandating a dramatic reduction in nicotine levels for all cigarettes sold in the United States. Supporters believe this move could save millions of lives, while critics, including tobacco companies, warn of potential unintended consequences.

What Could Be The Challenges?

Resistance from Big Tobacco Companies: They could argue that slashing nicotine levels could backfire. Their claim is, smokers will turn to black markets or smoke more to satisfy their cravings, which may lead to greater exposure to harmful substances.

Consumer Reluctance: History is proof to the instances of smokers being hesitant to embrace the low-nicotine products.

Political Hurdle: It may face political roadblocks, as under the Trump administration, plans to cut nicotine were shelved.

Could Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Be The Solution?

Advocates believe that ultralow-nicotine cigarettes could be a game-changer, comparing them to decaf coffee or non-alcoholic beer—products that reduce harm while offering a similar experience.

Some experts warn that a black market for traditional cigarettes could undermine these efforts. They also stress the need for safer alternatives, such as vaping products, to support smokers transitioning away from traditional cigarettes.

India has joined the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP)-led NeoSep1 clinical trial, a landmark international study evaluating new antibiotic treatments for newborns with drug-resistant sepsis.

Sepsis is the second leading cause of neonatal mortality in India after prematurity and low birth weight, accounting for an estimated 30–40 per cent of all newborn deaths.

The NeoSep1 trial began in India with the first baby enrolled at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry, followed by Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS in Rohtak. Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital in Mumbai is also expected to begin enrolling newborns soon.

"Every day doctors face the heartbreaking reality of losing babies to sepsis due to lack of safe and effective treatments," said Dr Nishad Plakkal, Principal Investigator of the NeoSep1 trial in India and Associate Dean (Research) and Professor and Head of the Department of Neonatology at JIPMER.

"Having the right antibiotics at the right dose can tip the balance between life and death. This trial offers hope to change that," Plakkal added.

"The trial will give neonatologists new tools, and give babies with sepsis a fighting chance at life," said Sally Ellis, who leads GARDP's Children's Antibiotics Program.

Why Newborns Are At Greater Risk

Also read:US Woman Nearly Died After Brushing Off Sepsis Symptoms As Flu

According to Ellis, newborns are particularly vulnerable to life-threatening sepsis because of their underdeveloped immune systems.

The growing burden of antibiotic resistance in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has further worsened the problem by reducing the effectiveness of standard treatments. Studies have reported extremely high resistance to the combination of ampicillin and gentamicin, the antibiotic regimen currently recommended by the World Health Organization for the initial treatment of neonatal sepsis.

"Today, we stand at a tipping point. The antibiotics for newborns that we have relied on for decades are failing against resistant infections in many hospital settings," Ellis said.

What Is The NeoSep1 Trial?

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An estimated 3 million newborns develop sepsis every year. The condition occurs when the body's response to an infection triggers widespread inflammation, potentially leading to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. More than 90% of neonatal sepsis deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

The NeoSep1 trial aims to identify safe and effective antibiotic regimens that can reduce deaths caused by drug-resistant neonatal sepsis.

The first phase of the study, conducted in South Africa and Kenya in 2023, validated the appropriate doses of fosfomycin and flomoxef when used in combination with other antibiotics in newborns.

The second phase is using a Personalised Randomised Controlled Trial (PRACTical) design to evaluate and rank multiple antibiotic regimens for newborns with sepsis. The approach is expected to help clinicians choose the most effective treatments based on local patterns of antibiotic resistance while also informing future national and international treatment guidelines.

The NeoSep1 trial is expected to enroll 3,000 newborns across Asia and Africa by the end of 2028.

Along with India, newborns have already been enrolled in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. Hospitals in Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Uganda are also expected to join the study.

Warning Signs of Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that harms the immune system, tissues, and organs. It can lead to organ failure or death if not treated urgently, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

According to Sepsis Alliance, the acronym TIME can help people recognize potential warning signs of sepsis and seek urgent medical care.

T — Temperature: Body temperature is unusually high or low.

I — Infection: Signs or symptoms of an infection are present.

M — Mental Decline: Confusion, excessive sleepiness, or difficulty waking up.

E — Extremely Ill: Severe pain, extreme discomfort, or shortness of breath.

American supermodel Bella Hadid has opened up about the mental toll of living with Lyme disease, a chronic illness she has battled for years.

Bella Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2013 and has endured an ongoing battle with physical pain, extreme fatigue, brain fog, and associated depression.

In a series of Instagram Stories, the 29-year-old model shared about the daily hardships and emotional toll of recurring health flare-ups despite trying various treatment protocols.

The supermodel said it is "intimidating" to explain her symptoms of pain, exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, infections and trauma, and how they lead "to severe isolation and depression, especially over long periods of time," People.com reported.

"Especially when you try anything you can," she said, adding that she has read books and personal stories to better understand her symptoms, yet still experiences setbacks.

Bella Hadid On Lyme Disease Flare Ups

"You demand answers that no one can find. You fight. You finally have a few good days. You think you've found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment... and then a flare-up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again."

Hadid said flare-ups of the chronic illness often force her to cancel plans.

"You wake up with anxiety already living in your body," Hadid wrote.

"Physical pain before your feet even touch the floor....And somehow, still have to find the strength to move through another day in a body and mind that are completely exhausted."

Bella Hadid's Hope In God

The model said she has learned to mask her feelings.

"Sometimes it feels like unless you've lived something like this, or loved someone who has, it's impossible to fully understand."

She also reminded followers facing similar struggles that "there is light, even if you can't see it today... There is hope," before sharing a message she often tells herself during difficult times.

"As so many have said..I have to remind myself that healing isn't linear...I believe God puts before us, somehow, only what we are capable of carrying, even when we don't understand why at the time," she wrote, saying there's a "deeper purpose to all things in life."

Hadid acknowledged that although it is hard, she believes "every hardship leaves us with a lesson, a deeper compassion, or a strength we never knew we had."

What Is Lyme Disease?

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to people through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

Every year, an estimated 31 million people in the United States are bitten by a tick.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 patients treated for Lyme each year.

Typical symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• A characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans.

How to Prevent

The best defense against Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites. This will reduce your risk of other tickborne diseases as well.

What to do after a tick bite:

• Remove attached ticks as soon as possible.
• Depending on the type of tick and how long it was attached, antibiotic prophylaxis might help to prevent Lyme disease.
• Call your doctor if you develop fever, rash, or other symptoms.

Donald Trump, the oldest president in US history, has come under increased scrutiny after turning 80 this year. The president has frequently been seen with swollen ankles and bruises on his hands, though the White House maintains he is in "excellent health."

Several doctors have also raised concerns about Trump's physical and mental health, citing instances where he appeared to fall asleep during White House meetings and international summits, as well as verbal fumbles and slurred speech.

A new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, claims the president's medical condition is one of the administration's most tightly controlled areas of information. Written by New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and investigative reporter Jonathan Swan, the book is based on more than 1,000 interviews conducted over three years.

Book Claims Trump Changed Routine Due to Age

Also read: Did Donald Trump Take Eli Lilly's Weight Loss Drug? What Did White House Say

According to the authors, Trump struggles with his hearing and began moving meetings from the East Wing to the Oval Office because of better acoustics. The change also allowed him to remain seated during lengthy meetings.

The book says some aides privately felt Trump was "beginning to seem old to them," pointing to "moments of fatigue" and a "cupped hand" behind his ear.

Questions Over Transparency on Trump's Health

Speaking to Kaitlan Collins on CNN's The Source, Swan said Trump's health is "very well concealed" from the public.

"I'm not even sure that his most senior aides have a clear picture of his health, about all the aspects of his medical reports," Swan said.

Trump reportedly spent three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 26, where he was examined by 22 specialists, compared with 14 doctors during his previous medical check-up

"We have no indication of who those specialists are or what their specialties are," Swan said. "They haven't released all the imaging results."

According to CNN medical expert Jonathan Reiner, Trump's medical examination by 22 specialists "is an extraordinary number."

But the White House has continued to insist Trump remains sharp and energetic.

Book Describes Shift in Trump's Schedule

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According to the Daily Mail, the book claims Trump now prefers seated events, shorter public appearances and staying close to the White House.

The authors describe Trump in his second term as a "homebody," compared with his extensive travel during the 2024 campaign.

"He had never been a big sleeper, but now it seemed to his staff that he was sleeping even less, keeping stranger hours than he had in his first term," the authors wrote.

They added that Trump would often spend the early hours watching television, talking on the phone and posting on Truth Social.

White House Rejects the Claims

The White House dismissed the book's claims.

"President Trump's sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the last administration when Democrats and the legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden's serious mental and physical decline from the American people," spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Daily Mail.

"President Trump is the sharpest and most accessible President in American history who is working nonstop to solve problems and deliver on his promises."