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?

India has recorded 6,927 dengue cases and 10 deaths so far in 2026, according to the latest data from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC).

According to the provisional data as of February this year, Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of cases at 2,873, followed by Maharashtra with 786, Kerala with 670, Karnataka with 560, and Andhra Pradesh with 448 cases. During the same period, Kerala reported nine deaths, while Tamil Nadu reported one death.

According to the Ministry of Health, the Case Fatality Rate (deaths per 100 cases) for dengue has remained below 1 per cent since 2008 and stood at 0.13 per cent in 2024.

The dengue burden in India has steadily increased over the past few years:

National Dengue Day: History And Theme

Launched in 2010, National Dengue Day is observed every year on May 16 as a pre-monsoon alert to help communities prepare before mosquito breeding peaks.

“On National Dengue Day, let us unite to spread awareness about dengue prevention and keep our surroundings clean and safe. The Government of India continues to strengthen dengue control through better surveillance, testing, improved treatment, and awareness campaigns,” said Jagat Prakash Nadda on the social media platform X.

“This year’s theme, ‘Community Participation for Dengue Control: Check, Clean and Cover,’ reminds us that community action is key to defeating dengue,” he added.

Dengue Vaccines In India

Notably, India is currently developing an indigenous dengue vaccine that is undergoing clinical trials.

“The trials will take at least two and a half years, which means by the end of 2028, we will have the results,” said Dr. N K Arora, Member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization in India (NTAGI), speaking to HealthandMe.

He highlighted the severity of dengue when it progresses from a mild illness to a severe one, particularly among young adults.

The vaccine is expected to play a crucial role in protecting the 10–20 age group, which is considered more susceptible to severe dengue cases.

Also read:Ebola Resurfaces In Eastern DR Congo In 17th Outbreak, Claims 65 Lives: All You Need To Know

“We are waiting for the results of the trials, and once the vaccine is recommended by the NTAGI, the system will be ready to adopt it,” Dr. Arora added.

Meanwhile, Qdenga, a dengue vaccine developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company named Takeda Pharma, is expected to be rolled out soon in the country.

The vaccine TAK-003 will be available in India through a manufacturing partnership with Hyderabad-based Biological E (Bio E), in line with the 'Make in India' initiative.

What Is Dengue?

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes and is common in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

Mild dengue causes high fever and flu-like symptoms. However, in some cases, it can progress to severe dengue, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, which may lead to serious bleeding, shock, and death.

Dengue is considered the most prevalent viral infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. More than 3.9 billion people across over 132 countries are at risk, with an estimated 96 million symptomatic cases and around 40,000 deaths annually worldwide.

Symptoms Of Dengue Fever

Symptoms usually appear 4–10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and may vary in severity. Common symptoms include:

• High fever
• Severe headache
• Pain behind the eyes
• Joint and muscle pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Skin rashes appearing a few days after fever onset

In severe cases, dengue may cause excessive bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and organ complications.

How To Prevent Dengue

Preventing dengue mainly involves reducing mosquito exposure and eliminating mosquito breeding sites. Effective preventive measures include:

• Using insect repellents containing DEET
• Wearing long-sleeved clothing, especially during dawn and dusk
• Installing screens on windows and doors
• Using mosquito nets while sleeping in endemic areas
• Eliminating stagnant water in flower pots, gutters, and containers
• Using mosquito traps or insecticide-treated materials in mosquito-prone areas.

While alcohol consumption is known to be harmful to health, a new study has linked it 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 endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases, mental and behavioral disorders, diseases of the nervous system, diseases of the circulatory system, such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and digestive diseases, including alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis.

The latest data also adds 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.”

How The Study Identified Alcohol-Related Diseases

The diseases and injury categories fully attributable to alcohol were identified using the World Health Organization (WHO) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th (ICD-10) and 11th (ICD-11) revision databases.

The study defines heavy drinking as more than 40 g of pure alcohol a day for women and 60 g a day for men. This translates to about 1.4 ounces of liquor for women and 2.1 ounces for men.

The good news, researchers said, is that many of these health effects can be slowed, stopped, or even reversed.

“Fortunately, the immediate effects of alcohol on the immune system don’t last long. Depending on levels of consumption, the body bounces back within days to a week,” Rehm said.

Alcohol And Cancer Risk

Also read: Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Not Linked To Autism, ADHD, Finds Lancet Study

In 2025, former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General Advisory on alcohol and cancer risk, highlighting the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.

Similar to warning labels on cigarettes, the Surgeon General called for cancer risk warnings on alcohol products.

The report released by the US Surgeon General’s office identified at least seven types of cancer associated with alcohol consumption. It also recommended updating alcohol labels to include cancer warnings and reassessing guideline limits for alcohol consumption.

The cancers linked to alcohol consumption that Murthy recommended should be included on warning labels:

• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Throat cancer
• Liver cancer
• Voice box cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Mouth cancer.

Amid India's growing burden of high blood pressure among the youth, Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Ayush and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said hypertension is emerging as a major public health concern due to worsening lifestyle habits.

High blood pressure is a “silent killer” that is rapidly increasing among India’s youth because of unhealthy lifestyle changes, the minister said.

Hypertension Rising Rapidly Among Young Indians

Ahead of World Hypertension Day 2026, Jadhav noted that the condition often progresses without visible symptoms and can eventually lead to severe complications such as heart attacks and strokes.

“In today’s time, it is essential that we make our communities more sensitive and aware and strengthen awareness about hypertension. Due to changing lifestyles and reduced attention to physical and mental health, hypertension is rapidly increasing even among the youth,” Jadhav said in a video message during the ‘Illness to Wellness Conference on Transforming Hypertension Care: Prevention to Wellness’ organized in the national capital.

He highlighted that the Government of India, under the National Program for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NPCDCS), is actively promoting population-based screening, early detection, and management through Health and Wellness Centers across the country.

Modern Lifestyle Habits Increasing Hypertension Risk

Prof. Rakesh Yadav, Cardiologist and head of the Department of Emergency Medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, stated that once known to be the disease of the elderly, hypertension is now more common among the youth. The reason — lifestyle changes, the experts said.

“The biggest problem is that despite increasing awareness, people still do not monitor their blood pressure regularly or continue treatment consistently. Hypertension is no longer limited to the affluent or elderly; it is now affecting all sections of society, including children and young adults,” said Prof. Rakesh Yadav, Cardiologist and head of the Department of Emergency Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi.

“Obesity remains one of the major underlying causes, and regular monitoring of blood pressure and sugar levels, affordable lifelong medication, healthy dietary practices, and weight management are essential to reducing mortality associated with hypertension and related diseases,” he added.

In India, more than 1 in 4 people have hypertension, and cumulatively, more than 90% of adults with hypertension are either undiagnosed, untreated, or treated but live with uncontrolled hypertension.

Experts at the conference also pointed out that modern lifestyles marked by long working hours, constant connectivity, poor sleep, sedentary habits, and rising stress levels are significantly contributing to the growing burden of hypertension and other lifestyle disorders.

Another major concern, they said, is that many people tend to ignore early symptoms until complications arise, negatively affecting treatment outcomes.

“Hypertension is one of the biggest public health challenges today because most people do not take it seriously until complications arise. Nearly one in four adults is affected by hypertension, yet awareness and blood pressure control remain very low,” said Dr. Ripen Gupta, Vice Chairman & Unit Head - Cardiology, Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.

Rajesh Bhushan, Former Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, said high blood pressure is not limited to urban populations and is increasingly affecting youth in rural India as well.

“The problem of hypertension is as prevalent in rural India as it is in urban India, but because we live in metro cities, we often believe it is only an urban problem. Early detection is extremely important because without early detection, early treatment becomes difficult,” Bhushan said.

Experts Stress Early Detection And Preventive Care

Bushan stated that non-communicable diseases impact GDP significantly across countries, and therefore, prevention and timely intervention are critical.

Hypertension should never be taken lightly, said Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Chairperson, FICCI Medical Education Task Force and Medical Director, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre. He urged people to follow medical advice seriously to avoid long-term complications.

The doctors called for critical lifestyle interventions for prevention and management. This included:

• annual BP screening,
• aerobic exercise,
• resistance training,
• reduced desk time,
• proper sleep,
• yoga,
• meditation,
• monitoring BMI and waist circumference.