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Study shows how temperature extremes can contribute to heart failure hospitalizations

Heart failure hospitalization risk increases after short-term exposure to cold spells, lower ambient temperatures and higher ambient temperatures, according to a study published in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology, and simultaneously presented at ESC Congress 2026.

28 Aug 2026

Compound PF-04457845 slows motor decline in ALS mouse models

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurological disease that destroys nerve cells responsible for muscle movement.

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

Blood-brain barrier-crossing blood pressure drugs linked to lower dementia risk

In a large Australian cohort of adults with hypertension, use of blood-brain barrier-crossing antihypertensive medications was associated with a lower risk of dementia and mortality than use of non-crossing drugs. The association was strongest for beta-blockers and angiotensin II receptor blockers, although the observational design means the findings cannot establish causality.

27 Aug 2026

The US switch in shingles vaccines revealed an unexpected heart health pattern

In a natural experiment involving 72,920 propensity-matched US adults aged 60 years and older, recombinant shingles vaccination was associated with a 9% lower cardiovascular disease burden over seven years compared with the live attenuated vaccine. Lower burdens of ischemic heart disease and heart failure were seen in both sexes, while ischemic stroke was significantly lower only among men, supporting further clinical trials and mechanistic studies

27 Aug 2026

Birth-related PTSD may go undiagnosed among thousands of new mothers

Tens of thousands of new mums across Britain may be suffering undiagnosed PTSD following childbirth, according to a University of East Anglia report.

27 Aug 2026

Parkinson’s disease imposes €22.8 billion economic burden across Europe

The annual societal cost of Parkinson's disease across Europe reached €22.8 billion in 2019, equivalent to €28.8 billion at 2025 prices, a new study published today in Movement Disorders has shown.

27 Aug 2026

Americans differ widely in understanding of plant-based diets

When referring to diet, the term "plant-based" has mixed interpretations among U.S. adults, and its meaning varies significantly among demographic groups, according to new research published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

27 Aug 2026

Newly identified cells protect lung tumors from immune attacks

Researchers at Columbia University have discovered a new type of cell that protects lung cancers from attacks by the immune system.

27 Aug 2026

Review explores complex links between obesity and cardiovascular diseases

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Obesity, given its strong association with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), is a major global public health issue attracting increasing attention.

27 Aug 2026

Poison control calls could prevent many unnecessary pediatric ER visits

About 65% of young children brought to New Jersey emergency departments for suspected poisoning probably didn't need emergency care and could have stayed home if their families had called poison control before rushing to the hospital, according to Rutgers researchers.

27 Aug 2026

Study reveals how SGLT2 inhibitors improve failing heart function

Researchers have discovered that SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of drugs originally developed to treat diabetes and now widely used for heart failure, work by activating a key enzyme that helps heart cells produce and use energy more efficiently.

27 Aug 2026

Scientists reviewed 20 edible and medicinal fungi for clues to better prebiotics

A review of 20 non-toxic edible and medicinal fungal species found that their polysaccharides can resist digestion, interact with gut microbes, and influence microbial metabolites linked to intestinal and metabolic health. The evidence suggests potential benefits for conditions including colitis, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, although most findings currently come from laboratory and animal studies.

27 Aug 2026

Theta rhythms guide the brain’s memory selection during sleep

Why do we remember certain moments while forgetting others? Every day, our minds are bombarded with thousands of pieces of information, yet our brains have a limited capacity to consolidate these experiences into lasting memories.

27 Aug 2026

Study links later-life food insecurity to elevated dementia risk

Older adults who experienced food insecurity in both midlife and later life had nearly four times the risk of probable dementia as those who remained food secure, according to new University of Michigan research.

27 Aug 2026

HRT linked to lower dementia risk, but timing and menopause type matter

In a UK Biobank study of 183,450 postmenopausal women followed for an average of 13.3 years, hormone replacement therapy use was associated with a modestly lower risk of dementia, with stronger associations in women who had surgical menopause or shorter natural estrogen exposure. The relationship also varied by age at HRT initiation, while the observational design means the findings cannot establish that HRT prevents dementia.

27 Aug 2026

Researchers tested dozens of clues for long COVID. One finding stood out

A nationwide study of 218 people in the Faroe Islands examined clinical, neurological, and blood-based markers associated with persistent symptoms around six months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite extensive testing, researchers found no convincing biomarker for long COVID, while a statistical association with lower INR remained within the normal clinical range and requires replication.

27 Aug 2026

Sunlight, blood sugar and diabetes: a new study finds an intriguing connection

Higher short-term ambient UVA exposure was associated with modestly lower blood glucose levels, particularly during winter, in a large UK Biobank analysis. Separately, more frequent solarium use, used as a proxy for habitual sunlight exposure, was associated with a lower hazard of type 2 diabetes, although the observational findings do not establish causality.

27 Aug 2026

Unexpected discovery points to a possible route for childhood brain tumor treatments

When researchers at Lund University investigated how the molecule UM171 works, a molecule used to make blood stem cells multiply, they made an unexpected connection.

27 Aug 2026

Mayo Clinic joins multi-million dollar gene-editing project for children

Mayo Clinic is a clinical collaborator on an award of up to $27.7 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to help develop affordable, scalable gene-editing therapies for children with rare inherited immune disorders.

27 Aug 2026