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 boom in GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity management is not without its drawbacks. From vision loss to hair fall, researchers are increasingly assessing the side effects of popular weight loss medicines, which include semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound).

Recently, a new side effect among GLP-1 users was reported which entails detachment of the nails. Experts believe that using weight loss injections may cause the patient’s fingernails to fall off, raising fresh concerns about the short as well as long-term side effects of these medicines.

Risk Of Fingernails Falling Off In GLP-1 Users

Nail detachment, clinically known as onycholysis, is a condition in which nails separate from the skin underneath it.

A new study has found that the risk of fingernails falling off in people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists was almost four times more common than non-users. The findings were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026.

Researchers, led by Dr. Charles Taïeb, found that 39% of GLP-1 users reported nail detachment, compared to 9% of people in the comparison group. Overall, 66% of people taking GLP-1 drugs experienced at least one nail disorder.

Apart from nail falling off, nail discolouration was also seen frequently among users, affecting 46% compared to 17% of non-users.

Researchers described this as the first controlled study specifically examining the possible effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on nail health.

Also read: New Experimental Drug May Preserve Muscle Mass During Weight Loss From Ozempic

Could Your Nails Be Affected By GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs?

GLP-1 medicines like semaglutide and tirzepatide reduce appetite, which can lead people to eat way less than they normally do. Rapid or significant weight loss can sometimes affect the body's supply of protein and other nutrients needed for healthy hair and nail growth.

But the increased number of nail detachment cases seen among GLP-1 drug users could not be solely attributed to weight loss.

“Until now, nail changes associated with GLP-1 therapies had essentially been anecdotal,” said study author Dr Charles Taïeb. “Our findings show a clear association, but they also underline an important point: not everything that happens during GLP-1 treatment is necessarily caused by the treatment itself.”

The researchers stress that the study cannot establish that GLP-1 receptor agonists caused changes to the nails. Around half of users already had nail problems before the treatment began.

After adjusting dermatological conditions and nutritional deficiencies, the strength of some associations reduced. However, nail detachment and nail discolouration remained around two to three times more frequent among users after adjustment.

Dermatologists already recognise that GLP-1 treatment can cayuse brittle nails and slower nail growth, especially in people who lose substantial weight loss. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that these effects may occur alongside other changes to the skin and hair.

Also read: 2 Indians Charged In US Over Fake Ozempic Scheme: How To Spot Counterfeit GLP-1 Drugs

Hair Loss Was Also Reported By 50% Of GLP-1 Users

A companion study also identified unusual changes on the hair and scalp among GLP-1 users. Unusual hair loss was reported by 50% of GLP-1 users compared to 34% of controls.

The study also reported loss of hair volume or density affected 42% versus 19% among controls. Hair loss after the treatment was also more than twice as common among users, i.e. 26% among users compared to 12% in non-users. Redness of the scalp was also around three times more frequent.

Study author Dr Bruno Halioua explained, “This suggests that what is happening on the scalp may go beyond the classical shedding seen after rapid weight loss and involve an inflammatory component.”

The author added, “Scalp inflammation was the rule rather than the exception, which clinicians do not currently look for and which may be treatable. Taken together, our findings suggest that factors beyond weight loss alone may contribute to the hair, scalp and nail changes observed among GLP-1 users.”

He also said that these changes could be temporary and that one should not stop the treatment without discussing it with their doctor.

“These changes are frequent, usually benign, and are not a reason to stop an effective treatment on one’s own initiative,” he said. “Anyone who notices hair shedding, an itchy or red scalp or nail changes should mention it to their doctor rather than discontinue therapy.”

Chewing tobacco contributed to an estimated 251,000 deaths globally in 2023, according to a new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

The analysis, part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) and published in The Lancet Global Health, found that more than 90% of the health burden was concentrated in 10 countries, with India accounting for the largest share.

"Chewing tobacco is not a uniform public health problem, and our findings show that a relatively small number of countries bear an overwhelming share of its health burden," said Gabriela Gil, lead author and research scientist at IHME.

South Asia Bears 84% Of Global Deaths: India Leads

Also read: Trying For A Baby? Tobacco Smoking Hurting Male And Female Fertility, Warns WHO

South Asia accounted for an estimated 210,000 chewing tobacco-related deaths, or about 84% of the global total.

Nearly 15% of people aged 15 and older in the region used chewing tobacco in 2023.

The highest age-standardized prevalence was reported in:

• Palau: 24.4%
• Bangladesh: 23.4%
• Nepal: 17.5%

India recorded the highest number of chewing tobacco-related deaths among both males and females.

More than 90% of the male death and disability burden was concentrated in:

• India
• Bangladesh
• China
• Pakistan
• Myanmar
• US
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka
• Philippines
• Madagascar

Among females, the countries were:

• India
• Bangladesh
• Pakistan
• Indonesia
• Myanmar
• China
• Thailand
• Cambodia
• Vietnam
• Nepal

Chewing Tobacco Use Highest Among Elderly Females

Read More: Trying to Quit Tobacco? Yoga Could Improve Your Chances, Suggests Study

Globally, use was higher among males than females and increased with age before peaking at 60–64 years.

In South Asia:

• Nearly 1 in 5 males used chewing tobacco.
• Around 1 in 10 females used it.
• Male use peaked at 60–64 years.
• Female use peaked at 80 years and older.

Bangladesh showed a different pattern, with female use higher than male use across age groups older than 30.

"These findings show why chewing tobacco control cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach," said Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou, senior author and professor in the Department of Health Metrics Sciences at IHME.

"Prevention and cessation strategies need to reflect how patterns of use differ by country, age and sex, as well as the cultural and social factors that shape tobacco use in each setting," Dr Gakidou added.

Stroke, Oral Cancer Among Key Health Risks

Researchers assessed chewing tobacco-related burden across six outcomes:

• Stroke
• Lip and oral cavity cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Other pharyngeal cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Nasopharyngeal cancer

Stroke accounted for the largest share of health loss, at 55.9 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100,000 people, followed by lip and oral cavity cancer at 17.4 DALYs per 100,000.

Chewing tobacco accounted for 17.3% of lip and oral cavity cancer DALYs globally, rising to 30.5% in South Asia.

Global Burden More Than Doubled Since 1990

Chewing tobacco-related DALYs increased 116% between 1990 and 2023, reaching 6.48 million. Of this:

• 6.17 million years were lost to premature death.
• Total DALYs reached 6.48 million in 2023.

The researchers noted that chewing tobacco has received less attention than smoked tobacco in global tobacco-control efforts.

They said stronger prevention and cessation measures, tailored to age, sex, country and local patterns of use, are needed to reduce the burden.

Two Indian nationals have been held in the US over an alleged international scheme of smuggling and selling counterfeit Ozempic.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Swapnadip Roy, 33, and Vicky Ramancha, 37, allegedly obtained counterfeit Ozempic from unauthorised sources in China and sold it to US distributors at deeply discounted prices between July 2023 and April 2024. Roy was extradited from Italy and has pleaded not guilty, while Ramancha remains at large.

This has raised fresh concerns about the risks of counterfeit GLP-1 medicines. The counterfeit products allegedly included fake packaging, package inserts, pen labels and needles, designed to make them appear like genuine Ozempic.

The alleged scheme continued even after the FDA seized some counterfeit products and issued a public warning in December 2023.

Risks Of Fake GLP-1 Drugs

Counterfeit medicines may not contain the primary drug they claim to contain. The FDA warns that fake drugs can contain the wrong ingredients, too much or too little of the active ingredient, no active ingredient at all, or harmful substances.

With injectable medicines like Ozempic, contaminated or counterfeit needles can also create an infection risk.

This is particularly concerning with GLP-1 drugs because medicines like semaglutide and tirzepatide are increasingly being used for diabetes and weight management. A person buying a fake injection may therefore have no reliable way of knowing what they are actually putting into their body.

Also read: 21% In 80 Weeks: Lancet Study Finds Lilly’s Retatrutide Delivers One Of The Biggest Weight Losses Ever

FDA Issued A Warning

Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said, "Infiltrating the American drug supply with counterfeit products isn’t just a crime — it’s also a direct threat to public health and patient safety."

He added, "The FDA will continue to trace illicit networks wherever they lead, across borders and through complex supply chains, to ensure that anyone who seeks to profit off counterfeit medicines face accountability — all in our mission to keep Americans safe."

The Justice Department has stressed that the charges are allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the US Justice Department said, “These defendants allegedly exploited people’s health to pay themselves. We will keep pursuing anyone who seeks to deceive American consumers with counterfeit drugs.”

Also read: From 365 Shots To 52: How Could Lilly’s Newly-Approved Weekly Insulin Injection Change Diabetes Care

How Can You Spot A Counterfeit GLP-1 Drug?

The FDA advises consumers to look for several warning signs.

1. Check The Packaging

Does the packaging look different from what you normally receive? Changes in fonts, spelling, labels, colours, printing quality or packaging can be warning signs of a counterfeit medicine.

2. Be Careful While Purchasing Online

The FDA specifically warns consumers to be cautious when buying GLP-1 medicines online. Unapproved or illegally marketed versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide may be counterfeit or contain harmful ingredients.

The agency recommends purchasing medicines only from state-licensed pharmacies.

3. Look At The Price

A dramatically lower price can be a red flag, particularly when an expensive prescription medicine is being offered through an unauthorised seller. In the alleged US scheme, counterfeit Ozempic was sold to distributors at deeply discounted prices.

4. Watch For Unexpected Side Effects

A new or unusual reaction after taking a medicine can also be a warning sign. The FDA lists unexpected side effects among possible indicators of counterfeit medicines.

What Should You Do If You Suspect You Have Bought A Fake Injection?

Contact your doctor or pharmacist and verify the product before taking a dose if you suspect your medicine is fake. Patients should also avoid buying GLP-1 medicines through social-media sellers, unverified websites or other unauthorised sources.