The idea of becoming a parent at 50 may no longer be just a distant dream. With in vitro fertilization (IVF) advancing the field of fertility care, more and more people and couples are looking into having children later in life but is IVF at or near 50 actually safe? What are the realistic prospects of success? And what does it portend for maternal health?

IVF, or in vitro fertilization, is a multi-step medical process consisting of stimulating the ovaries to release eggs, extracting those eggs, fertilizing them with sperm in the laboratory, and then placing the resultant embryo into the uterus.

We interviewed Fertility specialist, Dr. Nishi Singh Head of Prime IVF exclusively to shed light on this complex and intimate process.

"IVF is one of the most potent weapons in our fertility toolkit," says Dr. Singh. "But its potency relies a lot on the patient's age and health, particularly egg quality."

Although IVF has given millions worldwide hope, age is still the key to its success. A woman aged 20 or 30 will be successful, on average, in about 50% of IVF cycles, but this will reduce dramatically with age—to less than 10% in women aged over 40 using their own eggs.

Is IVF After 50 Possible?

"Yes, IVF at age 50 and beyond is medically feasible," affirms Dr. Singh. "But it demands subtle insight, careful planning, and medical protection to secure the safety of mother and baby."

For the woman in her late 40s or early 50s, the reduction both in quantity and quality of eggs renders natural pregnancy a rarity. Donor eggs now come to her rescue. According to Dr. Singh, "using donor eggs from younger women greatly raises the chances of conception even after menopause."

It should be noted that the uterus does not age as quickly as the ovaries. With good hormone therapy to condition the lining of the uterus, most postmenopausal women can support a pregnancy properly.

Success Rates with IVF Over 50

Dr. Singh says, "Success rates in over 50 women using donor eggs can be from 40% to 55% per cycle, depending on the clinic, embryo quality, and patient health.

This is encouraging, particularly compared to sub-10% success rates for women above 45 with the use of their own eggs. Yet while statistics hold promise, they also emphasize the need for selecting a skilled fertility clinic and personalized treatment.

Health Risks and Medical Considerations of IVF after 50

While IVF at 50 is possible, it is not without risk. "We carefully screen patients prior to moving forward," explains Dr. Singh. Regular complications include hypertension, gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and an increased risk of cesarean section.

"Patients need to be emotionally, physically, and financially ready," she warns. "Emotional readiness is just as important as biological readiness, and full counseling is an absolute component of the process."

In addition to physical well-being, parents above 50 years should be made aware of parenting responsibilities in old age, such as long-term care and energy.

What are the Ethical and Emotional Aspects Of IVF after 50?

IVF at a late age has also brought arguments over ethics and long-term consequences. While it provides biological parenthood to those women who missed the chance early in life because of careers, late marriages, or personal choices, it also raises questions about parenting at an old age.

Dr. Singh acknowledges the emotional complexities but emphasizes choice. “Everyone deserves the chance to build a family—what matters most is that they are fully informed and supported medically and emotionally.”

Expert-Recommended Tips to Improve IVF Success at Any Age

Whether you’re in your 30s or 50s, several factors can enhance your chances with IVF:

Adopt a Fertility-Boosting Lifestyle: Eat a balanced diet, exercise daily, and enjoy a healthy BMI. Reduce alcohol intake, do not smoke, and avoid recreational drugs.

Take Key Supplements: "Folic acid, CoQ10, and vitamin D can improve egg quality and overall fertility," says Dr. Singh.

Stress Management Is Key: Elevated cortisol levels can affect reproductive hormones. Practice mindfulness, yoga, or acupuncture.

Sleep Well: Aim for at least 7–8 hours of restful sleep to support hormonal balance.

Address Underlying Health Conditions: Conditions such as PCOS, thyroid issues, and endometriosis can interfere with fertility outcomes if left unmanaged.

Start Early, If Possible: The earlier IVF is initiated—especially for women over 35—the better the chances.

Work With Specialists: Choose a clinic that tailors protocols based on your individual profile.

IVF at 50 Is an Individual but a Viable Option

Thanks to advances in reproductive medicine and growing familiarity with late-age parenthood, IVF over 50 isn't merely viable—it's increasingly common. Yet it's not something to be taken lightly.

As Dr. Singh points out, "Motherhood at this age demands medical preparedness, mental toughness, and a robust support system. But with the right attitude, we've seen numerous women in their 50s achieve their dream of parenthood."

So, if you are 50 and curious whether IVF is the solution for you, just hold your horses—science is with you, but wise decision-making and professional advice are your best friends.

Dr. Nishi Singh is a Fertility specialist and Head at Prime IVF in India

In a world-first scientific effort, researchers in the UK have completed the largest human imaging study in history, scanning the bodies of over 100,000 volunteers. The result? More than one billion medical images—and a revolutionary new understanding of how diseases begin, progress, and, crucially, how they can be stopped before symptoms appear.

This landmark milestone is part of the UK Biobank Imaging Study, a government-backed project that has been quietly building one of the most detailed health databases in the world for over a decade. Now, after 11 years of work, the study is delivering insights that could permanently reshape the future of preventive healthcare.

Why Are Scientists Scanning for the Whole Human Story?

Each participant in the study spent about five hours undergoing advanced imaging: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, heart, liver, and abdomen; DEXA scans to assess bone density and body fat; and ultrasounds of the carotid arteries. In total, more than 12,000 images per person were collected.

But the images are just one piece of a much larger puzzle. These scans are linked with each individual’s genetics, lifestyle choices, blood biomarkers, and medical history—many of which have been tracked for over 15 years. It’s this integration of data that allows researchers to identify disease patterns invisible to conventional medicine.

“This massive imaging project is making the invisible visible,” says Professor Sir Rory Collins, principal investigator and CEO of UK Biobank. “We’re seeing how disease takes hold silently, shaped by genetics, lifestyle, and environment long before symptoms begin.”

How the Data Is Already Saving Lives?

The data has already sparked breakthroughs that are changing how diseases are diagnosed and treated across the world. Take dementia, for instance. NHS memory clinics are now using tools developed through UK Biobank to analyze brain scans with far greater accuracy.

In cardiac care, an AI tool trained on UK Biobank data is being used in over 90 countries to scan heart images in under a second—a task that previously took clinicians nearly 15 minutes.

The power of scale can’t be overstated. By comparing hundreds of thousands of images of healthy individuals with those who developed disease, scientists have been able to develop AI-driven models to detect:

• Early signs of liver disease
• Calcification in major arteries
• Brain shrinkage from even mild alcohol use
• Abnormal fat distribution linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Studying the Science of Disease, Before It Strikes

What makes UK Biobank’s imaging study different is its ability to see disease in the making. Researchers aren’t just looking at patients after symptoms appear. They’re watching how organs change over time and using AI to predict what might happen next.

For instance, by comparing a person’s actual heart image to a personalized digital “healthy twin” (an AI-generated model based on age, sex, height, and weight), doctors can identify the earliest signs of cardiac deterioration—before it shows up in routine tests.

The study has also shown that organs can biologically age faster than the rest of the body. This means someone could have a healthy-looking BMI, but their liver or brain might already be at risk. These insights could fundamentally change how we define "at-risk" populations.

Perhaps one of the most eye-opening takeaways from the project is how misleading traditional health indicators can be.

Two people with identical BMIs might carry fat in radically different—and clinically significant—ways. One may store fat in protective subcutaneous layers, while another may accumulate it around vital organs, increasing their risk of heart disease and diabetes.

“Body mass index is a very crude measure,” says Collins. “We now know the health risk associated with different fat distributions can be vastly different.”

COVID-19 and the Hidden Toll on the Brain

The UK Biobank’s imaging database even gave scientists a unique opportunity during the pandemic: analyzing brain scans taken before and after COVID-19 infections. What they found was alarming—evidence of brain shrinkage in areas responsible for memory, smell, and emotion, even in patients with mild symptoms.

This was one of the first pieces of concrete neurological evidence of COVID-19’s lingering effects, made possible only because of the repeat scanning design of the Biobank study.

The entire dataset is housed on a cloud-based platform, currently accessed by over 21,000 researchers from more than 60 countries. Crucially, the platform is open to early-career scientists and researchers in low-resource settings—democratizing access to one of the most powerful tools in modern health science.

To date, the data has been the foundation for more than 16,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers, helping to drive policy changes, update clinical protocols, and accelerate drug discovery.

How These Scans Will Help Predict Illness Years in Advance?

The study’s next phase aims to include repeat scans for all 100,000 participants. With that, scientists will be able to track how changes in the brain, heart, liver, and fat distribution occur over time—and tie those changes to environmental exposures, behaviors, and genetics.

Already, AI models trained on Biobank data are being used to predict the onset of 38 different diseases, often years before symptoms emerge. The ultimate goal? A system where a routine scan could flag risk factors early enough for lifestyle changes or treatment to prevent disease altogether.

This study doesn’t just reveal what’s possible when imaging data is scaled—it shows what’s missing in most health systems worldwide: routine access to whole-body imaging.

Most people never undergo a scan unless they’re already sick. Yet this project proves that diseases like Alzheimer’s, fatty liver, and cardiovascular complications begin quietly, and can be detected early with the right tools.

Imagine a future where whole-body scans, paired with AI and personal data, become a standard part of preventive checkups—just like blood pressure or cholesterol testing. That future isn’t far off. UK Biobank is paving the way.

The UK Biobank’s imaging study is more than a scientific milestone—it’s a mindset shift. Instead of chasing illness after it appears, the study invites us to rethink healthcare as a forward-looking, data-powered practice that identifies risk before it becomes reality.

As Sir Rory Collins said, “We ain’t seen nothing yet.” He’s right. What this study makes clear is that the best time to treat disease is before it starts—and now, we finally have the tools to make that possible.

Checking our phone as soon as we wake has become a new normal, leaving far behind good old healthy practices like yoga, stretching, reading a newspaper or simply relaxing on the balcony. What has become a habit now is to reach for our phone before we have even fully opened both eyes. Scroll through Instagram, check the news, peep your inbox, maybe? So nobody is alone in this. But according to this neuroscientist, your brain hates this. Yes, hates!

Your Brain’s Morning Superpower

The moment you wake up, your brain enters what Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at New York University, calls peak neuroplastic mode, meaning it is in its most malleable, adaptable, and brilliant state, ready to learn, problem-solve and innovate.

“You have been starting your day out all wrong, and your brain hates it. If your first move in the morning is checking your phone, your brain misses out on its most powerful window of the day. Right after waking up, your brain is in peak neuroplastic mode,” she says in a video shared on Instagram.

Along with this neuroplasticity boost, your brain also experiences a natural rise in dopamine and cortisol levels in the early hours. Dopamine and cortisol (in their optimal, non-stress-inducing doses) help sharpen your focus, increase creativity, and get you mentally primed for the day.

But the moment you expose your just-woken-up brain to a screen, that power surge gets zapped.

Screens Hijack Your Mind

You know that itchy, anxious feeling you sometimes get after doomscrolling in bed? That is no coincidence. Dr. Suzuki says dopamine and cortisol are naturally high, giving you a boost in motivation, creativity, and focus. But screens hijack that potential.

By checking emails or diving into social media, you are handing over the reins of your brain’s agenda to external noise like other people’s updates, demands, and drama. Instead of using that precious cognitive spike for yourself, you are giving it away. Think of it as spending the best part of your mental energy budget on junk.

The 20-Minute Reset Experiment

Do not worry; Dr. Suzuki is not asking you to throw your phone away. The fix is refreshingly simple. Just delay screen time by 20 minutes. No fancy apps, no complicated rituals. Just give your brain a 20-minute grace period to breathe, stretch, and be.

"For the next five mornings, delay screen time by just 20 minutes. Instead, stretch. Write down three things you want to focus on or just sit with your coffee and your thoughts. Watch what happens when you give your brain space to lead," she says.

Sounds easy, right? But do not underestimate the impact. Those 20 minutes could become the most productive part of your day. They can set the tone for intentional action instead of reaction.

Make Your Brain the Boss of Your Morning

Tomorrow, when your alarm goes off, resist the twitchy urge to swipe. Let your brain stretch its legs first. Stretch your body, jot down your day’s top three priorities, or just sit still and sip your morning brew.

When an elderly individual is diagnosed with cancer, families often find themselves in a difficult position. The fear in individuals from aggressive treatment, surgical risks and a long recovery period makes many hesitant to proceed even in the cases where the cancer begins in the early stages.

Understandably, the idea of putting an elderly patient through such a physically and emotionally demanding experience can feel overwhelming. However, in modern medicine, age alone should not be the deciding factor when making cancer treatment decisions.

Chronological Age vs. Biological Age

Dr. Karthik K. Prasad, Lead Consultant, Surgical Oncologist at Sparsh Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, draws a clear distinction between chronological and biological age.

“Chronological age can be defined as the number of years the person has lived. Whereas the biological age, on the other hand, is all about how well the body is functioning,” he says. Biological age, he adds, is influenced by several factors, including lifestyle, mental health, environmental exposures and genetics.

He notes that many individuals in their 70s and 80s lead active, healthy lives and are very much capable of recovering from surgery. “Those patients who are young and suffering from many medical problems may also struggle with the same treatment,” he points out, reinforcing that functionality matters more than the age listed on paper.

Fitness and Functionality Matter

“In the world of modern oncology, medical decisions are mainly guided by the performance status of patients,” says Dr. Prasad. This performance status is a clinical evaluation of how independently a person can carry out daily physical activities.

“If the patient has good organ function, then they are very much suitable candidates for the surgery or any other form of medical treatment,” he adds. He also emphasises the importance of early treatment. “Early-stage cancer is very curable, especially in a fit elderly patient,” he states. “Avoiding the treatment and delayingthe treatment can also lead to progression and limit the future treatment options as well.”

Preparation and Recovery

Cancer surgeries in older adults are seldom urgent, Dr. Prasad explains, which allows ample time for proper preparation. “This also provides enough time to prepare the patient by providing them with an adequate amount of nutrition and offering the psychological support as well.”

While recovery may be slower for older patients, it is usually very possible with the right care. “With the proper care, such as physiotherapy, good nutrition, and emotional support, through which most of the people recover well,” he says. However, he cautions that success lies in meticulous planning. “The key element of the same lies in the pre- and post-operative planning of surgery.”

Changing the Narrative

Dr. Prasad believes that it’s time to break the stereotype that older patients are too fragile for treatment. “It is also true that age sometimes brings the added considerations, but it should not disqualify someone from getting a life-saving treatment,” he says.

He urges families and practitioners to move away from age-based decision-making. “Every decision regarding the medical treatment should be individualised by considering the overall health of the patient, not just only their age.” His message is clear and strong: “In today’s medical world we should only treat people, not their age numbers.”

For Dr. Prasad, both healthy and elderly patients with early-stage cancer “deserve the equal opportunity for getting a cure”. Age, he stresses, “should not stand as the factor in the way of effective treatment and proper assessment; preparation should be adopted.”