Health & Medicine News

July 14, 2026

Top Headlines

Scientists Discover Why Peach Fuzz Can Suddenly Make You Itch

July 14, 2026 A newly discovered network of fine hairs and specialized nerve cells appears to form a dedicated system for sensing mechanical itch, offering fresh insight into why chronic itching occurs. Because humans show signs of having the same pathway, the ...

Exercise Doesn't Just Strengthen the Heart. It Rewires It

July 13, 2026 Exercise doesn't just make the heart stronger. It also rewires the nerves that regulate it, a discovery that could pave the way for more personalized treatments for common heart conditions such as arrhythmias and ...

Losing Just 80 Minutes of Sleep a Night Could Make You Gain Weight

July 13, 2026 Sleeping about an hour and 20 minutes less each night for six weeks caused participants to gain weight and spend more time inactive. Researchers found that even mild, realistic sleep loss, similar to what many adults experience, had measurable ...

Why Are Healthy Young Non-smokers Developing Lung Cancer?

July 13, 2026 An unexpected study found that young non-smokers with healthier diets had higher rates of lung cancer, raising questions about whether pesticide exposure from conventionally grown produce could play a role. Researchers stress that the findings are ...

Where You Live Could Shape Your Dementia Risk, Massive Study Finds

July 13, 2026 Researchers analyzing data from more than 214,000 people found that dementia risk factors differ widely across countries, challenging the idea of a one-size-fits-all prevention strategy. At the same time, they uncovered surprisingly consistent ...

Scientists Discover a Hidden Heart Valve Risk Linked to Gum Disease

July 13, 2026 Researchers found that bacteria linked to gum disease may help drive the development of calcific aortic valve stenosis by triggering inflammation and calcium buildup in the heart valve. The early findings suggest that keeping gums healthy could play ...

Alzheimer's Tau Protein Has a Surprising Secret Role in Memory

July 12, 2026 Researchers found that tau is essential for turning new experiences into lasting memories by helping organize the brain's memory-storing cells. The mouse study also revealed how abnormal tau may contribute to Alzheimer's by disrupting both the ...

This Ultrasound Treatment May Help Stop Arthritis Before It Starts

July 12, 2026 A simple, non-invasive ultrasound treatment could one day help injured joints heal instead of remaining trapped in a cycle of damaging inflammation. Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville found that continuous low-intensity ...

Columbia Scientists Discover Surprising Link Between Serotonin and Heart Valve Disease

July 11, 2026 Scientists have uncovered evidence that serotonin, the chemical best known for regulating mood, may also speed the progression of a common heart valve disease in some people. The research suggests ...

Yale Scientists May Have Found How Parkinson's Disease Spreads Through the Brain

July 11, 2026 Yale scientists discovered two neuron surface proteins that appear to help spread the toxic protein linked to Parkinson’s disease. Blocking these proteins in mice dramatically reduced disease ...

Common Blood Pressure Drug Could Make Cancer Therapy Far More Powerful

July 11, 2026 Researchers found that the common blood pressure drug telmisartan can significantly improve the performance of the cancer drug olaparib, potentially expanding its benefits beyond patients with BRCA-related tumors. The combination is already being ...

Experimental Drug Reverses Severe Fatty Liver Disease by Repairing the Gut

July 11, 2026 An experimental drug called DT-109 reversed severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by repairing the gut and preventing harmful toxins from damaging the liver. The discovery could open the door to a new class of treatments for MASH and ...

Latest Headlines

updated 2:50am EDT

Yale Scientists Found a Hidden Network Inside the Eye

July 13, 2026 Researchers have discovered that the retina uses an unexpected communication network that lets separate visual pathways cooperate instead of working alone. A newly identified "commander" cell appears ...

Second Pregnancy Changes the Brain in Surprising New Ways

July 11, 2026 Researchers found that every pregnancy rewires the brain in its own way, with a second pregnancy bringing a different pattern of changes than the first. The discoveries could lead to better ways to ...

Why the Human Body Has So Many Design Flaws

July 10, 2026 Many of the body's biggest flaws are the result of evolution building on old designs instead of starting over. Our spine, eyes, teeth, pelvis, and even certain nerves all reveal compromises that ...

Scientists Discover the One Nutrient Beneficial Parasites Can't Live Without

July 10, 2026 A new study found that dietary fiber can determine whether beneficial intestinal worms help reduce inflammation or become essentially inactive. With ...

Heavy Marijuana Smoking May Increase Cancer Risk, Researchers Warn

July 10, 2026 Heavy marijuana smoking may raise the risk of lung cancer and several head and neck cancers, according to growing research, but many important questions remain unanswered. Scientists are still trying ...

New MRI Breakthrough Reveals the Brain and Eye Like Never Before

July 10, 2026 Scientists have redesigned a key piece of MRI hardware using metamaterials, allowing existing scanners to produce clearer images of difficult-to-see parts of the body in less time. The breakthrough ...

This Frog Bacterium Wiped out Cancer Tumors in Mice With a Single Dose

July 10, 2026 A naturally occurring bacterium from amphibian intestines completely eliminated colorectal tumors in mice with a single treatment by both attacking cancer cells and activating the immune system. The ...

Scientists Found a Longevity Diet That Helped Mice Eat More and Lose Fat

July 9, 2026 Scientists found that a modified Mediterranean-style diet with low protein and just enough methionine helped mice live healthier lives while reducing body fat and frailty. Human data also linked ...

Scientists Just Debunked a Dangerous Baby Rattlesnake Myth

July 9, 2026 A new study debunks the long-standing claim that baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adults. Researchers found that young rattlesnakes can control their venom just like adults, while adult ...

A Hidden Immune Backup System Could Supercharge mRNA Cancer Vaccines

July 9, 2026 Researchers found that mRNA cancer vaccines can recruit an unexpected immune cell to launch powerful tumor-fighting responses, overturning a long-held assumption about how the vaccines work. The ...

Scientists Finally Crack Nature's Secret for Building Better Cancer Drugs

July 8, 2026 Researchers have cracked the code behind bacteria's ability to naturally manufacture multiple versions of powerful anti-cancer drugs. The discovery could make it much easier to engineer new ...

Scientists Say Creatine May Help Fight Depression

June 30, 2026 Creatine is best known as a muscle-building supplement, but scientists are now investigating whether it could also help treat depression by boosting the brain's energy supply. A new review ...

Scientists May Have Finally Found How Alzheimer's Spreads Through the Brain

June 30, 2026 A common brain protein may be giving Alzheimer’s disease an unexpected way to spread, carrying toxic Tau proteins from damaged neurons into healthy ones. By blocking these harmful protein packages ...

Scientists Discover a Completely Different Way to Fight Viruses

June 30, 2026 Researchers have uncovered an unexpected antiviral defense system in sea anemones that works very differently from the one humans use. The discovery suggests evolution developed multiple ways to ...

New Calculator Reveals Whether You Should Really Worry About Statin Side Effects

June 30, 2026 Scientists at the University of Oxford have created a calculator that predicts a person's individual risk of serious muscle disorders from statin medications. Their analysis found that more than ...

Scientists May Have Finally Found How Alzheimer's Kills Brain Cells

July 5, 2026 Researchers have identified a previously overlooked mechanism of brain cell death that appears to play a major role in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. The finding could lead to ...

The Ozempic and Wegovy Mistake Sending Thousands to Poison Control

July 9, 2026 Poison control calls involving semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) soared after the drug was approved for weight management, with researchers linking the increase to accidental dosing mistakes rather ...

Scientists Discover Ancient Brain Cells That Help Block Distractions

June 24, 2026 Scientists have discovered a tiny group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts like a built-in focus filter, helping the brain ignore distractions and zero in on what matters most. When ...

Scientists Discover How Colon Cancer Cells Change Identity to Spread

July 7, 2026 Scientists have identified a molecular switch that may help explain how colorectal cancer becomes deadly. When levels of a gene-regulating factor called GATA6 drop, cancer cells can shed their normal ...

A Surprising Brain Discovery Is Forcing Scientists to Rethink Movement Disorders

July 1, 2026 A surprising discovery is overturning a long-held assumption about how the brain’s movement center works. Researchers found that two key cerebellar cell types—thought to be tightly linked—often ...

Ebola and Hantavirus Can Start Like the Flu but Turn Deadly Fast

June 22, 2026 Two dangerous viruses are back in the spotlight, reminding health officials how quickly infectious diseases can become serious threats. Hantavirus, often linked to rodents, can cause severe heart and ...

Nearly Half of Kidney Transplant Patients Never Even Get Started

July 1, 2026 A massive national study found that nearly half of Americans with kidney failure who are referred for a transplant never even begin the evaluation process, and only 19% make it onto the transplant ...

Scientists Want to Quarantine Alien Life on the Moon Before It Reaches Earth

July 6, 2026 Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth. They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism ...

USC Scientists Just Unlocked an Endless Supply of Cancer-Fighting Immune Cells

June 29, 2026 A new stem-cell-inspired technique allows scientists to grow vast numbers of immune-cell progenitors that can be engineered to hunt cancer and strengthen immune responses. In animal studies, the ...

Scientists Finally Solved How H5N1 Bird Flu Hid in Dairy Cows

June 23, 2026 Researchers uncovered why H5N1 bird flu attacks cows’ udders instead of their lungs: the virus’s preferred receptors are concentrated in mammary tissue. The breakthrough could help scientists ...

Millions Take Omega-3 Fish Oil for Brain Health but a New Study Found No Benefit

June 29, 2026 Fish oil supplements successfully delivered omega-3s to the brain, but a two-year study found no meaningful benefits for memory, cognition, or Alzheimer’s-related brain changes. The results ...

Harvard Scientists Turn a Silicon Chip Into a DNA Writing Machine

July 8, 2026 Scientists have created a silicon chip that can write dozens of DNA sequences simultaneously using electricity and water-based enzymes, offering a cleaner alternative to conventional DNA ...

This Emerging Treatment Is Helping People Avoid Knee Replacement Surgery

June 22, 2026 A minimally invasive treatment called GAE is helping people with chronic knee pain get back to gardening, cycling, and other activities without undergoing knee replacement surgery. Early studies ...

Scientists Found 45 Chemicals in Pregnant Women and Many Were Linked to Birth Risks

July 6, 2026 A large study found that pregnant women are exposed to dozens of common chemicals, many of which were associated with earlier births and lower birth weights. Researchers also discovered that some ...

Scientists Say Most People Need More Protein Than Current Guidelines Suggest

June 22, 2026 A new review suggests that doing more exercise and eating more protein than current minimum recommendations may help people stay stronger, sharper, and more independent as they age. The goal ...