Night owls always claim that nobody can be happy waking up early! While sleeping in does feel good, morning people have a routine they must follow like getting their chores done before work, exercising etc., it almost feels like the day is longer when you wake up early. While for some people waking up early is a necessity, some others chose to enjoy an early and nice morning before they start their day! Many studies have shown that waking up early does help regulate your body and fix a lot of physical issues you may be having like fatigue, digestion etc. But does waking up early fix your mood too? Many people have noticed how morning people seem a lot more cheerful and lively than the ones who choose to sleep in as much as possible. And studies show that this isn’t a coincidence, waking up early in the morning does help lift your moods!

Sorry night owls but turns out that most people are at their happiest and most positive in the morning. Researchers found that folks generally wake up feeling pretty good, with more happiness and satisfaction about their lives. They also tend to have less of those down feelings like depression and anxiety first thing in the day. This might seem surprising since mornings are often rushed, but our bodies are naturally primed for a better mood after we wake up. It's good news, even if you're not a "morning person," your brain is likely working at its best! This research helps us understand how our feelings change throughout the day.

Connection Between The Internal Clock And Mood

The study published in BMJ Mental Health suggests that most people experience their peak mental and emotional wellbeing in the morning. While mornings are generally good, the study also found that things tend to take a turn for the worse around midnight. That's when people report feeling the least happy and satisfied, and the most anxious or down. It seems our internal clock plays a big role in our emotions. Just like we have a natural sleep-wake cycle, we also have a kind of emotional cycle that goes up and down throughout the day.

While you may think that the day of the week matters, the study shows it doesn’t have much impact on our mood, so feeling Monday morning blues is almost like you’re telling yourself to feel bad because it is Monday. Seasons, however, have a much bigger impact. Winter can be tough, with people reporting higher levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Summer, on the other hand, seems to be the best time for mental well-being. This could be because of the weather, more sunlight, or just the general feeling of summer. It's a good reminder that our mental health can be affected by this time of year.

How Did The Study Find This?

To figure all this out, researchers looked at data from over 49,000 people who took part in a study about the COVID-19 pandemic. We all know that being couped up at home for two long years did a number on people and their mental health. Researchers asked people how happy and satisfied they were, and how worthwhile they felt their lives were. The cool part is that each survey had a time stamp, so the researchers could see how people's answers changed throughout the day. This lets them track mood changes and see the morning happiness peak and the midnight low. This large-scale study gives us a really good picture of how time of day and season affects people's mental well-being.

While it may be difficult to wake up early when you first start, you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn, try doing it an hour earlier and move it further if you feel like it. You also have to make sure you end your day at the appropriate time and not stay awake too long because you will tire your body out quickly. To motivate yourself to do better you can also try to add activities like meditation and exercising.

The first period is a significant moment in the life of a young girl, however, when it happens, the age, plays a much more important role than we realize. National Health Services UK explains that periods can start as early as 8, however the average age is about 12.

A new study showcased in the ENDO Annual Meeting 2025, Endocrine Society from Brazil has found that the age a woman gets her first period, also known as menarche, could provide important clues about her future health. The study shows that both starting your period very early or very late can lead to different health problems later in life.

Different Risks for Different Ages

The age a woman gets her first period (menarche) and the age she reaches menopause mark the beginning and end of her reproductive life. The study looked at data from over 7,600 women in Brazil. It found a link between the timing of menarche and long-term health risks.

Early Menarche

Women who got their first period before age 10 were more likely to have health issues like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems. They also had a higher risk of reproductive issues like pre-eclampsia.

Late Menarche

Women who started their period after age 15 were less likely to be obese. However, they faced a greater risk of menstrual problems and some specific heart conditions.

What This Means for Women's Health

According to the study's author, Flávia Rezende Tinano, these findings confirm how the timing of puberty can affect a woman's health over many years. She explains that knowing when a woman had her first period can help doctors identify those who might be at a higher risk for certain diseases. This information can lead to more personalized health screenings and preventative care.

The study is one of the largest of its kind in a developing country. It provides valuable data for populations, like those in Latin America, that have been underrepresented in past research. The researchers believe that these findings highlight the need for early health education for young girls and women.

How Timing Reveals Health Risks For Women

A 2013 study published in the Adolescent Health Medicine and Therapeutics journal explained that the timing of these key events can provide important clues about her long-term health. Both very early and very late timing of menarche or menopause have been linked to a higher risk of health problems. Because of this, understanding the connection between these two events could help with preventing chronic diseases. Scientific studies from various fields, including biology, nutrition, and psychology, have looked at the relationship between menarche and menopause.

Early or Late Timing Matters: A woman's age at menarche and menopause is a key sign of her body's aging and how her ovaries are functioning.

Health Connections: Both starting periods very early or very late are linked to different health and social risks later in life.

While many studies have explored the link between menarche and menopause, the results have been mixed. Out of 36 studies reviewed, ten found a direct link, meaning an earlier first period was connected to an earlier menopause. Two studies found the opposite, and the rest found no connection at all. Researchers believe that many things affect the timing of these events, including:

• Hormones and environment
• Socioeconomic status
• Stress throughout life
• Body size and height

Think about that fleeting moment when you get up after sitting or lying down—your head spins, your heart pounds, maybe you feel lightheaded or nauseated. If this scene has become all too familiar, you might be dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome—POTS. It’s rare, but for the 1–3 million people in the U.S. who have it, it’s daily life. Now, a heart failure drug is showing real promise in taming the symptoms.

Ivabradine isn’t new—it’s been used for years to manage chronic heart failure, slowing the heart without dropping blood pressure. But a new pilot study, published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, suggests this drug might be a breakthrough for POTS patients. Researchers from UVA Health and Virginia Commonwealth University treated 10 young adults (average age 28, most of them women) with the drug. Normally, when these patients stood, their heart rates surged by around 40 beats per minute. After ivabradine? The spike shrank to only 15 bpm. And symptoms like faintness dropped by nearly 70%, chest pain by 66%—the difference wasn’t just physiological, it was life-changing.

Dr. Antonio Abbate from UVA Health called the findings compelling: cutting heart rate alone—without affecting blood pressure—appeared to break the chain of symptoms. “The inappropriate increase in heart rate is exactly why patients feel sick,” he said.

UVA Health Newsroom

What Is POTS?

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome may sound technical, but its components describe the experience: "postural" (related to posture), "orthostatic" (standing upright), "tachycardia" (a fast heart rate), and "syndrome" (a bundle of symptoms). When someone with POTS stands, their autonomic system fails to constrict blood vessels effectively. The result? Blood tanks into the legs, the heart overcompensates, and you get hit by symptoms: dizziness, pounding heart, fatigue, brain fog, chest discomfort, sweating, nausea—anything but ordinary.

This isn’t a heart-muscle issue or a brain problem: it’s more like a software glitch in how your body regulates itself. It often affects young women between 15 and 50 and can stem from triggers like infections, trauma, pregnancy, or autoimmune diseases.

The recent UVA pilot study isn’t standalone. Earlier research supports the same direction. A 2017 retrospective study of 49 patients—almost all women—found 88% saw palpitations improve and 76% felt less lightheaded, with heart rates dipping and no significant change in blood pressure.

Then a 2021 randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial—including 22 adults with hyperadrenergic POTS—took it further. The results showed substantial heart rate drops, improved physical and social quality of life, and even reduced norepinephrine levels (the stress hormone that tends to over-react upon standing). None of the participants developed dangerously low blood pressure.

And even earlier studies, including student-case reports and case series, all support the conclusion: ivabradine reduces heart rate without bringing blood pressure down—and that matters because traditional beta blockers can drop both, making some patients feel worse.

How Ivabradine Interrupts the Vicious Vagus Loop?

Here’s what researchers suspect is happening behind the scenes: when someone with POTS stands, the body overreacts with a surge of norepinephrine—our classic fight-or-flight hormone. The heart races, the brain kicks into panic mode, symptoms amplify, and the loop perpetuates itself. Ivabradine, by slowing the heart without altering blood pressure, effectively breaks that cycle at the source. Patients stop spinning, both literally and metaphorically.

What You Should Know POTS?

It's worth noting that these are still early results. The studies are relatively small, but statistically compelling. There's enough here, though, to encourage more formal trials—and for doctors and patients to take notice.

If POTS symptoms sound familiar—if you get faint when you stand, your heart races, and doctors struggle to pinpoint the cause—ivabradine may be a conversation worth having. It’s not a universal cure, but it’s different from other treatments. Rather than forcing blood vessels to tighten or increasing blood volume, it focuses squarely on the heart rate itself.

POTS has always been a misunderstood syndrome—a tricky physiological dance that leaves patients frustrated and clinicians unsure. But treating the pulse directly, instead of chasing blood pressure or fluid levels, looks like a game changer. Ivabradine isn’t a cure-all, but it's poised to offer relief where little existed before.

For anyone sick of dizzy spells, pounding hearts, or unexplained fatigue whenever they stand, it’s time to explore if this one medication could be the difference between feeling trapped and regaining control.

Legionnaires’ disease, has so far killed 3, and infected around 60 people after the recent outbreak in Central Harlem in the New York City. It is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila, and is far more than just a respiratory infection.

Unlike typical bacterial pneumonias, Legionnaires’ disease is increasingly being recognized for its distinct symptoms, both during the acute illness and long after recovery.

Now, a landmark study from Switzerland aims to uncover whether Legionella infections lead to their own version of a “long COVID”-like syndrome, providing crucial insights into the post-acute impact of this underdiagnosed illness.

ALSO READ: Legionnaire’s Disease NYC Outbreak: 3 Dead, 67 Sick; Health Authorities Have Identified ZIP Codes Linked With Cluster

What Makes Legionnaires’ Disease Different?

Named after a deadly outbreak during an American Legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976, Legionnaires’ disease is spread primarily through contaminated aerosolized water, not person-to-person contact.

The bacteria thrive in warm, stagnant water found in air-conditioning cooling towers, plumbing systems in large buildings, hot tubs, fountains, and even ice machines.

While the respiratory symptoms may initially resemble other types of pneumonia, cough, fever, and shortness of breath, what sets Legionnaires’ disease apart is the constellation of extrapulmonary symptoms that often accompany it.

These include:

• Muscle aches
• Confusion
• Gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea
• Kidney dysfunction

Hyponatremia, or low sodium levels in the blood, a critical and unique marker of this infection

Hyponatremia: A Clue to Legionella

Hyponatremia, one of the hallmark signs of Legionnaires’ disease, is often absent in other pneumonias. This is one of the unique symptoms of Legionnaires' that distinguishes from pneumonia. It results in dangerously low sodium levels, which can trigger symptoms ranging from mild fatigue and nausea to severe complications like confusion, seizures, or coma.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), hyponatremia often appears early in the course of a Legionella infection and should alert clinicians to consider Legionella pneumonia in patients with respiratory symptoms and abnormal lab findings. Its presence can help guide early diagnosis and prompt treatment, which is critical given the disease’s potential severity.

Long-Term Effects: Is There a “Long Legionnaires’”?

Much like long COVID, survivors of Legionnaires’ disease are now reporting symptoms that persist long after the acute infection has cleared.

These post-acute effects, also seen in other forms of pneumonia, include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Brain fog or cognitive dysfunction
• Decreased quality of life
• Ongoing respiratory issues
• Muscle weakness and joint pain

But what if Legionnaires’ disease leaves a unique post-infection footprint?

That’s the central question behind a new prospective cohort study conducted by researchers in Switzerland. Published in Swiss Medical Weekly, the LongLEGIO study is the first of its kind to compare the long-term effects of Legionnaires’ disease to other forms of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Inside the LongLEGIO Swiss Study

From June 2023 to June 2024, researchers recruited 59 patients with confirmed Legionnaires’ disease and 60 matched patients with Legionella test-negative CAP. Participants were closely matched by age, sex, hospital type, and timing of diagnosis.

Patients were assessed at four key time points:

• During the acute phase (baseline)
• 2 months after treatment
• 6 months after treatment
• 12 months after treatment

The study used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), structured questionnaires to capture symptoms often missed in traditional hospital data. These included:

• Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL)
• Persistent fatigue
• Need for continued healthcare
• New or lingering symptoms

What the Baseline Data Reveals

Initial findings already highlight striking differences between the two groups. While the median age for both was 69, patients with Legionnaires’ disease were more likely to experience extrapulmonary symptoms. Notably:

• Muscle aches were reported by 51.8% of Legionnaires’ patients, compared to 25.9% of CAP patients.
• Fever was reported in 89.3% of Legionnaires’ cases vs. 76.3% in CAP.
• ICU admissions were higher among Legionnaires’ cases (13.6% vs. 8.3%).

Additionally, Legionnaires’ patients had a higher prevalence of chronic kidney failure (15.3% vs. 10%) and better pre-illness quality of life than their CAP counterparts, who tended to have more comorbidities such as COPD, cancer, and immunosuppression.

These early differences are critical because they suggest that Legionella may cause a distinct form of post-acute infection syndrome, akin to long COVID but possibly rooted in a different biological mechanism.

When Do Symptoms Begin, And How Long Do They Last?

Legionnaires’ disease symptoms typically begin 2 to 10 days after exposure, but the timeline varies based on individual health and level of exposure. Initially, it may mimic the flu:

• Headache
• Chills
• Muscle pain
• High fever (often >104°F)
• Fatigue

As the disease progresses, more severe or unique symptoms may surface, such as:

• Cough (often dry at first)
• Gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea or nausea
• Confusion or disorientation
• Signs of hyponatremia like fatigue, poor concentration, or seizures

For most patients, acute symptoms resolve within 2 to 4 weeks, but that’s not the end of the story.

Based on evidence from pneumonia survivors and early data from the LongLEGIO cohort, recovery can take several months, especially for those who had severe illness requiring ICU care. Lingering fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive issues, and poor stamina can persist for 6 to 12 months or more.

Some patients, even after a year, may still experience reduced quality of life and ongoing healthcare needs, a pattern increasingly recognized across other infectious diseases but still under-researched in Legionnaires’.