As per the latest data released by Transforming Access to Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and the Policy Institute at King's College London, the number of UK students reporting mental health difficulties tripled. The estimate reveals that around 300,000 students could now be experiencing mental health struggles. Of the total, 18% of students reported some kind of mental health issue in 2024.

As per the reports, this estimate is triple what was reported in 2017, where it was at 6%. Experts also say that Covid-19 pandemic is "often considered to have contributed to this, it does not explain the ongoing rise in mental health difficulties." Another reason could also be the "changing definition and increasing openness about mental health" which has led to a rise in numbers. The report notes, "This trend pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Although these factors play a part in students' deteriorating mental health, they cannot therefore be the only explanation."

How Did The Report Conclude?

The report drew data collected over the latest Student Academic Experience Survey of 93,212 students. From the survey, it was found that there exist significant disparities between demographic groups, with women being twice as likely to report mental health difficulties, about 22% as compared to men, at 11%.

What Did The Results Reveal?

The results revealed that students who identified as LGBTQ experienced the highest rates of mental health challenges. This has actually lessened the hope that conditions for LGBTQ students are improving, which may not have been a positive case.

Of them, 42% are bisexual and lesbian students, whereas last year it was 35% and 32% respectively. The report also noted that mental health difficulties among lesbian women and gay men rose three times the rate of straight people, and among bisexual and asexual people, it was twice as high. For trans students, the number jumped from 25% in 2023 to 40% in 2024.

Is The LGBTQ+ Prone To Mental Health Crisis?

As per the Child Mind Institute, being LGBTQ+ does not cause mental health problems, but because these kids often face factors like rejection, discrimination and violence, they are at a higher risk of challenges including depression, anxiety, and even attempting suicide.

A UTAH Health study quotes Anna Docherty, PhD, LP, assistant professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute that, "likely with any identity, feeling different - or worse, unaccepted as you are is a significant risk factor of mental health struggle." The data reveals that LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. They are also more than twice as likely to feel suicidal and more than four times as likely to attempt suicide. In the US alone, 48% of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4% of the overall population.

What Do These Findings Mean?

TASO's academic lead and professor of public policy at King's College London, Michael Sanders said, "LGBTQ students and women bear the brunt of the rise in declining mental health and urgent action is needed to understand and address these trends."

The Cyclospora outbreak that has spread across the US for more than three months has turned deadly, with Michigan—the hardest-hit state—reporting the country's first two deaths linked to the diarrhea-causing parasite.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.

"Two deaths have been identified as part of the cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting Michigan. According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," the department said.

Health officials stressed that deaths from cyclosporiasis are rare, as the infection is generally not life-threatening. Michigan has reported 11,234 cases, including 193 hospitalizations.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirmed the two outbreak-related deaths in Michigan. As of its July 28 update, the agency has recorded 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases across 45 states since May 1, along with more than 11,500 suspected cases—primarily in Michigan and Ohio—that are yet to be laboratory confirmed. The outbreak has resulted in 423 hospitalizations.

FDA Links Outbreak to Recalled Iceberg Lettuce

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked part of the outbreak to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company voluntarily recalled affected products on July 17 and said it will no longer source iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for the rest of the growing season.

The recalled lettuce has been linked to illnesses in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Separately, the CDC, FDA, and state health officials are investigating another Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce in nine states, which has sickened at least 1,947 people and hospitalized 98.

Officials are also investigating whether parsley and cilantro may be linked to the outbreak.

What Is Cyclospora?

Cyclospora is a parasite that infects the intestines and is usually spread through contaminated food or water.

Symptoms include:

• Frequent watery diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Excessive gas
• Low-grade fever
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

What Should You Do If You Think You Have Cyclosporiasis?

Most infections are mild and resolve without treatment. However, the illness can be prolonged or severe in people with weakened immune systems, who may require antibiotic treatment.

If you develop symptoms:

• See a healthcare provider and request a stool test to confirm a Cyclospora infection.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration caused by diarrhea.
• Because diarrhea can have many causes, getting the right diagnosis is important, as cyclosporiasis is treatable with a specific antibiotic.
• Seek immediate medical attention if you have severe diarrhea, feel dizzy when standing, or have a rapid heartbeat, as these may be signs of serious dehydration.

How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?

Doctors diagnose cyclosporiasis with a stool test that detects the Cyclospora parasite shed in stool.

Although some mild infections may resolve on their own, confirmed cases should be treated with antibiotics. The recommended treatment is the antibiotic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX).

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Medicines to relieve diarrhea, if appropriate.
• Oral or intravenous fluids to prevent or treat dehydration.

How To Reduce Your Risk

• Check whether recently purchased iceberg lettuce was sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico, Guanajuato.

• The recall includes:

1. 12-ounce and 24-ounce Iceberg Salad with best-by dates July 18–August 3
2. 8-ounce and 16-ounce Shredded Lettuce with best-by dates July 18–August 3

• Discard or return any recalled products. An additional 33 recalled products were supplied to restaurants and are unlikely to be in home refrigerators.
• No other lettuce varieties, including romaine and butter lettuce, have been linked to the outbreak.
• Avoid eating recalled shredded iceberg lettuce.
• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, even if labeled pre-washed.
• Choose whole heads of lettuce over bagged greens when possible. Remove the outer leaves and wash the inner leaves thoroughly.
• Cook produce whenever possible, as heat is the most effective way to kill Cyclospora.
• Follow safe food-handling practices and stay updated on food recalls.

Tiny plastic particles may be making their way into one of the body's most protected organs, the brain, according to new research. This has raised concerns about the long-term health effects of microplastic exposure, particularly on brain health.

In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers found that microplastics and nanoplastics were present in brain tissue, with significantly higher concentrations than in liver and kidneys.

One of the most important findings is that these particles can cross the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that normally blocks harmful substances from entering the brain.

The researchers analysed brain tissue samples collected over several years and observed that they contained seven to 30 times more plastic particles than other organs.

They also found an increase in brain plastic concentrations in more recent samples, reflecting the growing burden of plastic pollution worldwide in the last few years.

"Our data suggest a trend of increasing concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics in the brain," the study authors wrote. They stressed that the findings do not prove these particles cause disease.

Could Microplastic Exposure Increase Dementia Risk?

The researchers also reported higher concentrations of plastic particles in brain tissue from people diagnosed with dementia.

However, they cautioned that the study only identified an association and cannot determine whether microplastics contribute to dementia or whether brains diseased with dementia simply accumulate more particles.

Scientists are still trying to understand how these particles do harm once they reach the brain. Proposed theories include triggering inflammation, disrupting communication between nerve cells, or affecting blood flow, but none have yet been confirmed in humans.

Also read: Risks Of Plastic Pollution: Study Finds Microplastics In Heart Arteries Can Cause Severe Heart Attacks

How Can Microplastics Get Into The Brain?

Since nanoplastics are extremely small, researchers believe some may pass through the blood-brain barrier and become trapped in brain tissue.

The study found polyethylene, commonly used in food packaging and plastic bottles, was the most abundant type detected in the brain tissue.

Scientists emphasise that it is too early to conclude that microplastics directly damage the human brain.

"The findings are concerning, but they should not be interpreted as proof that microplastics cause neurological disease," the researchers emphasised. More studies are needed to determine whether the particles themselves are harmful or simply markers of environmental exposure.

Also read: Dementia Progression Observed To Slow Down When You Do This Exercise 3 Times A Week

How To Reduce Exposure To Microplastics?

While eliminating exposure entirely is nearly impossible, experts recommend practical steps that may lower intake:

• Avoid heating food in plastic containers.
• Choose glass or stainless steel for food and water storage when possible.
• Reduce consumption of heavily packaged and ultra-processed foods.
• Improve indoor ventilation and reduce household dust, another potential source of airborne microplastics.

The study adds to mounting evidence that microplastics are no longer just an environmental issue. They are increasingly being detected throughout the human body, including the blood, lungs, placenta and now the brain.

Viagra, best known as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, may also help stop cancer from spreading, raising new hopes for cancer treatment, according to a new study.

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, may enhance a newly identified cholesterol-regulating mechanism that could be used to curb cancer metastasis.

"We have uncovered a new biological pathway that links a well-known signaling molecule to cholesterol regulation within cells, and shown how this pathway can be harnessed to interfere with the ability of cancer cells to form metastases," said Prof. Ayelet Erez of the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Cancer and Cholesterol: How Viagra Works

The study, published in Cancer Research, showed that sildenafil limits cancer cells' ability to use cholesterol, an essential component of cell membranes.

Cholesterol is especially important for cancer cells that break away from the primary tumor, travel through the body, and invade distant organs. When their access to cholesterol is reduced, these cells have greater difficulty forming metastases.

Sildenafil works by blocking an enzyme called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), increasing levels of a signaling molecule known as cGMP. While elevated cGMP levels are known to dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow—making Viagra effective for erectile dysfunction—the researchers found it has another role.

The team discovered that cGMP also binds to a protein responsible for transporting cholesterol within cells. This reduces the amount of cholesterol available to the cell, making cancer cells particularly vulnerable because they rely heavily on cholesterol during metastasis.

Viagra and Statins May Work Better Together

The researchers, including scientists from the US National Cancer Institute, also found that combining sildenafil with statins—drugs that reduce cholesterol production—may be even more effective at restricting cancer spread.

The combination may not only limit cancer cells' access to existing cholesterol but also prevent them from producing new cholesterol, potentially enhancing the anti-metastatic effect.

How Was The Study Conducted

The findings are based on mouse models of cancer, cultures of cancer cells from human patients, and data collected over 20 years.

The statistical analysis showed significantly improved survival among cancer patients who took sildenafil, particularly when it was combined with statins, consistent with the findings from mouse models and human cell cultures.

"Our study underscores the importance of treating the whole patient—not just the cancer—when tailoring the most effective therapy," Erez said.

What Is Metastatic Cancer?

Many cancers can often be treated successfully when detected early. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are all powerful tools to remove or destroy tumors in their original location. However, when cancer metastasizes, that is, when the original tumor at one place in the body breaks loose and begins growing elsewhere in the body, the treatment becomes infinitely more complex. This is the stage of metastatic or stage 4 cancer, which forms the true proving ground of modern medicine.

Metastatic cancer happens when cancer cells detach from the primary tumor, circulate in the bloodstream or lymphatic system, and develop new tumors in other tissues or organs. They are not a new type of cancer; they're the same cancer that originally occurred at the primary site.