Health & Medicine

1. More REM sleep linked to lower risk of 83 diseases

   A large study tracking more than 95,000 people suggests that how you sleep may be linked to your risk of developing dozens of diseases. People who spent more time in REM sleep had lower risks of 83 conditions, including dementia, heart failure, and Parkinson’s disease, while more deep sleep was associated with lower risks of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and major depression.

2. GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs linked to nutritional deficiencies in nearly 1 in 6 children

   Children taking GLP-1 medications (such as Victoza, Saxenda, Trulicity, and Ozempic) for weight loss, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes may face an overlooked risk: nutritional deficiencies. A new study found that nearly 1 in 6 young patients developed a diagnosed deficiency within a year of starting treatment, with vitamin D deficiency affecting about 12%.

3. Breakthrough drug reverses skin aging and dramatically speeds healing

   A topical drug that removes aging, damaged cells helped older mice heal skin wounds significantly faster. The treatment appeared to reactivate repair pathways involved in inflammation, collagen production, and new blood vessel growth.

4. This emerging treatment could help people avoid knee replacement surgery

   A minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolization could offer a new middle ground between conservative treatments and knee replacement for osteoarthritis. By blocking tiny blood vessels associated with inflammation, GAE can significantly reduce pain, with some patients reporting little or no pain afterward. Studies suggest the benefits may last two to four years in people who respond well.

5. Coffee doesn’t have to keep you awake to disrupt your sleep

   Caffeine may make sleep less restorative even when you fall asleep normally and stay in bed for eight hours, with EEG recordings revealing fewer of the slow brain waves associated with deep sleep. Individual sensitivity varies dramatically, meaning even caffeine consumed earlier in the day could affect nighttime recovery for some people.

6. Rare pregnancy infections may triple the risk of autism

   A major Swedish study of 3.7 million people has found that rare TORCH infections passed from a pregnant woman to the fetus are linked to much higher risks of autism and intellectual disability later in life. Children with a congenital TORCH infection were about three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism, more than seven times more likely to have an intellectual disability, and up to 30 times more likely to have severe to profound intellectual disability.

7. Stem cells reverse stroke damage and restore movement in mice

   Stem cell transplants helped regenerate stroke-damaged brain tissue in mice, producing new neurons and restoring lost motor function. The treatment also improved blood vessels, inflammation, and the blood-brain barrier, raising hopes that a similar approach could eventually help repair the human brain after stroke.

8. This new drug could break cancer’s resistance to treatment

   A new experimental drug called CS18 may help break through cancer drug resistance by disabling several of the defenses tumors use to survive treatment. It strengthened existing therapies, restored drug sensitivity in resistant lung cancer cells, and slowed tumor growth in animal models.

9. Scientists create a needle-thin brain implant that can do three jobs at once

   A new needle-thin brain implant can record neural activity, deliver drugs, and stimulate multiple brain regions using a single flexible fiber. Successful tests in mice suggest it could give scientists a more precise, less invasive way to study the brain and may eventually help treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy.

10. Stopping Ozempic may raise heart attack and stroke risk

    A large study suggests the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound can disappear surprisingly quickly when treatment stops. After two years off the medications, patients had a 22% higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and death compared with those who stayed on them.

11. Brain scans reveal a possible cause of long COVID fatigue and brain fog

    Researchers have found evidence that long COVID may damage dopamine releasing neurons in the brain, potentially explaining persistent fatigue, low motivation, slowed movement, and memory difficulties. The discovery could lead to new treatments that target the brain's dopamine system.

12. Chronic stress may be quietly reshaping your heart

    Chronic inflammation tied to stress, lifestyle, mental health, and socioeconomic conditions may silently change the heart for years before any symptoms appear. People with the highest inflammation levels faced a 43% greater risk of heart attack and stroke, raising hopes that earlier testing and anti-inflammatory treatments could help prevent serious heart disease.

13. Stanford scientists discover the human brain may actually be two separate organs

    Scientists have found that the human brain develops from two distinct cellular systems, suggesting that evolution fused together two ancient nervous systems with very different jobs. The discovery also allowed researchers to grow human hindbrain neurons in the lab, opening new possibilities for studying ALS, spinal muscular atrophy, and other brainstem diseases.

14. 8 common food additives linked to high blood pressure and heart disease

    Common preservatives hiding in processed foods may carry unexpected heart risks, with heavy consumption linked to substantially higher rates of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Researchers identified eight widely used preservatives associated with hypertension, although the observational study cannot prove they were directly responsible.

15. Millions take calcium and vitamin D for bone health. A major review finds little benefit

    A sweeping review of more than 153,000 adults found that calcium and vitamin D supplements, alone or together, do little to prevent fractures or falls in most older people. Researchers say the findings challenge routine supplementation for prevention and point instead toward strategies such as balance and resistance exercise.