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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.
The study measured the biological age of nine key organs, including:
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.
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.
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.
Credit: The Howard Stern Show/ Youtube
American radio personality Robin Quivers has announced being free of cancer after a 14-year journey battling the deadly disease.
Quivers, 73 — who has co-hosted The Howard Stern Show for over 40 years — first announced in 2012 that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 endometrial cancer.
She immediately underwent surgery, numerous rounds of chemotherapy, and radiation to treat the disease. After four years of remission, it returned in 2016.
Now, nearly 10 years later, Quivers is once again “cancer-free.” The radio personality shared the good news during the radio show, The Independent reported.
“Robin kicked cancer’s ass. They said it couldn’t be done,” Stern, 72, declared, calling it “a miracle.”
He recalled the moment Quivers called him with the news, saying, “I couldn’t believe it. And really, I’ve said this to Robin privately, but I would like to say it on the air. Like this is really a miracle.
“I’m gonna say this because this is really true. I’ve watched the whole thing. She took charge of her health. She started to do all the right things. She never deviated, and she really took it seriously.”
Stern and Quivers, who began their radio careers as newscasters at WIOO in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, have been together since 1981.
Also read: Ozempic-Like Weight-Loss Drugs May Cut Breast Cancer Risk By A Third, Finds Research
Endometrial cancer begins in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. Most uterine cancers are endometrial cancer. If untreated, it can spread to nearby organs such as the bladder, rectum, or more distant organs through the lymphatic system or bloodstream.
The endometrium is highly sensitive to hormonal changes, particularly the balance between estrogen and progesterone. When the body is exposed to excess estrogen without adequate progesterone, the endometrial lining grows excessively. Over time, this prolonged stimulation leads to abnormal cell changes and increases the risk of developing endometrial cancer or uterine cancer.
Dr Fahad Afzal, Consultant Oncologist at Saifee Hospital, told HealthandMe that obesity, PCOS, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome can contribute to hormonal imbalance and lead to endometrial cancer.
"Obesity is one of the most significant risk factors because excess body fat increases estrogen production. Women who are obese therefore have higher levels of estrogen, which stimulates the uterine lining,” the expert said.
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According to World Health Organization data, its incidence is steadily rising, particularly in urban populations where lifestyle changes are more pronounced.”
Dr Smit Sheth, cancer physician at MOC Cancer Care & Research Centre, Mulund, said, “Hormones play a crucial role in a woman’s reproductive health, but when they fall out of balance, they can also increase the risk of certain cancers, including endometrial cancer".
The good news is that endometrial cancer typically grows slowly and is often detected early through regular gynecological exams.
Warning signs that should never be overlooked include
Simple lifestyle changes, maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, a balanced diet, managing chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension, and timely medical check-ups can significantly reduce risk.
Credit: iStock
For years, moderate alcohol consumption, particularly a daily glass of wine, has been associated with potential health benefits, especially for heart health. However, in recent years, a growing body of research, including warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies, has highlighted that alcohol poses significant health risks from the very first drink.
A recent expert review published in the Journal of Hepatology reiterated this concern, concluding that there is no universally safe level of alcohol consumption.
After examining recent evidence on alcohol use and health outcomes, researchers from the University of Wisconsin concluded that excessive alcohol consumption is unquestionably harmful and that defining a universally "safe" level of drinking remains unsupported by current scientific evidence.
According to the authors, the health risks associated with alcohol vary considerably from person to person. Factors such as age, sex, genetics, underlying medical conditions, medications, and pregnancy status can all influence how alcohol affects an individual's health.
Also read: 844 Million Adults Worldwide Living With Chronic Kidney Disease: Lancet Study
The researchers also questioned the long-standing belief that moderate drinking provides significant cardiovascular benefits.
They found that recent evidence does not support recommending regular alcohol consumption for health purposes. Instead, the review suggests that any potential benefits must be weighed against known risks, including cancer, liver disease, and other alcohol-related harms.
The review adds to a growing body of evidence linking alcohol consumption to an increased risk of several cancers.
A May 2026 study linked alcohol to 62 disorders, ranging from heart and digestive diseases to mental and neurological conditions and cancers.
The study, published in the journal Addiction, showed that the fully alcohol-attributable conditions are mainly grouped under non-communicable diseases and injuries.
These include:
The data also included psychotic disorders, gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis, fatty liver disease, pregnancy- and perinatal-related conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, as well as external causes and injuries, including alcohol poisoning.
"These conditions are 100 per cent alcohol attributable, meaning these diseases would not even exist in the world without alcohol use," said Jürgen Rehm, senior scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research in Toronto and part of the study team, according to CNN.
"There are another 30 diseases in which alcohol plays a role, such as breast and other cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and dementia," Rehm said. "These diseases would exist even without alcohol use, but alcohol use is responsible for a certain proportion of them."
The global burden of alcohol-related health issues is immense. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimated that alcohol-related conditions could cost the United States nearly $1.87 trillion between 2011 and 2050, equivalent to about 1.45 per cent of the country's GDP. The NIH also criticized the lack of clear public messaging, which has allowed myths about alcohol's safety to persist for decades.
In 2023, the World Health Organization reinforced this warning. In a statement published in The Lancet Public Health, it declared that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption that does not affect health.
Credit: AI generated image
While GLP-1 drugs have shown their effectiveness in reducing weight and managing diabetes, new research suggests they may also help reduce the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.
According to a new study by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, US, women between the ages of 45 and 80 who took a GLP-1 medication were 30 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer. The analysis was based on data from more than 110,000 women.
"While the study does not definitively confirm an association between GLP-1 medications and reduced breast cancer incidence, it does add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that it's worth investigating these weight-loss drugs as potential cancer prevention tools," the researchers said.
"GLP-1 medications are intriguing from a cancer research perspective because they weren't designed for cancer therapy, but they do affect many different targets and pathways associated with cancer development, so we're eager to study them in this context," said Elizabeth McDonald, Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
The findings were presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago and were also published in JCO Oncology Practice.
Also read: I’m Cancer-Free After 14 Years, Says Robin Quivers
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide and the most common cancer diagnosed overall, accounting for approximately 2.3 million new cases and 670,000 deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization. Every year, breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all new cancer cases in US women.
Beyond breast cancer screening through mammography or MRI, medical or surgical interventions to reduce breast cancer risk remain limited and can be life-altering.
Prophylactic mastectomy is recommended for some individuals with genetic mutations that significantly increase their lifetime risk of breast cancer. Tamoxifen is also highly effective in reducing breast cancer incidence among high-risk patients, but its uptake remains limited because of known side effects. In contrast, GLP-1 medications are already widely used by millions of Americans.
"Ultimately, we want to find better options to prevent breast cancer," McDonald said. "It's been encouraging to see the survival rates for breast cancer improve over recent decades, and we'd love to see the same gains in prevention."
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Another study by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic suggested that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications may help slow the spread of several obesity-related cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal and liver cancers.
The researchers found that across six of the seven malignancies studied, GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure was associated with reduced metastatic progression, with significant reductions observed in non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma.
The study included 12,112 patients with obesity-related cancers ranging from stage 1 to stage 3. Half of the participants began taking a GLP-1 medication after their cancer diagnosis, while the remaining participants were treated with DPP-4 inhibitors, commonly known as "gliptins", a different class of diabetes medications.
The comparison showed that patients who took GLP-1 medications had a substantially lower progression to stage 4 disease across four cancer types.
"Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types," said study author Mark David Orland from the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
Read: Can Wegovy Improve Survival In Breast Cancer Patients? This Study Suggests It Could
Recognizing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer can help ensure a prompt diagnosis. Breast cancer can cause a wide array of symptoms, including:
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