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New study reveals a 25-year rise in alcohol-induced mortality

In an analysis by race, sex, age, and geography, alcohol-induced death rates in 2024 are nearly double those in 1999, with a sharp increase at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

18 Sep 2025

Researchers identify seizure-associated depolarization as cause of post-ictal symptoms

People with temporal lobe epilepsy in particular often wander around aimlessly and unconsciously after a seizure. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn, and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) have identified a neurobiological mechanism that could be responsible for this so-called post-ictal wandering and potentially other postictal symptoms.

18 Sep 2025

Tracking antibodies reveals four distinct COVID-19 vaccine responses

Two healthcare workers get COVID-19 vaccinations on the same day. Both show strong antibody responses initially, but six months later one stays healthy while the other contracts the virus. A new study published in Science Translational Medicine could help explain this difference.

18 Sep 2025

Scientists unveil new obesity drug that reprograms fat and energy use

Details of a new drug that aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity are being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September).

18 Sep 2025

Resistance training may help preserve aging nerves

Simple resistance training may help counteract age-related nerve deterioration that puts seniors at risk of injuries from falls and other accidents, according to cross-institutional research led by Syracuse University postdoctoral researcher JoCarol Shields and Department of Exercise Science Professor Jason DeFreitas.

17 Sep 2025

Frequent soccer heading linked to alterations within the folds of the brain

In amateur soccer players, more frequent heading, or using the head to control or pass the ball, is linked to alterations within the folds of the brain, according to a study published on September 17, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Sep 2025

Holder vs Retort: How milk pasteurization shapes preterm infants’ gut health

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that pasteurization methods shape the gut microbiomes of preterm infants fed donor human milk. Holder pasteurization preserved microbial diversity and beneficial taxa better than Retort, producing microbiomes more similar to those from mothers’ own milk.

17 Sep 2025

New genetic test can help predict how people will respond to weight-loss medications

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a genetic test that can help predict how people will respond to weight loss medications such as GLP-1s.

17 Sep 2025

Fire-driven air pollution is rising worldwide and reversing decades of clean air gains

Global exposure to fire-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has increased sharply from 1990 to 2018, despite a decline in overall PM2.5 pollution. This surge has driven tens of thousands of additional deaths annually, especially in Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

17 Sep 2025

Long COVID linked to heavier periods and symptom flare-ups during menstruation

Researchers found that long COVID is linked to heavier, longer, and more irregular bleeding without disrupting ovulation. Symptom severity also peaks around menstruation, likely driven by hormonal and immune changes.

17 Sep 2025

Loss of key Y chromosome gene causes infertility in male mice

In a new study conducted at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, researchers from the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) have shown that the loss of a key male fertility gene leads to infertility and changes expression of hundreds of other important genes.

17 Sep 2025

University of Maine team develops sustainable method to cut drug production costs

One of the main factors driving prices in pharmaceuticals, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs and antibiotics, is the cost of production and materials.

17 Sep 2025

Artificial plastic neurons demonstrate advanced brain-like functions

An artificial neuron made of conductive plastics that can perform advanced functions similar to those of biological nerve cells has been demonstrated by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden.

17 Sep 2025

Contact sports tied to hidden brain damage independent of CTE

This fall, tens of millions of people will be at risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head impacts from contact sports like football, soccer, and ice hockey, or military service.

17 Sep 2025

Study reveals how ozone exerts multi-organ effects by disturbing the lung-liver connection

Ozone pollution is rising worldwide, frequently exceeding safety thresholds in urban centers and industrial regions. Its health risks are well-documented: breathing ozone can worsen asthma, damage airways, and increase the risk of cardiovascular and neurological disorders.

17 Sep 2025

Peroxisomes identified as alternative heat producers in brown fat

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a novel way brown fat - an energy-burning form of fat - can rev the body's metabolic engine, consuming cellular fuel and producing heat in a way that improves metabolic health.

17 Sep 2025

Repetitive head impacts trigger early brain changes in young athletes

Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that repeated head impacts from contact sports can cause early and lasting changes in the brains of young- to middle-aged athletes.

17 Sep 2025

Cocoa extract supplements linked to reduced inflammation in older adults

Could cocoa extract supplements rich in cocoa flavanols reduce inflammation and, in turn, prevent age-related chronic diseases? In a new study from the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS), investigators from Mass General Brigham and their colleagues looked at changes in five age-related markers of inflammation among participants who received daily cocoa supplements over several years.

17 Sep 2025

Breakthrough in building functional synthetic kidneys using assembloids

A USC Stem Cell-led research team has achieved a major step forward in the effort to build mouse and human synthetic kidneys.

17 Sep 2025

High fat diet impairs memory formation through autophagy dysfunction

Modern lifestyles and dietary changes have significantly increased the consumption of high-fat foods, contributing to a steep rise in the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.

17 Sep 2025