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Persistent intense grief linked to higher healthcare use and mortality

Grief after the loss of a loved one is a natural response – an inevitable part of living and loving. But in a minority of the bereaved, grief is so overwhelming that it can lead to physical and mental illnes, even if they don't necessarily qualify for a diagnosis with the mental health condition 'prolonged grief disorder'.

28 Jul 2025

Addressing diagnostic delays in dementia for better patient outcomes

People with dementia are diagnosed an average of 3.5 years after symptoms are first noticed, or even longer (4.1 years) for those with early-onset dementia, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

28 Jul 2025

UCSF discovery points to new strategies for Alzheimer's treatment

UCSF scientists have discovered how microglia engulf and break down amyloid beta, a protein that builds up in Alzheimer's, with devastating consequences for the brain.

28 Jul 2025

Predicting measles vaccination coverage for targeted public health action

Knowing how many people are vaccinated against an existing or re-emerging threat is a key factor guiding public health decisions, but such information is often sparse or non-existent in many regions, according to researchers at Penn State.

28 Jul 2025

Study reveals how old wounds increase sensitivity to stress

A wound can leave a lasting imprint - even after it has healed. A new study in Current Biology finds that past injuries can quietly prime the body to overreact and be more sensitive to stress, pain and fear long after the damage is gone.

28 Jul 2025

Outpatient therapy offers hope for young eating disorder patients after hospitalization

Eating disorders affect more than 5% of young people, and they have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness.

28 Jul 2025

New study links surrogacy to higher risk of mental illness

People who are gestational carriers (or "surrogates") appear more likely to be diagnosed with a new mental illness during and after pregnancy, according to new research from ICES, McGill University, and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

28 Jul 2025

Global vaccination effort saved 2.5 million lives from SARS-CoV-2

Thanks to vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 in the period 2020-2024 2.533 million deaths were prevented at global level, one death was avoided for every 5,400 doses of vaccine administered. The 82% of the lives saved by vaccines involved people vaccinated before encountering the virus, 57% during the Omicron period, and 90% involved people aged 60 years and older. In all, vaccines have saved 14.8 million years of life (one year of life saved for 900 doses of vaccine administered).

28 Jul 2025

Which GLP-1 meds have the most side effects? Study of 60,000 Facebook posts gives answers

Researchers analyzed nearly 60,000 public Facebook posts to identify real-world adverse events linked to GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) medications. Gastrointestinal symptoms were most common, while mental health concerns and tirzepatide-specific side effects were also flagged.

28 Jul 2025

New swallowable sensor pill reveals gut inflammation with a simple color change

Researchers have developed an ingestible biosensor pill (PRIM) that detects intestinal inflammation by releasing a blue dye in response to elevated reactive oxygen species, providing a simple, at-home visual indicator.

27 Jul 2025

Experts say you don’t need 10,000 steps, here’s the new magic number

A major systematic review finds that walking just 7,000 steps per day, rather than the traditional 10,000, can significantly reduce the risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and more. The analysis, published in The Lancet Public Health, provides an evidence-based and achievable target for adult health.

27 Jul 2025

Uncovering origins of autism, depression, Parkinson's in fetal brain

The origin of some neuropsychiatric diseases, such as autism, bipolar disorder, or depression, and certain neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, can be found in very early stages of brain formation in the fetus. That is, earlier than previously recognized, according to a study by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Yale University, published in Nature Communications.

26 Jul 2025

New research identifies critical gene for ALS treatment

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - which you may know as the disease that affected Stephen Hawking - is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle weakness. A research team at Tohoku University and Keio University has uncovered a unifying mechanism in ALS revolving around the expression of UNC13A (a gene crucial for neuronal communication) that represents a common target for developing effective treatment strategies that could improve the lives of patients with ALS.

26 Jul 2025

New model predicts mRNA protein production, accelerating drug and vaccine discovery

A new artificial intelligence model can improve the process of drug and vaccine discovery by predicting how efficiently specific mRNA sequences will produce proteins, both generally and in various cell types. The new advance, developed through an academic-industrial partnership between The University of Texas at Austin and Sanofi, helps predict how much protein cells will produce, which can minimize the need for trial-and-error experimentation, accelerating the next generation of mRNA therapeutics.

26 Jul 2025

Researchers discover new trigger for mitophagy

Autophagy is essentially the 'rubbish collection' of our cells. If there are problems in this process, which is so important for our health, diseases such as Parkinson's can result. In their latest study, leading cell biologists at the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna investigated mitophagy - a form of autophagy - and came to a remarkable conclusion: the researchers have described a new trigger for mitophagy.

26 Jul 2025

Research uncovers ME/CFS's systemic impact for targeted therapies

Millions suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating condition often overlooked due to the lack of diagnostic tools, may be closer to personalized care, according to new research that shows how the disease disrupts interactions between the microbiome, immune system, and metabolism.

26 Jul 2025

New study shows potent effects of desert berry extract (NRK-C)

The global diabetes epidemic continues its relentless march, with projections suggesting 750 million sufferers by 2045. While current medications help control symptoms, they often come with undesirable side effects and don't address the root causes of metabolic dysfunction. The search for better solutions has turned scientists toward natural drugs, where traditional remedies may hold untapped potential.

26 Jul 2025

Researchers pinpoint PRMT5 as a promising target for cancer drugs

A potential target for experimental drugs that block PRMT5 - a naturally occurring enzyme some tumors rely more on for survival - has been identified by researchers with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute's Cancer Research Center in Washington, D.C.

26 Jul 2025

Discovery of TAF1's role could revolutionize cancer treatment

A new study led by Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, shows how a key molecule regulates the generation of new blood cells, a process called hematopoiesis that goes awry in cancer. The findings have the potential to lead to new therapeutic strategies targeting the molecule, a regulator of gene activity called TAF1.

26 Jul 2025