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.

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that in 2022, there were nearly 20 million new cancer case in the world. These have included lung, breast, and colorectal cancers. This has led to death of 9.7 million in the year. This means about 1 in 5 people could develop cancer in their lifestyle, and the number is rising significantly by 2050.

While there are new studies, targeted cell therapies that are now opening more doors to cancer treatments, a new study by the University of California, San Diego, could be worrisome. This new study found that some cancer cells turn on their "cell death" mode during drug therapy. So, what happens is that the drug, instead of killing them, persist and regrow in some of the case. This is how drug resistance in cancer cells functions, and by targeting this cell-death programme in cancer cells, scientists could potentially stop the growth of cancer after therapy.

The findings have been found in a peer-reviewed journal Nature Cell Biology.

Why cancer often comes back

Cancer remains one of the biggest global health threats, causing nearly 10 million deaths every year. One of the hardest parts of treating cancer is that it can return, even after treatment seems successful. Doctors call this cancer relapse or recurrence. It happens when some cancer cells survive the first round of treatment and begin growing again after a period of dormancy.

Relapse rates vary by cancer type. Lung cancer, for instance, has a higher chance of returning, while breast cancer generally has lower relapse rates. Still, one problem cuts across many cancers: drug resistance. Over time, cancer cells can learn how to survive medicines designed to kill them.

A surprising discovery during treatment

In this study, researchers set out to look for early signs of drug resistance in cancer cells. They expected to find genetic changes or mutations. Instead, they found something unexpected. Some cancer cells respond to treatment by turning into what scientists call “persister cells.”

These persister cells stop growing during therapy and enter a dormant state. At first glance, this looks like success. But what happens next is more troubling. These cells activate a built-in cell death program, the same process the body uses to break down dying cells. However, the program does not finish the job.

How cancer cells escape death

Rather than dying, these persister cells release enzymes that help them restart growth. One key enzyme involved is DNA Fragmentation Factor B, or DFFB. Normally, DFFB helps fragment DNA in cells that are meant to die. In these cancer cells, it is activated at low levels. That is not enough to kill the cell, but enough to help it escape dormancy and start growing again.

“This flips our understanding of cancer cell death on its head,” said senior author Matthew J. Hangauer. He explained that signals meant to kill cancer cells can sometimes help them survive and regrow instead.

What this means for cancer treatment

The findings offer a new way to think about drug resistance. Instead of relying on genetic mutations, cancer cells may use internal survival mechanisms to outlast treatment. This insight opens the door to new treatment strategies.

The researchers tested this idea by disabling DFFB in melanoma, lung cancer, and breast cancer models. Without the enzyme, the cancer cells stayed dormant and could not restart growth. Importantly, DFFB does not appear to be essential in normal cells, suggesting that targeting it may not cause major side effects.

As first author August F. Williams noted, focusing on these early, non-genetic survival pathways could help patients stay in remission longer and lower the risk of cancer returning.

Winter vomiting disease cases are rising. This is highly contagious and is spreading rapidly across the United States. We are talking about norovirus. This contagious stomach flu has led to health officials raising warning for people to take extra precautions. In fact, experts say that the number of people affected could be higher, all thanks to holiday gathering season.

What makes Norovirus unique is that this virus is particularly hard to kill and many do not even realize that they are spreading it, unless it is too late.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that the cases of norovirus has spiked ever since the Thanksgiving holiday. they have also noted that this particularly hard to kill virus is also known as the "winter vomiting disease".

For now cases of this winter vomiting disease have been reported from Illinois, the Midwest, and Southern California. The California Department of Public Health has also noted a rise in cases in Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas.

The contagious virus affects the gastrointestinal system, causes vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea that could last several days. The symptoms usually take 12 to 48 hours to appear after the exposure.

New Strain Of The Unique Norovirus In 2025

There has been an emergence of a new strain GII.17. This could lead to an increase of 50% more infections than this year, said the CDC. Medical experts have urged the public to stay alert and practice goof hygiene.

As per the DuPage Country Health Department's social medica awareness post, "cases of norovirus are continuing to increase". "Norovirus is very contagious, and anyone can get infected and sick," the health department wrote on Facebook.

How To Avoid Getting Sick From Winter Vomiting Disease?

Dr Suman Radhakrishna, Director of Infectious Disease at Dignity Health Medical Center, tells KTLA, "It [the virus] can stay on doorknobs and food and it’s pretty hearty. When someone ingests it or touches it and then places their hand on their mouth, they can get the virus. You don’t need a lot of the virus to get infected.”

“Whether you have the virus or not, sing the Happy Birthday [song] twice when you’re washing with soap and water, especially before you eat,” Radhakrishna advised. “Other times, the hand sanitizer works, but it doesn’t work very well for norovirus, unfortunately.”

Other practices to follow is to avoid touching your face with dirty hands, or avoid touching food or items that could have been handled or touched by other people. Disinfect any surface, which could have been contaminated.

If you already have it, the doctor suggests to seek care in the emergency room and keep drinking enough fluids. "Or let’s say, if you were lying down and when you try to sit up, you feel dizzy because you are so dehydrated, these are times when you should call your doctor, go to the emergency room or go to urgent care,” said Dr Radhakrishna.

Symptoms Of Norovirus

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches

Melanie Sykes has shared an encouraging health update, revealing that she is experiencing what she describes as “Post-Traumatic Growth.” On Friday, the former television presenter, 55, spoke openly on Instagram about feeling “vibrating high” after what she called moving through deep trauma. Her comments come amid an ongoing struggle with an autoimmune condition that has caused widespread inflammation and left her almost two-thirds bald.

Melanie Sykes Reveals She’s Living With ‘Post-Traumatic Growth’

In her message, Sykes reflected on how difficult periods do not last forever and introduced the idea of post-traumatic growth to her followers. She explained that it is possible to live with PTSD while also experiencing growth at the same time. “I’m in both camps,” she said, adding that people can hold pain and progress together, as long as they take care of themselves, allow space for grief, process what has happened, and then move forward in ways that bring happiness and meaning.

What Is ‘Post-Traumatic Growth’

Post-Traumatic Growth, often referred to as PTG, describes the positive psychological change that can emerge after someone has faced severe stress or trauma. Rather than simply managing or surviving the experience, people may find new depth in how they see life, feel stronger connections with others, discover fresh possibilities, or undergo spiritual or existential shifts. According to the National Institute of Health, PTG is not about bouncing back to how life was before. Instead, it reflects a deeper transformation that can take a person beyond their pre-trauma sense of self.

How Is Post Traumatic Growth Different From PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is marked by ongoing distress following trauma, including intrusive thoughts, avoidance, heightened alertness, and emotional suffering. PTG, on the other hand, refers to the positive psychological changes that can arise after working through trauma, such as greater appreciation for life, stronger relationships, personal strength, and shifts in belief or purpose. As noted by the National Institute of Health, the key difference lies in the outcome. PTSD is considered a mental health disorder, while PTG is a process of meaning-making and growth. Importantly, the two can exist together, with some individuals experiencing distress and growth at the same time.

At its core, PTSD reflects the painful impact of trauma, while post-traumatic growth represents the possibility of positive change that can develop through the long and often difficult path of healing, sometimes alongside or after living with PTSD.

What Condition Is Melanie Sykes Going Through?

Melanie lives with an autoimmune condition, a disorder in which the body’s immune system, meant to protect against infections, wrongly targets its own healthy cells, tissues, and organs. This immune response leads to inflammation and ongoing damage. Common autoimmune diseases include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes. Although there is no cure, treatment usually focuses on controlling symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and swelling and helping people manage the condition in daily life.