A new study published in The Lancet Digital Health suggests that biological age of different organs could predict a person's risk of diseases such as cancer, dementia, and heart disease than their actual chronological age. The research analyzed long-term data from Whitehall II study, which had been followed by over 10,000 British adults for more than 35 years.

The blood plasma samples were collected between 1997 and 1999 from participants between ages 45 to 69. Researchers have now examined a follow up data from 6,235 participants, who were by then aged 65 to 89. This was done to see how aging of specific organ may correlate with the development of diseases over two decades.

What Organs Were Studied?

The study measured the biological age of nine key organs, including:

• Heart
• Blood vessels
• Liver
• Immune system
• Pancreas
• Kidneys
• Lungs
• Intestines
• Brain

The researchers were able to find that different organs aged at different rates in different people. In many of the cases multiple organs showed signs of faster aging within the same individual. What is important to note is that those with accelerated aging in certain organs had a higher risk of developing 30 out of the 40 age-related diseases the study had tracked.

Organ Aging And Disease Risk

Some organ-disease connections were expected—people with rapidly aging lungs were more likely to develop respiratory diseases, and those with aging kidneys had an increased risk of kidney-related conditions. However, the study also found less obvious associations.

For example, individuals with fast-aging kidneys were more prone to diseases in other organs, such as the liver and pancreas. Additionally, multiple fast-aging organs were linked to an increased risk of kidney disease.

One of the most surprising findings was that dementia risk was not best predicted by an aging brain but rather by the immune system’s biological age. This suggests that factors such as chronic inflammation and immune health may play a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases.

What Is Organ Specific Blood Tests?

The study also highlights the important of the potential of developing blood tests that could assess the biological age of specific organs. Unlike previous complex methods that measured the organ health, this new approach could make things simple to detect early signs of disease.

The leader author of the study Mika Kivimaki, who is also a professor at the University College London's Faculty of Brain sciences pointed out that such tests could be helpful when it comes to guiding personalized healthcare. In a news release, Kivimaki said, "They could advise whether a person needs to take better care of a particular organ and potentially provide an early warning signal that they may be at risk of a particular disease."

The study reinforces the idea that aging does not affect all organs equally and that looking beyond chronological age could offer better insights into disease prevention. By understanding which organs are aging more rapidly, medical professionals may be able to recommend targeted interventions for individuals at higher risk of specific conditions. Future advancements in organ-specific blood testing could revolutionize how we detect and manage age-related diseases, potentially leading to more personalized healthcare strategies.

Continuing the legacy of football legend Joe Thompson, his wife Chantelle revealed she is pregnant with his baby after IVF treatment using frozen embryos.

Joe Thompson died in 2025 after developing cancer for a third time - beating the illness twice.

But after the former Manchester United star was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma for a third time, which had spread to his lungs, he died aged 36.

"It just means absolutely everything. I know it's never going to replace Joe obviously. Joe's Joe. But to be able to bring his baby into the world again is beautiful," Chantelle said.

She said Joe had two visions of their family with a baby boy before he died, and he even gave her the name for the baby boy he predicted, and she got pregnant on her first attempt of IVF after he had died.

How Egg Freezing Works

Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is an option that has gained significant traction in recent years. It offers women the ability to pause their biological clock and preserve the possibility of having children in the future.

Egg freezing takes a woman's unfertilized eggs from her ovaries and stores them at sub-zero temperatures to be utilized later. It is made to enable women to keep their fertility intact, especially if they are not yet ready to have a baby.

Dr. Pavithra M, Obstetrician, Gynecologist, and Infertility Specialist, told HealthandMe that the workup begins with hormone workup and evaluation of various parameters, such as age, body mass index (BMI), and ovarian reserve.

"On the second day of the menstrual cycle, baseline ultrasound scanning is performed to assess the number of follicles; thereafter, various tests of blood are conducted to assess hormone levels. If a woman's parameters are all normal, then she is administered hormonal injections for about 10-12 days."

It causes ovarian hyperstimulation and multiple mature eggs, monitored through ultrasound scans. A trigger shot is administered once the follicles have reached optimal size to help with final egg maturation. It takes 34-35 hours from the trigger shot, wherein eggs are retrieved by minimally invasive procedures under general anesthesia.

"Using a transvaginal ultrasound probe with a needle, each follicle is punctured, and the follicular fluid is aspirated. The retrieved eggs are then screened for quality before undergoing vitrification—a rapid freezing technique that minimizes ice crystal formation and cellular damage," Dr. Pavithra added. The eggs are then stored in liquid nitrogen tanks for long-term preservation.

While egg freezing is possible at various stages of life, experts recommend doing it at an optimal age -- in the late 20s or early 30s when the eggs are of higher quality-- for better outcomes.

Annabelle Gurwitch, an American author, actress, and television host, has opened up about her lung cancer diagnosis in her new memoir.

In her sixth book, ‘The End of My Life Is Killing Me’, Annabelle Gurwitch offers a satirical take on her journey with stage 4 lung cancer. The best-selling author found out about her cancer status in 2020, when she went for a COVID-19 test.

In the book, Annabelle Gurwitch writes about her life as a "cancer slacker", her divorce, treatment with a targeted therapy that turns off the gene that has gone rogue, radiation, and chemotherapy, all with a humorous take.

Lung Cancer: A Stealthy Disease, Says Annabelle Gurwitch

Notably, the American actress had no symptoms and was not a smoker. She went to get her “persistent little cough” tested for COVID, when a doctor told her that there was something suspicious on her lungs.

Soon after, an X-ray and a biopsy confirmed her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer.

Annabelle Gurwitch called lung cancer a “stealthy disease" as, other than her little cough, she exercised every day and felt like she was in really good health.

“You know, you can be asymptomatic with Stage 4 lung cancer because lung cancer is a really stealthy disease, and this is why it's such a big killer, still the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths, because some lung cancers, like the one I have, are not recognized by the immune system," Annabelle Gurwitch told NPR.

"So my body didn't know that it was - anything was happening, which is, I mean, I was going to regular doctor's appointments. And this is why it's often diagnosed at a late stage, and such a big killer because it's not diagnosed at an earlier stage,” she added.

Also read: Early-Stage Lung Cancer Surgery Safe, Effective Even After 80, Reveals Lancet Study

Can Non-Smokers Get Lung Cancer?

Contrary to long-held assumptions, a significant proportion of lung cancer cases now occur in people with no history of smoking. The American Cancer Society reports that approximately 10-20 percent of lung cancers in the U.S are found in non-smokers, often attributed to genetic mutations like EGFR, environmental exposures, or radon gas.

These cases are more common in women, younger adults, and individuals of East Asian descent, but they can affect anyone.

Also read: New AIIMS Study To Probe How PM2.5 Is Surging Lung Cancer Risk In India

Early Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For

Lung cancer symptoms can mimic less serious conditions, which is why they’re often dismissed or misdiagnosed. If you experience the following symptoms persistently, don’t ignore them—regardless of your age or smoking history:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Unexplained shortness of breath
• Persistent cough or wheezing
• Shoulder, back, or rib pain
• Fatigue or sudden weight loss
• Blood in sputum (though not always present).

A visit to the emergency ward (ER) of a hospital can definitely feel scary, and you want every reason to avoid ending up there as a patient. From broken bones to life-threatening emergencies, it’s a place filled with urgency, uncertainty, and intense emotions. Imagine what doctors and other health workers face every day.

However, while many cases are unavoidable, there are several that can be completely prevented, said doctors, while sharing a few. These include:

• Symptoms ignored for long

However, ignoring symptoms like a persistent stomachache or a nagging cough can allow a condition to worsen over time, eventually leading to an emergency.

“People say, ‘It’s pretty mild. I’m not worried about it,’” Dr. Evelyn Huang, an emergency-room physician with Orlando Health, was quoted as saying to Time.

“Days become weeks, weeks become months, and months can even become years, and by the time they're seeing me, these things have progressed so far that they’re now something dangerous.”

Seeking timely medical advice and not delaying checkups can help prevent complications and avoid unnecessary ER visits, the expert said.

• Drowning

Dr. Cheyenne Falat, assistant medical director of the adult emergency department at University of Maryland Medical Center stated that every time a patient comes ER with a drowning case, he hears the same story.

“I would have been watching them, but I thought the babysitter was watching them. I thought my spouse was watching them. I thought their grandparents were watching them.”

The doctor recommended instead starting swimming lessons as early as possible. She also urged for fences with childproof gates near pools.

• Falling

• Frostbite and hypothermia

People often don’t realize how quickly conditions can turn.

“They think, ‘I won’t be at risk for hypothermia because it's a little warmer during the day,’” said Falat. “Then they sweat,” which can leave their clothing damp and their bodies more vulnerable once temperatures drop.

Heat-related illnesses include mild dehydration to heat exhaustion and, in the most extreme cases, heat stroke, which can be deadly.

• Choking during sex

Recently, for example, he treated a young woman who came to the ER with neck pain, a hoarse voice, and bruising; she assured Yoo that she had wanted her partner to choke her. “I’m not judging anyone who enjoys this, but it's way more dangerous than people think,” he said.

• Party drug

A harmless party drug -- gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB -- can also turn life-threatening. It is a clear, odorless substance sometimes called “liquid ecstasy.”

While in small amounts, it can make people feel relaxed or euphoric, but when taken in overdose, it can lead to unconscious and breathing difficulties. “It’s one of the most awful sights,” Yoo said , adding that in severe cases, some patients need to be put on a ventilator to survive.