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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

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

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

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

Unscreened cervical cancer rates rise dangerously over past 20 years

The percentage of women in their 20s who have never been screened for cervical cancer has been increasing at a disturbing rate over the past 20 years – to the point that now, almost a third of women between the ages of 21 and 29 have never been screened.

27 Aug 2026

Women with shorter reproductive lifespan face higher risk of developing bronchiectasis

Women with a shorter reproductive lifespan are at greater risk of developing bronchiectasis, according to a new study in the July 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

27 Aug 2026

Study challenges traditional breast cancer classification methods

Breast cancer is often classified as either estrogen receptor-positive (hormone-sensitive) or not. However, a new study from Karolinska Institutet suggests that this simplified classification may overlook important biological differences between patients that could affect treatment decisions.

27 Aug 2026

Can caffeine make you mentally sharper in the morning? This study tested the idea

In a controlled crossover study of 51 recreationally active young men with low habitual caffeine intake, researchers tested whether 300 mg of caffeine taken about an hour before morning testing affected cognition, mood, temperature, appetite, and related outcomes, with reactive agility assessed in 27 participants. Caffeine did not improve cognitive or reactive agility performance or meaningfully alter mood, tiredness, appetite, or thermoregulation under the study conditions.

27 Aug 2026

Maternal immune response to urinary tract infection may drive preterm birth risk

A new study published in Science Translational Medicine shows that the increased risk of preterm pregnancies associated with urinary tract infection (UTI), is linked to the body's immune response to the infection rather than to the bacteria themselves.

26 Aug 2026

Metformin cuts preterm birth risk among high-risk mothers

A common diabetes medication can reduce the risk of early and preterm births for mothers at high metabolic risk, according to new research led by Monash University.

26 Aug 2026

Breast milk fats may reflect more than the fats a mother eats

A cross-sectional study of 109 breastfeeding women in the Netherlands found that maternal intakes of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs and trans fats were associated with corresponding fatty acid proportions in human milk. The researchers also identified links involving dietary fiber, diet quality and several micronutrients, although whether these relationships reflect direct biological effects or broader dietary patterns remains uncertain.

26 Aug 2026

Tea, berries and dark chocolate featured in a diet linked to lower Parkinson’s risk

A prospective UK Biobank study of 123,655 adults found that a dietary pattern richer in flavonoid-containing foods was modestly associated with a lower incidence of hospital-recorded Parkinson’s disease. The association was strongest among those with the highest flavonoid diet scores, while exploratory proteomic and transcriptomic analyses pointed to possible neuroimmune and cell-adhesion pathways but did not establish causality or mechanism.

26 Aug 2026

Why erratic step counts may matter more than your daily total

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26 Aug 2026

Hormone replacement therapy may reduce dementia risk for some women

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may reduce the risk of dementia, particularly for certain groups of women - according to a study from the University of East Anglia and the University of Exeter.

26 Aug 2026

Real-world Chinese study confirms benefits of niraparib maintenance therapy for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal gynecologic malignancies worldwide, with a high risk of recurrence even after successful initial treatment.

26 Aug 2026

Hospital intervention reduces stillbirths and newborn deaths in Africa

A combination of training, quality improvement and leadership support in hospitals across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa is linked to fewer stillbirths and deaths among newborns during the first 24 hours of life.

26 Aug 2026

Study tracks global patterns and socioeconomic inequalities in the burden of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among women globally, accounting for nearly 2.3 million new cases and 670,000 deaths in 2022 alone.

26 Aug 2026

Maternal obesity alters fetal liver metabolism via placental molecular signals

A mother's obesity during pregnancy may send molecular signals across the placenta that permanently alter her son's liver metabolism, according to a new study in mice published in Nature Communications.

26 Aug 2026

Nicoya is a famous blue zone. DNA aging estimates tell a more complicated story

Researchers developed a SuperLearner framework that combines established epigenetic clocks with machine learning to compare DNA methylation-based aging in residents of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Blue Zone with other Costa Ricans. Initial calibration suggested a modest younger epigenetic age among Nicoyans, but accounting more closely for age distribution substantially reduced the apparent advantage, highlighting the importance of population-specific calibration in longevity research.

26 Aug 2026

Why living to 100 may depend on far more than diet and exercise

A critical narrative review found that healthy diets, regular physical activity, strong social ties, and psychological well-being can support healthier aging and reduce premature mortality, but none has been shown to reliably determine who reaches 100. The authors argue that exceptional longevity arises from complex interactions among biological resilience, genetics, social and environmental conditions, lifelong exposures, and chance rather than any universal lifestyle formula.

25 Aug 2026