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.

NHS Flu Cases: England has reported a surge in flu cases, which have been more critical than ever. As per the NHS data of the same period in 2024, the cases now are 50% more in numbers, with flu patients ending up in hospital beds and critical care. A record average of 1,717 patients were in England each day last week, and 69 in critical care. The figures reflect a steep rise from the same week in 2024, when 1,098 patients were admitted and 39 needed critical care.

The trend is even more stark when compared with earlier years. The average for the same week in 2023 was 243 patients. In 2022, the figure stood at 772.

On 30 November alone, hospitals saw 2,040 flu patients in beds across England. This marks a 74 percent rise from the same date in 2024, when 1,175 patients were recorded. That number was already the highest on any single day since 2021.

Health officials say the flu season began earlier this year and has yet to reach its peak. The rising numbers suggest hospitals will face increasing strain through December, especially as the timing lines up with industrial action by the British Medical Association, which could see thousands of resident doctors walking out.

NHS Experts Are Warning For Difficult Weeks Ahead

Professor Julian Redhead, national medical director for urgent and emergency care, said the figures confirm long standing worries inside the health service.

He said the current case load is extremely high for early winter and that the peak has not yet arrived. He added that although the NHS prepared for winter earlier than usual, the combination of rising flu cases and industrial action may push staff to the brink.

Despite the rise in the number of cases, the flu vaccination numbers remain similar to that of the previous year. The NHS administered 16.9 million flu vaccines across England by the final week of November. This is slightly higher than the 16.6 million recorded by this time in each of the past two years. Roughly half of all doses, about 8.4 million, were given to adults aged over 65.

Overwhelming Conditions In Hospital, Pressure On System

According to Sky News, hospital staff described conditions as increasingly overwhelming. Waiting rooms were full, patients lined corridors on trolleys, and emergency department staff were struggling to keep pace.

One consultant described the situation as a repeating cycle with no relief in sight. Patients like Paul Mather, who was admitted to the hospital’s respiratory ward, spoke of severe pain and fear as their conditions worsened.

Along with rising hospital admissions, NHS data shows that call volumes to the 111 helpline increased by more than 11,000 last week compared with the same period last year. Ambulances handed over 99,000 patients to hospitals, about 4,500 more than in the same week of 2024.

Handover delays have improved slightly. Thirty percent of patients waited more than 30 minutes to be transferred to A and E teams, compared with 36 percent last year. Ten percent waited more than an hour, down from 16 percent in 2024.

Bed occupancy levels remain similar to previous years, though hospitals continue to fall short of the recommended 8 percent availability target. Norovirus cases appear to be lower than last year, with an average of 261 beds occupied by patients with vomiting or diarrhea compared with 751 at this point in 2023.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting praised improvements in ambulance response and handover times but warned that strike action by the BMA could jeopardize progress. He said the government will continue efforts to strengthen the NHS through investment, planning and modernization.

Hepatitis B: Changes in hepatitis B vaccine schedule in children could lead to resurgence of the disease, warn health officials. This comes after the Vaccine advisers for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on Thursday to discuss the hepatitis B vaccine guidelines for newborns. The meeting was held to discuss the potential changes to the childhood immunization schedule, the vote is delayed until Friday.

However, there are several changes suggested that say only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B, or whose status is unknown would receive the birth dose. The potential changes also hint that babies whose mothers test negative could delay their first dose until the baby is two months old, instead of receiving it within the first 24 hours.

Why Are Health Experts Warning Against These Changes?

According to the local health experts, these guidelines could lead to a resurgence of the disease. These guidelines have been in place since the 1990s. Dr Hector Ocaranza, El Paso Health Authority, as reporting by KFoxTv, said, "This vaccine can be considered a vaccine that is going to be preventing cancer because hepatitis B virus is considered a carcinogen, meaning that this virus is going to cause liver cancer, and that's what we're trying to prevent in children."

Ocaranza further noted, "Changing the recommendation is going to create a lot of those infections coming back, and we're going to start seeing children that are going to be infected with a hepatitis B virus."

Doctors and scientists have noted that if the vaccine is delayed from birth to two months, it could lead to at least 1,400 new infections, 300 cases of liver cancer, and 480 preventable deaths every year. The shift would also add more than 222 million dollars in extra healthcare costs annually.

While there are mixed reactions in the community, the medical community mostly agree on the fact that vaccine should be mandatory for all children. Many stress on the importance of vaccines at birth. While the recommendation is not final yet as ACIP is to set to revisit the proposal tomorrow. Even if it passes, it requires approval from the CDC director before it becomes a national guidance.

Are There Any Negative Side Affects On Health After Receiving The Hepatitis B Vaccine At Birth?

As for now, no new evidence on harms of the vaccines has been revealed. The vaccine is administered to 1.4 bullion for more than three decades. Experts have pointed out that the vaccine has a "stellar safety record". This was also presented during the meeting. In fact, two members also demanded the evidence of any harm from the vaccine while pointing to its benefits. However, the members were interrupted by the vice-chair. Most members in the committee are hand-picked by the anti-vaxxer US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, and those members too are long time anti-vaccine advocates.

This is not the first time discussion on delaying safe and life saving vaccines are taking place. Previous meetings where advisors recommended restricting access to COVID vaccines, and measles, mums and rubella, and chickenpox vaccines have already been taken.

The experts point out that infant immunization is directly linked to a 99% decline in acute hepatitis B cases in children, adolescents and young adults between 1990 and 2019. Experts also point out that holding discussions on well established vaccines without changing recommendation, too gives an impression that science is not clear, pointed Debra Houry, who was the chief medical officer of the CDC until this year, as reported by Guardian.

“For parents, they’re going to be very confused. They might question the whole vaccine schedule, or why things are done the way they are," Houry said.

Malfunctioning glucose sensors made by Abbott Diabetes Care have been tied to more than seven hundred serious medical events and seven possible deaths, according to updates from both Abbott and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company issued a public notice on November 24 and sent letters to those who may be affected, explaining that it had begun a “medical device correction” for select FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors.

On December 2, the FDA released an early safety communication, which is the type of alert shared when a product is corrected or removed because of a significant risk before the agency can determine whether an official recall is necessary.

FDA: Seven Deaths Possibly Linked To Malfunctioning Glucose Monitors

Some FreeStyle Libre 3 sensors may show falsely low blood sugar levels, which can lead people with diabetes to make treatment choices that are not appropriate for their actual condition. When someone’s glucose appears low, they might delay their insulin dose or skip it altogether, or they may eat more carbohydrates in an effort to raise their levels, as noted by USA Today.

When treatment decisions are based on incorrect readings, blood sugar can quickly become unstable. Poor glucose control can result in dangerous medical complications, including injury or even death. Problems linked to mismanaged diabetes can include diabetic ketoacidosis, heart issues, stroke, kidney damage, nerve and eye problems, and a higher chance of infection.

USA Today reports that the issue affects nearly three million Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus sensors sold in the United States, and Abbott estimates that roughly half of them have already been used or have expired. Worldwide, the company has received 736 reports of severe adverse events (57 in the U.S.) and seven reports of deaths (none in the U.S.) that may be associated with this problem.

Which Abbott Diabetes Care Products Are Impacted?

Only specific FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems are affected. The FreeStyle Libre 3 handheld reader and mobile app are working normally.

No other Libre devices (FreeStyle Libre 14-day, FreeStyle Libre 2, FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus, or the FreeStyle Libre Pro sensors) or Abbott biowearable products are involved.

FreeStyle Libre 3 Sensor

• Model Numbers: 72081-01, 72080-01
• Unique Device Identifiers (UDI-DI): 00357599818005, 00357599819002

FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus Sensor

• Model Numbers: 78768-01, 78769-01
• Unique Device Identifiers (UDI-DI): 00357599844011, 00357599843014

The serial number for a FreeStyle Libre 3 or FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor is available in the app or reader, and it is also printed on the label at the bottom of the sensor applicator or on the carton. Consumers who are wearing a sensor that has been confirmed as part of the affected group should stop using it at once and safely discard it.