Ovarian cancer is still one of the most challenging gynecological cancers, often diagnosed at an advanced stage because of the elusive nature of its symptoms. Even with the progress of medical research, the mortality rate of late-stage ovarian cancer continues to be appallingly low, thus necessitating prevention and early detection of the disease. The health of women, especially reproductive health, largely determines the risk factors of ovarian cancer. From genetic susceptibility to lifestyle habits, a variety of factors affect vulnerability to the disease.

Amidst continuing research into preventive measures, an interesting discovery has been made—birth control pills, which have been used for decades for birth control and hormone regulation, may provide a remarkable protective benefit against ovarian cancer. A pioneering study indicates that women who use oral contraceptives over the age of 45 may lower their risk for developing ovarian cancer by a staggering 43%. This finding not only redefines the debate surrounding reproductive health but also highlights the larger significance of hormonal control in the prevention of disease. But how does birth control impact cancer risk, and what does this portend for women around the world? Here's what the new research shows.

Australian research published in the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer indicates that these contraceptives could provide a further, life-saving advantage: a major decrease in the risk of ovarian cancer. The research examined data from 221,732 women between the ages of 37 and 73, looking at almost 3,000 varied characteristics concerning health, use of medication, diet, lifestyle, metabolic and hormonal conditions. During a follow-up duration of almost 13 years, 1,441 of the women were found to have ovarian cancer. The results indicated that women who ever used birth control pills had 26% decreased risk of having ovarian cancer. Even more surprisingly, those taking oral contraceptives after age 45 had a 43% decrease in risk.

Why Ovarian Cancer Remains a Major Concern?

Ovarian cancer is among the most lethal types of gynecologic cancer and is usually diagnosed at a late stage. About 70% of ovarian cancer is diagnosed only after the disease has advanced considerably. If diagnosed at a late stage, the five-year survival rate is less than 30%. Early detection raises the survival rate to more than 90%.

Given that ovarian cancer produces no overt signs, prevention and risk-reduction are the way to go. The results from the study propose that birth control pills could represent a valuable safety measure that changes the course for preventing ovarian cancer in the years to come.

How Do Birth Control Pills Reduce Ovarian Cancer Risk?

Oral contraceptives include artificial forms of estrogen and progesterone, two hormones that control ovulation. Studies indicate that decreasing the frequency of ovulation is a major factor in decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer. Women who ovulate fewer times over the course of their lives are exposed to lower doses of hormones that can lead to cancerous cell development.

Research shows that the use of birth control pills for five or more years could reduce ovarian cancer risk by as much as 50%. Amazingly, the protective effects can continue for as long as 25 years after the pill has been discontinued. In fact, some research suggests that oral contraceptives might also offer protection for women who carry BRCA genetic mutations, which already place them at high risk for ovarian cancer.

Other Cancer-Related Effects of Birth Control Pills

Although the study points to oral contraceptives' advantages of lowering the risk of ovarian cancer, scientists have also investigated how they affect other cancers.

Lower Risk of Endometrial Cancer

Women who use oral contraceptives can also lower their risk of uterine cancer. The research mentioned that at least four years of birth control pills can cut the risk of uterine cancer in half, and this benefit can extend up to 10 years after stopping.

Slightly Elevated Risk of Breast and Cervical Cancer

On the other hand, some studies have indicated that long-term use of oral contraceptives increases the risk of breast and cervical cancer slightly. Again, this risk is minimal and loses its elevation after five years of discontinuing the pill. Moreover, since the majority of women use birth control pills during their 20s, 30s, and early 40s—years when they have a low baseline risk for cancer—the overall effect is tiny.

Other Important Factors Determining Cancer Risk

Oral contraceptives can be involved in lowering ovarian and endometrial cancer risk, but they are not the sole determining factors. A number of lifestyle and genetic factors also determine cancer risk.

HPV and Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is more associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infections than with birth control pills. Thus, being vaccinated against HPV and receiving regular screenings continue to be important in reducing cervical cancer risk.

Lifestyle and Genetic

Other cancer risk factors are obesity, reproductive history, and family genetics. Keeping fit, being aware of hormonal fluctuations, and frequently visiting healthcare providers for individualized risk evaluations can have a considerable influence on cancer prevention.

For women who wish to make responsible choices regarding their reproductive lives, it is important to discuss with their healthcare providers the advantages and disadvantages of oral contraceptives. As scientific knowledge continues to improve, birth control pills can not only be a contraceptive but a potent cancer prevention tool.

After many people reported problems with their pancreas post taking weight loss and diabetes injections, the UK health officials launched a study to look into side-effects of these drugs.

Cases of pancreatitis, which causes inflammation of the pancreas, which is a gland located behind the stomach, has been fatal. These cases have been linked to GLP-1 medicines, also the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.

The Background

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is investigating a rise in reports of acute pancreatitis potentially linked to GLP-1 weight-loss medications. This follows an increase in submissions to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme, which tracks adverse reactions to medicines and medical devices.

What Happens In Acute Pancreatitis?

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas, a digestive gland behind the stomach, and often requires hospitalisation. Symptoms include intense abdominal pain, nausea, and fever. GLP-1 drugs, such as Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide), and liraglutide, list pancreatitis as an “uncommon” side effect—estimated to affect up to one in 100 users.

To date, nearly 400 cases of acute pancreatitis have been reported in relation to these drugs, with 181 linked to Mounjaro. Alarmingly, over a quarter of those reports have emerged in 2025 alone. This year, the Yellow Card scheme has recorded 101 cases related to tirzepatide and 22 tied to semaglutide.

What Did The Authorities Say?

An MHRA spokesperson noted: “With increased usage, we’re seeing more Yellow Card reports involving GLP-1 medicines and acute pancreatitis.” While there’s currently no known genetic link, the MHRA is exploring whether genetics might influence susceptibility to such side effects. It has called on both patients and healthcare professionals to report suspected drug-related pancreatitis.

The Study: Who Can Be Part Of It?

Those affected may be invited to join the Yellow Card Biobank study, conducted with Genomics England. Participants will provide health information and saliva samples to help researchers investigate genetic factors that may affect drug reactions.

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA’s chief safety officer, said nearly a third of all medicine side effects could be preventable with genetic testing, which may also help reduce the estimated £2.2 billion annual cost of adverse drug reactions to the NHS.

Drug manufacturers have responded to the concerns. Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, stated that patient safety remains a top priority and noted that pancreatitis is already listed as a known side effect. Novo Nordisk UK, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, also stressed the importance of using GLP-1 medications only under medical supervision, while continuing to monitor safety data closely.

The MHRA’s ongoing investigation aims to improve understanding of these side effects as GLP-1 medications become more widely used for managing obesity and diabetes.

The teen birth rate in the U.S. continued its steady decline in 2022, dropping by 2% from the previous year, as per the latest final report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2022, there were 13.6 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19, down from 13.9 in 2021. This amounts to nearly 3,200 fewer births in that age group compared to the year before.

The rate has reached a new record low each year since 2009. Overall, it has declined by 67% since 2007 and 78% since 1991 — a trend the CDC attributes to reduced sexual activity among teens and increased use of contraception by those who are sexually active.

The annual drop also witnessed a 3% rate decline to 25.8 per 1,000 among women 18 to 19 years old. The rate among girls 15 to 17 years old in 2022 remained unchanged from the last year at 5.6 per 1,000.

In 2022, teen birth rates declined across several racial and ethnic groups. The rates dropped by 7% among both Black and American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) females, and by 3% among white females, reaching 9.1 births per 1,000. Rates remained largely unchanged for Asian teens as well as Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI), while Hispanic teens saw a slight 1% increase. The highest birth rates were recorded among AIAN (22.5 per 1,000), NHOPI (20.5), and Black (20.3) females.

2022 also witnessed a decline in birth rate in 13 states in 2022. It has ranged from a 3% drop in Florida, to a 12% drop in Oklahoma. However, it essentially remained unchanged in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Overall, the teen birth rates among the states have ranged from a low of 4.6 births per 1,000 to a high of 26.4 per 1,000.

Here's a list of top 10 states with the highest teen birth rates in 2022

10. New Mexico

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 19.7 per 1,000

9. West Virginia

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 19.8 per 1,000

8. Texas

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 20.4 per 1,000

7. Alabama

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 20.9 per 1,000

6. Tennessee

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 21 per 1,000

5. Oklahoma

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 21.2 per 1,000

4. Kentucky

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 21.8 per 1,000

3. Louisiana

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 23.7 per 1,000

2. Arkansas

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 24.6 per 1,000

1. Mississippi

The teen birth rate here was recorded at 26.4 per 1,000

Why Is This Concerning?

Having a high teen birth rate means the number of teen pregnancy is also high. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescent pregnancies are those between the age of 15 to 19, also known as teen pregnancies. WHO notes that adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20–24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition.

As per a 2022 report presented at the Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, titled, Complications of Pregnancy in Adolescents, teen pregnant mothers are at increase risks of poor obstetric outcomes including preterm delivery, low birth weight, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, anemia, and infant, as well as maternal morbidity.

Fitness trackers have become quite popular in recent years. Having a device that can give you accurate stats about your heart rate, distance traveled, as well as how many calories you may have burnt can be a great tool for health. These stats help people devise their own fitness routines and according to the data they get. However, are these stats reliable?

A new study says that fitness trackers aren't good at measuring how active people with obesity really are. This is because people with extra weight walk differently, have different speeds, and burn energy in unique ways. This means their fitness devices don't give them correct readings, according to researchers writing in Scientific Reports.

Why Current Trackers Miss the Mark

Most fitness trackers are designed for people who don't have obesity. Because of this, they don't give accurate information to those who do. For example, trackers worn on the hip often give wrong energy burn readings because people with obesity have a different way of walking and might wear the device at an angle. While wrist-worn trackers are generally better, they haven't been properly tested and set up for people with obesity.

A New, More Accurate Solution

The research team has now created a new calculation that allows smartwatches to more precisely track calories burned by people with obesity. Tests in a lab setting show this new method is over 95% accurate in real-world situations.

Without a reliable way to measure activity from wrist devices, it's hard to know exactly how active people with obesity are each day. This makes it difficult to create personalized health programs and improve their health.

Testing and Open-Source Availability

The team put their new algorithm through rigorous testing, comparing it against multiple other advanced methods for estimating exertion. They used research-grade fitness trackers and wearable cameras to precisely identify moments when wrist sensors misjudged calorie burn.

In one part of the study, participants wore a fitness tracker and a special mask that measured energy burn by tracking the oxygen they breathed in and the carbon dioxide they breathed out. In another part, participants wore a fitness tracker and a body camera during their daily routines.

The research also involved having people do standard exercises that were adjusted for their weight, like wall push-ups instead of floor push-ups. This showed that current "standard" workouts often exclude many people, and it's important to rethink how success is measured in fitness so that everyone's hard work is recognized.

The next step is to release an activity-monitoring app for Apple and Android smartwatches that will use this new calculation. Importantly, this calculation is open source, meaning other researchers can freely use it and build upon it. The team noted that, to their knowledge, no other similar open-source calculation has been made available for commercial wrist-worn devices.

Some Other Ways Fitness Trackers Can Aid Your Health

While the calories count may not be as accurate as we hope, there are many other ways fitness trackers can aid our health. The Brown Health University explains that these fitness trackers can

Monitor your Heart Health

Many fitness trackers can monitor your pulse and heart rate during exercise. This allows you to target specific heart rate zones, helping you get the most out of your workouts. Trackers are also a great way to ensure you hit that recommended 30 minutes of daily activity.

Track Your Sleep

If you're aiming for better sleep, a fitness tracker can be a useful tool. While it can't replace a full medical sleep study, a tracker with sleep monitoring uses sensors to detect your heart rate and its variations, which helps determine if you're asleep or awake.

Connect with Other Health Apps

Your wearable fitness tracker can easily connect with a variety of other health-related apps on your smartphone. This makes it simple to keep track of your progress on the go. You can check off daily habits, log your water intake, or record your workouts—all from your wrist.