Recent research highlights a concerning link between cardiovascular health, body weight, and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. New studies indicate that excess weight, especially in women with heart disease, may significantly increase the likelihood of developing hormone-driven breast cancers, raising questions about preventive strategies and personalized screening approaches.

While postmenopausal obesity has long been recognized as a risk factor for breast cancer, the nuances of how heart disease amplifies this risk are only now becoming clearer. A study led by Dr. Heinz Freisling from the International Agency for Research on Cancer analyzed over 168,000 postmenopausal women across Europe using data from the EPIC and UK Biobank cohorts. Researchers sought to determine whether excess weight poses a greater risk in women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or type 2 diabetes.

The findings were significant: postmenopausal women who were overweight, and particularly those categorized as obese, faced an increased risk of developing invasive breast cancers. Women with a BMI over 35 experienced a 58% higher risk of ER-positive and PR-positive breast cancers compared to those with a healthy BMI of 18.5 to 25. Moreover, breast cancer mortality was more than twice as high among women in the highest obesity category.

Dr. Arvind Badiger, Technical Director at BDR Pharmaceuticals, explains the biological underpinnings, “Inflammation, insulin resistance, and hormonal disturbances found in CVD can drive tumorigenesis. Increased adipose tissue due to obesity is hormonally active and converts androgens to estrogens. Higher levels of estrogen may support hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Moreover, systemic inflammation caused by CVD releases pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stressors that could possibly change DNA repair pathways and cellular proliferation.”

Why Is Central Obesity A Stronger Predictor For Breast Cancer Risk?

BMI, while commonly used in clinical settings, does not account for fat distribution. Dr. Badiger emphasizes that central obesity—measured through waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio—may be a more accurate predictor of breast cancer risk. Visceral fat is metabolically active, promoting insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and elevated estrogen production, all of which can drive cancer development.

“Clinically, we observe greater metabolic derangement in centrally obese patients, even those with a normal BMI. Measurement of waist circumference and metabolic profiling must be included in routine risk assessment,” Dr. Badiger notes.

Wat Role Medications and Hormonal Factors Play?

Medications can also influence breast cancer risk and detection. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), particularly combined estrogen-progestin regimens, has been associated with elevated breast cancer risk, while statins and metformin may offer protective effects due to their anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. Certain drugs, like corticosteroids, can obscure tumor markers and affect diagnostic clarity.

This underscores the importance of integrating a comprehensive medication history when assessing breast cancer risk in high-risk populations such as obese postmenopausal women with underlying cardiovascular conditions.

Lifestyle and Modifiable Risk Factors

The American Institute for Cancer Research estimates that up to a third of U.S. breast cancers could be prevented if women maintained a healthy weight, engaged in regular physical activity, and avoided alcohol. The study also highlights that weight gain prevention is critical, as obesity remains one of the most modifiable risk factors for hormone-driven breast cancers.

Nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle interventions are particularly relevant for postmenopausal women with CVD, as these measures not only support heart health but also reduce systemic inflammation and improve metabolic profiles, which may lower cancer risk.

Screening and Early Detection Recommendations

Experts recommend that risk evaluation for obese postmenopausal women should extend beyond routine mammography. Dr. Badiger advises including metabolic markers—such as insulin resistance, lipid profiles, C-reactive protein, and estradiol levels—alongside waist measurements. Additionally, clinicians should assess underlying cardiovascular disease, medication history, and lifestyle habits to provide a more nuanced understanding of breast cancer risk.

Customized screening programs that integrate clinical, biochemical, and lifestyle assessments can improve early detection and prevention in this high-risk group, ultimately reducing mortality rates associated with hormone-driven breast cancers.

Essential Factors Postmenopausal Women Must Keep In Mind To Prevent Breast Cancer

1. Monitor waist size, not just BMI: Central obesity is strongly linked to metabolic changes that increase breast cancer risk.
2. Be aware of cardiovascular health: CVD-related inflammation and hormonal imbalances may amplify cancer risk.
3. Review medications: Hormone therapy, statins, and other drugs can influence both risk and detection.
4. Prioritize lifestyle interventions: Weight management, physical activity, and diet play a vital role in prevention.
5. Seek comprehensive screening: Ask healthcare providers about metabolic markers and tailored assessments beyond standard mammograms.

The intersection of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women highlights the urgent need for integrated prevention strategies. Understanding the biological mechanisms, monitoring central obesity, and implementing personalized screening and lifestyle interventions can provide women with actionable ways to reduce their risk and safeguard both heart and breast health.

As India steps into 2026, two familiar yet unsettling names have returned to the public health conversation. Nipah virus cases reported from West Bengal and fresh bird flu detections among crows in Bihar have raised questions about how dangerous these infections really are for humans. While both diseases originate in animals and can cross over to people, their risks, spread patterns and fatality levels are very different.

Two zoonotic threats, very different risks

Nipah virus and avian influenza are both zoonotic, meaning they jump from animals to humans. Beyond that similarity, the comparison largely ends. Nipah is rare but extremely lethal when it infects humans. Bird flu, on the other hand, spreads widely among birds and poultry, but only occasionally infects people.

Health experts note that understanding this distinction is crucial. Nipah alarms public health systems because even a small cluster of cases can lead to severe illness and death. Bird flu triggers large scale surveillance mainly due to its impact on poultry and the economy, with human cases remaining uncommon.

Read: Bird Flu In India: How Safe Is It To Eat Chicken And Eggs?

Nipah virus and why it worries health officials

The Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in the late 1990s and has since caused multiple outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia. Fruit bats are its natural carriers, and humans can get infected through contaminated food, contact with infected animals or close contact with an infected person.

Symptoms often begin like a common viral illness, with fever, headache and cough. In many patients, the disease progresses rapidly. Within days, some develop encephalitis, seizures, confusion and coma. Respiratory distress is also common in severe cases.

According to the World Health Organization, Nipah’s fatality rate ranges between 40 and 75 percent, depending on the outbreak and access to timely medical care. There is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment. Doctors rely on intensive supportive care, which makes early detection and isolation critical.

In January 2026, West Bengal reported multiple Nipah cases, prompting contact tracing and monitoring of nearly 200 people. Most tested negative, and the WHO assessed the risk of wider spread as low. Still, the high death rate keeps Nipah firmly on India’s list of priority pathogens.

Bird flu and its limited human impact

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is caused by influenza A viruses that primarily infect birds. Strains such as H5N1 and H9N2 have been detected repeatedly in India among poultry and wild birds. Bihar’s Darbhanga district recently reported thousands of bird deaths, triggering containment measures.

Humans usually get infected through close contact with sick or dead birds or contaminated environments. When infection does occur, symptoms can resemble seasonal flu at first, but severe cases may progress to pneumonia or acute respiratory distress.

Some bird flu strains have shown high fatality rates among confirmed human cases, sometimes close to 50 percent. However, experts stress that these numbers come from very small case counts. Sustained human to human transmission remains rare, which limits large outbreaks in people.

Read: Nipah Virus Outbreak In India: Myanmar Airport Tightens Health Screenings

Which virus is deadlier for humans?

In terms of individual risk, Nipah virus is considered deadlier for humans. Its consistently high fatality rate, lack of treatment options and potential to cause severe brain inflammation make it especially dangerous, even when case numbers are low.

Bird flu poses a broader threat to animal health and livelihoods, but its direct impact on human life has so far been limited. Public health officials continue to monitor both closely, knowing that vigilance, early reporting and strong surveillance are the best tools to prevent either virus from spiralling into a larger crisis.

After the death of 150 crows in Bihar's Bhagalpur district in Naugacha, sudden death of 1,500 crows in Chennai, in Tamil Nadu has again raised concerns over bird flu. At the center of all these is Highly Pathogen Avian Influenza or the HPAI, which is also known as bird flu or the A H5N1 virus. While the strain is known for being notorious and have jumped states, spreading outbreaks in many Indian states, including Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, the concerns do not end there. Many are concerned if it is a threat to humans too.

Can H5N1 Virus Infect Humans?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO) data, between January 2023 and December 2025, a total of 993 human cases of avian influenza were reported in 25 countries. Almost half of them, which is around 477 people, died. The virus has a fatality rate of 48 per cent.

Two different studies, one done by the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow that show how avian flu strains are multiplying even when the body temperatures could hinder viruses. Whereas, another important study led by Indian scientists, by Philip Cherian and Gautam Menon of Ashoka University, published in BMC Public Health predict if H5N1 or the bird flu virus, could start spreading among humans. How quickly must we act to stop it?

Can H5N1 Virus Infect Humans? How It Survives In The Body?

Human influenza viruses infect many each year. The seasonal strains we see most often fall under influenza A and tend to do well in the cooler temperatures of the upper respiratory tract, which is close to 33°C. They are less suited to the warmer, deeper parts of the lungs, where temperatures reach about 37°C.

As per Science Daily, when the body cannot slow an infection, the virus continues to multiply and spread, which can lead to more serious illness. Fever acts as a protective response, pushing body temperature as high as 41°C. Until now, the exact reason why fever slows some viruses but not others has been unclear.

Avian influenza behaves differently. These viruses usually grow in the lower respiratory tract, and in their natural hosts, such as ducks or seagulls, they often infect the gut. Temperatures in these areas can reach 40°C to 42°C, which helps explain their greater tolerance to heat.

Read: Could Bird Flu Become The Next Pandemic For Humans?

Can H5N1 Virus Infect Humans? What Does The India Specific Study Reveal?

Using BharatSim, an open-source simulation platform originally developed during Covid-19, the researchers recreated what an outbreak might look like in real life. “The threat of an H5N1 pandemic in humans is a genuine one,” Prof Menon said, “but we can hope to forestall it through better surveillance and a more nimble public-health response.”

Their model begins where experts believe a real outbreak would: with a single human infection, most likely a poultry worker or someone exposed to infected birds at a farm or market. The danger, the researchers argue, lies not in that first case, but in whether sustained human-to-human transmission takes hold.

The study by Ashoka University has the most sobering findings in how fast control can slip away. According to the simulations, once cases rise beyond roughly two to ten people, the virus is likely to move beyond immediate contacts and into the wider community.

If households of close contacts are quarantined when just two cases are detected, the outbreak can almost certainly be contained. By the time ten cases are identified, however, the model suggests the infection has probably already spread far enough that early interventions no longer make a meaningful difference.

To ground their work in reality, the researchers focused on a village in Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal district, one of India’s largest poultry hubs. With more than 1,600 farms, around 70 million chickens and tens of millions of eggs produced daily, the region reflects the kind of dense human-animal interaction where spillovers are most likely.

In the simulation, the virus spreads outward from a single workplace into homes, schools and markets, tracking primary and secondary contacts. Once “tertiary” infections, contacts of contacts, appear, control becomes dramatically harder without severe measures such as lockdowns.

Read: Bird Flu Variant Can Now Withstand Fever, Sparking Stronger Human Threats

Can H5N1 Virus Infect Humans? What Works And What Does Not Work

Culling birds work, but only if it happens before humans are infected. Once the spillover is done, isolating patients and quarantining is the only option that can stop the virus, that too if done very early. Targeted vaccination could help raise the threshold at which the virus can sustain itself. Quarantine imposed too early keeps families together longer, increasing household transmission. Imposed too late, it barely slows the outbreak at all.

What won't people do to get that gold. In the quest for so, Olympians re injecting hyaluronic acid in their penises. The reason? For skiing, it helps them fly better and further.

In January, a German newspaper, Bild reported that jumpers were injecting, what now is dubbed as Penisgate in their penis. The newspaper claimed that athletes inject the acid in the penis before they are measured for their suits.

Does Bigger Penis Help You Ski Better?: What Does Penisgate Do To The Penis?

Hyaluronic acid is used for cosmetic surgery, especially as a filler. Surgeons have also used it for penile girth enlargement. This is exactly why it is being used by the Olympians.

Injecting hyaluronic acid will increase the penile girth. However, experts point out that this means, one has to insert a lot of it in the penis to have this worked out. It is not a permanent solution, and can only last up to six to 12 months, depending on the absorption.

Inserting this will increase the penile girth or the penis circumference by one or two centimeters. As per the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, FIS, the surface area of their suits during competition could be increased by this, which increases their flight in the air, reported BBC.

"Every extra centimetre on a suit counts. If you suit has a 5% bigger surface area, you fly further," said FIS ski jumping's men race director Sandro Pertile, reported by BBC.

Does Bigger Penis Help You Ski Better?: Why Are Olympians Injecting Their Penises With Hyaluronic Acid?

Ahead of each season, ski jumpers undergo measurements using 3D body scanners and are required to wear only elastic, body-tight underwear during the process.

Regulations allow suit measurements a tolerance of just 2–4 cm. As part of this assessment, athletes’ crotch height is also recorded. The suit’s crotch height must match the athlete’s own measurement, with an additional 3 cm permitted for men.

Hyaluronic acid injections into the penis can last for up to 18 months.

Athletes have previously faced scrutiny for attempting to boost performance through alterations or manipulation of their suits.

Does Bigger Penis Help You Ski Better?: What Are The Risks Of Injecting Hyaluronic Acid In Penis?

Experts caution that penile injections using hyaluronic acid can pose serious short- and long-term risks.

They warn that improper technique or incorrect dosing may lead to pain, disfigurement, deformity, infection, inflammation, altered sensation, and sexual dysfunction. In rare cases, infections can worsen, causing tissue death (gangrene) and even loss of the penis.