In a recent study, it was revealed that the US has the longest 'healthspan-lifespan gap' among more than 180 countries. Over all, the global life expectancy has seen an increase by 6.5 years, and hit an average of 72.5 among the 183 members of the World Health Organization. This data is reported in the journal JAMA Network Open. However, during the same period, the estimate for how long a person could live free of diseases or disability increased only by 5.4 years, with an average of 63.3 years among the WHO countries.

This has led to a 13% increase in the global gap between lifespan and healthspan, which is reflected by "the extent of lifespan burdened by disease". The gap is from 8.5 years in 2000 to 9.6 years in 2019, states the study.

Dr Andre Terzic, the co-author of the study and the Marriot family director of comprehensive cardiac regenerative medicine for the Mayo Clinic's Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, said, "On one hand we celebrate the fact that humanity lives longer. Whether you’re in North America or in the rest of the world, you look into the last century and it’s amazing how mankind lives longer and continues to live longer."

“Unfortunately, the gains in life expectancy are not matched with equivalent gains in health life expectancy," explains the doctor.

How healthy is US?

Among all the WHO countries, US had the greatest disparity between life expectancy and years lived without disease or disability.

On an average, the life expectancy in the US rose from 79.2 years to 80.7 years in women and for men, it went from 74.1 years to 76.3 years between 2000 and 2019. Which means, on an average, a person living in the US' total life expectancy would be 78.5 years, whereas the healthy life expectancy is only at 66.1 years. The gap between lifespan and healthspan has therefor increased from 10.9 years earlier to 12.4 years, now. This has led to a disparity of 29%, larger than the global average, which is at 13%.

“That’s a significant departure of what could be expected for a country with such a significant expansion of life expectancy,” Terzic says. Another point of concern is that the study also showed that women in US exhibited a 2.6-year higher healthspan-lifespan gap than men, increasing from 12.2 to 13.7 years or 32% beyond the global mean for women.

As per Terzic, the widening gap between healthspan and lifespan in the US is due to the severe burden of chronic diseases, especially musculoskeletal conditions, mental health and substance use disorders.

ALSO READ: These Are The 5 Best And Worst US States For Mental Health Care

In a different study conducted by the Commonwealth Fund that analyzed the 11 high-income nations found that the US had the highest percentage of adults who reported receiving mental health diagnosis such as anxiety or depression at 23%.

This was based on a 2016 survey data. Of the people survey, it was also found that 26% of US adults said they had experienced emotional distress, and thus it has marked it as the second-highest rate among countries.

Thousands of people struggle to sleep across the world. A survey of 45,202 young adults in Norway has discovered that screen-scrolling in bed drives up your risk of insomnia by 59 per cent and cuts your sleep time by 24 minutes. Scientists have found another reason to put the phone down: a survey of 45,202 young adults in Norway has discovered that using a screen in bed drives up your risk of insomnia by 59% and cuts your sleep time by 24 minutes. However, social media was not found to be more disruptive than other screen activities.

"The type of screen activity does not appear to matter as much as the overall time spent using screens in bed,” said Dr Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Psychiatry. “We found no significant differences between social media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption — likely due to time displacement, where screen use delays sleep by taking up time that would otherwise be spent resting.”

Sleep is critical to our mental and physical health, but many of us don’t get enough. At the same time, an increasing number of people are accustomed to using screens in bed, which may be associated with poor sleep. Screen use is thought to impact sleep in four ways: notifications disturb sleep, screen time replaces sleeping time, screen activities keep you wakeful so you take longer to fall asleep, or light exposure delays circadian rhythms.

"Sleep problems are highly prevalent among students and have significant implications for mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being, but previous studies have primarily focused on adolescents,” said Hjetland. “Given the widespread use of screens in bed we aimed to explore the relationship between different screen activities and sleep patterns. We expected that social media use might be more strongly associated with poorer sleep, given its interactive nature and potential for emotional stimulation.”

The findings of this study suggest that it’s not just the content that keeps people awake but the overall duration of screen exposure before bedtime. When people spend prolonged hours scrolling through screens, they might not only be reducing their sleep window but also disrupting their sleep cycles. This can have a cascading effect on overall health, affecting mood, concentration, and even immunity.

Reducing screen time before bed could be a simple yet effective strategy to enhance sleep quality. Setting a digital curfew, using blue light filters, and engaging in relaxing bedtime routines like reading a book or practicing mindfulness can help counteract the negative impact of screens. Sleep experts also recommend creating a sleep-conducive environment by dimming the lights and avoiding stimulating activities at least an hour before bedtime.

With screen usage becoming a significant part of modern life, it’s essential to be mindful of how digital habits influence sleep patterns. The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation extend beyond feeling tired the next day — they can increase the risk of mental health issues, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders. By taking small steps to reduce screen time in bed, individuals can make significant improvements to their sleep health and overall well-being.

Shane, who had welcomed his second born son Kooper a year ago, noticed a strange glow in their child’s eye. Young Kooper’s parents, from Wales, explained that although after noticing this glow, they did not think much of it. They saw a white patch in their son’s eyes in low light, which prompted them to google the symptoms with one suggesting shining light directly into his eyes, which made the glow apparent! What they didn’t know at the time is that their son would soon be diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that affects kids under the age of six: Retinoblastoma.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents, it is one such disease that can unilaterally affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or any other factors. Every year more than 300,000 kids are diagnosed with cancer globally, according to the Indian Cancer society.

According to the American Cancer Society, Retinoblastoma is the most common type of eye cancer among children, it accounts for about 2% of all childhood cancer. However, it is a rare cancer affecting 3.3 cases per 1 million people under the age of 20

The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that 80% of children with cancer are cured, a surprising statistic showed that less than 30% of children are cured, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Unexpected Symptom Of Cancer

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) emphasizes that common indicators of retinoblastoma include a white glow in the eye – which may only be visible under specific lighting conditions or in photographs – a squint, a change in the eye's appearance, or swelling of the eye.

Often, only a single symptom might be present. While a photo can reveal the tell-tale white glow, it's not always the case. Therefore, CHECT strongly advises seeking professional medical advice even if a photo doesn't show a glow but other symptoms are apparent.

Kooper’s Diagnosis And Initial Complications

Shane described the anxious period leading up to the diagnosis, "I noticed it on a Friday, and we decided to take him to the doctor first thing on Monday. The weekend was filled with panic, endless online searches, and imagining the worst – it was a terrifying experience. The doctor referred us to the local hospital a couple of days later, which was another unsettling time of uncertainty. We had read that there could be other reasons for the obscured red reflex in his eye, so we clung to the hope of a different diagnosis." The family had an appointment at Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital in December 2024.

Shane reflected on receiving the devastating news, "I don't think anything can truly prepare you to hear that your one-year-old has cancer, might lose his eye, or might never see out of it again – it was an incredibly emotional time. We immediately called our parents and used WhatsApp groups to inform the rest of the family. They had already suspected retinoblastoma after our initial hospital visit, so this was confirmation. We used the information provided at the hospital to reassure them and explain the treatment plan. The doctor discussed various chemotherapy options and also offered genetic testing, which we opted for, considering Kooper has an older brother and for Kooper's future and potential children."

Treatment for Retinoblastoma and Side Effects

Kooper has started receiving chemotherapy as the primary treatment for his retinoblastoma. His father, Shane, explained that the treatment plan has involved multiple approaches so far, including delivering chemotherapy drugs directly into an artery, using laser therapy, and administering chemotherapy via injections. The effectiveness of these different methods has varied.

A recent medical examination indicated that the main tumor in Kooper's eye had reduced in size. However, the doctors also noted the growth of smaller clusters of cancerous cells, known as spores, within his eye. Because of this, there's hope that the most recent treatment, the chemotherapy injection, will be successful in addressing this new development.

Shane also described a difficult side effect that Kooper experiences after each treatment session. For several days following his chemotherapy, when he is on steroid medication, Kooper becomes very distressed. This period of discomfort makes it impossible for his parents to send him to nursery, which is challenging as they both work. Despite these difficulties, Shane mentioned that Kooper surprisingly seems to enjoy his visits to the hospital.

What is Retinoblastoma?

According to The National Eye Institute retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer that forms in the retina, it can cause blindness as well as can be life threatening. However, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent vision loss as well as from spreading cancer

The most common thing parents notice with this eye cancer is that the black circle in the middle of their child's eye looks white when light shines on it. Often, this shows up in flash photos. The National Eye Institute explains that other symptoms include.

• Eyes that look crossed or one eye that wanders.
• An eye that looks sore, puffy, or red.
• Eyes that seem watery all the time.
• Not being able to see very well.
• Falling down more often.
• Bumping into things.
• Having trouble getting around the house.
• Holding toys and books very close to the face to see them better.

One of the most common viruses in the world, Epstein-Barr virus, or EBV is a member of the herpes virus family, also known as herpesvirus 4. Herpes viruses have been with humans for a very, very long time and have gotten good at living in our bodies. Once you get a herpes virus, it stays in your body forever. This means pretty much every adult has at least one type of these nine herpes viruses.

When you first get a herpes virus, you often don't even know it because you don't feel sick. After this first infection, the virus goes into a quiet stage where it's still there but not causing problems.

There are eight main types of herpes viruses that we know about. They are everywhere and are very good at living in us without causing too much trouble most of the time.

• Herpes simplex type I (HSV-1).
• Herpes simplex type II (HSV-2).
• Varicella-zoster virus (VZV/HHV-3).
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV/HHV-4).
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV/HHV-5).
• Herpesvirus type 6 (HBLV/HHV-6).
• Herpesvirus type 7 (HHV-7).
• Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV-8)

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention many people get infected with EBV in their lifetime especially in their childhood, however its symptoms are not distinguishable from other mild brief childhood illnesses.

While most cases of EBV do not cause any serious health issues, some strains of it like the Chronic Epstein-Bar Virus can cause serious health issues in people. A new study published in the BMC Virology Journal explained that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is now being seen as a germ that can cause a serious brain problem called encephalitis.

What Is Epstein Bar Virus (EBV)?

EBV is a highly contagious virus that can pass through bodily fluid contact. It is the cause of one of the most common infections, mononucleosis or mono. Once you get this virus, it stays in your body, inactive and in a dormant state until it becomes reactivated.

According to the Frontiers in Immunology, Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) disease is a very uncommon problem where people's bodies can't fight off the EBV virus. It keeps getting worse, with a lot of the virus's DNA in their blood and the virus attacking their organs with infected blood cells.

People with this disease often have fevers, swollen glands, a big spleen, liver problems caused by EBV, or low blood counts. Over time, their body's ability to fight off infections gets weaker. If they don't get treatment, they can die from other infections, a problem where the body attacks its own blood cells, organ failure, or cancers linked to EBV.

The only treatment that has been proven to work for this disease is a stem cell transplant (a procedure to replace damaged blood cells with healthy ones). Right now, scientists are trying to figure out why this disease happens. They are looking at problems with the body's defense system (immune defects) and changes in people's genes that might be linked to the disease. A new study as also revealed that EBV may also cause us brain damage due to a disease called encephalitis.

Symptoms Of Epstein-Bar Virus

EBV infections do not cause symptoms especially for children, teens and adults are more likely to experience symptoms like fever, feeling tired or fatigued headache, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes in your neck and arm, enlarged spleen or swollen liver, body aches and skin rash. The symptoms of this usually last for two to four weeks. Things are a bit different with Chronic EBV. In rare cases of EBV, it can lead to a chronic condition called active EBV (CAEVB) some symptoms include, swollen and tender lymph nodes, fever, enlarged liver, fatigue, sore throat, headache, muscle pain joint stiffness, anemia and liver failure.

Can EBV Cause Brain Damage?

The study looked at all the people who were diagnosed with encephalitis at one hospital from June 2020 to April 2021. The researchers took information from the hospital's computer records. Then they used different math tests to compare the information from people who had EBV-related encephalitis with those who had encephalitis caused by other germs.

The study included 364 people with encephalitis. In 86 of these people (about 24%), EBV was found in the fluid around their brain and spinal cord (CSF). Out of those 86, 39 people were diagnosed with encephalitis that was definitely caused by EBV. The study found that EBV-related encephalitis is different from encephalitis caused by other herpes viruses.

People with EBV encephalitis had more protein in their CSF, less sugar in their CSF, and were more likely to have swelling around the brain (meningitis) show up on brain scans (MRI). The study also found that older age, having HIV, having a weakened immune system for reasons other than cancer, and having EBV in their blood made it more likely for EBV to infect their brain and spinal cord.

EBV encephalitis seems to be different from encephalitis caused by other herpes viruses. It often involves more swelling around the brain, more protein and less sugar in the brain fluid, and fewer of a certain type of immune cell (T-lymphocytes) in the blood. These differences suggest that EBV might cause brain swelling in a unique way compared to other herpes viruses.