Pope Francis injured his right arm after suffering a fall earlier this week. According to the Vatican, while the 88-year-old pontiff did not break his arm, a sling was put on as a precaution. This incident comes just weeks after another fall on December 7, where he hit his chin on a nightstand, resulting in another, visible bruise. The pope's health has been a topic of ongoing speculation due to his age and medical history, which includes long bouts of bronchitis and mobility challenges. Often seen using a wheelchair or a cane, Francis also uses a walker within the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel, where he resides. Notably, his frailty has brought renewed attention to the risks of falls among elderly individuals and the steps one must follow to mitigate such falls.

Preventive Measures For Bone Health

A study published in Frontiers in Aging Neurosciences people get older, the bone density in the lower back and thigh bone decreases significantly. This raises the risk of osteoporosis (OP). Therefore it becomes pivotal to pay early attention to nutrition, exercise ability, vitamin D levels, and uric acid levels in older individuals to prevent Ostreopsis and mitigate fall risks. The risk of falls and bone injuries among elderly individuals underscores the importance of preventive measures for maintaining bone health and minimizing fall risks.

Elderly, particularly menopausal women, require a daily calcium intake of 1,200 mg, divided into two or more doses. This can be achieved through dietary sources such as dairy and non-dairy products or through supplements like calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. However, total daily calcium intake should not exceed 2,500 mg to avoid potential health risks.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and bone mineralization. While sunlight exposure helps synthesize vitamin D, older individuals often require supplements due to reduced skin synthesis and the limited availability of foods. Fortified milk and supplements containing 200–600 IU of vitamin D daily are recommended, with higher doses required for those with deficiencies. Severe cases may necessitate high-dose treatments, such as 50,000 IU weekly for up to three months, along with regular monitoring of calcium and vitamin D levels.

Regular exercise is vital for preserving bone mass and reducing fall risk. Weight-bearing activities, strength training, and balance exercises like brisk walking or skipping can enhance bone density and improve coordination. Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, supplemented by strength training twice weekly. For individuals unable to engage in standard exercise routines, alternatives like vibrating platforms may help maintain bone health.

Falls remain a leading cause of fractures among individuals over 60. Addressing contributing factors such as balance issues, vision problems, and environmental hazards can significantly reduce risks. Preventive measures include regular vision checks, minimizing medications causing dizziness, improving home safety (e.g., installing railings and removing loose rugs), and wearing rubber-soled footwear. Hip protectors may also help mitigate the impact of falls.

In a recent episode of Soha Ali Khan’s YouTube podcast 'All About Her', actor Bhumi Pednekkar clarified that she has not used any weigh-loss drugs or injectables to lose over 40kgs of weight and credited her transformation to a balanced lifestyle.

The Dum Laga Ke Haisha star told Khan, "People have even asked me if I’ve had a rib removed. What about the fact that I’ve put 10 years into working out and eating right? In Delhi, women straight up come to me and ask, ‘Aapne bhi Ozempic ya Mounjaro liya hai?’

"I know enough people who have taken Ozempic and genuinely needed that medical assistance, so I will never judge anyone for it. But the fact is, I lost 40 kg and more without injectables.”

Pednekkar, 36, went on to also express annoyance over the rumors of her weight loss and noted that her battle against dengue in 2023 forced her to lose 12kgs.

"So basically, for this other character, I lost a lot of weight. I was in hospital recovering from dengue. I lost 12 kg and half my hair. The pain you go through is unmatched. It was Diwali and people were bursting crackers, while I had a splitting headache until I reached the hospital," she said.

How did Pednekkar lose weight?

For her workouts, she likes to mix things up with different workouts such as Pilates, running, strength training and weight training and completes nearly 8,000 steps on average every day.

What Are Ozempic and Mounjaro?

Ozempic (semaglutide) is a prescription injectable GLP-1 medication primarily approved for adults with Type 2 diabetes to manage blood sugar levels. However, the drug has gained immense popularity among those trying to lose weight as it can reduce hunger and help people feel full for longer, which forces the body to burn fat deposits to stay functional.

In clinical trials, people with obesity using semaglutide have shown to lose an average of about 15% of their body weight over 68 weeks. Most people begin to see noticeable results within 8 to 12 weeks of taking the drug.

The official price in India for a once-weekly Ozempic injection pen ranges from approximately ₹8,800 for the 0.25 mg dose to around ₹11,175 for the 1 mg dose per month. Insurance coverage is generally inconsistent for weight loss indications.

Similarly to Ozempic, Mounjaro mimics two natural gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, to regulate blood sugar, reduce appetite, slow digestion and provide the body with a feeling of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake.

Clinical trials have shown that participants using Mounjaro along with lifestyle changes can lose up to 15-22% of their body weight over the span of 72 weeks.

Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro in India in March 2025 in the form of vials and released KwikPen versions of the drug later in August 2025. Monthly costs for KwikPens range from approximately ₹14,000 to ₹27,500.

Common side effects of both weigh-loss drugs include gastrointestinal issues, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. More serious but rare side effects can include pancreatitis and gallbladder issues.

Typhoid fever, to many sound like it now belongs to history books, but a new strain that can resist strongest of antibiotics have emerged in South Asia. This has raised the concerns over the potential spread of drug-resistant infections.

A gene, which is capable of breaking down carbapenems, which is a powerful antibiotics was seen as a drug of last resort, is discovered among 32 samples collected from hospitals, across western and southern India. This gene is known as blaNDM-5, which can move between different types of bacteria, raising fears that resistance could in fact grow quickly.

Recent outbreaks of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid across South Asia have raised serious concerns, as these strains no longer respond to most commonly used antibiotics. Since 2016, Pakistan alone has reported over 15,000 XDR typhoid cases, while resistance to azithromycin has been detected in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and other neighboring regions.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Dr Malick Gibani, Clinical Lecturer in Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London, said, “We all hear that antimicrobial resistance is a problem, but typhoid really exemplifies it – how resistance seems to emerge relentlessly, moving from one class of antibiotics to the next."

“It’s not yet untreatable, but the treatments we do have are much more limited and significantly more challenging to deliver.”

What Is Typhoid?

Typhoid is caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi. It usually spreads through contaminated food or water and can lead to high fever, stomach pain and serious complications if not treated on time.

Antibiotics are the first line of treatment. These range from commonly used medicines such as amoxicillin and co-trimoxazole to stronger, hospital-only drugs for resistant infections, including carbapenems. Without timely treatment, typhoid can turn life-threatening and, in some cases, prove fatal. What has alarmed researchers is the emergence of typhoid strains that can resist even carbapenems.

“Although the number of cases described is still relatively small, this feels very much like a warning sign,” said Dr Gibani. “This was always expected and reflects the steady evolution of antimicrobial resistance in typhoid. These infections are not untreatable yet, but they are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.”

Experts point out that typhoid is often difficult to diagnose. This uncertainty can lead to the widespread and sometimes unnecessary use of antibiotics, which further fuels resistance. There are also concerns that extensively drug-resistant typhoid may be more widespread than current data suggests, especially in low-income countries where surveillance and reporting are limited.

“The risk is highest in places with poor water quality, uncontrolled antibiotic use and weak healthcare systems,” said Prof Calman A. MacLennan from the University of Oxford. He noted that while current typhoid mortality is under one percent, the disease was far deadlier before antibiotics were available. “In the pre-antibiotic era, death rates were as high as 10 to 20 percent, and during some wars, more people died of typhoid than from combat.”

Best Line Of Defense Against Typhoid

Vaccination, experts say, could be key to preventing a resurgence. The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine, or TCV, has shown strong effectiveness by triggering the body’s immune response rather than targeting the bacteria directly with antibiotics. “That makes it much harder for the pathogen to escape,” Prof MacLennan explained.

The vaccine has already been introduced into national immunization programmes in 11 countries. However, reaching the poorest regions, where typhoid is most common, remains a challenge. Rolling out a new vaccine requires significant planning and resources, even with international support.

Dr Gibani warned that although South Asia has been hit hardest so far, drug-resistant typhoid can spread globally through travel. Imported cases have already been reported in Europe, North America and Australia. Experts stress that surveillance, vaccination and better sanitation are critical to stopping these dangerous strains from taking hold elsewhere.

"May be it is a better thing that fewer children are receiving the flu vaccine," said Robert F Kennedy Jr, the Health and Human Services Secretary of the United States as the country fights with a surge in flu cases. RFK Jr said this in a response to a CBS News journalists' concern over rising flu cases and the drop in the number of flu vaccines.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced vaccines to fight respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, meningococcal disease, flu, and COVID are the only recommended jabs for children at high risk of serious illness or must be administered after being consulted with doctors and parents. This is part of the CDC and Trump administration's effort to scale back the childhood vaccine scheme.

In an interview with the CBS News, RFK Jr. said, "We are not taking vaccines away from anybody. If you want to get the vaccine, you can get it. It is going to be fully covered by insurance, just like it was before." However, now, there is an added step. Vaccines that were compulsory before now requires a consultation with the physician first. "You have to, yeah, you need to do shared decision making with your physician, which is how it ought to be," he said.

Fewer Flu Vaccine Could Be A Better Thing: TFK Jr, Is There Evidence?

The CBS News reporter asked if there is any evidence that fewer kids getting the vaccine is actually a "better thing" The reporter also pointed out that many kids died of flu last year and that no evidence shows that the kids who died were vaccinated. In fact, a roughly 90% of kids who died from the flu in 2024 were not vaccinated, showed the CDC data.

To this, Kennedy quoted a Cochrane Collaboration study. It is a UK-based health care research nonprofit, which he called, "one of the ultimate arbiters of vaccine safety and clinical data". As per him, the study is an extensive meta review of the flu vaccine. Kennedy said that the study found "there is no evidence that the flu vaccine prevents serious disease or that it prevents hospitalizations or death in children.

However, the medical community does not respect this. In fact, the CDC itself has cited from various studies, including a 2020 and 2017 study from Pediatrics journal, and a 2022 and 2014 study from the journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases, which is an official publication of Infectious Diseases Society of America, and found that vaccines in fact prevented severe and life-threatening complications in children from the flu.

The CDC notes: "ACIP recommends any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine for children without preference for any one flu vaccine over another. In several studies, flu vaccine effectiveness was higher among children who received two doses of flu vaccine the first season that they were vaccinated (as recommended) compared to "partially vaccinated" children who only received a single dose of flu vaccine."

However, Kennedy is fixed at his opinion that "here is no scientific evidence that the flu vaccine prevents serious illness, hospitalizations, or death in children."