The COVID-19 pandemic may be over, but our immune systems are still feeling the impact. After years of battling constant viral threats, from COVID-19 to seasonal flu and other infections, our body’s defense system is exhausted. Many people continue to experience lingering inflammation, frequent illnesses, and slower recovery times. This extended state of immune stress has compromised us further to chronic illness, including autoimmune diseases and even neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. So why is our immune system still in trouble? And how do we give it its power back? Understanding immune exhaustion is the beginning of rebuilding our body's natural immunity.

A weakened immune system makes people more susceptible to disease, mental illnesses, and even sleep disorders. Now, new research indicates that immune system depletion may play an important role in the onset of Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurologic disorder that compromises movement and cognition.

Role of Inflammation in Parkinson's Disease

Dysfunctional immune response is a leading cause of long-standing inflammation within the body, that has been found to contribute towards a multitude of conditions, including cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

As people age, their immune system naturally becomes less effective. This deterioration, referred to as immune exhaustion, may be a key contributor to the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. Rebecca Wallings, a Parkinson’s Foundation Launch Award grant recipient and senior postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florida, believes that an accumulation of exhausted immune cells could be driving neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s patients.

How a Tired Immune System Might Affect Parkinson's?

Parkinson's disease is most commonly linked with the degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons—motor nerve cells that produce dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter for movement. While researchers have long suspected inflammation is involved in this neurodegeneration, the mechanisms are not yet well understood.

Wallings' study is on immune cell exhaustion, a process by which aging immune cells fail to control immune responses effectively. Her research indicates that instead of dampening inflammation in Parkinson's patients, attempts should be made to rejuvenate the immune system to regain its functionality.

Energy Deficiency in Immune Cells

One of the major findings of Wallings' work is the function of mitochondrial impairment in immune cell exhaustion. Mitochondria are commonly called the powerhouses of cells, as they are vital for generating energy. As mitochondria age and become inefficient, immune cells fail to function well, potentially accelerating neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease.

Wallings has found that mutations in the LRRK2 gene, a recognized genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease, are linked with defective mitochondrial function and immune cell exhaustion. Her current work includes testing various therapeutic approaches to restore mitochondrial function in immune cells with the potential to enhance the immune system and potentially prevent or treat Parkinson's disease.

Will Rejuvenating the Immune System Help in Treatment?

For decades, the standard practice in treating Parkinson's has been to suppress brain inflammation. Yet Wallings' work indicates that instead of slowing down immune responses, restoring the immune system could be a more successful strategy. By addressing mitochondrial impairment and immune resilience, researchers can potentially reverse or slow down Parkinson's disease.

Wallings is now looking into how to rejuvenate immune cells by fixing mitochondria. She studies immune cells from patients with Parkinson's as well as from healthy subjects and performs experiments on animal models to determine if rejuvenation of the immune system could result in improved disease outcomes.

Lifestyle Factors That May Affect Parkinson's Risk

While there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, some lifestyle adjustments may decrease the chances of developing the illness. Since neurodegenerative diseases are associated with chronic inflammation and immune dysfunction, developing habits that enhance immune function might prove helpful.

Diet: There is evidence to suggest that eating in accordance with the Mediterranean or MIND diets, both high in antioxidants, healthy fats, and anti-inflammatory foods, can encourage brain wellness and reduce Parkinson's risk.

Avoiding Dangerous Substances: Restricting alcohol and nicotine use can maintain a robust immune system and suppress inflammation.

Reducing Stress: Chronic stress weakens immune function, so methods such as meditation, exercise, and sufficient sleep can lead to improved overall well-being.

Blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, with semaglutide as the key ingredient, have shown promise in treating conditions ranging from diabetes and obesity to certain cancers.

Now, US researchers are set to test whether semaglutide can also help treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), particularly among veterans. AUD affects an estimated 400 million people worldwide, or about 7% of people aged 15 years and older.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a new clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of semaglutide in treating AUD and is aimed directly at benefiting Veterans.

"By exploring emerging treatment options like the use of a GLP-1 for AUD, we aim to expand the tools available to help Veterans take control of their health and recovery," said VA Secretary Doug Collins.

Currently, more than 400,000 US veterans have been diagnosed with AUD, while an estimated 11% of US adults are affected by the condition.

What Does the Trial Aim to Find?

Also read: GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Show Promise for 17 Million With Binge Eating Disorder, Suggests Study

The study, called the Cessation or Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Veterans (CRACV) trial, will enroll more than 600 veterans across 18 VA medical centers in the US.

Participants aged 18 to 80 with moderate or severe AUD will receive weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a safety follow-up period.

Researchers will assess changes in alcohol consumption, overall health, and quality of life to determine whether semaglutide could become a new treatment option for alcohol use disorder.

Oral Semaglutide May Help Reduce Heavy Drinking

Evidence is also emerging that GLP-1 medications may influence alcohol consumption. A Phase 2 clinical trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in July suggests that oral semaglutide may help reduce heavy and harmful drinking, even among people who are not trying to quit alcohol completely.

The trial included 50 adults with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder who wanted to reduce or stop drinking. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either daily oral semaglutide or a placebo for eight weeks.

The semaglutide dose increased from 3 mg per day during the first four weeks to 7 mg per day during the remaining four weeks.

Read More: GLP-1 Microdosing: People Are Experimenting With Weight Loss Drugs & What Do Experts Have To Say About It?

While semaglutide did not significantly reduce laboratory-assessed craving or the average number of drinks per day compared with placebo, it significantly reduced heavy drinking days.

Compared with participants receiving placebo, those taking semaglutide had fewer heavy drinking days during the final four weeks of treatment. They also consumed fewer drinks on drinking days and reported greater reductions in everyday alcohol cravings and alcohol-related negative consequences.

"It could represent a new treatment option for alcohol use disorder, particularly for those who have not benefited from existing medications, and may reduce alcohol-related health and social harms. Importantly, even reducing heavy drinking can lead to meaningful improvements for patients and families," said Joseph Schacht, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.

As many as 23 cases of young women aged below 35 suffering from heart-related problems in only a month (reported by the Indian Medical Association) have left cardiologists concerned. What were earlier considered symptoms of stress, anxiety, and hormonal imbalances such as chest pain, breathing difficulty, palpitations, unexplained fatigue, and giddiness are now not being taken lightly when they occur for a prolonged time or recur. They are being increasingly identified as cardiac-related problems even in young adults.

Lack of physical activity, improper diet, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and continuous stress have been labeled responsible for these problems. Some women's conditions like PCOD and autoimmune diseases can also put them at a higher cardiovascular risk. Regular check-ups, monitoring of blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and timely check-ups for the heart whenever these conditions occur can help in detecting the problems at the earliest, thus initiating treatment and recovery effectively.

In today's times, management of complicated heart diseases in India has dramatically improved and achieved outcomes at par with global standards. Today, the management of very severe heart valve disease offers much in terms of percutaneous catheter-based solutions, which, alongside conventional surgery (performed according to a person's age, general health, and clinical profile), give improved outcomes. Early detection and management of heart diseases prevent major complications and restore an individual's quality of life.

Increased knowledge about heart health, early identification of symptoms, and immediate medical attention are very important to achieve successful results. The observance of preventive measures such as engaging in regular exercise, a healthy diet, sleep, managing stress, and conducting regular medical checkups helps in the prevention of heart problems. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment form the key factors for achieving the best heart health.

By Dr. Nagendra Singh Chouhan, Interventional Cardiologist at Medanta Hospitals, Gurugram

Feeling breathless after climbing several flights of stairs or a session of strenuous exercise is usually considered normal.

But breathlessness that appears suddenly, happens frequently, or occurs during routine activities should never be dismissed as tiredness or lack of fitness.

When Is Breathlessness Concerning?

Breathlessness, clinically known as dyspnoea, can occur due to many reasons. Asthma, allergies, respiratory infections, chronic lung disease, and heart problems are some of the common possibilities. Anxiety, anaemia and obesity could also be driving factors.

In some cases, persistent or unexplained breathing difficulty may also be linked to more serious conditions, including lung cancer. The important thing is to understand when breathlessness needs medical attention.

HealthandMe spoke to lung disease experts - Dr. Sachin Kumar, Director of Pulmonology & Critical Care Medicine, Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Director & Unit Head of GI & HPB Surgical Oncology & Clinical Administrator, Surgical Oncology, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Dwarka, Dr. Ruchi Singh, HOD & Senior Consultant, Radiation Oncology, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, and Dr. Ashwin Mallya, Uro-Oncologist and Robotic Surgeon, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar explains that breathlessness that gets worse during routine activities are major red flags. He also says that other symptoms like chronic cough, coughing up blood, tiredness, and others should not be neglected.

He says, "Pay attention if breathlessness is accompanied by chest pain or pressure, dizziness, fainting, unusual sweating, bluish lips or fingertips, or a feeling that you cannot get enough air. A persistent cough, wheezing, recurring chest infections, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss or prolonged fatigue along with breathlessness also deserves medical assessment. A cough that does not go away or changes in a long-standing smoker’s cough should not be overlooked. Although these symptoms can have several causes, they can occasionally be associated with lung cancer and need appropriate evaluation."

He also said that changes in usual breathing capacity is also a red flag. He said that if you previously walked comfortably for 20–30 minutes but now have to stop frequently because you are breathless, this change should not simply be attributed to age.

Also read: Lung Nodule on CT Scan? Doctors Explain When You Should Worry

Risks Of Delayed Evaluation & Treatment

Dr. Ruchi Singh points to a worrying trend. She said that the initial symptoms of lung cancer are usually dismissed as routine, which leads to delayed evaluation and treatment.

She says, "One of the most concerning things we are tracking is how late many patients present. Because symptoms like persistent cough or breathlessness are so easily mistaken for pollution-related irritation or a lingering infection, people delay getting scanned."

She explains that earlier detection through low-dose CT screening in high-risk groups remains the best tool for improving survival, and awareness needs to catch up with how the patient's profile itself is changing.

Also read: Can Fitness Hide Lung Cancer? Why Even Active People Shouldn't Ignore Symptoms

Importance Of A Multidisciplinary Approach

Talking about how lung cancer could metastasize, Dr Ashwin Mallya explains that along with early evaluation, it is essential to adopt a treatment strategy

Dr Mallya said, "Although primarily a thoracic malignancy, lung cancer frequently extends beyond the chest. Adrenal metastases are among its most common distant manifestations, while renal metastases, though less frequent, are well recognised."

He added, "These patterns underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, often bringing urologists into the care of patients with advanced disease."

Also read: 'I Wish Every Patient Knew This Before Their Lung Cancer Diagnosis'- Lessons From An Oncologist

Lung Cancer Is No Longer A Smoker's Disease

Giving a real-life example of how lung cancer is no longer a smoker's disease, Dr Sachin Kumar said, "A 50-year-old lady went to the clinic seeking a second opinion after being treated for "asthma" for several weeks. She complained of occasional breathlessness and a persistent cough. Despite inhalers, her symptoms continued. A simple chest X-ray revealed something entirely different: a massive pleural effusion (fluid around the lung). Further evaluation confirmed the underlying cause: *lung cancer that had spread to the pleura (the lining surrounding the lungs).

He added, "This case is a reminder that not every cough or episode of breathlessness is asthma. When symptoms persist or do not respond as expected, they deserve a fresh look. Sadly, lung cancer is no longer a disease seen only in older male smokers. In our own practice, we now diagnose around 2–3 new cases of primary lung cancer every three months, and nearly 40% of these patients are either women or people who have never smoked."