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.

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."