High midlife stress may increase the chances of Alzheimer's disease in women after their menopause, according to a study.

Scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in the US, discovered that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol in midlife can increase amyloid deposition -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's -- in postmenopausal women later.

"The results highlight the importance of identifying early risk factors when biomarkers are detectable but cognitive impairment is absent," said Arash Salardini, Associate Professor at the varsity.

In the study, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, the team analysed data from 305 cognitively unimpaired participants in Massachusetts, US.

The combination of air pollution, dense urban development and limited green spaces increases the risk of asthma in both children and adults, according to a new study.

Improving these can help prevent one in 10 cases of asthma -- a chronic respiratory condition characterised by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult.

Previous studies have typically calculated the risk of one environmental factor at a time. The new study combined several environmental factors and described how they together affect the risk of developing asthma.

This provided a better picture of environmental risks, as life in a city usually involves exposure to several environmental risk factors at the same time

If you are finding it hard to control hypertension or high blood pressure then eating dark chocolate, grapes, or drinking tea may help you, according to a study.

Researchers from the University of Surrey, UK, found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols -- found in cocoa, tea, apples, and grapes -- may improve blood pressure and the health of our blood vessels.

The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analysed data from 145 randomised controlled studies, and found that regular consumption of flavan-3-ols can lead to a reduction in blood pressure readings, particularly in people with elevated or high blood pressure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a silent killer that affects over 294 million people in the Southeast Asia region, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, ahead of World Hypertension Day.

World Hypertension Day is observed every year on May 17 to raise awareness of hypertension and its serious medical complications.

The theme this year is "measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, live longer". It emphasises the importance of regular and accurate blood pressure measurements.

“Hypertension continues to be a major public health challenge -- a silent killer that affects over 294 million people across the WHO South-East Asia Region,” said Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's southern economic hub, has recorded 7,398 cases of dengue fever from the beginning of 2025 to May 11, a 136 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024, Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.

Experts warned that the dengue season has arrived earlier this year than usual and may carry a heightened risk of widespread outbreaks, according to the city's Centre for Disease Control.

Ho Chi Minh City and other southern provinces have entered the rainy season, which typically marks the start of the annual rise in dengue infections.

Health authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to prevent the spread of the disease, said the centre.

The death toll from the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has risen to 138 since the beginning of this year, public health authorities said.

In a statement on its website, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said that 717 confirmed cases have been recorded so far.

At least 18 out of the 36 states in the country have been affected by the viral haemorrhagic disease so far this year, with the southern states of Ondo and the northern states of Bauchi and Taraba the worst-hit, accounting for more than 71 per cent of the total confirmed cases, the NCDC said. This development, according to the public health agency, has "signalled persistent hotspots despite nationwide interventions".

With the latest death toll, the case fatality rate has risen to 19.2 per cent, the NCDC said, noting that overall, this rise in the casualties figure remained alarming.

Feeling lonely or older than your age at 40? According to a study, these negative perceptions about ageing could be early signs of frailty, even in your 40s.

Usually associated with older age, frailty is a recognised medical condition, marked by reduced strength, energy, and ability to recover from illness.

Pre-frailty is the reversible transition stage that comes before; however, experts say it's ill-defined and requires more understanding.

The research, published in the journal BMC Public Health, showed that it can begin much earlier with subtle psychological and social cues.

"Many people assume frailty is something that happens when we get much older," said lead author Tom Brennan from Flinders University's Caring Futures Institute in Australia.

The Philippines recorded 5,101 new HIV cases and 145 HIV/AIDS-related deaths from January to March 2025, according to data released by the Department of Health (DOH).

Of the newly reported cases, 4,849, or 95 per cent, were male, while 252, or 5 per cent, were female. Nearly 80 per cent of the cases occurred among individuals aged 15 to 34, underscoring the growing prevalence of HIV infections among younger populations.

The average number of monthly cases during the first quarter of 2025 stood at 1,700, representing a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

The DOH reported that nearly 96 per cent of new infections in the first quarter were transmitted through sexual contact, with male-to-male sexual contact accounting for the majority of these cases, news agency reported.

Indian pharma market (IPM) has seen a 7.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth in April due to a surge in chronic therapies, according to a report.

The monthly report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services showed that the IPM’s growth in April 2024 was 9 per cent. In March 2025 it was 9.3 per cent.

The growth was driven by strong outperformance in cardiac, central Nervous System (CNS), and respiratory therapies.

Notably, respiratory therapies saw a revival in YoY growth in April. Acute therapy growth stood at 6 per cent in April (vs. 6 per cent in April 2024 and 8 per cent in March 2025) owing to seasonality.

A 24-year-old woman tourist died when a tent she was staying in at a resort near Wayanad collapsed.

The deceased was identified as Nishma.

A group of 16 from the neighbouring Malappuram district at Nilambur arrived at the resort at 900 Kandi in Meppadi on Wednesday evening.

The resort, which is accessible only on four-wheelers, is located close to the forests.

The resort houses temporary structures built using traditional materials like wood and has a roof made up of leaves.

With heavy rain hitting the hilltop resort on Wednesday night, one of the tents collapsed, killing Nishma and injuring two others.