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Semaglutide extended lifespan in older female mice, but that was not the only finding

Late-life semaglutide treatment slowed age-related physiological decline, attenuated multiple molecular hallmarks of aging, and extended median lifespan from 742 to 834 days in aged female mice. The drug reproduced many effects of calorie restriction while providing additional benefits in exploratory behavior, spatial memory, and glucose control, suggesting that some effects extend beyond reduced calorie intake alone.

3 Sep 2026

Coffee, tea and dementia risk: Why the amount you drink could matter

A targeted perspective synthesizes epidemiological and mechanistic evidence examining how caffeine consumption during midlife may influence dementia risk later in life. The authors highlight potential roles for dose, age, CYP1A2 genotype, adenosine signaling and cultural drinking practices, while stressing that current observational evidence cannot establish causality.

3 Sep 2026

Study links popular weight-loss drugs to increased male hair loss

Men already at risk genetically for the most common form of hair loss have a 7 percent added risk of losing their hair if they use drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound for type 2 diabetes and obesity, a new study shows.

3 Sep 2026

Why addiction researchers are paying closer attention to GLP-1 drugs

A Journal of Clinical Investigation Viewpoint highlights growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide, may reduce alcohol consumption and some other substance-related outcomes by acting on brain systems involved in reward, motivation, stress, and emotion. However, the authors caution that efficacy for substance use disorders is not yet firmly established and call for further research into optimal dosing, treatment duration, patient selection, mechanisms, and effects across different addictions.

2 Sep 2026

Scientists develop lab-grown heart tissue model for heart failure

Scientists study the underlying causes of a disease or test new potential drugs in animal models or cells obtained from human biopsy specimens before clinical trials.

2 Sep 2026

New brain atlas reveals insights into Huntington's, addiction, and other disorders

A region of the brain called the striatum is critical for many cognitive and motor functions, including decision-making, control of movement, habit formation, and processing of reward.

1 Sep 2026

Estrogen hormone combination may help relieve menopausal brain fog

Many women going through menopause report struggling with memory lapses, trouble concentrating and slower thinking, a set of symptoms often described as "brain fog."

1 Sep 2026

Review highlights challenges in managing childhood enterovirus infections

Enteroviruses (EVs) are a diverse group of viruses and a common cause of multiple infections in children.

1 Sep 2026

New method based on human blood simplifies mRNA drug development

mRNA-based drugs are emerging as the drug of the future for a wide range of diseases, but they are difficult and time-consuming to develop.

1 Sep 2026

GLP-1 drugs have benefits beyond weight loss. Could microdoses preserve them?

A narrative review suggests GLP-1-based therapies deliver metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and other systemic benefits, raising interest in whether lower fractional doses could improve tolerability and treatment continuity. However, direct evidence for GLP-1 microdosing remains extremely limited, and researchers say prospective studies are needed to determine whether lower doses preserve long-term benefits.

1 Sep 2026

Semaglutide did more than cut weight in this analysis of 6,239 adults

A systematic review and meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials involving 6,239 adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes found that subcutaneous semaglutide produced substantially greater reductions in body weight, waist circumference, and C-reactive protein than placebo. The higher dose of 7.2 mg semaglutide showed potential for greater weight loss, although the evidence is largely based on a single trial and requires confirmation.

31 Aug 2026

New tool predicts heart failure treatment effects on blood pressure, kidney function and serum potassium

A new heart failure (HF) treatment effect calculator could help overcome one of the largest barriers to effective heart failure care by predicting the expected effects of treatment on blood pressure, kidney function and potassium levels.

31 Aug 2026

Experts call for safer weight loss as concerns grow over GLP-1 use

An editorial in Diabetology International argues that inappropriate GLP-1 use should be judged not only by regulatory compliance or off-label prescribing, but also by whether weight reduction is medically safe, nutritionally adequate, and properly supervised. Drawing on Japanese reports of ketosis and ketoacidosis following inappropriate tirzepatide use, the authors call for greater attention to the risks of unsafe weight-loss practices alongside medication-related harms.

30 Aug 2026

Is there a best day to take GLP-1 drugs? Researchers looked for an answer

A systematic review of 1,000 screened records identified only three eligible studies examining administration timing for semaglutide, and none directly compared different days of the week or assessed tirzepatide timing. The limited evidence suggests flexible dosing may support adherence and tolerability without compromising glycemic control or weight loss, but these findings rely largely on indirect evidence and expert opinion rather than direct comparative trials.

30 Aug 2026

Does a psychedelic need an awake brain to have lasting effects? This mouse study offers a clue

A single dose of psilocybin produced a lasting increase in sociability for at least two weeks in Cntnap2-knockout mice with social deficits, while it did not enhance sociability overall in mice with normal social behavior. The effect required 5-HT2A receptor activation and persisted when psilocybin was administered under light anesthesia, suggesting that wakefulness during the drug’s acute effects was not necessary for this behavioral response.

30 Aug 2026

Oral relaxin agonist AZD5462 improves cardiac function in heart failure patients

The oral relaxin agonist, AZD5462, improved cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure, according to results presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2026 and published simultaneously in Circulation.

30 Aug 2026

Trial findings do not support prasugrel monotherapy at the time of primary PCI for STEMI patients

Monotherapy using prasugrel failed to show noninferiority compared with potent antiplatelet therapy plus aspirin at the time of primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

29 Aug 2026

Researchers uncover molecular pathway driving craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is a congenital developmental disorder in which the skull's cranial sutures fuse prematurely.

28 Aug 2026

New guidelines simplify heart failure phenotypes into two groups

Reflecting improved understanding and treatment advances, new European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines on heart failure have been published online today in the European Heart Journal and will be presented at ESC Congress 2026 this afternoon.

28 Aug 2026

Probiotics for mental health? A new review finds promising signals and major gaps

This narrative review examines how psychobiotics may influence anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia through gut-brain pathways involving neurotransmitters, inflammation, immune regulation, gut barrier function, and stress signaling. Specific Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains showed encouraging effects, but wide differences in strains, doses, populations, and study designs currently limit clinical translation.

28 Aug 2026