This is the story of Joseph, a 28-year-old man who's made a very difficult choice. On December 2024, Joseph Awuah-Darko shared the difficult decision of choosing euthanasia on Instagram. He's not physically sick, but he's been battling a severe mental illness called bipolar disorder for many years. He's tried many treatments, but nothing has helped him feel better. He feels like the pain of his illness is too much to bear. He's shared his story publicly to help people understand what he's going through and to show how serious mental illness can be. Joseph shared a post that explained why he is making this decision, in the caption of the post he shared, “I am not saying that life (as a phenomenon) isn’t worth living. It ABSOLUTELY is. What I am saying is that the mental weight of MINE has become entirely unbearable.”

Joseph has bipolar disorder, which means his moods swing very high and very low. He's had this illness for a long time, and it makes his life very difficult. On his Instagram, he has shared his journey with bipolar, he explained that he tried many different medicines and therapies, but they haven't worked. He feels constant pain and suffering because of his illness. He's reached a point where he feels like he can't go on anymore. He's been open about his struggles on social media, hoping to raise awareness about mental health. He wants people to understand how much he suffers and why he's made this decision.

Euthanasia in the Netherlands

Government of the Netherlands explain that in the Netherlands, it's legal for a doctor to help someone end their life if they meet certain conditions. This is called euthanasia. Joseph has applied for this because he feels his mental illness is causing him unbearable suffering. There are rules and procedures that doctors must follow. They have to make sure the person understands their decision and that there are no other options. The process can take a long time, sometimes years. Joseph believes that having the option of a peaceful and dignified death is important. He wants to have control over how his life ends.

The Last Supper Project

When Joseph shared his decision, people had many different reactions. Some people understood and supported him. Others were sad and hoped he would change his mind. He even received some negative comments. But he also received many kind messages, including invitations to have dinner. This inspired him to start "The Last Supper Project," where he travels and shares meals with strangers. In the caption he explained, “‘The Last Supper Project’ is based on the Harvard Study of Adult Development which speaks to the importance of quality relationships and community as the greatest predictor for happiness. And I feel connecting this way around food as a great unifying vessel could be beautiful.”

The Last Supper Project is one of the longest studies, lasting for more than 80 years, done on adult development. In an Author Speaks edition of McKinsey & Company, the study’s director Robert Waldinger explained the study wanted to know what helps people have happy and healthy lives, even if they had problems when they were young. Most studies only looked at what goes wrong, but this one wanted to know what goes right. The study emphasizes that it is never too late for positive changes. People often believe they are too old or incapable of forming good relationships. They may think happiness is out of reach. However, the study has observed individuals who found happiness unexpectedly.

Joseph wants to connect with people and enjoy these moments while he waits for his euthanasia request to be approved. He sees these dinners as a way to find joy and connection in his final chapter. He still has bad days, but he finds comfort in these shared experiences.

A federal vaccine advisory group in the United States is preparing to decide whether newborns should continue to receive the hepatitis B vaccine, which was the first shot proven to prevent cancer. The CDC committee is expected to revisit the long-standing guidance from the early 1990s, when the vaccine began to be given within the first 24 hours of life.

As per CNN, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be voting on Friday to vote on whether the agency should move away from its long-held recommendation that every infant receive the hepatitis B shot shortly after birth. The information below outlines key points everyone should understand about hepatitis B and its vaccine.

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver. Many adults are able to clear the virus after an acute infection. Some, however, go on to develop chronic hepatitis B, which increases the risk of liver cancer, liver failure and cirrhosis, or permanent scarring of the liver.

People who live with chronic hepatitis B face a much higher chance of dying early. At the ACIP meeting on Thursday, Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, who spoke on behalf of the American Medical Association, described her experience working on a hepatitis B ward during medical school, according to CNN.

She said that those were the sickest patients she had ever encountered. She explained that she has treated people with liver disease caused by hepatitis B, cirrhosis linked to the virus, and liver cancer, as well as deaths related to the infection. Infants and young children who contract hepatitis B are far more likely to develop lifelong disease, including about 90 percent of infected babies and roughly 30 percent of children between one and five years of age.

How Is Hepatitis B Spread?

The hepatitis B virus is highly contagious. It spreads when blood, semen or other bodily fluids from a person who carries the virus enter the body of someone who is not infected.

Certain medical conditions, personal habits and other circumstances can raise the risk, such as injection drug use or sexual contact, but the virus can infect anyone. Hepatitis B can also pass from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth, whether through a vaginal delivery or a C section.

How Common Is Hepatitis B?

Many people living with hepatitis B show no clear symptoms, and more than half may not know they are infected. Recent CDC figures report about 2200 newly documented cases of acute hepatitis B in 2023, although the true number is estimated to be more than six times higher, closer to 14400.

The CDC also estimates that about 640000 adults in the United States have chronic hepatitis B. Worldwide, the World Health Organization reports that 254 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B, with about 1.2 million new infections each year.

Can Hepatitis B Be Treated?

There is no treatment for acute hepatitis B. Some medicines are available for chronic infection. These treatments may need to be taken for life because there is no cure.

How Can Hepatitis B Be Prevented?

Vaccination is the most reliable way to prevent hepatitis B. The shots offer strong protection in infancy and continue to shield individuals well into adulthood.

Most people who live with hepatitis B contracted it as babies or very young children, when their immune systems were not fully developed, according to the CDC. At present, the agency recommends that all infants receive the vaccine at birth before leaving the hospital.

Babies usually receive a three dose series. A scientific review by the Vaccine Integrity Project found that 95 percent of healthy infants develop enough immunity after the third dose. The vaccine also lowers the risk of infection by nearly 70 percent in babies born to mothers who have hepatitis B.

More than 90 per cent of people who completed the vaccine series showed signs of continued protection 30 years later, based on CDC data.

Is The Hepatitis B Vaccine Safe?

According to the Vaccine Integrity Project’s review, giving the hepatitis B shot at birth has consistently proven safe. Only mild and short-lasting reactions have been noted, such as slight swelling or redness at the injection site and low fever. There was no rise in serious life-threatening reactions linked to the vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fiore, an infectious diseases specialist and former CDC official who worked in the hepatitis division, described it as a very safe vaccine. He said it has been studied thoroughly before and after approval. He added that the United States vaccine safety systems have looked closely at concerns about fever or other chronic problems.

He explained that none of these concerns have been confirmed. No long-term harm has been linked to the vaccine, and nothing comes close to the danger posed by chronic hepatitis B infection.

Most of us do not think twice about our daily driving habits. We take the same turns, choose the same roads, and travel at roughly the same times every day. But according to new research from Washington University in St Louis, these small choices may quietly reflect something deeper happening inside the brain. The findings are published in the journal Neurology.

The study suggests that subtle changes in driving behavior could serve as early warning signs of cognitive decline. In other words, the way an older adult drives today may help predict future memory or thinking problems long before they become obvious.

What the Researchers Found

The team focused on people already diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, often considered a transitional stage between normal aging and conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. They analyzed data from 56 individuals with mild cognitive impairment and compared it with information from 242 adults of similar age who showed no cognitive issues. The average age in both groups was 75.

Instead of relying only on memory tests or conversations with patients, the researchers added GPS tracking data collected directly from participants' vehicles. This allowed them to understand how often people drove, where they went, what routes they chose, and how they behaved behind the wheel over a period of nearly three and a half years.

What emerged was a pattern. People with mild cognitive impairment gradually began driving less often and to fewer places. They stuck to familiar routes, avoided more complex trips, and showed less variation in the times they traveled. They also tended to speed less. Even after adjusting for factors like age, education level, and genetic risk of Alzheimer’s, the differences in driving habits remained clear.

Driving Behavior as a Diagnostic Tool

The researchers found that driving data alone correctly identified individuals with mild cognitive impairment 82 percent of the time. When combined with standard cognitive tests and demographic information, accuracy rose to 87 percent.

Neurology researcher Ganesh Babulal explained that early identification of unsafe drivers is a public health priority, but the usual evaluation methods can be slow and difficult. According to him, adding GPS tracking to traditional screening tools could offer a practical and more accurate way to spot early cognitive problems.

He noted that daily driving behavior is a low effort and unobtrusive marker of how well someone is functioning. Since driving requires quick thinking, coordination, and attention, even small cognitive changes can influence how people choose to navigate the road.

What Comes Next

The research team plans to expand the study to include larger and more diverse groups of people. They also hope to bring in additional factors, such as vehicle type, where participants live, and other medical conditions.

Their goal is not to take away anyone’s independence but to help identify risks earlier so that support and interventions can be offered before a crash or near miss occurs. At the same time, the researchers stress that any tools developed from this work must balance safety with respect for personal autonomy and privacy.

This study opens an important conversation: sometimes the first signs of cognitive decline do not show up in a doctor’s clinic. They show up quietly, in the everyday paths we choose and the roads we avoid.,

A shingles vaccination effort launched in Wales in 2013 has produced two findings that bring new optimism to dementia research. The program appears not only to lower the likelihood of mild cognitive impairment but also to slow the course of dementia in people who already have the condition. Shingles stems from the varicella zoster virus and causes a painful rash.

Around one in three people in the United States will experience shingles during their lifetime, with the risk rising sharply with age. For this reason, adults aged fifty and older in the United States are advised to receive two doses of the shingles vaccine.

The vaccine has long been known to prevent shingles with an effectiveness above ninety percent for older adults, but recent work suggests it may hold additional advantages.

What Is Shingles?

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which is also responsible for chickenpox. It usually presents as a cluster of blistered skin on one side of the body, often forming a band across the torso. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the nerve cells and can reactivate years later, especially when the immune system weakens, according to Mayo Clinic.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia refers to a collection of symptoms that include significant problems with memory, reasoning, and daily function. It results from damage to brain cells caused by several conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Although dementia becomes more common with age, it is not considered a normal part of growing older, as outlined by the World Health Organization.

Shingles Vaccine Linked To Dementia Progression

Growing evidence indicates that receiving the shingles vaccine may lower the chances of developing dementia. A new study, published Tuesday in the journal Cell, builds on earlier research by proposing that the vaccine might also slow existing dementia, which could reduce the risk of death related to the disease.

“We see a change in the odds of dying from dementia among people who already have the condition,” said Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University and senior author of the new study.

“That means the vaccine may not only prevent dementia, but it might also serve as a form of treatment because we notice improvements in people already living with the disease,” he said. “This was both surprising and encouraging.” The new study follows earlier work by Geldsetzer and his team showing that shingles vaccination may help delay or prevent dementia.

In that earlier analysis, researchers reviewed health records from older adults in Wales, where a shingles vaccine program for people in their seventies began on September 1, 2013. Under the rules of the program, individuals who were seventy-nine on that date could receive the vaccine for one year, while those aged eighty or older were not included.

That cutoff allowed researchers to compare outcomes between seventy-nine-year-olds who were offered the vaccine and eighty-year-olds who were not eligible but might have chosen to be vaccinated had they been allowed.

Challenges With The Shingles Vaccine And Reducing Dementia Progression

The next task will be to understand why the shingles vaccine might influence dementia risk or progression. The answer may lie in interactions involving the nervous system or immune response. Certain viruses that affect nerve tissue have been linked in animal studies to the harmful protein accumulation seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Future research may examine larger and more diverse groups of people, and may also explore how the newer shingles vaccine compares with the older version used in Wales in 2013, which has since been replaced.

“At least directing part of our research efforts toward these pathways might bring important progress in both prevention and treatment,” said biomedical scientist Pascal Geldsetzer from Stanford University.