Brain training can make physical exercise more enjoyable, study shows

Common viral respiratory infections such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are linked to an increased short-term risk of stroke and heart attack in adults, new University of Melbourne research has found.

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have identified a novel gene associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, leveraged large data depositories, state-of-the-art computational techniques and community-based gene matching to identify this new gene, which is a critical early step in improving diagnosis and eventually developing new treatment methods.

Radioactive iodine treatment after thyroid cancer surgery usually means side effects like nausea and time in hospital isolated from loved ones. But new clinical trial results from researchers at UCL mean patients worldwide could now safely be spared this treatment.

"Biological stochasticity"—random events at the molecular and cellular level—might be one of the biggest, most overlooked drivers of differences in how we age, says Ryo Sanabria.

Scientists at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology have discovered a key connection between high levels of iron in the brain and increased cell damage in people who have both Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.

About 5.5 million Americans live with dementia, requiring US$53 billion in annual medical spending on doctor visits, hospitalizations, medications, home health aides and nursing homes. But the true cost of dementia care in the U.S. is far higher because it relies heavily on unpaid care from family and friends.

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute today report the identification of a novel combination therapy approach to treat pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Standard treatment is often ineffective against AML, a cancer that commonly relapses with poor prognosis, particularly when the disease is fueled by fusion proteins involving NUP98.

Period-tracking apps are popular digital tools for a range of menstrual, reproductive and general health purposes. But the way these apps collect and use data involves risk.

Nearly two years after the devastating August 2023 wildfires, new findings from the largest post-disaster health study in Hawaiʻi's history—led by the University of Hawaiʻi—paint a complex picture: steady progress in some areas of recovery, but continued health and housing challenges, particularly for children and vulnerable groups.

A new study has gained international attention for providing clear, research-based answers to a question dentists worldwide have debated for years: Should an open or closed surgical technique be used when children have canine teeth that fail to erupt in the upper jaw? Some of the study's results have now been published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and were highlighted by the British orthodontic blogger Kevin O'Brien.

New research reveals how seasonal diseases impact our willingness to follow health measures. People are less likely to follow protective measures when infection levels drop, leading to seasonal surges in disease.

An Aston University optometrist, Professor James Wolffsohn, has determined an optimum blinking exercise routine for people suffering with dry eye disease, and has developed a new app, MyDryEye, to help them complete the routine to ease their symptoms. The research is published in the journal Contact Lens and Anterior Eye.

A Peter Mac-initiated clinical trial suggests a way to dramatically improve outcomes in patients with high-risk forms of large B-cell lymphoma, who otherwise have a 50% chance of cure from conventional therapy.

For the first time, researchers have studied what happens in the brains of people who have migraines when they haven't slept enough: The mechanisms in the brain that should reduce pain don't work as well.

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that in rare instances, variants responsible for SYNGAP1-related disorders—a group of disorders characterized by developmental delay and often associated with epilepsy—can be inherited from a parent, which could help influence family planning, genetic variant interpretation, and other aspects of clinical care.

A multidisciplinary team has taken a step forward in the field of precision medicine with the publication of a study that highlights the value of integrating multiple layers of biological information—genomic, metabolomic, and lipoproteomic—to identify individuals with underlying molecular risk despite being apparently healthy and without relevant clinical manifestations.

Synthetic chemicals and plastics are useful and indispensable in our lives. On the other hand, the world is grappling with plastic pollution—clogging oceans, threatening wildlife, and leaching into ecosystems. While eco-friendly alternatives are on the way, researchers have been trying to identify the various effects of the synthetic plastics present within the ecosystem.

An innovative community-based mentoring scheme for pregnant adolescent girls in Sierra Leone has been found to save lives, while also helping girls return to education.