International Classification of Diseases News and Research

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Can brain training prevent dementia? Long-term trial shows speed training with boosters makes a difference

A 20-year follow-up of older adults in the ACTIVE randomized trial linked to Medicare claims found that speed of processing cognitive training with booster sessions was associated with a significantly lower risk of diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Memory and reasoning training did not show comparable long-term reductions in dementia risk.

2 Mar 2026

Accelerating rare disease diagnosis with Mondo

Coryssa Barnes, of Henderson, N.C., welcomed her first child, Ezra, in 2020. At four months old, he was unable to sit without support. As time went on, he failed to reach other developmental milestones, prompting his worried parents to consult several medical experts.

2 Mar 2026

COVID-19 initially reduced asthma attacks but widened socioeconomic disparities, study finds

A large retrospective study of more than 162,000 asthma patients in the Bronx found that asthma exacerbations dropped sharply after the onset of COVID-19 before rebounding in children but remaining lower in adults. Socioeconomic disparities widened during the pandemic, particularly among Medicaid recipients, certain income groups, and patients with documented unmet social needs, while racial and ethnic gaps persisted without significantly expanding.

25 Feb 2026

Mental health struggles in first year of cancer care predict worse outcomes

This study reveals a strong association between early mental health disorders in cancer patients and increased all-cause mortality, highlighting care needs.

25 Feb 2026

Eating fewer foods of concern may protect the heart beyond pills

A prospective cohort study in adults with hypertension and or hypercholesterolemia found that lower intake of ultra processed foods or foods flagged by front of pack nutrition warnings was associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk. These associations persisted regardless of cardioprotective medication use, suggesting dietary quality contributes independently to cardiovascular prevention.

10 Feb 2026

Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer’s and dementia risk

A large observational electronic health record study found that older adults receiving the recombinant zoster vaccine showed substantially lower rates of diagnosed dementia compared with matched unvaccinated individuals. The association persisted after multiple sensitivity analyses, although causality remains unproven and longer follow-up is required given the long latency of dementia.

10 Feb 2026

Common food preservatives may raise cancer risk

Higher intake of certain food preservatives is associated with increased cancer rates, particularly breast and prostate cancers, highlighting safety concerns.

13 Jan 2026

Common blood signals explain why chronic diseases cluster as we age

This population-based study shows that shared and pattern-specific blood biomarkers reflect biological vulnerability underlying multimorbidity and the pace at which chronic diseases accumulate in older adults. Metabolic and systemic stress markers such as GDF15, HbA1c, cystatin C, and insulin consistently tracked higher disease burden and faster accumulation, with findings replicated across cohorts.

5 Jan 2026

High-fat cheese and cream consumption links to lower dementia risk over 25 years

Higher intake of high-fat cheese and cream was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia over 25 years in a large Swedish cohort, while low-fat dairy showed no association. Associations were strongest for vascular dementia and among APOE ε4 non-carriers, with findings remaining observational.

23 Dec 2025

Rethinking Mendelian assumptions in inherited retinal degenerations

A new study challenges what's long been assumed about genetic variants thought to always cause inherited blindness.

22 Dec 2025

Strong heart health lowers long-term death risk in cancer survivors

Higher Life’s Simple 7 cardiovascular health scores were associated with lower long-term all-cause and cancer mortality in cancer survivors from a large Italian cohort. Inflammation, resting heart rate, and vitamin D statistically explained a substantial share of these associations, supporting shared cardiometabolic pathways across cancer and cardiovascular disease.

17 Dec 2025

Restless legs syndrome linked to higher Parkinson’s disease risk

The study shows restless legs syndrome is associated with higher Parkinson's disease incidence, raising questions about treatment impacts on symptoms.

5 Dec 2025

Acute and chronic depression involve different mechanisms in the brain

A new study investigating neuroinflammation in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the brain, a small, midbrain dopaminergic region, has found that acute and chronic depression are associated with distinct pathophysiological mechanisms.

18 Nov 2025

Veterans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan face higher risk of chronic respiratory conditions

U.S. Veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) face an increased risk of developing several chronic respiratory conditions, according to new research presented at the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Orlando.

6 Nov 2025

Obesity’s health risks shift with age and sex, new genetic study reveals

Using a new time-resolved Mendelian randomization approach in over 360,000 UK Biobank participants, Karlsson et al. revealed that the causal impact of obesity changes across life, with distinct age- and sex-specific risk patterns for diabetes, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and osteoarthritis.

27 Oct 2025

MRI age clocks reveal how each organ ages differently and predict who develops disease or lives longer

Researchers developed seven MRI-based biological age clocks across major organs using UK Biobank imaging, linking each to proteins, metabolites, genetics, disease risks, mortality, and cognitive decline. These organ-specific age gaps reveal how uneven aging shapes vulnerability to conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and dementia, opening new paths for precision prevention and clinical trial stratification

19 Oct 2025

Depression during pregnancy raises risk of gestational diabetes

Findings indicate that antenatal depression increases the risk of gestational diabetes, underscoring the need for early intervention and lifestyle support.

8 Oct 2025

Genetic risk scores fail to predict survival after diagnosis

Research indicates that disease susceptibility genetics poorly predict survival, while longevity PGSs offer stronger associations with post-diagnosis mortality.

2 Oct 2025

Nirsevimab sharply cuts RSV hospitalizations in U.S. infants during the 2024–2025 season

In a nationwide EHR cohort of over 400,000 U.S. infants during the 2024–2025 RSV season, nirsevimab use was linked to a 77% lower risk of RSV-related hospitalization. The study also found reduced ICU admissions and intubations, supporting broad seasonal protection in routine care.

28 Sep 2025

Alcohol raises dementia risk at every level of drinking, genetic study shows

Researchers using two major cohorts and Mendelian randomization found that alcohol consumption, whether light or heavy, raises the risk of dementia. Genetic evidence shows no safe level of drinking, challenging the belief that moderate intake protects brain health.

25 Sep 2025