A recent study suggests that people who donate blood regularly may have genetic changes in their blood that could in fact reduce the risk of developing cancer. It is conducted by the researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, and the study has now provided new insights into how and why blood cancers develop. The study is published in the journal Blood and was conducted by the scientists from Heidelberg and the German Red Cross blood donation center. There is yet a need for further research to confirm these findings.

What Did The Study Find?

The researchers examined the blood of two groups of healthy male donors in their 60s:

• One group had donated blood three times a year for 40 years.
• The other group had donated only about five times in total.

The goal was to analyze genetic mutations in their blood and assess whether frequent donation had any impact on their genetic makeup.

How Can Blood Donation Affect Stem Cells?

As and when people age, their blood and other cells naturally develop mutations and some of them can also increase the risk of cancer. When anyone donates blood, his or her body compensates by producing new blood cells, which can influence the genetic diversity of stem cells in the bone marrow. The study also found that both groups had a similar number of mutations. For instance the frequent donors had 217 mutations, while the irregular donors had 212 mutations.

However, the nature of these mutations differed. In the frequent donors, 50% of the mutations were of a type not associated with a high risk of blood cancers, compared to only 30% in the irregular donors.

Further laboratory analysis showed that these specific mutations behaved differently from those linked to leukemia, a type of blood cancer. When human blood stem cells with these mutations were injected into mice, they were found to be highly effective at producing red blood cells, which is considered a positive outcome.

Dr. Hector Huerga Encabo, one of the study authors, emphasized that these mutations do not indicate an increased risk of leukemia. The findings suggest that regular blood donation may influence how stem cells evolve, but whether this translates into a lower cancer risk remains uncertain.

Read More: Who Can Donate Blood To Whom?

Limitations

One notable disadvantage is the "healthy-donor effect"—because blood donors are often healthier than the general population, their lower cancer risk could be unrelated to blood donation.

Dominique Bonnet, senior researcher and head of a stem-cell laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute, stressed the need for larger studies with female volunteers to confirm the findings.

Despite ongoing research into potential health benefits for donors, the primary goal of blood donation remains saving lives. NHS Blood and Transplant emphasized that while the study is interesting, further research is required to draw firm conclusions. The organization also noted that blood supplies are currently critically low and encouraged eligible individuals to donate.

Also Read: How Long After a Tattoo or Piercing Can I Donate Blood?

While it’s no secret that alcohol takes a toll on the body, particularly the liver, long-term health issues can arise even for light drinkers. This begs the question: how do Europeans seem to handle their booze so much better? Dr Harsh Vyas, a radiologist from Gujarat, recently tackled this on Instagram.

He compared two 37-year-old patients: an Italian who drinks regularly and an Indian teetotaler. Surprisingly, the Italian’s liver was in better shape than the Indian man’s, who was struggling with fatty liver disease despite never touching a drop of alcohol.

Here are some reasons he claims are the reason behind the massive difference between both men:

Genetic Efficiency

According to Dr. Vyas, the primary reason Europeans often appear to have a higher tolerance for alcohol than Indians is how their bodies process toxins at a molecular level.

Your body uses two main enzymes to break down alcohol. Think of them like a two-step cleaning crew which include Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) which converts alcohol into acetaldehyde, a highly toxic substance and Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) that converts that toxin into harmless acetic acid (vinegar), which the body can easily flush out.

In European livers, both enzymes usually work at peak efficiency. The toxic intermediate (acetaldehyde) is neutralized almost as fast as it is created. But in Asian populations, the activity of these enzymes is often lower. This means the toxic metabolites don't just pass through; they linger in the bloodstream for a much longer duration.

Because these toxins stay in the system of an Indian person longer, they cause more oxidative stress and inflammation. This explains why even a "teetotaler" in India might develop fatty liver from other metabolic factors (like diet or sugar), while a moderate European drinker might show less immediate liver damage - their genetics act as a more efficient "waste management" system.

Diet

Talking about food habits, Dr Vyas highlights a significant contrast between the Mediterranean-style habits common in Europe and the typical nutritional patterns found in India. He explains that Europeans generally benefit from a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, high-quality proteins, and healthy fats derived from sources like seafood and olive oil.

These nutrients provide the liver with the essential building blocks it needs for repair and protection against inflammation. In contrast, many Indian diets rely heavily on refined carbohydrates and often lack sufficient protein and healthy essential oils.

This high intake of refined sugars and flours can lead to insulin resistance, causing the liver to store excess energy as fat. Consequently, even an Indian teetotaler may develop a fatty liver due to these metabolic stressors, whereas a European's liver might remain more resilient despite moderate alcohol consumption because it is better supported by their overall nutritional intake.

Exercise

Using his Italian patient as an example, the doctor noted a commitment to daily exercise lasting 30 to 40 minutes, supplemented by walking 5 to 6 kilometers every single day. This level of consistent movement is far less common among the Indian population, where regular workouts are often neglected.

Dr Vyas concluded that while even small amounts of alcohol remain toxic to the human body, the superior lifestyle of many Europeans, combined with genetic advantages, a nutrient-dense diet and high physical activity, creates a "buffer" that helps their systems compensate for the damage.

In contrast, the sedentary habits and nutritional gaps seen in many Indian lifestyles leave the liver far more vulnerable to disease, even in those who avoid alcohol entirely.

Suicidal ideation refers to thinking about or planning one's own death. In simple terms, it involves thoughts of dying or formulating plans to end one's life. While it is not a formal medical diagnosis, it is a serious symptom that can lead to suicide.

Suicidal ideation is generally divided into two categories which include passive ideation, defined as thinking about death or wishing one were dead without a specific plan to act as well as active ideation, defined as formulating specific, elaborate plans to carry out the act.

The active ideation stage is particularly dangerous as it moves from merely thinking of suicide towards self-harm.

What Leads to Suicidal Thoughts?

There is no single cause for these thoughts; rather, they are often the result of complex, overlapping factors. One therapist on Reddit shared a poignant perspective, describing the urge as an "act of mercy" from a tired mind.

She explained: "Suicidal parts are also deeply perceptive. They see suffering that others overlook. They recognize when other coping strategies are failing and, in their exhaustion, believe that the only mercy left is to stop everything altogether".

Common contributing factors include:

• Biological Factors: Genetics and brain development.
• Demographics: Age, education, employment, and socioeconomic status.
• Environmental Stress: Negative life events, interpersonal relationship issues, and chronic stress.
• Identity: Challenges related to sexual orientation or being transgender/non-binary.
• Health Issues: Substance use disorders or underlying mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or psychosis.

The Warning Signs You Need To Keep An Eye Out For

Early intervention is key. Some of the most common warning signs include:

• Feeling empty, trapped, or hopeless
• Feeling extremely sad, anxious, or angry
• Talking about wanting to die or being a burden to others
• Preparing for suicide, such as making a plan or researching methods of suicide
• taking dangerous risks, such as driving fast
• displaying large shifts in mood
• wanting to give away your possessions or treating people as if you might not see them again
• withdrawing from friends
• eating or sleeping significantly more or less
• using drugs or alcohol more often

Prevention and Support

Studies says we cannot stop our brain to forming such thoughts, noticing the signs early can prevent drastic outcomes. Support is available at both professional and personal levels. Here is what you can do if you are concerned about yourself or someone you know:

• Seek Professional Help: Enroll in counseling or consult medical institutions specializing in mental health.
• Find Community: Isolation often worsens ideation. Joining support groups can help individuals feel less alone.
• Self monitoring: Keeping track of situations you find stressful and how you handle them. Also regularly journaling helps you understand and manage your feelings.
• Stress Management: Incorporate physical activity and maintain open communication with trusted friends.
• Emergency Action: If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call emergency services such as 022 2754 6669 or local helplines immediately.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India recorded 171,418 suicides in 2023. The data reveals that daily wage earners remain the most affected group, followed by students and young adults. Geographically, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka account for the highest share of these cases.

34 children have been infected in North London due to a measles outbreak. Health officials have confirmed the outbreak from Enfield in laboratory tests. Doctors too have pointed that children were not fully immunized. Measles was earlier eliminated in the UK, however, the disease is making a come back with UK losing its elimination status. The World Health Organization (WHO) also announced the elimination status of UK based on 3,600 suspected cases in 2024.

Read: North London Measles Outbreak: 34 Cases Confirmed In Unvaccinated Children From Enfield

Unique Symptoms Of Measles

With the disease now making a comeback, the worry is real. Measles has a high transmissibility, and high measles immunity levels are required to prevent sustained measles virus transmission.

This is why herd immunity for measles could be easily breached.

It easily spreads from one infected person to another through breathes, coughs or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death.

Symptoms include:

• High fever
• Cough
• Runny Nose
• Rash all over the body

The most unique symptom or the early sign of measles in the Koplik spots. These are tiny white dots that look like grains of salt on red gums inside the cheeks that appear before the red rash starts to appear on a person's face and then the body.

Read: Measles Outbreak In UK: NHS Is Failing To Vaccinate Children, Warn Experts

Furthermore, the symptoms of measles are also characterized by the three Cs:

• Cough
• Coryza or runny nose
• Conjunctivitis or red and water eyes

How Long Does The Infection Last?

The progression of the symptom comes in two stages, first is the prodromal stage or Days 1 to 4, where one would notice high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, sore throat, fatigue, and Koplik spots.

The second stage is called the rash stage or the days 5 to 10 or even more where rash start to appear on the hairline, and then it runs down the body. It lasts for several days and fades in the same order.

The first symptoms, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appear 7 to 14 days after a measles infection. Often, it could also lead to ear infection, or even diarrhea. Though these complications happen in every 1 in 10 children or individual with measles.

Who Is At Risk Of Measles?

• Children who are younger than 5 years of age: nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complication, notes the CDC
• Adults older than 20 years of age
• Pregnant Women
• People with weakened immune system, such as from leukemia or HIV infection

Why Has Measles Return To The UK?

In late 2023, measles outbreaks were reported in the UK, which led to a surge in cases in 2024. Vaccination uptake at the end of 2024 was 92% for the first dose, however, for the second dose, it was below 82%.

Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA said, "Infections can return quickly when childhood vaccine uptake falls - measles elimination is only possible if all eligible children receive two MMRV doses before school. The NHS is making vaccination easier, including offering the second MMRV dose earlier at a new 18-month appointment to boost uptake and support elimination goals."

Read: UK Loses Measles Elimination Status: Why Is This Disease Making A Comeback?

She also noted that children and adults must get vaccinated as NHS also offers catch-up jabs.

Dr Baharat Pankhania, from the University of Exeter, as reported by the BBC said, "Measles is an infection that can be prevented by vaccine - and it's extremely concerning that in the UK we now have pockets of low or no vaccine uptake. We urgently need to remedy this situation." Pankhania also noted that there is a need to make the access to GPs easier, and for an effort that could immunize babies in their homes and counter wrong information around vaccine safety.