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.

Chickenpox vaccines in UK is now available for all young children on the NHS. This is the first time such protection against chickenpox has been offered. The vaccine will combine with the existing MMR jab, which is given at 12 and 18 month of age that is already known to protect against measles, mumps and rubella. Children up to the age of six can catch up on doses when invited.

What Is The New Chickenpox Vaccine?

The new vaccine is called the MMRV vaccine, where the V stands for varicella, this is another name for chickenpox. It is also expected to reduce the many thousands of families affected by the infection each year and prevent the most severe cases. As of now, parents would have to pay £200 to buy a vaccine privately to protect their children.

From January 1, the MMRV vaccine was introduced into the standard list of children's vaccinations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Scotland announcing a rollout start date in early January.

How Common Is Chickenpox?

Chickenpox is very common among young children. Some of the common symptoms include itchiness, spotty rash which blisters then scabs over. Children could feel unwell for several days along with fever and muscle aches.

"For some babies, young children and even adults, chickenpox can be very serious, leading to hospital admission and tragically, while rare, it can be fatal," said Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, deputy director of immunization at the UK Health Security Agency.

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella zoster virus, which is why the letter “V” has now been added to the standard MMR vaccine. The illness mainly affects children, but anyone can catch it at any age.

Also Read: NHS Rolls Out Chickenpox Vaccine For Kids— What Parents Should Know

During the pandemic, chickenpox cases fell sharply due to lockdowns and reduced social contact. As a result, experts believe natural immunity to the virus across the population remains lower than usual.

Although uncommon, complications can include serious bacterial infections such as group A streptococcus, brain swelling known as encephalitis, lung inflammation called pneumonitis, and even strokes. Very young babies under four weeks old face a higher risk of severe illness, as do adults who have never had chickenpox before.

Why Is The NHS Rolling It Out Now?

Until now, chickenpox vaccination was not routinely offered to all children because of long-standing concerns about shingles. Shingles is caused by the same virus, which can lie dormant in the nervous system for years before reactivating later in life, often when immunity weakens due to age, illness, or stress.

In 2009, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization decided against a nationwide rollout, fearing it could increase shingles cases among middle-aged adults. At the time, it was thought that natural exposure to chickenpox helped protect against shingles later on. More recent research from the United States, however, has challenged and largely dismissed that theory, paving the way for the NHS decision.

Micro-habits. What are they? Many claim that these micro-habits can, in fact transform your life. Every new year, we come up with goals and ambitions, while some changes could be long lasting ones, some are small, almost like mundane habits. These habits are not much demanding, but they can fit into your lives seamlessly and change your life, for good.

They do not bring instant transformation, but could help you stay healthier and in fact, live longer.

Here are some micro-habits that you too can adopt.

Movement

Ensure that movement is non-negotiable in your plan. There have been many studies that say that you no longer need 10,000 steps to achieve your fitness goal. In fact, 4,000 steps per day could help you stay fitter. Your fitness journey could start by ensuing that you ensure your body is under movement, whether it is step count, light stretching between meeting and long hour at desk or ditching that escalator or elevator for stairs.

Light Is A Must

Make sure you give expose yourself to enough light. Natural light is important for your body's circadian rhythm. This also supports better sleep, better mood and sharper focus.

Coffee, But Timely

Your body has cortisol that is naturally released in the morning. This hormone helps you to wake up. However, drinking coffee too early could interfere this rhythm, and you may find yourself crashing later in the day. Make sure you drink water and keep yourself hydrated.

Mindful Eating

Ensure that whenever you are having a meal, you are eating without distraction. This also helps you regulate your appetite and you become more aware of your hunger as your body is better able to give the fullness cues.

A Set Bedtime

Try to ensure consistency of when you sleep. If you sleep at the same time each night, it can help you strengthen your circadian rhythm. This consistency will also affect your mood, concentration and energy. The best part, this will help you avoid the social jetlag.

Read: Not Boarded Any Flight And Still Monday Feels Like A Jetlag? You Are Not Alone

Breakaway From Alcohol

While there is no safe limit for alcohol consumption, if you are pressured about long-term leaving alcohol, try to give yourself a break. Try a 7-day no alcohol week, every now and then.

Listen To Your Cravings

If you are craving something salty, chances are your body lacks magnesium. There are many ways that craving tells you a lot about your body. Ensure that you run a full-body check to know what your body lacks. Fulfill these lacks with supplements, however, do make sure that these supplements are prescribed by your GP.

Read Labels

Mindful eating also comes when you start reading the labels of the food items you are buying. This way, you can know what you are putting in your gut system. Pay special attention for added sugars, processed food, and more.

Keep Your Gut-health Healthy

Go for pro-biotics, easy breakfasts like fermented rice, yogurt, khimchi and more. There are many studies that show the connection between gut health and rest of the body. If you keep your gut healthy, you will keep your body healthy too.

Timely Screening

A routine screening would help you stay one-step ahead of any disease. The key is that early diagnosis could cure the disease sooner without reducing the quality of life.

Hundreds of thousands of children are set to receive an additional vaccine under the NHS routine childhood immunisation programme. Health officials have confirmed it will be given alongside the existing MMR jab, which protects children in England against measles, mumps and rubella.

Chicken pox Vaccine Starts By NHS

The decision follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and will see the current MMR jab replaced with a combined MMRV vaccine. This single injection protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Studies estimate that chickenpox in childhood leads to around £24 million a year in lost earnings and productivity across the UK. Alongside reducing this impact, the rollout is expected to save the NHS about £15 million each year in treatment costs linked to the illness.

Dr Claire Fuller, National Medical Director for NHS England, said: “This marks a very positive step for children and families, offering protection against chickenpox for the first time and strengthening the range of routine vaccinations we already give to help shield children from serious diseases.

“From now on, the combined vaccine covering measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox will be offered at children’s routine vaccination appointments. This will help keep children healthier, prevent illness caused by these highly infectious viruses, and support the NHS shift from treating sickness to preventing it, while keeping more children safe and in school.”

Recent figures show that around half of children will have chickenpox by the age of four, with nine in ten catching it before they turn ten. Children who develop chickenpox are usually advised to stay away from school until all spots have crusted over, which typically happens about five days after the rash appears.

With the new vaccine in place, fewer children are expected to miss time at nursery or school. This should also reduce the amount of work parents need to take off to look after them.

Who Can Get The Chickenpox Vaccine On The NHS?

Protection against chickenpox is being offered through a new combined vaccine known as MMRV, which replaces the existing MMR jab. The MMRV vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, the virus that causes chickenpox.

• Children born after 1 January 2026 will automatically be offered two doses of the MMRV vaccine, given at 12 months and again at 18 months.
• A catch-up programme will also provide one or two doses for older children, depending on when they were born:
• children born on or after 1 January 2025 will be offered two doses, one at 12 months and one at 18 months
• children born between 1 July 2024 and 31 December 2024 will be offered two doses, one at 18 months and another at 3 years and 4 months
• children born between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2024 will be offered one dose at 3 years and 4 months
• children born between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2022 will be offered a single dose later in 2026
• GP practices will contact families directly to arrange vaccination appointments when they are due.

How Does The New Chickenpox Vaccination Work?

Specialists say adding the varicella vaccine to the NHS childhood immunisation schedule will significantly cut the number of people who get chickenpox, resulting in far fewer severe cases.

While the vaccine does not guarantee lifelong immunity, it greatly lowers the chances of catching chickenpox or developing a serious form of the illness. Serious side effects, including severe allergic reactions, are extremely uncommon.

The vaccine is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened form of the chickenpox virus. Because of this, it is not recommended for people with weakened immune systems due to conditions such as HIV or treatments like chemotherapy.

The change brings the UK in line with countries that already include routine chickenpox vaccination, such as Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States.

In the past, there were concerns that vaccinating children against chickenpox could lead to an increase in shingles later in life, but a large long-term study from the US has since shown this is not the case.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government, recommended the introduction of the MMRV vaccine for all children in November 2023.

The government confirmed plans to roll out the MMRV vaccine in August 2025, after new figures showed that none of England’s main childhood vaccinations reached the 95 percent uptake target in 2024 to 2025.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, 91.9 percent of five-year-olds had received one dose of the MMR vaccine. This figure was unchanged from 2023 to 2024 and remains the lowest level recorded since 2010 to 2011.