Are you that kind of person who celebrates milestones of your life with getting a tattoo? These milestones could be anything, including the things you achieved, or the things you could not achieve but taught you a lesson. If you are this person, then you must have wondered if you can donate blood with all the tattoos on your body? There are lots of rumors on how can one donate blood, or if at all they are allowed to donate blood. So let's get into its nitty gritty!

As per American Red Cross, in most states, a tattoo is acceptable if the tattoo was applied by a state-regulated entity. Which means the tattoo artist must be licensed and must practice following all the guidelines, using sterile needles and ink that is not reused. The same is the guideline for cosmetic tattoos, which includes microblading of eyebrows. If it is done by a licensed artist in a regulated state, then it is acceptable.

However, if you got your tattoo in a state that does not regulate tattoo facilities, you must wait three months after it was applied.

The states that do not regulate tattoo facilities are:

• Arizona
• District of Columbia
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Utah
• Wyoming

Body Piercing

Similar is the case with body piercings. It has to be done following the regulation, here the key is that the instrument used has to be a single-use equipment and disposable. Which means if you are getting it by a gun, or an earring cassette, they have to be disposable. In case you got your piercing with a reusable gun or a reusable instrument, you will be required to wait for three months.

Three-Month Wait Period

The reason behind the wait time is associated with the concerns of hepatitis, which could be easily transmitted from donors to patients through transfusion. All blood donations are thus tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, with several tests. However, not always are these tests are perfect, thus the three-month period is given.

What Dangers Loom Over?

Donating blood after getting a tattoo can be dangerous as unclean tattoo needle could carry bloodborne viruses, which are hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its guideline, making the wait time shorter from one year to three months. This is because if you contract a bloodborne illness, it could be detectable within the period of 3 months.

What else makes you ineligible to donate blood?

There are other reasons why you may not be allowed to donate blood. As per the American Red Cross, you are not allowed to donate blood if you have

• hepatitis B or C
• HIV
• Chagas disease, which is a parasitic infection that kissing bugs cause
• leishmaniasis, a parasitic infection that sand flies cause
• Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare disorder that leads to mental deterioration
• Ebola virus
• hemochromatosis, which means extreme build up of iron
• hemophilia
• jaundice
• sickle cell disease

As per the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Blood Bank, these conditions make you permanently ineligible from donating blood.

While there are certain conditions that makes your permanently ineligible, there are other conditions that makes you temporarily ineligible from donating blood. These include:

• If you have a bleeding condition, and have issues with your blood clotting
• If you have received transfusion from a person
• If you have cancer. Here, the eligibility depend son the type of cancer you have
• If you have recently underwent a dental or oral surgery. In such a case, you would have to wait for three days
• If you had a recent heart attack, heart surgery or angina. You must wait for 6 months
• If you are pregnant, you can only donate blood after 6 months after delivering your child

The shape of your gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in your backside, may offer surprising clues about your likelihood of developing diabetes. New research suggests that the contours of this major muscle change with age and health conditions, helping scientists better understand how fitness, muscle health, and metabolism are connected.

Ageing, Weight, and Diabetes: What We Already Know

For years, the NHS has warned that ageing and excess weight increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. However, this new study goes beyond traditional measures, proposing that the shape of the gluteus maximus itself shifts as people age or develop conditions such as osteoporosis or diabetes. These subtle muscular changes could provide valuable information about a person’s metabolic health.

Why the Gluteus Maximus Matters

Researchers from the University of Westminster highlighted that the gluteus maximus plays a key role not just in movement but also in metabolic regulation. Healthy, well-maintained muscles can improve blood sugar control and reduce the burden on organs involved in glucose processing.

Dr Marjola Thanaj, co-author of the study from the university’s Research Centre for Optimal Health, explained, as reported by Independent: “People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape, while ageing, frailty and long sitting times were linked to muscle thinning.”

Mapping the Muscle

To understand these differences, researchers used advanced MRI 3D mapping to create a detailed anatomical model of the gluteus maximus. By analyzing more than 61,000 MRI scans from the UK Biobank database, they discovered that the shape, not the size, of the muscle varied significantly between individuals with diabetes and those without it.

What the Study Found

The MRI analysis revealed distinct, sex-specific patterns linked to Type 2 diabetes. Among male participants living with the disease, those classified as “frail” showed widespread muscle shrinkage across the gluteus maximus, indicating a loss of muscle quality and strength.

Women with diabetes, on the other hand, had enlarged muscle shapes — not because of increased muscle strength, but because of fat infiltrating the muscle tissue. This type of fat infiltration often signals declining muscle function and poorer metabolic health.

Dr Thanaj said these patterns underline a crucial point: men and women can experience the same illness in very different biological ways, which may influence diagnosis and treatment strategies in the future.

Why Maintaining Muscle Mass Matters

Beyond appearance or strength, muscle health is essential for long-term wellbeing. Maintaining muscle mass supports blood sugar regulation, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, and lowers the likelihood of developing fatty liver disease, all conditions closely linked to metabolic health.

Professor Louise Thomas, senior author of the study, told The Times: “Maintaining muscle mass as we age is one of the most important things we can do for our long-term health. If people understand how important their muscles are, and make small changes to keep them healthy, that could have a huge impact on disease across the population.”

Small Steps to Strengthen Your Glutes

Improving glute muscle health doesn’t require intense gym sessions. Simple actions such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, adding squats or lunges to your routine, or breaking up long periods of sitting can help tone and strengthen the gluteus maximus.

Kidney disease is rising at an alarming pace worldwide, and it’s now among the top causes of death. A Lancet study highlights that the number of people living with chronic kidney disease jumped from 78 million in 1990 to nearly 788 million in 2023. That’s a massive tenfold spike, and a reminder that our kidneys need more attention than we realize.

The tricky part? Kidney problems often progress silently. Many people don’t realize anything is wrong until the kidneys are already significantly damaged. That’s why experts strongly emphasize early screening. According to nephrologists like Dr Arjun Sabharwal, a few simple tests — often quick and inexpensive — can help catch kidney issues early and improve treatment outcomes.

Below are the four key tests everyone should know about, especially if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney disease, or you’re simply trying to stay proactive about your health.

Creatinine Blood Test & eGFR: Your First Kidney Health Check

eGFR uses creatinine values along with age and other factors to estimate how well your kidneys are functioning overall. Doctors often say, “Creatinine is just a number — eGFR tells you how much your kidneys are working.”

An eGFR below normal may be an early signal that your kidneys aren’t filtering efficiently, even if you feel fine.

Cystatin C: A More Accurate Indicator for Some People

Cystatin C is a protein produced naturally by all cells. When kidneys are healthy, its levels stay stable; when the kidneys struggle, the levels rise.

Experts highlight that Cystatin C can be more reliable than creatinine for people with very high muscle mass, those who work out intensely, or individuals taking supplements that may affect creatinine readings. If creatinine results seem unclear or inconsistent, this test adds clarity.

Urine Dipstick Test: Quick and Tells You a Lot

Before kidney function takes a major hit, the body often shows early warnings — one of which is protein leakage in urine. A urine dipstick test is one of the fastest ways to detect this.

A chemically treated strip is dipped into your urine sample, and if proteins like albumin are present, the strip changes color. It’s simple, non-invasive, and helpful for spotting early kidney damage.

Urine Protein-to-Creatinine Ratio (UPCR): How Much Protein Is Leaking

If a dipstick shows abnormalities, the next step is often a UPCR test. This test measures exactly how much protein is leaking into the urine relative to creatinine. Higher levels may signal worsening kidney function or underlying disease. Doctors use UPCR to assess the severity of kidney damage and monitor progress over time.

When to See a Nephrologist

If any test shows rising creatinine, an abnormal eGFR, protein in urine, or blood detected on a dipstick, it’s crucial to book an appointment. Lifestyle tweaks, home remedies, or detox drinks cannot reverse kidney damage. Expert evaluation is essential.

In 2025, thanks to climate change, rapid urbanization, and frequent travels, new viruses, their strains, and infections have spread frequently. Infections have affect millions and some diseases have come back with their new strains, which have been more contagious, whereas other diseases are finding new ways to emerge.

As we look back at the year, which is about to end in just another month, let us look back at the top 5 infectious diseases of 2025.

Respiratory Infections

In 2025, respiratory infections were the most widespread, with new COVID-19 variants emerging every now and then. Along with this common flu too has emerged. This has weakened immunity and made elderly and infants, and people with comorbidities more vulnerable to the diseases.

The new COVID variants in India are linked with the JN.1 variant and its sub-variants like LF.7 and NB.1.8. The COVID variants in the UK which were active were XFG, NB.1.8.1, or known as the Stratus and Nimbus variants. Other variants were XFG.3, XFG.5, and XFG.3.4.1.

Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis still continues to be a major infectious disease in 2025, especially in countries like India. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis caused 1.25 billion deaths in 2023. It becomes the world's leading infectious disease after COVID-19.

Each day, close to 3,425 people lose their lives to TB, and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. About 10.8 million people got TB in 2023, which include 6 million, 3.6 million women, and 1.3 million children.

Dengue and other mosquito-borne infections

Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, malaria, and Zika continued to rise in 2025. The reason being changing weather patterns. Dr Sanjeev Bagai, Chairman of Nephron Clinic, and Senior Consultant Pediatrician and Nephrologist points out that earlier the mosquito-borne diseases were seasonal, however, due to rapid urbanization and climate changes, these diseases have stayed all round the year.

Hepatitis Infections

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are among the most common Hepatitis infections in 2025. However, there have been outbreaks of Hepatitis A and E in unsafe water and food. Chronic hepatitis can also damage liver and also lead to cancer. It is a concern because it spreads through contaminated food, unsafe water, blood, and sexual contact. While many people may not show symptoms until serious liver damage occurs.

Symptoms also include jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Gastrointestinal Infections

Food- and water-borne infections are still common across the world. Illnesses like salmonella, cholera, rotavirus, and norovirus often spread in areas where hygiene, sanitation, and food safety are poorly maintained.

Why are these infections risky?

They can spread extremely fast, especially among children and older adults. Severe diarrhea and vomiting can lead to dangerous dehydration if not treated in time.

What symptoms should you look out for?

Persistent diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, and signs of dehydration. The best prevention is simple: drink clean water, wash hands regularly, and eat properly cooked food.