When the sun is out after a long winter, every one loves it. But not the people of Canary Islands. Tourists there are being warned about the "unusually high risk" of UV rays this week. The Ministry of Health for this holiday destination has urged both, residents and visitors to take extra precautions and preventative measures to limit the impact of sun exposure over their body and skin.

The Ministry observed Aemet, Spain's national weather agency for the forecast which showed higher than normal UV or ultraviolet radiation levels in the region. It is in this backdrop that everyone in the region are requested to be extra careful when they are out in the sun. UV levels are set to reach 7, which is a 'high risk' in La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. Other regions like Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are expected to reach a level 6, which is also classed as 'high risk'.

UV Index Explained

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), a UV index is a measure of the level of UV radiation, which ranges from zero upward. The higher the UVI, the greater potential for damage to skin and eye and the less time it takes for harm to occur, notes WHO.

The range 1 to 2 represents a low risk, 2 to 5 is moderate, 6 to 7 is at high risk, 8 to 10 is at very high and anything over 11 is extremely risky for anyone to stay out.

UV radiation levels fluctuate throughout the day, with the highest values occurring during the four-hour period around solar noon. The reported UV Index (UVI) typically reflects this daily peak. Depending on geographic location and the use of daylight saving time, solar noon falls between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. In some countries, sun protection advisories are issued when UV levels are expected to reach 3 or higher, as exposure at these levels increases the risk of skin damage, making protective measures essential.

What happens to you when you are out in sun for too long?

While sun bathing is good, being out in the sun when the UVI indicates a high or very high risk, may cause you health concerns. It can lead to sunburn, premature skin aging, incresed risk of skin cancer, eye damage and in severe cases, heat related disease.

Sunburn

It is one of the most common skin injury which happens when there is excess exposure to UV radiation from the sun. This happens when the UV radiation directly damages the DNA skin cells. These damaged cells die and shed, this is why people experience peeling after getting a sunburn.

Dehydration

This is also a common occurrence when your body loses too many fluids or electrolytes. It can also interfere with your normal body functions. You may feel dehydrated, especially when you are out in the sun, but not well hydrated. The most common symptoms are dizziness, fatigue and headache on hot days.

Hyponatremia

This is an electrolyte disorder in which your body experiences low sodium in blood. The symptoms could lead to nausea, confusion and even weakness. There are extreme cases when one may have seizures, slip into coma or die.

Heat Exhaustion

This is one of the most common consequence of being out under the hot sun. Dehydration with prolonged heat exposure can lead to heat exhaustion.

Heatstroke

When you are out under the sun and your body's core temperature cross 104°, heatstroke may occur. This is also known as sunstroke. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it causes more than 600 deaths each year in the United States.

A new experimental menopause drug has shown promising results in reducing hot flashes, with the company reporting an 83% reduction in moderate-to-severe episodes in a mid-stage clinical trial.

Shares of Canadian biotechnology company AbCellera surged nearly 40% on Monday after it announced positive results for ABCL635, an experimental non-hormonal treatment for moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause.

The Phase 2 study involved 92 women. After four weeks, women who received a single 600-mg dose of ABCL635 experienced an 83% reduction in the frequency of moderate-to-severe hot flashes, equivalent to 8.8 fewer episodes per day from baseline. The placebo group reported a 33% reduction, or 3.5 fewer episodes per day.

The treatment also improved the severity of symptoms, sleep and women's overall assessment of their improvement, according to the company.

The most commonly reported side effects, however, included headache, fatigue and reactions at the injection site.

What Makes This Drug Significant?

ABCL635 takes a different approach from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It is a non-hormonal antibody treatment that targets the neurokinin 3 receptor, or NK3R, a protein involved in the brain's regulation of body temperature.

During menopause, falling estrogen levels can disrupt the activity of a group of brain cells known as KNDy neurons. This can make the body's temperature-control system overly sensitive, triggering hot flashes. By blocking NK3R signaling, ABCL635 is designed to help restore that balance.

Also read: Lifestyle Genetics And Hormones: Understanding The Interplay Of Risk Factors For Ovarian Cancer

More About The Drug

One of the drug's potential advantages is its dosing. ABCL635 is being developed as a long-acting, once-monthly injection, rather than a daily pill.

AbCellera's chief medical officer Sarah Noonberg said the approach could appeal to women already accustomed to self-injecting medicines and could potentially improve adherence compared to daily dosing.

When the Phase 2 programme began, Noonberg said: “Menopausal symptoms can have a profound impact on quality of life,” adding that the company wanted to assess whether ABCL635 could offer women a safe and effective non-hormonal alternative.

However, the drug is still experimental and has not been approved for clinical use. AbCellera said additional 12-week trial data are expected later this year, which will provide a better picture of how long the benefits last and how the treatment performs over a longer period.

The drug development comes as non-hormonal menopause treatments are gaining popularity. FDA-approved options already include drugs targeting neurokinin pathways, including Astellas' Veozah and Bayer's Lynkuet, giving women alternatives when hormone therapy is unsuitable or not preferred.

Also read: Are Women More Likely To Experience More Severe Neurological Symptoms Of Long COVID Than Men? New Study Finds

Why Menopausal Hot Flashes Can Be Unnerving?

Hot flashes, also known as vasomotor symptoms, are among the most common symptoms of menopause. The Menopause Society says up to 80% of women experience hot flashes or night sweats at some point during the menopause.

A hot flash can begin suddenly, often as an intense wave of heat across the face, neck and chest. It may be followed by sweating, chills, dizziness, anxiety or racing heartbeat. When these episodes happen during sleep, they are known as night sweats.

Frequent hot flashes can repeatedly interrupt sleep, leaving women irritable and fatigued the next day. Poor sleep can then affect concentration, mood and daily functioning, creating a cycle in which one menopause symptom amplifies another.

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking major changes to the country’s childhood vaccination recommendations, including a proposal to split the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots.

The order follows his long-standing view that some vaccines should be given separately over different medical visits.

The order, signed on August 10, calls for childhood vaccines to be administered at separate medical visits whenever possible and narrows the federal recommendations to vaccines against 11 core diseases.

It also directs federal health agencies to develop a plan for separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, which are currently not available as individual shots in the US.

Trump described the move as establishing “gold-standard” childhood vaccine recommendations and repeatedly raised the topic of vaccine and autism during the signing ceremony.

However, medical experts and lawmakers have opposed the move, saying that the proposed changes are not supported by new scientific evidence.

Why Does Trump Want To Split The MMR Vaccine?

The MMR vaccine currently protects children against three diseases with a combination shot. Under existing CDC guidance, children receive two doses, generally at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years.

The CDC says two doses of measles-containing vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles.

He recently increased pressure on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to identify the cause of autism, something Kennedy had pledged to do with new research unveiled last year.

At a Cabinet meeting last month, Trump asked, "How are you doing on the autism research?" Kennedy replied, "We will have an answer for you."

Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the announcement could create unnecessary uncertainty for families.

“Science about vaccines and their efficacy has not changed,” Racine said.

Also read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Plans To Freeze Eggs As She Eyes 2028 US Presidential Run

The Problem With Three Separate Shots

One of the biggest hurdles in implementing tis proposal is that individual measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are not currently available in the US.

Dr. Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician, questioned how such a system would work.

“We don't have a system that supports this,” she said, raising questions about additional appointments and insurance coverage.

Merck, which manufactures the MMR vaccine, also said there is no published scientific evidence showing a benefit from splitting the combination vaccine. More injections and additional appointments could instead increase the chances of delayed or missed vaccinations.

Also read: Dr. Erica Schwartz Confirmed As CDC’s First Permanent Director In Nearly A Year

How Will This Impact Children?

Doctors are particularly concerned about separating the vaccines and keeping them too far apart. When children need multiple visits to receive protection against different diseases, there can be longer periods during which they remain unprotected.

Public health experts warn this could become especially problematic during outbreaks of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.

The order also seeks to encourage states to reconsider vaccination requirements for schoolchildren, although states retain authority over school vaccine schedules.

The latest order follows earlier efforts by the Trump administration to overhaul the federal childhood vaccine schedule. In January, Kennedy’s Health and Human Services Department attempted to remove several vaccines from routine childhood recommendations.

That move was challenged in court and blocked by a federal judge. The new executive order seeks to reinforce the administration’s approach while that legal battle continues.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician and chairman of the Senate health committee, also criticised the latest move. “I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong,” Cassidy said. “The President does not have the expertise to make these changes.”

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorized Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, marketed as Foundayo, for weight management and type 2 diabetes.

With the approval, the UK has become the first country in Europe to authorize Lilly’s once-daily GLP-1 tablet. It is also the second oral GLP-1 weight-loss medicine authorized in the UK after Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.

“As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication, and the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of orforglipron under close review,” said Julian Beach, MHRA Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access.

Who Can Take Foundayo?

Orforglipron is a prescription-only pill and is authorised for weight loss and weight maintenance in adults with:

• A BMI of 30 or above; or
• A BMI between 27 and 30 with at least one weight-related condition.
• It is also authorised to improve blood sugar control in adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.

How Is Foundayo Taken?

Unlike injectable GLP-1 medicines such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, Foundayo is taken as a once-daily tablet. It can be taken at any time of day, with no restrictions on food or water.

Treatment starts at 0.8 mg and is gradually increased through 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg, with at least one month at each dose level. Patients should follow the dosing instructions provided with the medicine.

Is Foundayo Available on the NHS?

Although Foundayo has been authorized for use in the UK, it is not currently available through the NHS. The NHS availability will depend on established processes, including assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The MHRA urged people to buy the prescription only GLP-1 medicines from a registered pharmacy, with a prescription from a doctor. Buying GLP-1 medicines from unregulated sellers carries serious health risks.

What Is Foundayo and How Does It Work?

Orforglipron is Eli Lilly’s first oral GLP-1 medicine for weight management, marketed as Foundayo. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April this year.

The medicine is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics the action of glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone involved in appetite and blood sugar regulation.

By activating GLP-1 receptors, orforglipron helps reduce hunger and food cravings and increases feelings of fullness. Along with diet and lifestyle changes, this can support weight loss.

In people with type 2 diabetes, it also helps lower blood glucose levels. Unlike some oral GLP-1 medicines, orforglipron does not require patients to take it on an empty stomach or avoid food and water around the time of dosing.

Is Foundayo Better Than Injectable Mounjaro or Wegovy?

A recent clinical trial led by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian showed that Foundayo may be help prevent rebound weight gain caused by GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.

The ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial included people who had previously taken tirzepatide or semaglutide and whose weight loss had plateaued.

• Among those who switched from tirzepatide, patients maintained an average 74.7% of their previous weight reduction, compared with 49.2% in the placebo group.
• Among those who switched from semaglutide, patients maintained 79.3% of their previous weight reduction, compared with 37.6% in the placebo group.

Foundayo: Side Effects and Safety Concerns

Foundayo is not approved for use in children. Its safety information also includes a warning about the potential risk of thyroid tumours, including thyroid cancer.

Patients should seek medical advice if they develop symptoms such as:

• A lump or swelling in the neck
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Shortness of breath

• Nausea
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Indigestion
• Stomach pain
• Headache
• Abdominal bloating
• Fatigue.