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.

When a child is born, parents must decide whether to vaccinate them against a range of preventable illnesses. While immunisations are not mandatory, health authorities strongly recommend them to protect both individual children and the wider community. Some professions, particularly in healthcare, require certain vaccinations as a condition of work.

UK Childhood Vaccination Rates Are Falling

Since 2022, no childhood vaccine in the UK has reached the World Health Organization’s recommended 95 per cent uptake, which is crucial for safeguarding vulnerable populations. As a result, preventable diseases like measles are making a comeback.

What’s Driving The Decline In Vaccination

Several factors contribute to falling vaccination rates. Parents may worry about safety, distrust healthcare systems, or follow religious or philosophical beliefs, such as preferring “natural immunity.” Access issues, like difficulties booking GP appointments, have also played a role, according to a BBC report. A malfunctioning NHS IT system has left thousands of children without appointment letters for essential vaccines.

NHS Doctor Issues Urgent Reminder

As per Mirror, NHS GP Dr Bhasha Mukherjee has shared a crucial message for parents. “Every parent wants to keep their child safe,” she wrote. “But here’s what the data reveals about the real risks today.” Dr Mukherjee highlighted that fewer children receiving full immunisation is directly linked to a surge in vaccine-preventable diseases. “This isn’t theoretical – it’s happening right now,” she added.

Measles Cases On The Rise

In 2024, confirmed measles cases in the UK jumped to nearly 3,000, compared with just 367 in 2023, marking the highest annual figure since 2012. Most cases were children aged one to four and five to ten, with 710 and 730 cases respectively, according to the UK Health Security Agency. Global data also shows over 10 million measles cases in 2023, a 20 per cent increase from 2022, linked directly to drops in routine vaccination coverage.

Whooping Cough and Other Illnesses Are Also Resurfacing

Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is rising too. In England alone, more than 14,000 lab-confirmed cases were recorded in 2024, including hundreds among infants under three months old – the age group most vulnerable to severe illness. Sadly, several deaths were reported. Other diseases, like polio, are also reappearing in regions where children are missing essential jabs.

Why Vaccines Are Still Crucial

Many parents fear side effects, but Dr Mukherjee emphasised the dangers of avoiding vaccination. “Diseases like measles can lead to pneumonia, brain inflammation, hearing loss, long-term disability, or even death,” she said. “Vaccines aren’t perfect, but high coverage protects the whole community, especially infants and children with weakened immune systems.”

MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination rates in 2023–24 were 88.9 per cent, far short of the 95 per cent needed to prevent outbreaks. Dr Mukherjee warns that this shortfall is driving a resurgence in these serious illnesses.

Choosing not to vaccinate increases your child’s risk of catching real, rising threats – and contributes to outbreaks that put many other children at risk too,” Dr Mukherjee concluded.

The human heart can grow new cells in damaged areas after suffering from a heart attack, an Australian study shows.

Heart attacks occur when blood flow to the heart is severely reduced or blocked due to a buildup of plaque which is made of fat, cholesterol and other substances in the heart's arteries.

During a heart attack, a lack of blood flow causes the cells and tissue in the heart muscle to die, leading to irreversible damage that can result in serious complications like arrhythmias, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, or cardiac arrest

It is one of the leading causes of death in the country. Four Indians experience a heart attack every minute, with one in four dying of the cause. Experts have also noticed a rising trend of nearly 50 percent of heart attack patients being under the age of 40, with half of all heart attacks in Indian men occurring under 50.

However scientists in Australia have found that organ can regrow new cells to replace the damaged ones after an attack through increased mitosis.

How Does The Heart Regrow Cells?

Until now, the phenomenon of new heart cells growing in scarred areas of the heart had only been seen in mice however, the team made a breakthrough using living heart tissue samples collected from human patients undergoing bypass surgery at Australia’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The study, published in Circulation Research, found that while sections of the heart remain that had been left scarred following a heart attack, new heart muscle cells were also being produced in the same area through mitosis.

This process involves a parent cell dividing itself to create two genetically identical daughter cells, each with the same number of chromosomes as the parent for growth, repair and replacing old cells in humans.

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Robert Hume, a research fellow at the University of Sydney and the study’s first author, said: "Until now we’ve thought that, because heart cells die after a heart attack, those areas of the heart were irreparably damaged, leaving the heart less able to pump blood to the body’s organs.

"In time, we hope to develop therapies that can amplify the heart’s natural ability to produce new cells and regenerate the heart after an attack."

The scientists are yet to discover the exact mechanism between how cells regrow in scarred regions of the heart.

Coronary Artery Disease: The Silent Killer

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common illnesses that can cause a heart attack in people. It develops over years and has no clear signs and symptoms apart from a heart attack.

The illness begins due to a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances known as plaque in and on the artery walls.

Over time, this can cause narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries and block the supply of oxygen-rich blood to heart which can lead chest pain (angina), shortness of breath and ultimately, heart attacks.

Typically, those above the age of 45, having a biological family member with heart disease, lack of sleep, smoking, consuming saturated fats along with other autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can increase the risk of developing CAD.

Nearly one in 10 Indian adults suffer from CAD and about two million people die from the disease annually. Apart from this, about 18 to 20 million American adults aged 20 and older are also affected about the disease.

Ongoing measles outbreaks across several parts of the country are raising questions about whether the United States could lose its long-held status of having eliminated the virus, yet a senior CDC official said on Tuesday that such a shift would not be a major cause for alarm.

According to CNN, the briefing marked federal officials’ first public comments on a continuing outbreak in South Carolina that has reached at least 646 cases, based on data from the state health department. Last year, a separate outbreak in West Texas recorded around 760 cases, making it one of the largest and deadliest measles outbreaks the U.S. has faced in decades.

At the briefing, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Principal Deputy Director Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former Louisiana surgeon general who previously scaled back some vaccine promotion efforts in his state, said there is no clear evidence proving that transmission is occurring between states involved in the outbreaks. He also stated that even if the U.S. were to lose its elimination status, it would not be a serious concern.

Measles Elimination Status ‘Not Really’ A Concern, CDC Official Says

“Losing elimination status does not mean measles would suddenly become widespread, nor would it change the core strategies used to control it,” Abraham said. He emphasized that vaccination remains the most effective protection against measles, while also reiterating his support for personal choice.

CDC data shows the U.S. recorded 2,242 measles cases in 2025, the highest number reported since 1991. The disease was officially declared eliminated in the country in 2000. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is expected to review that designation when it meets in April. When asked whether losing the status would be a significant setback, Abraham responded, “not really,” adding that the CDC’s focus is on supporting affected communities and reducing the impact of outbreaks.

What Is Measles?

Measles, also known as rubeola, is an extremely contagious viral illness that typically causes high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a characteristic rash that begins on the face and spreads downward across the body. It spreads through respiratory droplets and can lead to severe and sometimes fatal complications, including pneumonia and inflammation of the brain known as encephalitis.

Although it is preventable through the safe and effective MMR vaccine, measles remains a serious threat in many regions. There is no specific cure, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Measles Cases Still Rising In The US

About a year ago, health officials identified measles cases in a small town in western Texas. The virus soon moved into nearby counties, and other states, including Utah and South Carolina, began reporting outbreaks of their own. By the end of 2025, more than 2,200 measles cases had been confirmed nationwide, marking the highest annual total in the U.S. in 33 years, based on CDC figures.

The country also recorded its first measles-related deaths in more than a decade. Two unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas died, along with an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. It remains unclear whether the cases confirmed in Texas on January 20 are connected to outbreaks elsewhere. If they are, it would indicate that the U.S. has experienced a full year of uninterrupted measles transmission.

If officials determine that measles has been spreading continuously for 12 months, the U.S. could lose the elimination status it achieved in 2000. In that case, measles would once again be classified as endemic, meaning it is consistently circulating within the country.

Will US Lose Its Measles Elimination Status Soon?

Last year, the CDC confirmed 2,144 measles cases across 44 states, along with nearly 50 distinct outbreaks, the highest numbers seen since 1991. Experts say the situation has been building for years, driven by declining routine childhood vaccination rates, parental exemptions, limited access to health care, and widespread misinformation. More recently, health officials under the Trump administration questioned long-established vaccine safety and cut funding for local programs aimed at boosting vaccination coverage.

State health department data shows that the first known case in the Texas outbreak developed the classic measles rash on January 20, 2025. From there, the outbreak rapidly escalated. Officially, 762 people became ill, most of them in rural Gaines County, and two children died. Health officials believe the true number is higher. In March 2025 alone, 182 possible measles cases among children in Gaines County were never confirmed, suggesting the outbreak may have been undercounted by as much as 44 percent in that area.

Gaps like these are common and make it harder to accurately track outbreaks. Many people in affected communities face barriers to health care and have deep mistrust of government institutions.

Genetic sequencing has helped clarify some of the missing links. Ultimately, the decision may hinge on how PAHO experts interpret incomplete data, said Dr. Andrew Pavia, a Utah-based physician and longtime CDC adviser, as per CNN.

“My best guess is that we will lose elimination status,” Pavia said. “The argument that this hasn’t been continuous transmission is weak, and I think they will likely err on the side of declaring a loss.”

PAHO will also review Mexico’s measles-free status at the same time, Oliel said. Mexico’s largest outbreak has been linked to Texas. It began when an 8-year-old boy from Chihuahua became ill after visiting family in Seminole, Texas. Since February last year, Mexico has reported about 6,000 measles cases, with 21 deaths in Chihuahua state alone.

Under PAHO’s current definition of elimination, international borders play a key role. For example, if a chain of transmission started in the U.S., spread to Mexico, and then re-entered the U.S., it would be considered a new chain. Many experts argue that this standard no longer reflects modern patterns of disease spread.

What is clear, however, is that measles found widespread opportunity to spread in the U.S. in 2025. The virus moved through schools, day-care centers, churches, hospital waiting rooms, and even a detention center. New Mexico reported 100 cases and one adult death. Kansas spent seven months trying to contain an outbreak that sickened nearly 90 people across 10 counties. Ohio confirmed 40 cases, while Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin each reported 36.