Heart attacks and strokes are among the leading causes of death globally, with millions suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) every year. There are more than seven million people in the UK alone, with about 100,000 patients experiencing heart attacks annually. However, a group of researchers at University College London (UCL) estimate that one 'polypill' taken daily day could eliminate a majority of these cases dramatically lowering death tolls.

The proposed polypill, a combination of a statin and three blood pressure-lowering drugs, has been under study for over two decades. Experts argue that introducing this pill universally for individuals aged 50 and above could be more effective than the current NHS Health Check, which assesses risk factors every five years for those aged between 40 and 74.

Studies have repeatedly proven the effectiveness of the polypill in preventing CVD. A groundbreaking 2019 study in The Lancet found that five years' use of the polypill cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by a third. In addition, previous modelling analyses have estimated that if given universally to people over 55, the polypill might be able to prevent 80% of heart attacks and strokes.

Today, the NHS Health Check follows a risk-based model in which patients are tested for CVD risk factors and treated with drugs accordingly. Yet, as per UCL's study, this system has serious flaws:

Low Uptake: Just 40% of those eligible for the NHS Health Check choose to have it, leaving a considerable number of at-risk patients undiagnosed and untreated.

Ineffective Prediction of Risk: The majority of heart attacks and strokes happen to people at average risk levels, thus making it challenging to identify the need for intervention effectively.

Limited Effectiveness: Even at maximum take-up, the NHS Health Check programme is predicted to have fewer health impacts compared to a polypill initiative applied to the whole population.

Simplicity and Affordability of the Polypill Strategy

One of the big benefits of the polypill is that it is so easy. In contrast to the existing screening-based model, the polypill scheme would not involve complicated medical tests or lengthy risk assessments. Instead, people reaching 50 would just have to fill out a few questions to determine possible side effects before they were prescribed.

Professor Aroon Hingorani of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, one of the strongest proponents of this scheme, says:

"Finally, the time is now to do much better on prevention. A population approach would prevent a lot more heart attacks and strokes than is done today with a strategy of trying to target a smaller group only."

Aside from the possible health implications, the polypill is also an economic solution. The drugs used are off-patent, thus cheap to produce and distribute. With the vast economic cost of managing CVD-related illnesses, a preventive model could result in substantial cost-saving for the NHS in the future.

The polypill has been proven to be effective by numerous international trials. In 2019, a randomised trial in rural Iran discovered that participants who took the polypill for five years had a 34% reduced risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to non-participants.

Likewise, modelling research has indicated that even if only 8% of people aged over 50 took up the polypill regimen, it would still be more beneficial to their health than the NHS Health Check programme.

Is This a Case of Over-Medicalisation?

One of the main objections to the polypill strategy is the suggestion that it might result in the unnecessary medicalisation of a significant proportion of the population. But, it is argued, it should be considered as a preventative measure, not as mass medication.

Professor Sir Nicholas Wald of UCL's Institute of Health Informatics explains:

"Instead of being a 'medicalisation' of a significant proportion of the population, a polypill programme is a prevention measure to prevent an individual from becoming a patient."

He compares it with public health measures like water fluoridation or compulsory seatbelts—interventions that have been shown to have a significant impact in reducing public health danger at low individual cost.

With the evidence in favour of the polypill's effectiveness and viability overwhelming, experts are calling on the NHS to act now. It is their belief that substituting the NHS Health Check with a polypill-based prevention program could be the UK government's flagship policy under its pledge to put disease prevention ahead of cure.

As Professor Hingorani points out, "The status quo is not a justifiable option." With CVD still a major cause of death globally, taking a population-wide polypill approach could be a turning point for preventative medicine, potentially saving thousands of lives annually. The question now is whether the NHS will take up this call and establish a policy with the potential to transform the prevention of cardiovascular disease on a national level.

Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has opened up about “wrestling” with guilt over celebrating her 50th birthday while her husband continues to battle dementia.

The former model turned 50 in June and, in an Instagram post, wrote, “I’m ready for this new decade and all it has to offer.”

However, she admitted she was initially wary of celebrating because of her husband’s dementia struggles. At the behest of friends and family, she decided to mark the milestone. Still, she said she continued to wrestle with guilt about celebrating while Bruce Willis is living with a terminal condition.

‘I’m Always Carrying’ Guilt

Speaking on a podcast, Emma said she had not been “in the celebratory feelings” recently and was unsure whether she wanted to do anything for her 50th birthday.

A friend encouraged her to celebrate, reminding her that she did not want to miss marking the milestone.

“I always wrestle with it, you know?” she said. “I think guilt is something that I am always carrying, but I’ve learned that it is really not helpful. What I know is I always go back to what would my husband want for me?”

She explained that even ordinary moments of celebration can bring guilt, as she often feels there are other things she should be doing for her husband.

“There are moments [when] you want to do something, [but] you say, ‘Oh, but I can’t, I can’t. There’s a million other things that I need to be doing for him.’”

However, Emma said she believes the Die Hard star would want her to enjoy the milestone with the people she loves. She said he “would want me to have a big fun bash” and “would want me to celebrate my life with my friends and family.”

In March 2023, Bruce Willis, who dominated Hollywood during his career, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a degenerative condition that can affect communication, behavior and motor skills.

Emma On The Emotional Toll Of Caregiving

This is not the first time Emma has spoken about the guilt and emotional challenges of caring for her husband.

Emma, who has been his primary caregiver, previously said that Bruce is supported, loved and cared for by the family.

“You know, we’re doing well. My husband is supported and loved and we’re doing the best we can under the circumstances,” she said during an interview on Today in May.

Last year, at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Forum in Las Vegas, Emma also spoke about the emotional impact of Bruce’s diagnosis and the unseen toll of caregiving. She recalled the day Bruce was formally diagnosed as one that left her feeling “lost, isolated and afraid.”

Caregiving is a respectable position, but it's also a challenging and thankless one. For those who are caring for loved ones with dementia or other chronic illnesses, the stress of "keeping it all together" can result in a condition called caregiver burnout.

"Caring for someone is the most intimate and demanding work of love," Emma explained, "but when you're not noticed or supported, it begins to undermine your health—mentally and physically."

Canada has never reported a case of Ebola, yet Nova Scotia has become one of the first places in the world where humans are receiving an experimental vaccine against the deadly virus.

The first participant received Moderna’s experimental mRNA-1469 vaccine in Truro, Nova Scotia, on August 3. The Phase 1 trial is being conducted at three Canadian sites in Truro, Halifax and Toronto and aims to enrol around 80 healthy adults.

Why Is Canada Testing An Ebola Vaccine?

Also read: Ebola Outbreak in Congo Surpasses 4,000 Cases; Officials To Probe Whether Bundibugyo Virus Is Mutating

The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is being caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a relatively rare Ebola species for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

More than 3,800 infections and over 1,700 deaths have been reported in the outbreak, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

Existing Ebola vaccines are largely designed to protect against the Zaire species, which caused previous major outbreaks. They cannot simply protect the masses against Bundibugyo.

This has created a dangerous situation: an outbreak is already underway, but scientists do not yet have a licensed vaccine specifically targeting the strain driving it.

Why Nova Scotia Is Chosen For Testing Ebola Vaccine?

Also read: Ebola Outbreak: Moderna Begins First Human Trial Of Bundibugyo Vaccine As Cases Rise to 3,748

Nova Scotia was not selected because Ebola is circulating there. In fact, Health Canada says there have been no cases of Ebola disease in Canada.

But, the province has something far more useful for an early vaccine trial: years of experience conducting vaccine research.

The Canadian Center for Vaccinology, a collaboration involving Dalhousie University, IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health, has extensive experience in vaccine development and clinical trials.

Moderna said Canada was selected because of its experience with early-stage clinical trials, Health Canada's regulations and the country's long history of contribution to research on filoviruses, the family of viruses that includes Ebola.

“Canadian researchers and participants are contributing an important first step in a broader international effort to develop a vaccine against a form of Ebola for which no approved protection is currently available,” Hamilton Bennett, Moderna's executive director of global health security and R&D partnerships, said.

About The Ebola Trial In Nova Scotia

Phase 1 trials primarily examine whether a vaccine is safe, what dose should be used and whether it produces an immune response.

Participants are given the vaccine, not the Ebola virus, and they cannot get Ebola from the vaccine trial itself.

The mRNA-1469 vaccine uses the same mRNA technology that Moderna used for its COVID-19 vaccine. It is designed to teach the immune system to recognise Bundibugyo virus and produce an immune response without exposing volunteers to the live virus.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed up to US$50 million to support Moderna's vaccine development. If the vaccine eventually proves successful, Moderna has committed to making at least 500,000 doses available to low- and middle-income countries.

Dalhousie researchers are studying the Bundibugyo virus itself. Recent work helped identify a genetically distinct variant circulating in the DRC and investigate possible treatment options.

Phase 1 of the trial can establish safety and immune responses, but larger Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies will be needed to determine whether the vaccine actually prevents Ebola disease.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has urged parents to vaccinate their children against measles, saying, “I trust the science,” as the United States faces its worst measles surge in decades.

Speaking to CBS News’ Face the Nation on August 9, Bhattacharya said vaccination remains the best way to protect children from the highly contagious disease.

“If you want to protect your kids from these sort of preventable diseases, yes, you should vaccinate your kids,” Bhattacharya said. He added that he has been “very, very clear” about recommending measles vaccination.

His comments come as the US has recorded 2,465 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of August 6, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The figure has already surpassed the total reported in 2025 and represents the highest annual case count in the country in about 35 years.

Could US Could Lose Its Measles Elimination Status?

Also read: CDC Recommends All International Travelers To Get Measles Vaccine

Bhattacharya pointed to declining public trust in health institutions as one factor behind the resurgence.

“There’s been a lot of outbreaks, not just the United States, but around the world,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with sort of a collapse in public trust in a lot of science.”

The CDC says only 10 US states had measles vaccination coverage above the approximately 95% level needed to maintain community protection during the previous school year.

The growing outbreak has raised another concern, which is whether the US could lose its measles elimination status.

Experts have warned that continued transmission could jeopardize the status the country has maintained since 2000.

A recent analysis described losing elimination status in 2026 as highly likely unless vaccination coverage improves and ongoing transmission is interrupted.

For parents, the message from the NIH chief is straightforward: the measles vaccine remains the scientific evidence-backed way to protect children. “I trust the science,” Bhattacharya said.

Jay Bhattacharya Pushes Back Against Vaccine Fear

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

Bhattacharya also addressed concerns about children returning to school while measles is circulating.

“It is even more important that these kids go to school,” he said, warning against creating fear around unvaccinated children.

“That’s a tremendous mistake,” Bhattacharya said, arguing that parents should vaccinate their children rather than fear school attendance.

His comments are notable amid renewed debate over childhood vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a long history of vaccine skepticism but recently also urged parents to vaccinate children against measles.

How Effective Is The MMR Vaccine?

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains one of the strongest tools against measles. Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles, while one dose provides about 93% protection.

That protection becomes particularly important in schools and communities because measles spreads extremely easily. When vaccination rates fall below the level needed for herd immunity, the virus can move rapidly through pockets of susceptible people.