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Your age may not tell the whole story about how healthy you are

Researchers developed a five-factor Lifestyle Index assessing physical activity, BMI, smoking, sleep quality, and sexual satisfaction in 312 Swiss adults aged 35 to 65 years. Higher scores were modestly associated with younger bio-functional age, suggesting a relationship between combined lifestyle patterns and functional health, although the findings cannot establish causation.

19 Oct 2026

Increased risk-taking behavior precedes higher alcohol consumption, study finds

A novel study has found that increases in risk-taking behavior in people with mild to moderate alcohol use disorder (AUD) precede increases in alcohol consumption, not vice versa.

19 Oct 2026

Experts call for lifelong care after brain and spinal injuries

In a new paper published in The Lancet Neurology, "Reframing traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury as chronic multisystem disorders: toward integrated, long-term care," international experts across institutions and disciplines propose a fundamental shift in how traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries in adults are understood and managed. Sandro Marini, MD, of the Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute, is a co-first author, and Saef Izzy, MD, also of the Neuroscience Institute, is one of the co-senior authors, and the primary corresponding author.

14 Oct 2026

Disadvantaged children with intellectual disabilities face greater mental health difficulties

Children with intellectual disabilities face greater mental health difficulties when they are from a disadvantaged background, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

13 Oct 2026

New AI tool detects early psychosis risk in youth speech

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) have developed a novel artificial intelligence (AI) framework capable of identifying youths at high risk of psychosis - a severe mental health condition that typically emerges in adolescence to early adulthood where a person may experience hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking - from short samples of casual, spontaneous speech.

13 Oct 2026

Ensuring accessible work environments for disabled physicians may enhance patient care

New research indicates that 5% of practising physicians report a disability "always or often," and another 12% report disability "sometimes." The authors call for action on improving accessibility to ensure equity and sustainability in the physician workforce.

13 Oct 2026

Nearly 400,000 adults, six body measurements, and a surprising result for heart attack risk

A UK Biobank study involving 395,831 adults found that a higher body roundness index (BRI) was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction over a median follow-up of 13.3 years. BRI showed slightly better predictive performance than BMI and four other anthropometric measures, although the improvements were modest and require independent validation before clinical adoption.

13 Oct 2026

Year-long trial finds NAD-boosting supplement fails to improve early Parkinson's symptoms

In a phase 3 randomized clinical trial involving 410 people with early Parkinson disease, 52 weeks of nicotinamide riboside supplementation increased blood NAD levels but failed to improve clinical outcomes compared with placebo. Participants receiving the supplement had modestly worse overall disease scores, although the difference was below the threshold generally considered clinically meaningful.

12 Oct 2026

Updated tinnitus guideline outlines research-based strategies for patient care

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) today published the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG): Tinnitus Update in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.

12 Oct 2026

Lancet Commission identifies seventeen catastrophic threats to global health

Global experts warn that today's decisions across health, finance, climate, defense and security sectors will determine how many years of good health future generations gain - or lose - to preventable illness and early death by 2100.

12 Oct 2026

Study reveals how different plant saponins alleviate ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes and remains a major cause of death and long-term disability.

12 Oct 2026

A study links a blood protein to memory and brain changes in Down syndrome

Researchers studying 88 adults with Down syndrome and 43 controls estimated that serum β-synuclein increased approximately two decades before expected Alzheimer’s symptoms, preceding changes in other blood biomarkers. Higher levels correlated with poorer memory and brain changes, but the cross-sectional study could not distinguish whether the earliest increase reflected Alzheimer’s-related synaptic dysfunction, trisomy 21-related neurobiology, or both.

11 Oct 2026

New project aims to test a protein-based therapy for Fragile X syndrome

A new research project at the University of California, Riverside, has received funding to investigate whether a novel protein-based therapy can correct abnormal brain activity associated with Fragile X syndrome.

9 Oct 2026

Masked high blood pressure linked to higher risk of falls in older adults

Masked high blood pressure in adults older than age 78 is associated with a 70% higher risk of falls compared to high blood pressure readings in the office and at home among peers, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026.

9 Oct 2026

A study spanning 118 countries reveals a divide in pain and aging

Global pain trajectories indicate that while some pain types peak early, musculoskeletal pain increases with age, challenging aging assumptions.

8 Oct 2026

Study highlights need for smarter, locally tailored trauma-care systems

A study of almost 9,000 injury patients across Africa and South Asia has found that nearly half were dead or disabled after three months - highlighting the need for smarter, locally tailored trauma-care systems.

8 Oct 2026

New modeling reveals high societal value of early Alzheimer's care

New treatments that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease could provide significant lifetime benefits to patients and society, with even greater benefits when initiated earlier, according to new research from the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

7 Oct 2026