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.

Measles outbreak in South Carolina exposed over 250 people, including dozens of unvaccinated school-aged children, are now quarantining. The disease has now sickened more than 110 people in the state. While experts have already declared this season to be the worst year for virus, measles has made a come back, worsening the year of disease, especially because it had been eliminated from the US for more than two decades ago.

Cases have been centered in Spartanburg County, along the northern border of the state, reports the New York Times, and virus seems to have spread widely throughout the community. People are also being exposed to it at church, health care building, and schools.

The measles outbreak in South Carolina started in October and from thereon, it showed no signs of slowing. In fact, Dr Linda Bell, South Carolina's state epidemiologist said at a news conference on Wednesday, this has happened because country's "lower-than-hoped-for vaccination coverage".

Vaccination Has Gone Down

In the 2024–25 school year, roughly 90 percent of students in Spartanburg County received all their required childhood vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella shot. While that number may sound high, it still falls short of the national average and the 95 percent coverage that experts say is needed to stop measles from spreading in a community.

Several of the schools where students are now in quarantine have vaccination rates that drop well below 90 percent, based on state data.

Health officials pointed out that measles can disrupt lives even for those who never get sick. In South Carolina, a few unvaccinated students were exposed to the virus twice, which meant they had to quarantine twice for 21 days each time. That is more than a month of missed school.

“That’s a significant amount of time,” Dr. Bell said. “Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education and to employment.”

State officials have increased their outreach around the MMR vaccine, although it is still unclear if these efforts are making a real difference. Uptake has been limited, according to Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. He said vaccination remains “the best way to protect against measles” and encouraged people to speak with a doctor about what makes the most sense for them.

Tracing The Outbreaks That Reappeared After Measles Elimination From The US

This appears to be the third major measles outbreak in the United States this year. The first began along the western edge of Texas in January and spread into Oklahoma and New Mexico, eventually becoming the largest measles outbreak the country has seen in decades.

A second multistate outbreak emerged in August in the region between Utah and Arizona, where health officials have reported dozens of new cases in just the past few weeks.

Across the country, more than 1,900 measles cases have been reported so far this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Three unvaccinated people, including two children, have died.

Canada has also been struggling with large and deadly outbreaks this year. The situation became so severe that the country officially lost its measles elimination status last month.

Although measles symptoms usually clear within a few weeks, the virus can lead to serious complications. It can cause pneumonia, which makes it hard for patients, especially young children, to breathe. It can also lead to swelling in the brain, potentially resulting in long-term problems such as blindness, deafness or intellectual disabilities.

For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die, according to the CDC.

Norovirus Outbreak: In a globe-hopping cruise ship, more than 100 guests and crew reported being sick with norovirus outbreak. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 21st outbreak of gastrointestinal disease on a cruise ship monitored by the agency this year.

AIDA Cruises alerted the CDC to the outbreak aboard the AIDAdiva on November 30, confirmed the agency. So far, the outbreak has impacted 95 passengers out of the 2,007 onboard, and 6 out of 640 staff members, noted CDC.

The passengers also suffered symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting on voyage, which had begun on November 10 and is slated to last through December 16. The cruise line responded by stepping up cleaning and disinfection efforts, separating sick passengers and crew from others, working closely with the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, and collecting stool samples for testing, the agency said.

What Are The Cruise Officials Doing About The Ship Outbreak?

“Seasonal illness peaks between November and April, and the AIDAdiva report mirrors what we’re seeing on land,” AIDA told People. “We’ve increased hygiene measures onboard, and cases are already declining.”

The Independent reports that AIDAdiva is currently midway through its 133-day voyage from Hamburg, Germany, with planned stops across North America. According to CruiseMapper, the ship is now in Costa Rica.

This outbreak is the 21st recorded this year on a CDC-regulated cruise ship, most of them caused by norovirus. That’s higher than the recent yearly totals: 18 outbreaks in 2024 and 14 in 2023. While cruises are often linked with norovirus, only a small share of overall cases actually occur at sea. In most years, ship outbreaks simply mirror seasonal spikes happening on land.

Officials say it’s too soon to say why numbers are up.

“Although cruise ship outbreaks have been higher than in pre-pandemic years, we don’t yet know if this is a lasting trend,” the CDC told USA TODAY in April. They added that a newly dominant norovirus strain is driving many land-based outbreaks this season, and ships usually follow the same pattern.

Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the U.S. It triggers acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines. Most people recover within one to three days, but they can remain contagious even after symptoms improve.

The virus spreads easily through contaminated food, surfaces, or close contact. Regular handwashing, proper cooking and cleaning of produce and shellfish, and routine disinfection of surfaces are key steps to prevent infection.

What Is Norovirus?

Often called the “stomach flu” or “stomach bug,” norovirus is not related to influenza. It causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Most people recover within 1 to 3 days, but the virus can still be contagious for several days afterward. In 2025 alone, the CDC has recorded 19 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships, 14 of which were caused by norovirus. The CDC notes that such illnesses spread quickly in enclosed environments like cruise ships.

Unique Symptoms Observed on This Cruise

Norovirus symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after exposure. While diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps remain common, this outbreak has shown some unusual signs:

• Dehydration
• Reduced urination
• Dry mouth and throat
• Feeling dizzy when standing
• Crying with few or no tears
• Unusual sleepiness or irritability

Eli Lily's CEO David Ricks announced a new US factory worth over $6 Billion as per several reports that will manufacture the awaited weight loss pill: Orforglipron. The company had earlier announced that the weight loss pill had successfully met the “primary and all key secondary endpoints” in a large clinical trial, paving the way for global regulatory submissions.

“With these positive data in hand, we are moving with urgency toward global regulatory submissions to potentially meet the needs of patients who are waiting,” said Kenneth Custer, Eli Lilly’s executive vice president and president of cardiometabolic health.

“If approved, we are ready to offer a convenient, once-daily pill that can be scaled globally, removing barriers and redefining how obesity is treated around the world.”

This comes after President Donald Trump on its website TrumpRx allowed Americans to purchase prescription medication from pharmaceutical companies at discounted rates, among them also include GLP-1 medications. The Trump administration also unveiled agreements with Eli Lily to make these drugs more affordable. Trump has taken a special interest in the 'fat drug'.

In an exclusive interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, CEO Ricks shared that this new weight loss pill will be coming out next year. Eli Lily is also the company that has made Zepbound. Talking about the side effects of weight loss drugs, which included weight loss drugs reducing age, or people reporting pancreas problems, or the drugs changing brain's make up to curb down cravings, the CEO said that these were just a selected few people reporting such results. He said that he has received emails, photos from before and after of people who have been on weight loss drugs and how they are with their transition. "There were people who were changing not just the way they look, but also their health status in this country and around the world. So most of the evidence is from the opposite side," he said.

In terms of life expectancy, he said that "most of the data that we have collected it [weight loss drugs] extends life". How? "They do it through preventing diabetes, preventing heart attacks, and preventing other serious anomalies that comes through obesity," said the CEO.

What Is Orforglipron?

Originally discovered by Japan’s Chugai Pharmaceutical and later licensed to Eli Lilly in 2018, orforglipron is now in Phase 3 trials. The company is testing it not just for weight management and type 2 diabetes but also for conditions linked to obesity, including obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension.

Why An Oral Option Matters

Injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide have already transformed obesity and diabetes care, but accessibility remains a hurdle. For many patients, injections are intimidating, inconvenient, or simply not practical in daily life.

That’s where an oral pill could be a game-changer. A once-daily tablet could remove psychological and logistical barriers, making it easier for patients to stay on treatment. And given the rising global burden of obesity, which significantly raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and some cancers, the demand for more convenient treatment options has never been greater.

Pills vs. Injections: Which Works Better?

The big question now is whether oral GLP-1 drugs are as effective as their injectable counterparts.

A 2021 research review published in Springer Nature, offers some clues. After examining multiple studies, researchers concluded that oral semaglutide, a similar class of drug, provided “similar or better efficacy and similar tolerability” compared to injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Also Read: How To Identify A Counterfeit Ozempic? Look For These Signs

In some cases, oral versions were found to be just as effective for weight loss and lowering A1C levels in people with type 2 diabetes. However, the review focused on patients already using insulin, which may have influenced outcomes. Experts emphasize that while results are encouraging, more research is still needed to directly compare oral and injectable versions in broader populations.