Bowel cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in the UK, and per the Bowel Cancer UK Organisation, almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. More than nine out of 10 new cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 50.

In US, As per the American Cancer Society, it can show up in 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women. It is also the third most common type of cancer in the US, after lung and breast cancer. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the country.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer notes that in 2022, more than 1.9million cases of colorectal cancers were diagnosed worldwide, making it the second leading case of cancer deaths worldwide too.

It being such a common cancer is why early detection of the same is vital. The screening process uses a faecal immunochemical test (FIT) to identify traces of blood in a sample of your stool. As blood in stool could be an early sign of bowel cancer.

Who Is Eligible for Bowel Cancer Screening?

Currently, bowel cancer screening is offered every two years to people aged 54 to 74 as per NHS UK. However, this program is expanding, and soon, individuals aged 50 to 74 will also be included. If you’re over 50, you might receive a test kit as part of this update.

The reason for this age range is that the risk of bowel cancer increases as people get older. For those aged 75 or over, screening is still available, but it is not automatically sent out. Instead, you can request a test kit every two years.

If you believe you’re eligible for screening but have not received an invitation or test kit, you can call the helpline to ensure you’re on the screening list.

How Can One Avail The Bowel Cancer Screening Test Kit?

For individuals aged 54 to 74 who are registered with a GP, a home test kit (FIT kit) will be sent by post every two years. If you are over 75, you can request the kit by calling the helpline.

How to Use Bowel Cancer Screening Home Test Kit?

Prepare: Ensure that you kit includes a sample bottle, an envelope and clear instructions It is also important that you write the date on the sample bottle.

Sample Collection: Use a clean container to catch your stool, ensuring it doesn’t touch the toilet water. Open the sample bottle and use the stick attached to the lid to gently scrape your stool. Cover the grooves on the stick with a small amount of stool.

Seal The Sample: Place the stick back into the bottle, close it tightly, and wash your hands thoroughly.

Send It For Test: Put the sealed sample bottle into the provided envelope, seal it, and post it as soon as possible. No stamp is needed.

Results Of Bowel Cancer Screening

If your result says no further tests are required, it means no blood was found.

If your result says you need further tests, it means blood was found in the stool and needs further investigation. This means you will have to book an appointment with a specialist who would talk about your results and would require you to have a colonoscopy. This is when a camera is used to check inside your bowel.

However, it is important to note that blood in stool does not always mean that it is cancer. There could be other reasons like anal fissure or bowel polyps.

Cognitive decline is one of the most common diseases that people experience with age. Dementia is an umbrella term used to define symptoms of decline in brain function, whether it is memory, thinking skills or other mental abilities. While the risk factors, causes and treatment options are known, researchers explain that they are still being studied, and every new study brings an interesting perspective about the disease. As there is no proper cure for the disease, people have to rely on medication that slows the disease down.

A new study may have found not just a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease but also a way to lower the potential of developing the cognitive decline.

Risk Factors for the Disease

A new study done by researchers from pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences and the University of Washington in Seattle, suggested that people who get cold sores might be nearly twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. US researchers discovered that individuals carrying the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which causes cold sores, had an 80% higher chance of developing this brain-wasting condition.

Other risk factors include age, family history, genetics, certain medication or injuries. Whie most of these are irrefutable things, research has shown that that can be tackled with things like learning a new skill, exercising daily, quitting smoking, eating healthy as well as maintaining a healthy weight.

What Are Cold Sores And Causes

Cold sores are small blisters around one’s mouth, also known as fever blisters. They are caused by a virus known as herpes simplex, and the most common strain of it is herpes simplex virus 1. This is a communicable infection that can spread through kissing or sharing utensils or even towels.

John Hopkins Medicine explained that if the virus transfers to you, it will cause a breakout of cold sores. These sores can be triggered by sunlight, cold wind or other illnesses that can weaken your immune system like hormone levels and even stress.

Antiviral Treatment Shows Promise

However, the study also offered a ray of hope: those who received antiviral medicines for HSV-1 had a 17% lower risk of Alzheimer's compared to those who didn't. This finding is significant because the virus has been linked to changes in the brain similar to those seen in dementia patients, such as plaque-like formations and inflammation.

The study, a collaboration between pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences and the University of Washington in Seattle, analyzed data from over 344,000 individuals with Alzheimer's and an equal number without the disease. It found that 1,507 (0.44%) of Alzheimer's patients had a history of HSV-1 diagnosis, compared to just 823 (0.24%) of those without the disease. These findings were published in the journal BMJ Open.

Things To Keep In Mind

Experts emphasized that HSV-1 infection, which is very common, does not guarantee someone will develop Alzheimer's. The exact reason why viral infections might increase dementia risk isn't fully understood, but it's likely due to infections causing more inflammation in the body, contributing to age-related brain inflammation.

They also explained that there isn't enough evidence yet to add infections to the list of 14 established risk factors for dementia. The researchers pointed out that the research relied solely on health records, meaning some HSV-1 infections might not have been recorded since many people don't show symptoms. Additionally, information about infections predating the records wasn't available, and diagnosing Alzheimer's, especially early on, remains a challenge.

One of the most grueling and difficult fitness regime people go through is bodybuilding. The regime was made to enhance the muscles of the human body. As a sport, it is bodybuilders who train their muscles to artistically display the pronounced muscle mass, symmetry as well as overall aesthetics. Building muscles mass includes doing exercises like strength training, resistance training devices as well as cardio. These exercises help bodybuilders keep their body fat at the lowest possible.

Being the epitome of health, many people believe that body builders live healthy and long lives. However, a new study shed light on the concerning link between bodybuilding and sudden deaths.

Major Health Risks Related To Bodybuilding

Bodybuilders may spend endless hours building impressive muscles, but a new study shows their hard work might harm their hearts. Research in the European Heart Journal found that many male bodybuilders die suddenly from heart issues. What's more, professional bodybuilders are five times more likely to have a sudden heart attack than amateurs.

Researchers highlighted that the risk of death for male bodybuilders is notably high. They noted that competing at a professional level seems to increase this risk, with pros having many more sudden heart deaths. This study started because of more and more reports of early deaths and heart attacks in the bodybuilding world.

The study also found that about 15% of bodybuilder deaths were classified as "sudden traumatic deaths," which include car accidents, suicides, murders, and overdoses. Experts stressed that these findings show we need to think about the mental impact of bodybuilding culture, noting that mental health issues can sometimes get worse with drug abuse, leading to risky or self-harming behaviors.

Study Methodology and Findings

Researchers looked at information from 20,300 athletes who competed in International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) events between 2005 and 2020. The IFBB is the main group for bodybuilding contests worldwide. The study followed these athletes' health until July 2023, for over eight years on average. During this time, 121 bodybuilders passed away.

A shocking 38% of these deaths were due to sudden cardiac death, meaning their hearts just stopped. Sadly, 11 of these cases happened to active competitors who were, on average, just under 35 years old. Experts pointed out that sudden heart death can happen even to young, seemingly healthy people without known heart problems, though it's rare.

What Increases The Risk?

Experts pointed to several practices common in bodybuilding that can strain the cardiovascular system:

Extreme strength training: Intense physical exertion can put immense pressure on the heart.

Rapid weight loss strategies: Severe dietary restrictions and dehydration can disrupt the body's delicate balance.

Widespread use of performance-enhancing substances: These can have detrimental effects on heart health.

How Does It Affect Your Heart?

These things can cause irregular heartbeats and changes to the heart's structure over time. Autopsies of five bodybuilders in the study showed that four had enlarged hearts and thicker heart muscles, which make heart failure more likely.

Professionals face a higher risk because they often push these practices harder for longer periods and feel more pressure to get extreme physiques. Experts warned bodybuilders, that aiming for physical perfection is great, but trying for extreme body changes at any cost can be very risky their health and heart.

Living with a chronic illness can be like fighting an uphill battle—physically, mentally, and emotionally. But new research indicates the cost may be even deeper than most people know: long-term physical illness may dramatically raise your risk of developing depression.

As a revolutionary study in Nature Communications Medicine explains, individuals with many chronic conditions are much more likely to experience a mental health breakdown. This finding explains the essential, but frequently overlooked, connection between body and mind.

Traditionally, healthcare systems everywhere have addressed physical and mental illness as separate silos. But new science is presenting a different picture—one where body and mind are highly intertwined.

In the recent U.K. Biobank study, researchers followed over 142,000 adults aged between 37 and 73, all of whom had at least one chronic illness but no prior diagnosis of depression. The findings were eye-opening: individuals with multiple physical conditions were up to 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression over the next decade compared to those without chronic illnesses.

The report's co-author, Professor Bruce Guthrie from the University of Edinburgh, underscored the significance: "Healthcare tends to think of physical and mental ill health as two totally separate things, but this research indicates that we must do better at predicting and treating depression in individuals who have physical illness."

Which Conditions Have the Highest Risk?

While any long-term illness will erode mental toughness, some combinations greatly increase depression risk. Among the study's most surprising findings:

Individuals with migraine illness or chronic respiratory disease had twice the risk of depression.

A combination of heart disease and diabetes raised depression risk by almost 78%.

Gastrointestinal illnesses such as IBS, celiac disease, and liver disease were associated with an 83% increased risk of depression in women and a twofold increase in risk in men.

These figures are more than just statistics—they represent real individuals facing a double burden of illness and emotional distress. And with 1 in 12 people in high-risk groups developing depression over a decade (compared to 1 in 25 among those without chronic conditions), the data calls for urgent attention.

Why Is Depression Always More Than Just Feeling Sad?

In order to comprehend why this is important, it's necessary to know what depression actually is. Clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that extends far beyond fleeting sadness. It's a complex illness that influences the way individuals think, feel, and behave. Symptoms can involve:

• Constantly feeling sad or hopeless
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Changes in appetite or sleep habits
• Physical symptoms like sudden pain
• Integers of suicide or harming oneself

Depression is not a personal failing or something you can simply "snap out of." It is a genuine medical illness that more often than not needs to be treated by professionals—such as therapy, medication, or both.

Biological and Emotional Roots of Depression in Chronic Illness

Why chronic illness would so greatly increase the risk of depression? Experts consider the causes to be multifactorial.

Physiologically, certain chronic diseases interfere with brain chemistry or hormonal equilibrium, both of which play a critical role in regulating mood. Such conditions as thyroid disease or diabetes, for example, can have a direct effect on neurotransmitters associated with depression.

Emotionally, the ongoing juggling act of pain, tiredness, and doctor visits can be draining. Throw in social isolation, financial burden, or loss of autonomy, and it is not hard to understand how emotional well-being can start to fray.

When to Seek Help?

If you or someone close to you is living with a chronic illness, it is important to remain aware of depression symptoms. Early treatment makes a real difference in the outcome of care and the quality of life.

Do not wait until things get worse. If you see signs such as lingering unhappiness, loss of initiative, or constant exhaustion, seek professional attention. A visit to a primary care doctor or mental health expert can be an important first step.

This new research supports what many patients have long intuited—real wellness can't be realized without attending to body and mind. It's high time for medical providers, policymakers, and insurers to adopt a more integrated strategy for the management of chronic disease that encompasses preventive screening and treatment for mental illness.

Lead researcher Lauren DeLong said it best: "We noticed obvious links between physical health conditions and the occurrence of depression, but this research is just the start. We hope our research will encourage other scientists to explore and disentangle the connections between physical and mental health conditions."