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Do repeated football head hits disrupt the gut microbiome?

A small exploratory study of collegiate football players found that non-concussive head impacts are correlationally linked to acute and season-long shifts in gut microbiome composition, with changes most pronounced 48–72 hours after significant impacts. However, most associations weakened after correction for multiple testing, and the authors stress the findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating.

10 May 2026

What drives adult ADHD symptoms? Study points to executive function over environment

Adults diagnosed with ADHD later in life had fewer childhood symptoms than those diagnosed in childhood, but both groups showed similar symptom severity in adulthood. Executive function, rather than childhood trauma, resilience, or parental bonding, was the strongest correlate of current ADHD symptoms across both diagnostic-history groups.

10 May 2026

Liver fat may disrupt post-meal glucagon control in early type 2 diabetes

Researchers found that MASLD, rather than type 2 diabetes alone, was linked to higher fasting glucagon levels in adults with newly diagnosed diabetes and matched controls. In people with early type 2 diabetes, higher liver fat was specifically associated with exaggerated early post-meal glucagon responses, independent of insulin sensitivity, visceral fat, amino acids, or NEFAs.

10 May 2026

Autistic people gain measurable police-interaction skills after short VR training

A randomized controlled trial found that Floreo’s virtual reality Police Safety Module helped autistic teens and adults reduce fidgeting during live police-interaction assessments compared with video-based BeSAFE training. Both groups reported greater knowledge and comfort after training, but the clearest behavioral gains were seen in the VR group, supporting immersive practice as a promising tool for safer police encounters.

10 May 2026

Can meditation backfire? Study finds brief mindfulness may heighten stereotype bias

Mindful meditation may not only fail to reduce cognitive bias but, based on the study findings, may exacerbate stereotypes.

10 May 2026

NIH funding terminations disproportionately affect marginalized health equity researchers

Researchers from University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science have found that recent federal grant terminations targeting research on health equity and gender identity have disproportionately affected scientists from the very communities those studies aim to support.

8 May 2026

Online friendships with strangers linked to greater adult loneliness

A first-of-its-kind study of U.S. adults suggests that all of those strangers you're friends with on social media are not helping you to feel less lonely.

8 May 2026

Sexual arousal can blur recognition of unclear rejection signals

Sexual arousal can lead to "tunnel vision" that makes it more difficult to recognize when someone is just not that into you, according to new research in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

8 May 2026

Researchers uncover how bacterial toxin damages colon lining cells to trigger cancer

Since a landmark 2009 study, researchers have known that a common gut bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, drives colon tumor formation, potentially leading to colorectal cancer, by secreting a toxin that damages the lining of the colon.

8 May 2026

Cardiometabolic diseases remain leading cause of excess American mortality

Between 1999 and 2022, the US had substantially higher death rates than other wealthy nations, largely due to cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases (including diabetes), Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and drug and alcohol complications.

8 May 2026

Older adults increasingly use cannabis for pain and sleep relief

For adults over 60, cannabis use is increasing faster than in any other demographic.

8 May 2026

Asthma medication formoterol shows promise for treating fatty liver disease

MUSC researchers are tackling MASH, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a liver disease affecting hundreds of millions worldwide.

8 May 2026

Tiny cellular structure found crucial for brain development processes

A largely overlooked structure inside our cells may play a crucial role in how the brain forms, offering new insight into developmental disorders and potential therapies.

8 May 2026

Multi-center research initiative aims to improve glioblastoma patient outcomes

Investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center are part of a new multi-institution research effort aimed at improving care and outcomes for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers.

8 May 2026