Patients regain weight after stopping weight-loss medication

A recent study by Oxford University (UK) researchers reveals that patients undergoing treatment for weight loss regained all lost weight within two years of stopping weight-loss injections. The study, published in BMJ (January), reviewed 37 existing studies on weight-loss medication covering 9,341 participants. Weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 agonists, were developed to treat diabetes. They work by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone to increase insulin release, curb appetite, and lower blood sugar levels.

The average duration of weight-loss treatment was 39 weeks and the average follow-up period was 32 weeks. The study found that on average, people who had stopped taking the medication regained 0.4 kg per month. Participants regained their original weight within an average 1.7 years after stopping weight-loss medication.

“These medicines are transforming obesity treatment and can achieve important weight loss. However, our research shows that people tend to regain weight rapidly after stopping medication — faster than we see with diet and exercise support,” says Sam West, a postdoctoral researcher at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University.

Students’ learning outcomes improve through AI

AI-enabled learning systems can deliver up to four times higher learning outcomes, says a six-month comparative classroom study covering two class I-V student cohorts — 3,511 children in AI-enabled learning and 6,215 who did not use AI. Conducted by the Mumbai-based LEAD Group, the study analysed mid-year assessment score changes of students from 85 schools.

In maths, students in AI-enabled classrooms showed an average score improvement of 6.4 percentage points, from 78.6 percent (2024-25) to 85 percent (2025-26). In comparison, students in non-AI classrooms recorded an average improvement of 1.5 percentage points, from 77.5 percent to 79 percent over the same period. Simultaneously in environmental studies, AI-enabled learning system users demonstrated a 7 percentage point improvement, while students in non-AI classrooms improved by a mere 2 percent.

“This study proves that AI-powered learning isn’t theoretical anymore, it’s delivering real results in real classrooms,” says Sumeet Mehta, CEO & Co-Founder, LEAD Group.

Chronic kidney disease raises cognitive dysfunction risk

The severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor prompting cognitive decline, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (February). CKD is a long-term, progressive loss of kidney function — where kidneys are unable to purify blood — often lasting over three months.

Researchers, including some from Tulane University in the US, examined over 5,600 participants in the 21-79 age group, analysing blood and urine samples for kidney function, and cognitive function assessment for brain function over six years. “In this cohort study with CKD, a higher urinary protein to creatinine ratio (in a urine test) was associated with impairments in attention and processing speed as well as executive function,” write the study authors.

Exercise eases depression and anxiety symptoms

Cardio exercise activities such as running, swimming, and dancing are especially effective for easing depression and anxiety symptoms, says a large-scale (umbrella) review and data synthesis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (February). For depression, the umbrella review synthesized 57 pooled analyses covering 800 studies and 57,930 participants aged 10–90. For anxiety, it included 24 pooled analyses representing 258 studies and 19,368 adults aged 18–67.

In the final analysis, exercise produced a moderate reduction in depressive symptoms and a small-to-moderate decrease in anxiety. The greatest benefits were seen in young adults aged 18-30 and postpartum women. “Given the cost effectiveness, accessibility, and additional physical health benefits of exercise, these results underscore the potential for exercise as a first line intervention, particularly in settings where traditional mental health treatments may be less accessible or acceptable,” says the study.