Health & Medicine News

October 17, 2026

Top Headlines

New Drug Reverses Severe Fatty Liver Disease by Repairing the Gut

Oct. 17, 2026 Scientists have discovered that a potential new drug can reverse severe fatty liver disease in animal models by restoring gut health and blocking harmful substances from reaching the liver. The breakthrough could pave the way for new treatments for ...

Brain Cells Meant to Protect Us May Be Fueling Cognitive Decline

Oct. 17, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising cause of age-related cognitive decline involving brain cells previously thought to be entirely beneficial. As these cells become dysfunctional, they can produce abnormal amounts of myelin, disrupting nerve ...

Scientists Discover How Deep Sleep Builds Muscle, Burns Fat, and Boosts the Brain

Oct. 17, 2026 Scientists have discovered a surprising two-way relationship between sleep and growth hormone, revealing how the brain carefully balances physical recovery with wakefulness. The findings could help ...

Stanford’s New Microscope Reveals Living Cells Like Never Before

Oct. 16, 2026 Stanford scientists have developed a revolutionary microscope that reveals the hidden inner workings of living cells in real time, without the fluorescent labels that can interfere with observations. The breakthrough could provide new insights into ...

USC Scientists Discover How to Create a Never-ending Supply of Cancer-fighting Cells

Oct. 16, 2026 USC scientists have discovered a way to create a potentially renewable supply of genetically engineered immune cells that can attack cancer and strengthen the body's natural defenses. By growing and ...

Yale Scientists Discover How Stress Changes the Brain to Make Memories Stronger

Oct. 16, 2026 Yale scientists have uncovered how the stress hormone cortisol helps the brain turn emotional experiences into stronger, longer-lasting memories. The discovery reveals that stress can reshape ...

A Protein That Fuels Cancer Could Also Be the Key to Fighting It

Oct. 16, 2026 Scientists have discovered how to turn a protein that normally fuels cancer growth into a weapon against it. By activating PPARD in immune cells, researchers made them better at burning fat and attacking tumors, slowing or stopping cancer growth in ...

Scientists Discover How Exercise Reverses Muscle Aging

Oct. 15, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a hidden biological mechanism that helps explain how exercise can reverse some of the damage caused by muscle aging. The key is a gene called DEAF1, which becomes overactive with age and interferes with the muscles’ ...

Eating Late at Night Linked to Up to 30% Higher Risk of Liver Disease

Oct. 15, 2026 Eating late at night could be putting your liver at risk, according to a large study led by Oregon Health & Science University. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 200,000 people and found that those who regularly ate after dinner or around ...

Scientists Discover a Surprising Danger in Smaller Cancer Cells

Oct. 15, 2026 Scientists have discovered that unusually small cancer cells carrying extra chromosomes can be far more aggressive than larger ones, growing faster, spreading more readily, and resisting common treatments. The surprising finding could help explain ...

Rare Study Reveals a Striking Divide Inside an Alzheimer’s Patient’s Brain

Oct. 15, 2026 A rare examination of an Alzheimer’s patient’s brain revealed that regions cleared of amyloid plaques had remarkably little of the harmful tau buildup associated with memory loss, while ...

Strokes Have Nearly Doubled Among Younger Adults, and Scientists Aren't Sure Why

Oct. 15, 2026 Strokes are becoming alarmingly common among younger adults, with rates nearly doubling among people ages 20 to 54 over nearly three decades. Researchers found that blocked blood vessels in the brain ...

Latest Headlines

updated 9:47am EDT

Ozempic and Wegovy Linked to Rare Risk of Sudden Vision Loss

Oct. 15, 2026 Popular diabetes and weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked to a slightly increased risk of a rare condition that can cause sudden, potentially permanent vision loss. Although ...

A 47-Year Study Reveals the Age When Your Body Starts Losing Strength

Oct. 14, 2026 A 47-year study has uncovered a surprising turning point in physical aging: fitness and strength begin declining around age 35, even among people who exercise regularly. Researchers found that this ...

Cancer Is Rising in Younger Adults, and Scientists Can't Fully Explain Why

Oct. 14, 2026 A major study found that several cancers are rising faster among younger adults in England, even as smoking, diet, and other established risk factors have generally improved. Excess weight explains ...

Scientists Reveal Why Some Workout Recovery Tricks Can Backfire

Oct. 14, 2026 Ice baths, massages, compression garments, and recovery supplements promise faster muscle recovery, but research suggests their benefits are often overstated, and some techniques may even undermine ...

Cornell Scientists Identify Rare Human Genetic Disorder in Two Unusually Long-Legged Cats

Oct. 14, 2026 Two unusually long-legged cats have helped scientists uncover the first genetically confirmed cases of Marfan syndrome in domestic felines. ...

The Secret to Easier Exercise as an Adult May Start in Childhood

Oct. 14, 2026 Exercise during childhood could have a surprising lifelong benefit, potentially making physical activity less exhausting in adulthood. In a study involving guinea fowl, researchers discovered that ...

Scientists May Have Overlooked a Hidden Alzheimer's Culprit for Decades

Oct. 14, 2026 For decades, scientists have focused on amyloid beta as a major culprit behind Alzheimer’s disease, spending billions of dollars developing treatments that have often delivered disappointing ...

Scientists Discover How Harmful “zombie Cells” Hide from the Immune System

Oct. 14, 2026 Scientists have discovered a protein that may help harmful aging cells hide from the immune system, allowing them to accumulate and fuel age-related ...

New Knee Arthritis Treatment Delivers Lasting Pain Relief Without Surgery

Oct. 14, 2026 A promising new treatment for knee arthritis uses tiny, dissolvable particles to block abnormal blood vessels, easing inflammation and pain without joint replacement surgery. In a study of 194 ...

Scientists Discover a Surprising Paradox in How Our Cells Age

Oct. 13, 2026 Scientists have discovered that the body's cellular recycling system behaves very differently during aging than previously believed, with higher activity sometimes linked to worse physical health. A ...

Eating Olive Oil Before Carbs Has a Surprising Effect on Blood Sugar

Oct. 11, 2026 A simple change in the order you eat your food could help prevent blood sugar spikes. Scientists discovered that giving mice olive oil before carbohydrates slowed digestion and activated a surprising ...

Scientists Discover Vanilla’s Hidden Healing Potential

Oct. 12, 2026 Scientists have discovered that vanillin, the compound that gives vanilla its distinctive flavor, has powerful properties that could help fight infections, reduce inflammation, and promote wound ...

Drug Target Could Block Brain Inflammation Linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Oct. 7, 2026 Blocking a receptor called P2X7 significantly reduced inflammation in human brain tissue, revealing a potential new treatment strategy for neurological and psychiatric disorders. The discovery could ...

What Happens in the Brain When Cannabis Makes You Anxious?

Oct. 6, 2026 Cannabinoids may intensify anxiety by removing a natural brake on specific neurons in the brain’s fear center, particularly during stressful situations. In mice, shutting down those neurons sharply ...

Colorectal Cancer Is Rising in Young People and Often Found Too Late

Oct. 6, 2026 Colorectal cancer in young people is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, with researchers finding most patients age 21 or younger already had Stage III or IV disease. Because symptoms like rectal ...

One Simple Addition to Postpartum Care Made a Major Difference

Oct. 6, 2026 New mothers paired with patient navigators were much more likely to receive postpartum care, depression screening, preventive testing, and ongoing primary care. By helping with barriers such as ...

New Injection Makes Fat Cells Self-Destruct

Oct. 11, 2026 Scientists have developed an experimental injection that destroys fat cells and significantly reduces dangerous belly fat, potentially opening a new path to treating obesity. Early research also ...

Bacteria Turn a Virus’ Own Weapon Against It

Oct. 9, 2026 Researchers have uncovered a new way bacteria detect viral attacks: a virus-produced enzyme cuts a bacterial sensor protein, triggering a self-destructing immune response. The discovery could lead to ...

Oct. 12, 2026 Popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been linked to unexpectedly high rates of nail detachment, hair loss, and scalp inflammation, with some problems occurring several ...

Taking Antibiotics? Sugar May Be Making the Damage Worse

Oct. 7, 2026 Eating more sugar while taking antibiotics was linked to greater disruption of the gut microbiome and increased growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Researchers say temporarily cutting back on ...

Scientists Just Gave the Powerhouses of Our Cells a High-Tech Upgrade

Oct. 12, 2026 Scientists have created a new coating for mitochondria that preserves their ability to produce energy, potentially opening the door to new treatments for diseases involving these tiny cellular ...

Diet Drinks Work as Well as Water for Weight Loss, Major Trial Finds

Oct. 3, 2026 A two-year randomized clinical trial involving 493 adults with overweight or obesity found that diet soft drinks were essentially as effective as water for long-term weight loss and weight ...

Cannabis Users Were Twice as Likely to Commit Violence, Review Finds

Sep. 30, 2026 A review of more than 265,000 people found that cannabis use was associated with higher rates of both committing violence and becoming a victim of it. The researchers say the link is significant but ...

The Hidden Math of Alzheimer's Could Point to New Treatments

Oct. 11, 2026 Mathematics may hold unexpected clues to understanding Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists have developed a model showing how common metals like copper and zinc may influence the buildup of proteins ...

Creatine May Help Build Muscle Even Without Exercise, Researchers Find

Sep. 29, 2026 Creatine helped middle-aged adults gain muscle and strength even without a structured workout program in a new 12-week study. When combined with exercise and a calorie-reduced diet, it produced even ...

Scientists Discover a Human Brain Gene That Can Jump Through DNA

Oct. 5, 2026 Scientists have discovered a human gene with a remarkable double life: it appears to play an important role in brain cells while still retaining the ability to jump around the genome. Called BC200, ...

Alzheimer’s Risk Gene APOE4 May Have a Reversible Weakness

Oct. 1, 2026 The Alzheimer’s risk gene APOE4 may actively damage brain blood vessels and sabotage the cellular systems that remove harmful proteins. Researchers were able to reverse some of these effects in ...

Scientists Uncover a Hidden Map of the Brain With 539 Distinct Regions

Oct. 13, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a hidden layer of organization in the brain by creating the first detailed 3D map of its lipids, the fatty molecules essential for brain structure and communication. By ...

Scientists Discover 5 Hidden Brain Patterns Behind Depression

Oct. 9, 2026 Depression may not be one biological condition, but several distinct patterns of brain activity hiding under the same diagnosis. Researchers studying 263 people with depression identified five brain ...

This Protective Enzyme Could Help Stop Fatty Liver Disease from Getting Worse

Oct. 3, 2026 Scientists have identified an enzyme that may act as a natural defense against the worsening of fatty liver disease, which affects an estimated 100 million Americans. The enzyme, called UBE2N, helps ...