Weight loss is usually considered a good thing, unexpected and extreme weight loss can be a sign of something in your body going very wrong. There could be some underlying issues that are causing your body to pull weight and nutrition from your muscles and body fat to keep you going. As you grow old, your limbs grow weaker, and same for your muscles, so you do lose some weight as you age, but losing a lot of it too quickly could be a sign of something much worse, Dementia. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open 2025 Cardiometabolic Trajectories Preceding Dementia in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals, has identified potential early indicators of dementia, including significant weight loss and specific digestive changes, appearing years before noticeable cognitive decline.

The study showed that people who later got dementia had their Body Mass Index, or BMI, go down faster than those who stayed healthy. BMI is a way to see if someone's weight is healthy for their height. This drop in BMI started happening many years before they were told they had dementia, sometimes as early as 11 years ago. Also, these people often started with a lower BMI to begin with. So, even though everyone's weight might change a little as they get older, the people who developed dementia had a much bigger and faster weight loss.

What Are Some Other Indicators Of Dementia?

Along with their BMI, the size of their waist also changed. People who ended up with dementia had smaller waist sizes, and this difference was noticeable about 10 years before they were diagnosed. This means that their bodies were changing in ways that showed up long before they or their doctors noticed any problems. So, not only was there weight loss, but also a loss of abdominal fat. This measurement is important because fat around the waist can be related to other health issues.

The study also found changes in their blood. Specifically, the "good" cholesterol, called HDL, went up in people who developed dementia. This increase happened about five years before they were diagnosed. It's tricky because HDL is usually seen as a good thing for your heart. But in this case, it seems like it might be a sign of changes happening in the brain. Scientists are still trying to understand why this happens.

Weight Loss Doesn’t Cause Dementia, Dementia Causes Weight Loss

When we see that people with dementia lose weight, it's easy to think that the weight loss is what caused dementia. But experts think it's the other way around. They call this "reverse causation." This means that the brain changes that cause dementia also cause people to lose weight. The brain changes can affect things like appetite, how the body uses food, and how people go about their daily lives. For example, people might forget to eat, have trouble making meals, or move around less.

While the study revealed a lot about different indicators of dementia and bodily changes, there are many limitations to the study. Everyone loses some weight as they get older. So, it's hard to know when weight loss is just a normal part of aging and when it's a sign of dementia. The study found that people with dementia lost weight faster, but it's still tricky to tell the difference in everyday life. Doctors need to look at other things, like memory tests, to figure out if someone's weight loss is a cause for concern.

If someone is losing weight without trying, and they're also having problems with their memory or thinking, it's important to talk to a doctor. It's not just about the weight loss; it's about the whole picture.

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.

What Is Endometrial Cancer?

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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.

How Endometrial Cancer Occurs?

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.

Poor Lifestyle A Major Risk Factor

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".

Can Endometrial Cancer Be Detected In Time?

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

• postmenopausal bleeding,
• irregular periods,
• unusual discharge.

How To Prevent?

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.

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.

No Universal Safe Threshold

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.

Rethinking The "Heart Health" Narrative

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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.

Alcohol Linked To 62 Disorders

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:

• Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases
• Mental and behavioral disorders
• Diseases of the nervous system
• Diseases of the circulatory system, such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Digestive diseases
• Alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis

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."

Global Burden Remains High

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.

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.

Potential New Tool For Cancer Prevention

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."

GLP-1 Shows Promise For Multiple Cancers

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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.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

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Recognizing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer can help ensure a prompt diagnosis. Breast cancer can cause a wide array of symptoms, including:

• Pain in the breast
• A lump or thickening of tissue in the breast or underarm
• An unexplained change in the size or shape of the breast
• Suddenly asymmetrical breasts
• Irritation in the breast skin
• Redness or warmth in the breast skin
• A change in the texture of the breast skin (often featuring a thick, pitted appearance resembling an orange peel).