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What happens to your body and mind during a five-day water fast?

A five-day water-only fast led to significant weight, fat, and lean muscle loss in middle-aged women, along with improved mood and marked changes in metabolic and inflammatory markers. The study also found that psychological traits like emotional intelligence and impulsivity influenced the amount of fat and muscle lost during fasting.

9 Jun 2025

COVID boosters do not harm T-cell function in the vulnerable

Findings indicate that frequent COVID-19 booster shots do not weaken T-cell responses, alleviating concerns for vulnerable groups facing new variants.

9 Jun 2025

‘We dissent’: NIH workers protest Trump policies that ‘harm the health of Americans’

Hundreds of workers at the National Institutes of Health on Monday openly protested the Trump administration’s cuts to the agency and consequences for human lives, writing in a sharply worded letter that its actions are causing "a dramatic reduction in life-saving research."

9 Jun 2025

$20K bonuses among latest moves to improve California’s prison mental health system

After decades of unsuccessful efforts to improve California prison conditions ruled unconstitutional and blamed for record-high suicides, advocates and a federal judge are betting that bonuses and better work accommodations will finally be enough to attract and keep the mental health providers needed to treat prisoners.

9 Jun 2025

As cannabis users age, health risks appear to grow

Benjamin Han, a geriatrician and addiction medicine specialist at the University of California-San Diego, tells his students a cautionary tale about a 76-year-old patient who, like many older people, struggled with insomnia.

9 Jun 2025

Can scientists predict life longevity from a drop of blood?

This study presents an intrinsic capacity clock, using blood samples to predict mortality risk and enhance understanding of aging and lifestyle impacts.

8 Jun 2025

Genetic mutation tied to Crohn's disease can worsen iron deficiency and anemia

A study led by biomedical scientists at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine shows how a genetic mutation associated with Crohn's disease can worsen iron deficiency and anemia - one of the most common complications experienced by patients with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD.

6 Jun 2025

Skin biomarkers may offer noninvasive diagnosis for pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis

A groundbreaking study led by National Jewish Health researchers suggests that the skin may serve as a potential biomarker for a chronic allergic disease of the esophagus called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in children.

6 Jun 2025

Tribes question Kennedy’s promise to protect them from health cuts

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly pledged to protect and improve health services for Native Americans — whether speaking during his late-January Senate confirmation hearing or an April trip to Arizona, where he met with tribal leaders.

6 Jun 2025

Survey: Most Americans cannot identify what counts as high blood pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke, the two top causes of death in the United States, is one of the most widespread chronic illnesses in America, afflicting nearly half of adults.

6 Jun 2025

Combination of facial thermal imaging and AI shows promise in detecting coronary artery disease

A combination of facial thermal imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) can accurately predict the presence of coronary artery disease, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Health & Care Informatics.

6 Jun 2025

Better brain care score linked to lower risk of heart disease and cancer

A new study from researchers at Mass General Brigham has found that a higher McCance Brain Care Score not only associates with the risk of brain-related conditions such as stroke, dementia, and depression but also strongly associates with developing cardiovascular disease and three common types of cancer.

6 Jun 2025

Rising liver disease cases demand immediate attention

During the first meeting of the Global Think-tank on Steatotic Liver Disease, supported by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and held in the Palau Macaya of Barcelona on 5–6 June, more than 100 international experts issued a stark warning: millions of people will continue to go unseen by healthcare systems unless early detection and person-centred care for liver disease are prioritized without delay.

6 Jun 2025

Scientists identify genetic clues linking air pollution to neurodegeneration

This review highlights how air pollution and occupational inhalation exposures may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders by triggering epigenetic changes. The authors stress the urgent need for advanced research to identify early biomarkers and guide protective health strategies for high-risk populations.

6 Jun 2025

New Japanese database reveals how gut microbes and diet connect

Researchers have launched the NIBN Japan Microbiome Database, featuring over 2,000 gut microbiome profiles from healthy Japanese adults with extensive lifestyle and dietary metadata. This resource aims to accelerate microbiome-health research and enable precision medicine insights.

5 Jun 2025

Bipartisan obesity bill gains support from Endocrine Society

The Endocrine Society today endorsed the introduction of the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) in the Senate.

5 Jun 2025

SIRT6 identified as a critical safeguard of spinal disc health

Low back pain is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition worldwide and is closely tied to the progressive degeneration of intervertebral discs.

5 Jun 2025

Fighting weight stigma is key to better mental health outcomes after weight loss surgery

New research shows that weight stigma-and not weight itself-has the biggest impact on mental health and healthy behaviors in the years after weight-loss surgery.

5 Jun 2025

Pregnant women face worse care and coverage in abortion ban states

Pregnant women are more often uninsured and have worse access to routine medical care in states that ban (or restrict) abortion care, according to a new study appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, from researchers at Harvard Medical School, the City University of New York's Hunter College, and other institutions.

5 Jun 2025

Nicotinamide riboside shows promise in treating Werner syndrome symptoms

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that causes premature aging and serious complications. In the first clinical trial of its kind, researchers from Japan with the company Niagen Bioscience, investigated the effects of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a vitamin B3 derivative, in patients with WS.

5 Jun 2025