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Faulty myelin-making brain cells may help drive cognitive decline with age

Researchers found that greater age-related cognitive decline was associated with more dysfunctional oligodendrocytes, reduced NRF2 expression, smaller myelinated axons, and abnormally thicker myelin in human white matter. Experiments in mice showed that deleting NRF2 specifically from oligodendrocytes reproduced key white matter abnormalities and reduced cognitive improvement over time, implicating this pathway in cognitive aging.

26 Aug 2026

A major NFL brain study puts new numbers on the burden of CTE

Researchers analyzed 1,712 former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2021, including 338 brain donors, to estimate the possible prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at death and its association with dementia. At least 24.5% of players who died from 2016 to 2021 had confirmed CTE, while stage IV CTE among brain donors was associated with a 44% higher risk of clinician-adjudicated dementia.

26 Aug 2026

Men see traditional dieting as restrictive and female-focused, study finds

A new study has identified why many men struggle with weight loss, finding that traditional diet programmes are often perceived as too restrictive and primarily aimed at women.

26 Aug 2026

New retina model reveals how CLN3-Batten disease damages vision

Researchers have developed a new way to study CLN3-Batten disease, a rare, inherited condition that causes early vision loss in children followed by progressive neurological decline.

26 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

Wearable device detects hidden hormone patterns behind high blood pressure

A common but often overlooked cause of high blood pressure may be hiding in plain sight – and data from a pioneering wearable device could hold the key to its earlier diagnosis, according to new research.

26 Aug 2026

Children bear the greatest burden of climate-driven heat exposure

New research by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) shows that globally up to 560 million children aged 0 to 9 years old (43% of all children in this age group) are living through at least one additional month (30 or more days) of heat stress per year due to human-induced climate change.

26 Aug 2026

Nanoparticles regenerate neurons and improve cognition in Alzheimer’s mice

The adult human brain has limited capacity to repair or regenerate neurons lost to Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia.

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

Visual impairment may limit kitchen independence despite skills

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), published by Elsevier, examined culinary skills and related barriers among adults with visual impairment.

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

Phytoene in tomatoes may help protect against fatty liver disease

New study suggests a lesser-known compound in tomatoes may help protect against fatty liver disease, which affects more than 1 in 3 American adults.

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

Coronary artery calcium scan may be most valuable for a specific group of patients

It's an increasingly popular scan that measures calcium in the heart's arteries and helps predict risk of future heart disease.

26 Aug 2026

Specific brain regions found more vulnerable to dementia with Lewy bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is one of the most common forms of dementia in older adults, after Alzheimer's disease.

26 Aug 2026

Molecular switch ERBB4 linked to broad range of Alzheimer's pathologies

What if amyloid plaques are not the whole story of Alzheimer's disease? New research suggests that a broad range of Alzheimer's pathologies may be orchestrated by a molecular switch called ERBB4 when it turns on in the wrong neurons.

26 Aug 2026

New study tracks global colorectal cancer risk across 185 nations

Colorectal cancer has long been recognized as a major global health threat, but its burden is far from evenly distributed. Incidence and mortality rates vary dramatically across countries, and these differences are closely tied to socioeconomic development, dietary transitions, and the adoption of screening programs.

26 Aug 2026

Climate-warming shifts habitat risks for schistosomiasis-transmitting snails

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by Schistosoma worms, affects more than 240 million people, while over 800 million live in areas at risk. In China, Schistosoma japonicum depends on the amphibious snail Oncomelania hupensis.

26 Aug 2026