When Jess Beattie was prescribed hormone replacement therapy by her GP in January 2025, she thought it would change her life after months of feeling exhausted and like her brain wasn’t functioning properly. But three months later, she found herself sitting on the bathroom floor at two o’clock in the morning, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. “My husband was crouched beside me, asking whether he should call someone. I remember looking at him and saying: ‘I think I’m going mad.’”
Beattie hadn’t slept properly in days, as anxious thoughts were keeping her up at night. Her breasts were swollen and so tender that she wouldn’t even allow her husband to hug her anymore, and her periods had become painful and heavy.
The mood swings were what scared Beattie the most: “One minute I’d be crying uncontrollably; the next I’d be incandescent with rage over something as ridiculous as an unemptied dishwasher. Sometimes, my husband looked genuinely frightened by my outbursts.”
Just before Beattie turned 45, she’d gone to her doctor believing she had some kind of early dementia. The project manager from West Yorkshire says: “During an important work meeting, somebody asked me a straightforward question about a project I’d been working on for months. My mind went completely blank. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t reach it. At home, I’d put my phone down and immediately forget where it was. I’d walk into the kitchen and have no idea why I was there. My dad had dementia, and I was convinced I had it too.”
How climate change is pushing giant whales to Greenland
Giant whales are now moving into inaccessible areas in East Greenland after climate change has warmed the sea and melted ice caps.
Due to the ice blocking them whales have not normally been seen in these waters, but now a decades-long study has recorded hundreds of the species feeding in ice-free seas along the coast in summer.
Scientists describe the result of the melted ice as seasonal Arctic “feeding frenzies”.
A huge increase in whale sightings
The difference is striking – ship-based surveys did not record a single humpback whale sighting there until 2006.
Then in 2007, seven were seen and in 2024, there were 150 ship-based sightings.
An estimated 4,000 humpback whales, 6,000 fin whales and 6,000 minke whales travelled to the Greenland Sea in the summer of 2024.
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Why the whales go to Greenland
Rising sea temperatures have meant fish have travelled to the waters of East Greenland and the whales have moved in to feast on them. Scientists estimated the three whale species would eat 800,000 tonnes of fish and krill during a summer feeding season.
- However, the relocation of the whales means they share a habitat with other whales such as narwhals and belugas, and can displace them in some instances.
Trump threatens Iran with ‘economic D-Day’ – the latest
Donald Trump has threatened Iran with “economic D-Day” in a post on Truth Social and warned he will launch tougher economic measures on any country that does business with Tehran.
The context
The threat comes after a 60-day ceasefire – which was largely ignored when hostilities resumed around a month in – officially expired on Monday.
Trump’s latest is an attempt to ramp up the economic pressure on Iran as the war continues almost five months on from Israel and America’s first strikes, and the ensuing shocks to oil prices.
Trump’s crackdown
ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.
Donald trump writing on truth social
Iran loses key economic stream
- The declaration by Trump comes a day after the United Arab Emirates severed all economic ties with Iran.
- This was prompted by the UAE’s defence ministry saying it detected two Iranian missiles targeting maritime traffic.
- Iranian entities have long used Dubai’s financial system to transfer money through exchange houses and shell companies.
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Designs on Hormuz
On Tuesday, the President posted a captionless image of the Strait of Hormuz, labelling it as a US territory.
It’s closure by the Iranian regime has spiked oil prices and caused global economic turmoil, something that has become a key issue for Trump himself.
The President first claimed the strait would become a “US territory” at an event last week, though America has so far been unable to guarantee safe passage for ships through the waterway.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning to move back to Britain more than six years after relinquishing their royal duties and leaving the UK for California.
Will Harry and Meghan resume their duties?
There are currently no plans for either Harry or Meghan to return to their official working roles within the Royal Family. However, the move raises the possibility that the couple could return to their posts in the future.
- Harry and Meghan stood down from their roles as working royals in 2020. The pair, in part, made the decision to due to media intrusion and the inability to set up their “SussexRoyal” brand.
What has been the King’s reaction?
King Charles was informed of the move on Sunday and it is understood he is pleased for the opportunity to see them on a regular basis.
However, it is reported the King is clear that the Duke and Duchess’s status as non-working royals and private individuals, in keeping with their previously expressed wishes, will remain unchanged.
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What arrangements are being made?
Security arrangements for the Duke and Duchess have not yet been disclosed, but the government has so far refused to provide Harry with taxpayer-funded police protection when in the UK.
The couple will reportedly retain their homes in Montecito, California, and Portugal, while the Duchess will continue to run her lifestyle brand, As Ever, from their new base.
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How did we get here?
- Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 and originally worked closely with Prince William and Kate as senior members of the Royal Family.
- Reports later emerged of a rift between the two couples and in March 2019, Buckingham Palace announced Harry and Meghan would set up their own, separate household.
- Around a year later, the couple said they were scaling back their involvement with the Royal Family and would split their time between the UK and US.
- Harry and Meghan then made a series of startling allegations about the family.
- The couple then formally relinquished their royal titles and took part in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Five things to know after major cancer vaccine breakthrough
Cancer vaccines given as treatment for the disease have moved a step closer after promising results in a landmark trial.
Vaccine could halve cancer recurrence
The treatment, developed by Moderna and Merck, is based on the same technology used to make Covid vaccines. It was given to patients with high-risk melanoma who remained free of cancer after surgery.
The manufacturers have not yet said exactly how much the treatment reduced cancer return, but a previous small study found the treatment halved its recurrence.
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How it works
The vaccine works by revving up the immune system so it is better able to recognise the unique proteins made by the cancer cells’ mutated DNA. Treatment involves surgically removing the patient’s cancer, then genetically sequencing the tumour cells to make mRNA.
- The mRNA is then injected into the person’s body, and their cells start producing the cancer proteins in small amounts. This trains the person’s immune cells to react more aggressively to the cancer cells.
Potential for patients to be
cancer-free for longer
The vaccine, which is called Intismeran, is personalised to each patient’s tumour. It is used along with another cancer drug already prescribed by the NHS, Keytruda.
The combination treatment “has the potential to establish a new treatment paradigm, helping patients remain cancer-free for longer”, said Professor Georgina Long, the study’s principal investigator and medical director of Melanoma Institute Australia.
When will it be used in the UK?
- The treatment could be at least a year or two away from being used within the NHS.
- The manufacturers first need to file for approval of their treatment with the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
- Then, the financial body Nice would need to decide if the treatment could be administered on the NHS, if it determines it to be cost-effective.
The products that increased in price most since 2021
Inflation has risen by a cumulative 28 per cent since the cost-of-living crisis began, but the prices of some products have risen by much more than others according to research by AJ Bell.
Food and drink
Olive oil
A combination of poor harvests and higher energy costs mean the price of olive oil has risen by 116.3 per cent.
A staple of many people’s diets, egg prices have risen by 56.7 per cent.
Now seen by many as a luxury, takeaways and fast food are up by 38.1 per cent.
Energy and household items
Motor insurance
Factors similar to those that pushed up gas prices have seen the cost of electricity surge by 40.8 per cent.
The items that have fallen in price over five years
Sound and vision equipment has experienced the sharpest fall, at 30 per cent. Decades of technological advances have seen the price of computers also decrease, by 24.6 per cent. Motorcycles also dropped in price by 5 per cent.
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How AI is threatening musicians as regulations fall behind
Musicians face being “squeezed out” and “marginalised” from their industry by AI, a study from Queen’s University Belfast has warned.
What you need to know
Dr Katherine Pittalis has examined how AI is used in music-streaming platforms, online retail for concert tickets and music-related content on social media.
She says that UK music regulations lag “woefully behind” that of the EU and US in terms of transparency around malicious actors’ use of bot technologies.
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What else does the research investigate?
Pittalis’ research investigates “metric bots” – which can inflate metrics such as likes and follows on social media – as well as “artificial musicians”, which utilise deepfake technology to create an AI “influencer”.
- These phenomena are becoming ever-more sophisticated to circumvent rules on their platforms.
A closer look at the findings
- The research found evidence of scams where consumers bought high-demand concert tickets for inflated prices, only to find they never existed.
- Bots were also occasionally found to be moderating highly unregulated “buy and sell” groups on platforms like Facebook.
- Pittalis is also looking at AI-generated music, as musicians start to use AI in their production and sometimes whole songs are created with it.
The dog food recalled after reports of pets losing sight
A premium pet food brand has recalled all of its fresh meals following reports of suspected eye problems in dogs.
Here is everything you need to know.
What has happened?
The brand Years said owners should stop feeding its fresh meals to dogs “immediately”, and told them not to feed the meals to any other animal, or to donate or sell them. The firm runs a subscription-service delivering “personalised” gourmet meals for dogs.
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What are the eye problems?
- Years said it had 192 customers report “potential, yet unverified, eye issues” out of roughly 40,000 customers.
- The condition is known as sudden bilateral dry eye. Dry eye occurs when a dog is unable to produce tears, making their eyes very sore.
- Affected dogs may rub at their eyes, squint or be sensitive to light.
- Some experts say the condition can require lifelong management.
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How has this happened?
Years said the recall followed reports of some dogs having a potential eye reaction to buckwheat, an ingredient in its meals.
- Buckwheat was reportedly added to the meals several months ago.
- Years told customers that their subscription will be paused for an initial period of six weeks while it makes fresh meals using quinoa instead of buckwheat.
What the company said
Further independent laboratory testing around the buckwheat supply is ongoing. Years has chosen to voluntarily recall the meals as a precautionary measure, without causation having yet been proven.
Years says on its website
How to be more grateful for daily life in five easy steps
The world feels like a difficult place at the moment, and it can feel very hard sometimes to find things to be thankful for; when we are overwhelmed, we have less capacity to notice and reflect on the good things. Yet, ironically, proactively cultivating gratitude is one of the things that can actually help us feel less stressed.
NHS GP dR RADHA
The science
Research has shown that feeling or expressing thanks can actually alter our brain.
- The balance of neurotransmitters change; more serotonin and dopamine (feel good chemicals) are produced.
- This can be long lasting if we make gratitude a regular habit.
- We also get a decrease in our cortisol (stress hormone) levels which helps lower anxiety.
- Being grateful can strengthen the nerve pathways which triggers positive emotion.
How can we build gratitude?
Change your words
Instead of seeing something as a problem, try to see the opportunities within it.
Our brains are very receptive and what we read or write can alter our emotional system.
Express it
This will not only make you feel good, but you will also get a positive response from others.
How can we build gratitude?
Notice more
Throughout your day, try to notice all the things that are going well; has someone opened a door for you, or smiled?
The basics
By being thankful for the small things every day, we are far more likely to be and stay healthy so that we can enjoy them.
What to do
Gratitude can lead to feelings of optimism, lower our blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.
- Write down what potential good aspects there are to the things you don’t feel like doing, or even what could be worse about it.
- Spend a few minutes writing down three things that you are looking forward to that day, or the good things that have happened to you that day.
- Say thank you to yourself for the things you have achieved, or managed to get through and changed that day.
It wasn’t just a foggy brain that was affecting Beattie’s life. She was tired every morning, not just like she’d had a bad night’s sleep, but a bone-aching exhaustion that no amount of caffeine could help with. She figured her tiredness came from having a busy job she found it hard to switch off from, and while she didn’t have kids, she was responsible for caring for her elderly parents.
She found it increasingly difficult to concentrate, and her colleagues had commented on it, which made her embarrassed: “I always prided myself on being on the ball with work, but when other people started to notice I was a bit ‘off’ I thought I should get it checked out.”
Beattie hadn’t considered the issue could be hormonal until her male GP brought it up. “He told me ‘You have the classic symptoms of perimenopause,’ and suggested I start on hormone replacement therapy to see if that makes things better.”
Beattie was relieved to have an answer, even if not all of the symptoms seemed to fit. For one, her periods were still regular, and she had no hot sweats but reasoned that not every woman would experience all of the symptoms at once. “When HRT was offered, I didn’t hesitate. Lots of friends had great experiences on HRT. I remember collecting the prescription and thinking: In a few weeks I’ll be me again.”
Initially, nothing dramatic happened after starting the medication, which combined the hormone progesterone as well as oestrogen. “Then my breasts became incredibly tender, even taking off my bra was sore. I also felt permanently bloated. I’d look at myself in the mirror and hardly recognise my body. Then came the headaches, which were crushing. I remember sitting at my desk one afternoon with the blinds closed because the light was making my head throb.”
Beattie could have tolerated the physical symptoms if she’d felt emotionally well, but her mood seemed to fall off a cliff: “Before HRT, I’d been stressed; this felt different. I’d wake in the early hours with adrenaline surging through me, convinced something awful was about to happen. I became frightened of my own thoughts.” And despite the side effects, her initial exhaustion and brain fog hadn’t improved.
After the night on the bathroom floor, Beattie made an appointment with her GP to see if she needed to alter her HRT dose. This time, she spoke to a female doctor, who was more interested in looking at the wider issues that might be affecting her. “She asked about family life, work and other stressors. I told her I found it difficult to switch off from work and spent the evenings answering emails and that I spent my holidays checking my phone. That I found small tasks overwhelming at times. That I worried about my parents’ health while ignoring my own.”
Then she asked a question Beattie didn’t expect: “When did you last feel properly rested?” Beattie couldn’t answer, explaining, “I just started crying. Because I couldn’t remember. It had been months, maybe years.“
For the first time, another possibility was raised – burnout. “The symptoms I’d first experienced were all there. If I had been a man and I had turned up to the GP with physical exhaustion, brain fog, lack of concentration, and feeling overwhelmed, hormones wouldn’t come into the equation. Instead, perimenopause was the assumption, because I was a ‘woman of a certain age.’”
Women’s health GP and founder of The Female Health Doctor clinic, Dr Nikki Ramskill explains the diagnostic process for diagnosing perimenopause: “NICE advises that in otherwise healthy women over 45, perimenopause can usually be diagnosed from menopause-associated symptoms, particularly things like hot flushes and irregular periods. Although women can develop troubling symptoms during the early menopausal transition while they are still menstruating, and some will initially have relatively regular cycles.”
However, Ramskill says if a woman has completely unchanged periods and presents with non-specific symptoms such as tiredness, poor sleep, low mood, anxiety, brain fog or difficulty concentrating without more characteristic features of the perimenopause, she would want to keep the differential diagnosis wide rather than automatically put everything down to hormones.
As she explains: “Those symptoms can also occur with stress, burnout, depression or anxiety, thyroid disease, iron deficiency, anaemia, vitamin deficiencies and sleep problems, amongst other conditions, so it would be fair to investigate further before prescribing HRT.”
Nothing dramatic or dangerous will necessarily happen immediately if someone is prescribed HRT but not perimenopausal, according to Ramskill, “but they are being exposed to a medication from which she may receive little or no benefit while still potentially experiencing its side effects and risks”.
Ramskill thinks greater awareness of perimenopause has been largely positive: “For decades, many women struggled with significant symptoms without recognising what was happening, and some found it very difficult to access appropriate treatment. We shouldn’t go back to telling women that everything is stress. But equally, we shouldn’t start assuming that everything is hormones. Good women’s healthcare requires us to consider both.”
On medical advice, Beattie stopped HRT. She was also signed off work for six weeks. “Coming off HRT didn’t magically cure me, because the original exhaustion was still there. The first morning I didn’t have to log on to work, I slept until nearly midday. Then I woke up and cried because I felt guilty for sleeping in.”
Recovery from burnout took months. “I began seeing a therapist to help me cope with my compulsion to overwork. I started going for walks every day without my phone, and stopped answering work messages in the evening. Slowly, I started to feel better.”
Beattie is clear that she doesn’t want to demonise HRT. “For women who need it and can take it, it can be really helpful. But in my case, we’d been trying to treat the wrong problem.”
As Beattie says: “Sometimes the question shouldn’t only be, ‘What’s happening with your hormones?’ It should also be, ‘What’s happening in your life?’ My body had been warning me for months that I wasn’t coping, and I hope that more GPs will consider the bigger picture before assuming that every problem a woman experiences in her 40s must be hormonal.”