The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

Lizzo, American singer and rapper, has always been open about her body and now, her body transformation. In fact, she has openly credited part of her transformation to GLP-1 medication, when she was asked whether she had ever used Ozempic.

"I tried everything," she said in an interview with Trisha Paytas' "Just Trish" podcast.

What Was Lizzo's Weight-loss Journey Like?

Lizzo, 37, has been open about her body transformation, and has in fact shared her weight loss journey publicly to her fans via social media over the last couple of years. In January, she revealed that she had dropped 16% of body fat and lowered her body mass index or BMI by 10.5 since January 2023.

Apart from weight loss drugs, she had also credited her transformation to changing her eating habits and exercising for weight loss.

On Paytas' podcast, Lizzo said, "It's just the science for me- calories in versus calories out. Ozempic works because you eat less food. That's it. It makes you feel full. If you can just do that on your own - mind over matter - it is the same thing."

Two years ago, Lizzo had begun her "intentional" journey to transform her body and in January she celebrated hitting her goal weight.

"I did it," she wrote on her Instagram. "Today when I stepped on my scale, I reached my weight release goal. I haven’t seen this number since 2014! Let this be a reminder you can do anything you put your mind to. Time for new goals!"

Lizzo also told Paytas that while she never felt that doors were closed for her when she was bigger, as she walked down the red carpet at the Met Gala. She felt like her life has improved over the last couple years where she spent on losing weight and achieving her weight goals.

“I feel like I worked really, really hard. It was intentional, what I did with my body. So when I get compliments, I’m like, ‘Thanks, b*tch!’ I really receive it because I need to receive that. I don’t take it any weird way,” she said. “I worked so hard for it. The people who compliment me see me working hard for it — they see me in my calorie [deficit], they see me exercising every day, walking.”

"I do think believe I look good. Everything in my life kind of elevated. It was not just releasing the weight. It was just where I was at in my life, my team. I do feel like I am the baddest. No matter what size, at this point in my life, I am on another level," she said.

What Else Worked Along With Her Weight Loss Journey?

Lizzo also talked about how changing eating habits really helped her. She also talked about some of her new eating habits during a TikTok live. She revealed that she starts with her day with something "super savory" and lets go the "sugary stuff".

She said, if it is something sweet, it has to be with some "sort of like carb. I will have like almond butter and toast."

She also once shared that she used to consume "two to three" large Starbucks drinks a day, which would mean that she drank around 12,000 calories daily. She said that she gave up drinking that after she realized how much calories she was consuming. She also said that giving up coffee also helped her to regulate her nervous system.

Finally, she also praised her skincare routine and Invisalign treatment to make her look her best.

World Thrombosis Day is a global healthcare awareness day, celebrated on October 13 of each year to increase awareness about thrombosis, including what causes it, the risk factors, indications, symptoms and new treatments.

World Thrombosis Day 2025 Theme

The theme for World Thrombosis Day 2025 is "From Head to Toe, Take Control: Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health".

This theme emphasizes the full-body approach to preventing blood clots and highlights the links between thrombosis and chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The campaign aims to empower individuals to take proactive steps for prevention.

World Thrombosis Day Origin

World Thrombosis Day was founded by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) in 2014, to raise global awareness on this condition and its prevention. This day was also founded to aim to educate the public and the healthcare professionals about blood clots, reduce premature deaths and disability, and promote actions against thrombosis.

Importance of World Thrombosis Day 2025

Before we understand the importance of this day, we must understand what does thrombosis really mean.

What Is thrombosis?

Thromboembolism is a vascular disorder that occurs when a blood vessel becomes blocked by an embolus—a fragment that breaks away from a blood clot. The initial clot formation within a vessel is known as thrombosis. This can happen in veins or arteries, such as in deep vein thrombosis (venous) or coronary artery thrombosis (arterial).

Once a clot forms, it can slow or completely block blood flow and may even travel to vital organs, causing severe complications. Thrombosis is the preventable root cause behind three of the leading cardiovascular killers—venous thromboembolism (VTE), heart attacks, and thromboembolic strokes.

Blood clots can develop in people of any age, gender, or ethnicity, though certain health conditions and risk factors can increase their likelihood. Patients treated with anticoagulants for VTE face about 7.2 major bleeding events and 1.31 fatal bleeding events per 100 person-years, with a 13.4% fatality rate in major bleeding cases.

The annual incidence of venous thromboembolism—which includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)—varies with age: around 1 in 100,000 among children, 1 in 10,000 in reproductive-age adults, 1 in 1,000 in middle age, and 1 in 100 among the elderly. Reported rates show pulmonary embolism affects 29–48 per 100,000 person-years, while deep vein thrombosis occurs in 45–117 per 100,000 person-years.

With one in four people worldwide dying from thrombosis or blood clots, World Thrombosis Day aims to raise awareness about this often-overlooked but urgent global health concern.

What Are Some of The Tips To Prevent Blood Clots or Thrombus?

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Staying active by doing exercise & yoga
• Staying hydrated
• Quitting smoking
• Wearing compression stockings
• Taking breaks during travelling
• Limiting sodium intake

The entire month of October is observed as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and today, on October 13, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day is observed.

What Exactly Does Metastatic Breast Cancer Mean?

Metastatic breast cancer, also known as stage IV breast cancer, is a form of the disease where cancer cells have spread from the breast to distant parts of the body, most commonly the bones, liver, lungs, or brain. While there is no cure, treatments like chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy can help manage symptoms, slow the disease's progression, and improve quality of life. Symptoms vary depending on the area affected but can include bone pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and headaches.

The day is specifically recognized in the US as a day to promote awareness around breast cancer. In fact, on this day 300 monuments across all 50 states lit up and a dozen other countries from around the world also light up in green, pink, and teal. These are the colors of breast cancer awareness ribbon.

Why Is It Important?

It is an international health campaign that aims to promote screening and reduce the risk of the disease. Breast cancer impacts around 2.3 million women worldwide.

Through this day and the entire month that is dedicated to awareness, people and organizations can:

• support people diagnosed with breast cancer, including those with metastatic breast cancer
• educate people about breast cancer risk factors
• encourage women to go for regular breast cancer screening starting at age 40 or earlier, depending on personal breast cancer risk
• raise money for breast cancer research

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day Importance

About 168,000 women in the US are estimated to have metastatic breast cancer. There are research and studies that show this number will rise to over 246,000 by 2030. Despite the growing numbers of people living with metastatic disease, most money for breast cancer research doesn’t go toward studying it.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day thus seeks to educate the public about the challenges that people with metastatic breast cancer face and the need for more research, and more treatments — for this deadly disease.

Is There A Theme For Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day?

While there is no specific theme for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, the day focuses on early diagnosis and on the support group that many patients need once they are diagnosed.

Themes often emphasize the unique experiences of patients with metastatic disease and the urgent need for support and a greater understanding of this advanced stage of cancer.

In fact, this year's theme for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month is also 'Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters'. This emphasizes on personalized stories of the ones who battled or are battling cancer, as no two patients journey through cancer is the same.