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.

The liver is one of the body’s most dependable organs, quietly doing its job in the background every single day. It handles over 500 essential functions—from filtering out toxins and producing key proteins to helping with digestion through bile and keeping your metabolism running smoothly. Most of the time, it does all of this without demanding attention.

For years, liver disease has largely been associated with alcohol. But today, a quieter and increasingly common condition is coming into focus: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), or steatosis. Closely linked to the way we live today, it is affecting a growing number of people, often without any clear warning signs. At the heart of this shift are three closely linked factors: ongoing stress, everyday eating habits that have slowly gone off track, and a noticeable drop in physical activity.

Stress, though often brushed aside, has a real and lasting impact on metabolic health. When the body is constantly in a “fight or flight” mode, cortisol levels stay high. Over time, this often shows up as fat, especially around the abdomen, while also affecting how the body handles insulin. As cells become less responsive, insulin levels rise, and the excess glucose is eventually stored as fat. This fat doesn’t just remain visible; it can quietly accumulate in the liver and begin to interfere with how it works. At the same time, persistent low-grade inflammation creates a setting where the condition can slowly worsen over time.

Diet plays an important role as well. Regularly eating processed foods, refined carbs, and added sugars can quietly tip the body into a calorie surplus, slowly straining its metabolic balance. Fructose—commonly found in sweetened drinks and packaged foods—is largely processed by the liver, putting even more pressure on it over time. When consumed in excess, it pushes the body to convert more sugar into fat, which then starts building up within liver cells over time.

A sedentary lifestyle only adds to this, often without us even realizing it. Because there is little mobility, the body becomes inefficient in using fats and carbohydrates. Over time, weight gain occurs, the body develops insulin resistance, and fatty deposits begin to form in the liver.

Sleep, which is usually ignored, is crucial. If there is insufficient or poor-quality sleep, the body’s circadian rhythm will be disrupted, as well as hormones like ghrelin and leptin, which regulate feelings of hunger and fullness. This increases food consumption and reduces energy expenditure, enabling fat deposition.

The hardest thing about NAFLD is that it is a silent disease. In the first stages of NAFLD, there will be no symptoms felt by the patient. This condition is often diagnosed incidentally when patients undergo physical checkups. Thus, untreated steatosis would eventually turn into NASH, wherein inflammation and injury of liver cells occur. The process then proceeds to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and in severe cases, transplantation of the liver.

The reassuring part is that NAFLD can often be reversed when caught early. In many cases, it comes down to simple, steady choices, eating balanced meals with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, and staying physically active. Small habits like managing stress through mindfulness or yoga, and getting enough sleep, can make a real difference to metabolic health.

For those at higher risk, including people with obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol, regular health check-ups become especially important. Spotting the condition early gives you a chance to act before it moves into more serious stages.

The liver, after all, keeps working quietly in the background every single day. Looking after it doesn’t require anything extreme, just consistent, everyday choices that add up over time.

Right now, days' stress no longer comes in bouts; bouts have been turned to a continual rhythm. Deadlines, working overtime, staring at computer screens, lack of sleep, and daily tensions, together with environmental pollution, have resulted in what physicians have started to call the "always stressed" generation. Things like cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone, which is linked to changes in female fertility, albeit subtly, are being blamed more and more nowadays.

Is cortisol making women infertile?

In an interview with Health and Me, Dr. Rubina Pandit, Fertility Specialist, Nova IVF Fertility, Basaveshwaranagar, spoke about the impact of cortisol on fertility in women.

Cortisol is a great help when the body is responding to stress. Among other functions, it regulates energy, metabolism, and immunity. The trouble begins with stress that is sustained for a long time and cortisol levels that remain high continuously. Then it starts to cause disruptions to reproductive health.

The latest studies conducted in 2025 and 2026 indicate that stress over a long period may affect the hormonal balance required for ovulation. A high level of cortisol also changes the brain signals that are responsible for the regulation of the ovaries and that can cause irregular periods or even absence of ovulation. In other words, chances for natural conception will be diminished if ovulation doesn't occur regularly.

More intriguingly, recent research has discovered some new findings about the impacts of stress on infertility. According to a 2026 study, cortisol hormone levels could modify the uterine environment and influence the genes that facilitate embryo attachment and development. In this case, the effect of stress could not only affect ovulation but also interfere with the successful growth of fertilised embryos.

Infertility and chronic stress: The link explained

Another area of study that researchers have focused on is the possible connection between infertility and chronic stress. Recent scientific studies suggest that women under constant stress have markers that signal reduced ovarian functioning. Moreover, prolonged stress is known to negatively affect sleep, libido, and even romantic relationships of couples.

That said, it is worth mentioning that stress is unlikely to be the only reason for infertility issues. However, stress usually exacerbates all other reproductive problems and makes them very hard to manage. The emotional load is, in fact, one of the least acknowledged side effects of stress. A lot of women who are treated for fertility issues complain about being stressed. And due to this stress, some of them even give up on their treatment. This is a direct indication that mental health and fertility work in tandem.

The main point is that fertility is more than just hormones or medical intervention; it is the overall well-being that matters. Changing stress levels by having good sleep, exercising regularly, practicing mindfulness, or even getting professional help can have a great impact. In a generation that is always switched on, learning how to slow down might be one of the most important steps toward improving fertility.

Spending hours at work is one thing, but spending countless hours at the same desk just to meet deadlines is a habit that not only takes a toll on mental health but also on physical well-being. That being said, the rising incidence of spine problems is concerning—once a problem of the elderly, it is now affecting younger people as well. However, due to the age factor, several people tend to ignore spine problems, but they continue to worsen silently. In such a scenario, early and regular health checks can help prevent pain, stiffness, and long-term disability.

Dr Harshal Bamb, Senior Consultant and Spine Surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, listed some of the key tests for the spine that can help with the early diagnosis of health problems. It is time to focus on spine health and improve quality of life.

Why have spine problems become common?

Currently, many people are struggling with spine problems. With long working hours, poor posture, excessive screen time, and a lack of physical activity, spine-related problems can steal peace of mind. Spine problems are conditions that affect the bones, discs, nerves, or muscles of the back and neck. These may include issues such as muscle strain, slipped or herniated discs, cervical or lumbar spondylosis, and spinal deformities such as scoliosis that can interfere with daily activities.

What are the symptoms of spine problems?

It is essential to seek help for signs and symptoms such as back or neck pain, stiffness, tingling or numbness in the arms or legs, reduced flexibility, and difficulty in standing or sitting for long periods. In more severe cases, it can also lead to weakness or nerve compression in patients. Timely awareness and routine checks can help prevent complications such as immobility, pain, nerve damage, and posture problems. If left untreated, spine problems can impact quality of life.

Health tests that can help diagnose spine problems

Dr Bamb, in an interview with Health and Me, spoke about the key spine health checks that can be helpful for people dealing with severe pain and strain.

1. Posture check: The expert will examine regular sitting and standing posture, especially during work hours. So, if you have back pain due to poor posture, then seek immediate help. Posture evaluation is important for everyone.
2. Pain monitoring: The expert will track any recurring back or neck pain instead of ignoring it.
3. Flexibility test: Check your ability to bend, twist, and move without discomfort. Do the range of motion (ROM) test as suggested by the doctor.
4. Nerve symptoms check: Watch for tingling, numbness, or weakness in the limbs. A neurological examination (sensory and motor assessment) will be conducted.

Evaluating lifestyle habits such as long sitting hours, obesity, and lack of exercise is also key to understanding spine health. Spine risk assessment or even musculoskeletal risk screening is also important. So, take these tests and keep your spine healthy.

Just like regular health check-ups for the heart, joint and spine check-ups are also important. Maintaining good posture, staying active, stretching, exercising daily, and seeking timely medical advice can help to protect the spine. Do not engage in strenuous activities mindlessly and pay attention to your spine.