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Wake-activated brain circuits reveal what drives the urge to sleep

Researchers identified wake-activated neurons in the median raphe and anterior medial preoptic area that track sleep pressure and help regulate when and how deeply mice sleep. Manipulating these circuits altered NREM sleep, sleep-pressure accumulation, and rebound sleep, revealing key neural mechanisms underlying mammalian sleep homeostasis.

20 Aug 2026

Review reveals how nicotine damages blood vessels and heart health

A review published today in Nature Reviews Cardiology provides the most detailed picture yet of how nicotine damages the cardiovascular system – tracing the biological chain of events from the moment nicotine binds to receptors in blood vessel walls through to the atherosclerotic plaque rupture that triggers heart attacks and strokes.

19 Aug 2026

New AI method predicts protein metal-binding sites in seconds

With more accuracy and less time, a new deep-learning method called PRIME makes the search for metal-binding sites easier.

19 Aug 2026

Why keto appears to lower blood pressure for some people but not others

A narrative review finds that ketogenic diets may modestly lower blood pressure through weight loss, reduced visceral fat, improved insulin sensitivity, fluid and electrolyte shifts, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, effects vary across studies, long-term cardiovascular evidence remains limited, and diet quality, hydration, electrolyte balance, and medication monitoring are important.

17 Aug 2026

How much do nuts matter for blood pressure? This study points to about a handful a day

A meta-analysis of eight prospective studies involving 143,380 participants found that higher nut consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing hypertension. Each 28 g/day increment was associated with a 20% lower relative risk in the linear analysis, while the modeled association appeared to level off at around one handful per day.

12 Aug 2026

Why pulses could play a bigger role in healthy and sustainable diets

A narrative review finds that pulses may support gut and metabolic health through their fiber, protein, phytochemicals, and interactions with the gut microbiota, while offering a lower environmental footprint than many animal protein sources. Human evidence is strongest for selected cardiometabolic outcomes, while many microbiome and fermentation-related benefits remain supported mainly by animal and laboratory studies.

9 Aug 2026

KCNE gene family emerges as a promising target for future precision medicine

A growing understanding of the KCNE gene family is reshaping how scientists view the regulation of electrical signaling across the human body, highlighting its essential role in maintaining normal physiological function and its connection to a wide range of diseases.

5 Aug 2026

Experts propose a new strategy to better control high blood pressure

High blood pressure can be controlled better with a strategy that combines boosting potassium intake with reducing sodium, according to a new report.

30 Jul 2026

Evidence shows artificial sweeteners cannot be judged as a single group

This narrative review found that non-nutritive artificial sweeteners have compound-specific and context-dependent associations with gut microbiota, metabolism, and health-related outcomes. Evidence does not support treating all sweeteners as uniformly harmful or safe, with human findings often limited or inconsistent.

23 Jul 2026

New target makes cancer cells vulnerable to immune destruction

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified a molecular switch that helps determine whether cancer cells remain soft and difficult to destroy or become stiff enough for the immune system to attack.

20 Jul 2026

New review shows why antidepressants often fail in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s depression

A Molecular Psychiatry review shows that depression in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease may reflect disease-specific molecular, neurotransmitter, inflammatory, and circuit-level disruptions rather than standard depression biology alone. It argues that broad antidepressants often show limited efficacy in these patients and that future trials should use biomarkers, neuroimaging, and symptom profiling to guide targeted treatments.

7 Jul 2026

Dutch study shows why plant-based eating can miss key nutrients

A Dutch dietary modeling study found that replacing major animal-based protein sources with plant-based substitutes reduced protein, EAA, vitamin, and mineral intake across age groups. Older adults, adolescents, children, and women were especially vulnerable to shortfalls, highlighting the need for planned substitutions, fortified foods, and age-specific dietary guidance.

3 Jul 2026

Plant-based diets offer heart benefits but may require supplements

A study reveals unsupplemented vegan diets in Northeast China lead to micronutrient deficiencies, despite benefits for body composition and cholesterol levels.

2 Jul 2026

US adults are taking more supplements as multivitamins lose ground

A 25-year NHANES analysis of 63,442 US adults found that reported dietary supplement use rose from 51% to 60%, with the largest increases among adults aged 65 years and older. Use shifted away from multivitamin-multimineral products and toward vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and nonvitamin nonmineral supplements marketed for immune, anti-inflammatory, gut, skin, and joint health.

16 Jun 2026

AI model could improve screening for primary aldosteronism

A study of a new AI model examining 30 years of routine electronic health records (EHR) data could improve screening for primary aldosteronism, a leading cause of high blood pressure that is often unrecognized but increases patients' risk of cardiovascular complications, according to a study being presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

14 Jun 2026

Major trials show finerenone preserves kidney function beyond diabetes

A series of major studies has shown that finerenone preserves kidney function, reduces cardiovascular risk, and improves survival across a much broader range of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) than it is currently recommended for.

5 Jun 2026

Scientists mimic heart cell signaling using organic conductive plastics

For the first time, scientists have succeeded in artificially mimicking the ion signaling of heart muscle cells.

3 Jun 2026

Blood carotenoids offer the clearest signal of fruit and vegetable eating habits

The review finds that several candidate biomarkers may help estimate fruit and vegetable intake more objectively than self-reported dietary tools, but most remain limited by specificity, sampling burden, supplement use, or incomplete validation. Blood and skin carotenoids appear strongest for habitual intake, while vitamin C, folate, urinary flavonoids, hippuric acid, and potassium may be more useful for short-term intake or intervention adherence.

24 May 2026

Common food preservatives linked to higher cardiovascular disease risks

Eating foods that contain common preservative food additives may increase the risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today.

21 May 2026

Scientists link schizophrenia risk gene to early cortical neuron changes

Researchers at King's College London have identified the biological nature and timing of changes in human cortical neurons caused by altering activity of a schizophrenia-associated gene in developing human neurons.

20 May 2026