Former US President Joe Biden's office confirmed on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Earlier, a small nodule was found in his prostate gland, however, not much had been revealed about his medical evaluation.

It was last week when Biden went to see the doctors after urinary symptoms and prostate nodule was found. He was then diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, and the cancer cells have spread to the bone.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management," his office said. "The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

How Is the Aggressiveness Of Prostate Cancer Graded?

The aggressiveness of prostate cancers is graded on the basis of Gleason scores. These scores range between 2 to 10, with 8,9,and 10 behaving more aggressively. Biden's office confirmed that his score was 9, suggesting that his cancer is the most aggressive.

The Gleason score works on the basis of the lower scores indicating slower growth and spread, and higher scores suggesting more aggressive disease.

Like Biden's cancer cells have spread to his bones, it is common for prostate cancer to spread to other parts of the body, especially to bones. Metastasized cancer is more difficult to treat than localized cancer because it's challenging for medication to reach every tumor and eliminate the disease entirely.

However, in cases like President Biden’s, where prostate cancer relies on hormones to grow, treatments that block or reduce hormone levels can be effective in targeting the tumors.

Dr Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Brigham Cancer Center told the US News, "It is very treatable, but not curable. Most men in this situation would be treated with drugs and would not be advised to have either surgery or radiation therapy."

At the age of 82, Biden's health has been a topic of concern. During his presidency, he had a 'cancerous' skin lesion removed from his chest. In February 2023, the White House in a statement said that the skin tissue was removed and after biopsy it was revealed to be cancerous.

How Common Is Prostate Cancer In Men?

As per the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. The National Institutes of Health notes that 50% of men between 70 to 80 years of age also showed histological evidence of malignancy.

While it is not clear what causes prostate cancer, healthcare professional have often found that age, obesity and a family history of prostate cancer could increase the chances of being diagnosed with it.

What Happens In Prostate Cancer?

As per Urology Care Foundation, prostate cancer develops when abnormal cells form and grow in the prostate gland. Not all abnormal growths, also called tumors, are cancerous. Some are benign growth and are not life threatening. They also do not spread to nearby tissue or other parts of the body.

Whereas cancerous growths can spread to nearby organs and tissues, as in the case of Biden.

What Have Been The Reaction On Biden's Diagnosis?

The current US President and a long time opponent Donald Trump posted on social media that he was saddened by the news and "we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery."

Kamala Harris also posted on social media that she was keeping him and in her family's "hearts and prayers during this time." She wrote: "Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership."

Covid is again making headlines as Singapore experiences a significance surge in COVID-19 cases. The spike has been concerning as the number of cases rose from the week of April 27 to May 3 to 14,200 cases, as compared to 11,100 cases in the last week.

As per the Ministry of Health, the spike in cases is attributed to the new variant which may be on the loose - LF.7 and NB.1.8. These two are descendants of the JN.1 variant.

The cases have also spiked in Hong Kong. Thus Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said that the rising COVID activity reached a 1-year high and have urged people to take precautions and receive an initial dose of COVID vaccine as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Health, Singapore, informed, ""LF.7 and NB.1.8 are the main Covid-19 variants circulating in Signapore." They are the descendants of the JN.1 variant that is used in COVID-19 vaccines.

"At precent, LF.7 and NB.1.8 are the main COVID-19 variants circulating in Singapore, together accounting for more than two-thirds of locally sequenced cases. JN.1 is also the variant used in the formulation of the current COVID-19 vaccines," said Ministry in the statement.

What Are The Symptoms Of This New Variant?

The symptoms which are associated with this current Covid wave are a bit different from what we have seen before. While cough and sore throat are there, the symptoms also include nausea, vomiting, brain fog, and conjunctivitis.

The symptoms however are mild. The experts have for now asked people to monitor their health and seek medical attention in case it is required.

In Hong Kong, the situation seems serious as the experts have warned that "the virus activity is quite high". As of May 3, 31 deaths were reported among 81 severe Covid cases. 83% of the people infected were those above the age of 65.

In a press release, the Ministry of Health said, "Individuals at increases risk of severe COVID-19, such as those aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals or residents of aged care facilities, are recommended to keep updated with vaccinations, i.e. to receive an additional dose around one year after their last dose. Healthcare workers and persons living or working with medically vulnerable individuals are also encouraged to receive the vaccine. Other individuals aged six months and above who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can continue to do so."

Sewage samples showed a rise in viral load, accompanied by an increase in respiratory samples testing positive for Covid-19. Meanwhile, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control reported two cluster outbreaks in 2025.

The public has also been advised to practice the standard precautions, including mask-wearing in crowded places, regular handwashing, and staying at home when unwell.

Should India Be Concerned?

As reported in Medical Buyer, Sabine Kapasi, advisor, public health and healthcare services, strategist, United Nations COVID-19 Task Force, said India's Covid situation is relatively stable, with a low number of active cases. "States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu are testing more due to their higher case loads," she noted.

As per the data from COVID-19 dashboard, more than 85% of new cases, which makes 46 out of 58 cases in India, have come from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.

As the American public grows increasingly health-conscious, a crucial question looms large: are our food systems transparent and safe enough to protect us from long-term disease? With growing awareness of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), harmful food additives, and chemical-laden packaging, the conversation around food recalls, labelling, and transparency has never been more critical. The latest scientific evidence paints a sobering picture food safety in the U.S. may be less about bacterial contamination and more about everyday chemical exposure.

So, will greater transparency and tighter regulations around food ingredients and packaging finally steer America toward a healthier path? Let’s take a closer look at the problem and what it will take to fix it.

The foods we consume daily are often far from natural. Ultra-processed foods—ready meals, packaged snacks, sauces, candies, and sodas are typically manufactured using artificial colorings, preservatives, stabilizers, and sweeteners. But recent findings go beyond nutritional shortcomings, pointing to a far more insidious threat: toxic synthetic chemicals leaching into food from packaging and processing equipment.

A study published in Nature Medicine revealed that UPFs may be contaminated with thousands of harmful substances, including bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, microplastics, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), also known as "forever chemicals." These chemicals are linked to cancer, infertility, asthma, obesity, birth defects, and even neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.

Worryingly, many of these chemicals enter food not because they’re ingredients but through the packaging or industrial equipment used during manufacturing. “The more processed a food is, the greater its burden of synthetic chemicals,” the study authors warned.

Is Eco-Friendly Packaging A False Promise?

There’s been a push toward environmentally friendly packaging solutions, such as recycled plastic and paperboard. However, this trend may carry unintended health consequences.

Researchers from the Food Packaging Forum Foundation in Switzerland caution that recycling plastics intensifies chemical concentrations. Their review suggests that reused or recycled packaging materials often leach more toxins into food—particularly when food is stored long-term or reheated in its packaging, as is common with ready-to-eat meals.

Black plastic kitchen utensils and takeaway containers have been found to contain fireproofing chemicals, which are linked to a host of chronic health problems. The notion that eco-friendly automatically means health-friendly is now being called into question.

What is Loophole That Keeps Dangerous Additives on Shelves?

One of the most glaring issues in food safety regulation lies in the GRAS loophole—a 1958 amendment that permits food manufacturers to bypass FDA safety approval if an ingredient is "Generally Recognized As Safe."

Originally intended for common kitchen ingredients like salt and pepper, the GRAS clause has been exploited by big food corporations. Since 1997, nearly 1,000 food additives have entered the U.S. market without FDA oversight. Even more alarming, the majority of safety evaluations for GRAS substances are conducted by in-house scientists or consultants hired by food manufacturers, creating a significant conflict of interest.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has initiated a move to phase out petroleum-based dyes. Yet critics argue this should only be the beginning. To restore consumer trust and protect public health, the FDA must urgently revisit and regulate the GRAS pathway.

Microplastics in Our Blood and Brains

Plastic is now omnipresent—not just in our oceans but in our bodies. Recent research found that 98% of Americans have PFASs in their bloodstream, while microplastics have been detected in the lungs, brain, placenta, and arteries.

In a 2024 study, Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan from Case Western Reserve University found that microplastics in arteries were closely associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. "The particles looked quite nasty," he explained. “Jagged, sharp-edged—very similar to cholesterol plaques.”

These findings are a chilling reminder that food packaging is not a trivial matter. It's a public health issue that affects all demographics, regardless of diet, location, or socioeconomic status.

Can Transparency and Recalls Turn the Tide?

Increased transparency in food labeling—clearly indicating not only nutritional information but chemical exposure levels—would empower consumers to make better decisions. The introduction of food recalls based on chemical contamination, not just bacterial outbreaks, would also serve as a meaningful deterrent to negligent manufacturers.

Currently, food recalls are reactive rather than preventive. Most happen after illnesses or lawsuits, rather than proactive regulation. But if the U.S. food industry prioritized chemical transparency, third-party testing, and label disclosures, it could reduce chronic disease risk and restore consumer confidence.

Fixing this systemic issue won't be easy, but the road to national health recovery is clear. Reforming outdated laws like GRAS, holding manufacturers accountable, banning high-risk chemicals in food packaging, and mandating clearer food labels are essential steps.

Moreover, public health campaigns must educate people on the hidden dangers of ultra-processed foods—not just their calories and sugar but their chemical load. In a food economy dominated by speed, shelf life, and profit margins, these changes will require strong political will, corporate responsibility, and consumer demand.

As the scientific evidence mounts, one truth becomes undeniable: what’s in our food—and what surrounds it—matters. America’s health crisis isn’t just a problem of portion size or poor choices. It’s a structural issue rooted in loopholes, lax oversight, and a lack of transparency.

For years, type 2 diabetes has been viewed as a metabolic disorder rooted in lifestyle habits, obesity, and insulin resistance. But a new study, released in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, is challenging that underlying wisdom. In a stunning reversal, researchers have discovered that certain neurons in the brain specifically Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons in the hypothalamus could play an important role in the onset and resolution of type 2 diabetes.

This finding opens the door to an innovative treatment strategy- conditioning the brain to control blood sugar levels, perhaps without changing weight or food consumption. It's a breakthrough that can reimagine how the global medical community treats this chronic illness that plagues more than 400 million people around the world.

Up to this point, the brain was not thought to play a central role in type 2 diabetes pathology. However, investigators at UW Medicine have demonstrated that a hyperactive population of neurons, AgRP neurons found in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus disproportionately contribute to driving hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose).

Dr. Michael Schwartz, lead author on the study and a leading endocrinologist at the University of Washington, said, "These neurons are having an outsized impact in hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes." His researchers silenced the talking capability of AgRP neurons with viral genetics—namely, they introduced tetanus toxin to keep these neurons from talking to nearby cells. The findings were nothing short of revolutionary: blood glucose levels normalized for months in diabetic mice, even without adjustments in body weight or food consumption.

This finding contradicts the long-held dogma that weight gain and insulin resistance are the central causes of type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle and genetics are still major players, of course, but the brain's regulatory role in glucose metabolism is also proving to be a major if not central component of the puzzle.

The scientists observed additional modifications in the mice after AgRP neuron repression:

• Lower plasma insulin levels, indicating higher insulin sensitivity
• Higher liver glycogen, reflecting more effective glucose storage
• Lower corticosterone (mouse equivalent of cortisol), which could indicate reduced physiological stress
• Higher lactate levels, potentially increasing hepatic glucose uptake

These indicators as a whole indicate systemic restoration of glucose metabolism—initiated not by a pancreas-directed or weight-loss intervention, but by a brain-mediated one.

How This Research Relates to Ozempic?

Surprisingly, today's diabetes medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists like the blockbuster medications Ozempic and Wegovy—are also known to suppress AgRP neurons. Dr. Schwartz theorizes that these brain-targeting actions may be a partial explanation for their glucose-lowering effects, independent of their well-characterized effect on weight loss.

The degree to which this effect underlies the antidiabetic action of these drugs is unknown," Schwartz said. But the link raises tantalizing possibilities: might stimulating or duplicating this brain suppression be a new, more effective route to remission from diabetes?

What Implications It Has For Humans?

Although models in animals are not always a good predictor of human outcomes, the repeatability across several mouse studies is encouraging. An earlier study by Schwartz's group had demonstrated that infusing the brain peptide FGF1 directly into the hypothalamus also resulted in diabetes remission—a response that was again linked to the suppression of AgRP neuron activity.

If the same mechanisms exist in humans, neuromodulation or precision-targeted drugs that quiet particular brain circuits could be future treatment—potentially presenting a backup for patients who have difficulty with lifestyle interventions or develop drug resistance.

Is Brain-Targeted Diabetes Therapies the New Treatment?

There are more questions than answers. Why do AgRP neurons get hyperactive in the first place? Can their activity be selectively and safely reduced in human beings? And could this be achieved without impacting other vital functions of the brain?

Dr. Schwartz points out that the study breaks with conventional thinking on diabetes and requires further investigation into the neurobiology of metabolic illness. "This could be a paradigm shift in how we approach and treat type 2 diabetes," he says.

The long-term aim is to translate this brain-based strategy from the bench to the bedside. Successful, it could not only transform diabetes care—it could also lead to greater interest in how the brain controls whole-body metabolism, with the potential for breakthroughs for other diseases linked to metabolic dysregulation.

With millions living with type 2 diabetes globally, the potential of a brain-based treatment framework is staggering. Learning that a few thousand neurons have the power to control blood sugar levels separate from weight loss may change the way the disease is treated, possibly putting an end to the suffering of patients who have long been battling traditional treatments.

As science continues to advance, the neurobiology of metabolism could become the new frontier in international diabetes management. The mind-body connection, it seems, might be more literal and potent than we ever envisioned.