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Researchers find alarming rates of CTE in former football players

In a new study from Mass General Brigham, Boston University (BU), and the Concussion & CTE Foundation, researchers found evidence that at least 1-in-4 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of their death, a much higher prevalence compared to the general population.

25 Aug 2026

Study reveals high prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among former NFL players

At minimum, nearly a quarter of all former National Football League (NFL) players who died from 2016 to 2021 had confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head impacts – at death, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

25 Aug 2026

The diet-Alzheimer’s connection is more complicated than “eat this, avoid that”

A mini-review finds that dietary patterns may influence Alzheimer’s disease through interconnected pathways involving neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, homocysteine, and the gut-brain axis. The authors argue that genetics, sex, age, physical activity, and socioeconomic context may modify these relationships, supporting more individualized approaches to nutrition research and dementia prevention.

25 Aug 2026

Researchers link GLP-1 drugs to lower tuberculosis risk in type 2 diabetes

A large retrospective cohort study found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with a lower risk of tuberculosis in people with type 2 diabetes compared with sulfonylureas, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, and SGLT2 inhibitors. The observational findings suggest a possible benefit beyond metabolic control, but the authors emphasize that prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether GLP-1 therapies themselves reduce TB risk.

24 Aug 2026

Tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome poses potential risks during blood transfusions

A new multi-institute study led by researchers at Dartmouth Health and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth suggests that alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne disease that can result in a chronic allergy to meat and animal byproducts, also may complicate certain patients' ability to safely receive a blood plasma or platelet transfusion.

24 Aug 2026

Could a daily vinegar drink help with constipation? A small trial offers a clue

A randomized, double-blind trial found that adults with mild constipation who drank a vinegar beverage daily for four weeks had more frequent bowel movements than those receiving placebo. Exploratory findings also suggested earlier improvements in bowel habits, although the small feasibility-based trial requires confirmation in larger and more diverse populations.

24 Aug 2026

New EAACI guidelines for effective allergy management

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are among the most common chronic diseases today, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

24 Aug 2026

Study maps rising lifetime risk of digestive cancers in China

The global landscape of oncology is shifting, and nowhere is this transition more complex or consequential than in China.

24 Aug 2026

Multi-target interventions may yield superior outcomes for chronic ankle instability

Ankle sprain is the most prevalent sports-related injury affecting the lower limbs, and up to 70% of individuals with ankle sprain experience persistent symptoms, such as sensorimotor impairment and balance deficits, which may ultimately progress to chronic ankle instability (CAI).

24 Aug 2026

Type 2 diabetes mechanisms differ significantly based on patient BMI

Research published today in Diabetologia by Amsterdam UMC and the University of Ghana reveals that type 2 diabetes manifests in two fundamentally different ways depending on a patient's body mass index (BMI).

24 Aug 2026

Semaglutide’s heart benefits may partly involve reduced inflammation

A prespecified analysis of 17,604 SELECT participants found that higher baseline hsCRP was associated with greater risks of major cardiovascular events and death in people with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease. Semaglutide produced rapid and sustained reductions in hsCRP, with changes emerging before substantial weight loss, although the study could not establish whether reduced inflammation directly mediated its cardiovascular benefits.

24 Aug 2026

These simple fitness tests revealed which older adults had the lowest death risk

Objective fitness tests in 13,423 Taiwanese adults aged 65 years or older linked better balance, agility, lower-body strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness with lower all-cause mortality over a median seven years. A multidomain fitness index showed the strongest association, suggesting that simple performance tests may add useful information to conventional geriatric risk assessment.

24 Aug 2026

A two-year diet trial challenges the idea that weight loss is the only result that matters

In the two-year DELISH randomized trial, adults with obesity achieved modest, sustained weight loss with either an adapted Mediterranean-style program or a commercial weight loss program. The Mediterranean-style intervention produced greater improvements in self-reported diet quality, while 24-month weight loss did not materially differ between groups.

24 Aug 2026

A childhood shaped by sugar rationing was linked to mental health more than 50 years later

UK Biobank researchers examined whether sugar rationing during pregnancy and the first two years of life was associated with adult sweet-food preferences, sugar intake, brain structure, anxiety, and depression.

23 Aug 2026

Scientists uncover tRNA changes driving Chagas parasite transformation

The Chagas disease parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) undergoes a major transformation throughout its life cycle in order to infect humans and other mammals.

21 Aug 2026

Review outlines how SIRT3 protein regulates global metabolic disorders

A comprehensive review published in Engineering systematically outlines the regulatory capacity of silent information regulator 3 (SIRT3), a mitochondrial deacetylase termed the "head goose molecule", and its negentropic mechanism for intervening global metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and steatotic liver disease.

21 Aug 2026

Comprehensive review outlines engineering-driven therapeutic pathways for spinal cord injuries

A comprehensive review published in Engineering outlines multi-disciplinary engineering approaches addressing spinal cord injury (SCI), a debilitating central nervous system disorder triggering permanent sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction, and imposing heavy burdens on individuals and societies worldwide.

21 Aug 2026

Blood protein biomarkers predict future disability risk in very old adults

Japan has one of the world's fastest-aging populations, but maintaining independence into very old age remains a growing public health challenge.

21 Aug 2026

Younger mismatched donors offer new hope for blood cancer patients

Blood cancer patients who cannot find a closely matched stem cell donor may have more transplant options than previously thought.

21 Aug 2026

Scientists uncover safer way to tame cancer cell senescence

Stopping tumor growth is only half the battle. Rather than kill tumor cells, many cancer therapies can only push them into cellular senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing but do not die. These "undead" cells will continue to release signals that reshape the tumor environment.

20 Aug 2026