Zoonotic diseases can spread from animals, including the ones we consume or keep as pets, including cats. Why are we talking about cats today? It is because of the increasing numbers of bird flu in the United States, cats of all shapes and sizes have come down with bird flu.

Bird flu was seen in poultry, where chickens have been affected, and even cows too. Why is it a concern for cats? This is because barn cats drink raw milk. In recent days, 20 wild cats at a Washington State animal sanctuary that ate infected birds and other reports of indoor cats dying from eating contaminated food have come out.

Why do cats get bird flu?

One of the leading causes is that unlike dogs, cats hunt for smaller prey, which includes birds and mice, carriers of bird flu. Dr Michael Bailey, the president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), in a guidance released for cat owners noted that by their very nature, cats have more "opportunity" to ger infected with bird flu.

“We don't know if the cats are more susceptible than anybody else,” he said. “It's just the fact they're exposed to higher viral burdens because of where they go.”

Reports say that domestic cats have been bird flu virus carrier since 2004. Kristen Coleman, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health told a media outlet that before, about half of cats died, and now with the spreading of the bird flu even in cows, about 90% of them seem to be dying. Coleman has also been tracking the deaths. She has also shared 4 main tips to protect pets from bird flu which includes:

• Do not touch or allow pets to touch sick or dead animals or animal dropping
• Do not consume, or feed your pet, raw meat or milk
• Keep a close watch on free-roaming outdoor pets
• Immediately report rabies-like symptoms to a veterinarian

Are there symptoms of bird flu in cats one should look out for?

As per AVMA, pet owners must look out for signs like:

• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Fever

Bird flu infection can also progress with neurologic signs, which includes:

• Tremors
• Seizures
• Not being coordinated
• Blindness

Cats may also suffer from:

• Severe depression
• Discharge from their eyes or nose
• Respiratory symptoms which includes rapid breathing, shortness of breath, and sneezing or coughing

Are humans at threat?

Sick animals may also be able to transmit influenza virus to humans through their saliva, excretion and other bodily fluids. People can also get infected by breathing in the virus or by touching something that has virus on it and then touching their eyes, mouth, or nose.

If you think your cat might have bird flu—or any other infectious disease—try to limit their contact with other pets and people in your household, especially those with weakened immune systems, until you get advice from a veterinarian, as recommended by the AVMA. While the chances of cats transmitting H5N1 to humans are extremely low, they aren’t zero.

According to CDC guidance, keep an eye on yourself and your family for flu-like symptoms and reach out to a healthcare provider if needed. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your cat or cleaning their litter box and bedding.

Often, we underestimate the way our brain works and daydreaming has long been seen as a major sign of creativity. Many artists have used their imagination to bring their work to life. However, science offers a different perspective.

Coined in 2002 Dr. Eliezer Somer, those who experience “maladaptive daydreaming” often fantasize about celebrities, historical figures or idealized versions of themselves. Their imaginations are more elaborate, diverse, and complex as compared to other daydreamers.

A 2012 Consciousness and Cognition study found that maladaptive daydreamers spend, on average, 57 percent of their waking hours daydreaming far more than their counterparts.

Dr Somer explains: "The greatest difference is the maladaptive daydreamers reported that the activity interfered with their daily life. They also reported higher rates of attention-deficit and obsessive compulsive symptoms, and more than 80% used kinesthetic activity or movement when daydreaming, such as rocking, pacing or spinning"

He further noted that while everyone experiences moments of mind-wandering, it usually does not interfere with daily life. But maladaptive daydreaming does interfere in regular life. The condition has not been classified as a mental illness and there is no treatment for it yet.

What Do People Say?

Many Reddit users have shared their experiences with maladaptive daydreaming, often asking questions such as: “Is it normal to daydream for such long hours?”

While some responses described daydreaming as a form of dissociation when bored, others relied on music or movies to fuel fantasies of being a “better version” of themselves, often struggling to return to reality.

Common Symptoms Of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Here are some early signs of maladaptive daydreaming to keep an eye out for:

• Compulsive need to daydream
• Avoiding social interaction and activities
• An inability to perform work or other daily tasks
• Extreme feelings of shame or guilt
• Feeling a compulsive need to daydream that you can't control
• Making a conscious effort to stop or lessen daydreaming episodes.
• Intense and extremely vivid daydreams
• Complex and elaborate daydreams, often with many people involved
• Daydreams accompanied by repetitive movements such as pacing
• Prolonged daydreams that may last hours at a time
• A feeling of disconnect or dissociation from people and reality during the episode.

What Does Science Say?

Rachel Bennett, a member of Dr. Somer’s online community, shared she usually dreams up new episodes of her favorite Japanese animé characters and TV shows. She’s also created four families of fictional characters which have grown with her over the years.

“I’d much rather stay home and daydream than go out,” she said.

What Causes Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Dr. Somer noted that about one-quarter of maladaptive daydreamers are trauma survivors who use daydreaming as an escape. Many report family members with similar tendencies, as well as being shy or socially isolated.

Meanwhile, a Harvard Medical study found that 80 percent of maladaptive daydreamers have ADHD, followed by anxiety disorders, depression, and OCD. Researchers believe daydreaming often acts as a coping mechanism for pent-up emotions that cannot be expressed in real life, so they are released through imagination instead.

How Do You Cope With Maladaptive Daydreaming?

Experts emphasize that maladaptive daydreaming is not an extreme condition requiring formal diagnosis, but many people have shared strategies that help:

• Exercise: One forum user reported swimming daily, gradually reaching 2,000 meters, which acted as meditation and grounded them in reality.
• Remove triggers: Avoid activities that spark daydreaming episodes.
• Practice mindfulness: Stay present and aware of thoughts.
• Limit music use: Music is a common trigger.
• Scheduled daydreaming: Set aside specific times with a timer, then consciously exit the session.
• Seek professional help: Therapies such as CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based stress reduction have shown benefits.
• Stay busy: Engage in tasks to prevent wandering thoughts.
• Improve sleep quality.
• Make daydreams less appealing: Reduce instant gratification.
• Self-development and creativity: Channel imagination into productive outlets.
• Journaling: Record thoughts daily or weekly.
• Practice self-acceptance.
• Find group support.

A new review published in The Lancet highlights how close this shift may be. The study underscores a hard truth: despite having effective medicines for years, global blood pressure control remains disappointingly poor. The real challenge, experts say, is not the absence of drugs—but problems with adherence, health systems, and long-term patient engagement.

The Unrelenting Burden of a Silent Killer

Hypertension continues to be the leading cause of heart attacks, strokes and premature deaths worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines high blood pressure as readings at or above 140 mm Hg systolic and/or 90 mm Hg diastolic. A normal reading is below 120/80 mm Hg.

The numbers are staggering. Between 2024 and 2025, an estimated 1.4 billion adults aged 30 to 79—roughly one in three people in this age group—are living with hypertension globally. Nearly 44 percent do not even know they have it. Among those diagnosed, fewer than one in four have their blood pressure adequately controlled.

India reflects this alarming trend. The ICMR-INDIAB study (2023) estimated that about 315 million Indians—35.5 percent of the population—have hypertension. Data from NFHS-5 further showed that nearly half of hypertensive men and more than a third of hypertensive women in India do not have their condition under control.

Why Daily Pills Are Falling Short

For decades, hypertension treatment has relied on daily oral medications—often combinations of two or more drugs. These may include ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers paired with calcium channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics.

On paper, these regimens are effective. In reality, adherence is the weak link.

Many patients with hypertension also manage diabetes, obesity or high cholesterol. The result is polypharmacy—multiple pills, multiple times a day. Over time, missed doses, side effects and simple “treatment fatigue” erode consistency. Therapeutic inertia—where doctors do not intensify treatment despite poor control—further worsens outcomes.

The Rise of Long-Acting Injectables

This is where long-acting injectable therapies come in. According to Dr Mohit Gupta, cardiologist at G B Pant Hospital and UCMS, the field is now moving toward therapies that may be administered just twice a year.

Unlike traditional medicines that work downstream to reduce blood pressure numbers, these new drugs target upstream molecular pathways that drive hypertension.

One promising approach involves small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies that inhibit angiotensinogen production in the liver. By silencing this protein, they dampen the renin–angiotensin system—central to blood pressure regulation. Zilebesiran, developed by Roche and Alnylam, is currently in global phase 3 trials.

Another candidate, ziltivekimab by Novo Nordisk, targets inflammatory pathways increasingly linked to cardiovascular risk. There are also newer strategies aimed at selectively modulating aldosterone, a hormone that increases blood volume and pressure.

The appeal is simple: durability. A twice-yearly injection could eliminate the daily burden of pill-taking, improve adherence and provide more stable blood pressure control over time.

Promise, But With Caution

However, excitement is tempered by concern. Cost remains a major question. The recent introduction of inclisiran, an injectable cholesterol-lowering therapy priced between Rs 1.8 and 2.4 lakh annually in India, highlights affordability challenges.

Long-term safety is another critical issue. Hypertension is lifelong. Patients may require these treatments for decades. Experts stress the need for robust long-term data across diverse populations before widespread adoption.

The promise is undeniable. A twice-yearly injection that reliably controls blood pressure could transform preventive cardiology. But its true impact will depend not only on scientific success—but on accessibility, affordability and sustained safety.

Testosterone prescription in the UK have surged in recent years. Reels and TikTok videos with medical practitioner talking about testosterone shots, how to take it, and the do's and dont's are easily found on social media platform. Many doctors, patients and private clinics are debating on whether the hormone is genuine treatment for low libido or just a wellness trend.

As per the NHS Business Authority data compiled by the Care Quality Commission and reported by the BBC, testosterone prescriptions increased by 135 per cent between 2021 and 2024. This spike comes when people in Britain are also having less sex than the previous generation, noted a BBC report. This has raised an important question. Are hormones the missing link or are there deeper social changes at play?

Hormone Therapy: Is It Need Of The Hour?

In the 1990s, Alan Reeves performed in front of thousands as part of the male dance troupe Dreamboys and even appeared in the Spice Girls film Spice World. But in his thirties, his energy dipped and his libido faded.

“I just didn't feel right,” Reeves told the BBC.

Now 52 and working as a fitness and lifestyle coach in London, he began testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, and says the difference was dramatic. He described feeling transformed from “a grumpy old man” to someone who felt decades younger.

His relationship had been struggling before treatment. “We were going without sex for three, four months at a time. I just wasn't interested,” he said in the BBC report, adding that such changes can damage relationships.

Women are increasingly seeking treatment too. Menopause blogger Rachel Mason told the BBC the hormone was “amazing” for her concentration, energy and libido.

Sex Drive Is Fading In Britain

There is a broader trend in the rise of prescribed testosterone. The long running National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles documented a steady decline in sexual frequency over decades. People aged 16 to 44 reported sex about five times a month in 1990, by 2010, the number had dropped to three times. Researchers further predict a downward trend to continue.

Soazing Clifton, academic director of the survey, told the BBC that the fall appears across almost every demographic, including couples living together.

“No data we have so far can really tell us with any confidence why, as a population, we are no longer having sex as much,” she said.

Experts point to multiple factors. GP and sex therapist Dr Ben Davis said modern pressures play a role. Stress, loneliness, depression and constant digital distraction all reduce desire.

Another explanation is biological. Consultant urologist Professor Geoffrey Hackett told the BBC testosterone levels in men are declining, partly linked to obesity, diabetes and sedentary lifestyles. Lower hormone levels increase the likelihood of low libido, though not everyone with low testosterone experiences sexual problems.

For some patients, the results feel life changing.

Melissa Green, 43, said the treatment “gave me my life back” and improved both energy and intimacy in her marriage after she sought help from a private clinic, according to the BBC.

But not everyone benefits. Cheryl O’Malley stopped taking testosterone after a year due to intense anger and excessive sexual arousal. “I felt out of control,” she said in the BBC report.

Doctors note that side effects can include acne, hair growth and weight gain in women, and mood swings, infertility and prolonged erections in men.

A Boom In Private Industry

The growing demand has fuelled a booming private clinic market. Some NHS clinicians are concerned.

Dr Paula Briggs described it to the BBC as a “gravy train”, saying patients may pay for treatments they do not need and warning that advertising has “blown everything out of proportion”.

Private providers disagree. GP Jeff Foster told the BBC the private sector is filling a care gap because the NHS lacks capacity to diagnose large numbers of men who may have low testosterone.

Guidelines also differ. Some professional bodies recommend treatment below 12 nmol per litre while NHS thresholds can be lower, leading some patients to seek private prescriptions after being refused treatment publicly.

Despite its popularity, doctors caution that TRT is not a universal fix.

“For some, medication can be really transformative,” Davis told the BBC. “But there are so many factors that play into a low libido and testosterone is not the only answer.”

Even Reeves agrees. After seven years on therapy, he says lifestyle changes matter just as much.

Otherwise, he said, taking testosterone alone is like installing a Ferrari engine in a worn out car.

As prescriptions continue to rise, the debate reflects a broader question about modern health. Is declining desire a medical problem, a social shift, or a mix of both? The answer may determine whether testosterone therapy becomes mainstream medicine or remains a controversial shortcut to vitality.