Grace O’Connor — Health & Science Editor

Recent scientific research links diets high in fat and rising obesity rates to accelerated brain aging, memory loss, and early cellular damage in the hippocampus. Studies across Arizona State University, Virginia Tech, and University of North Carolina identify specific molecular disruptions—including overactive neurons and protein accumulation—that begin far earlier in adulthood than previously understood. Scientists … Read more

Updated cholesterol guidelines issued by major medical societies lower risk thresholds and expand statin eligibility to an estimated 21.5 million additional U.S. adults. The updated framework introduces the PREVENT risk calculator and shifts the focus toward cardiovascular prevention starting at age 30. Millions more Americans are now considered candidates for cholesterol-lowering medication following a sweeping … Read more

Decades of persistent financial hardship can accelerate age-related cognitive decline and cause measurable brain shrinkage by early old age, according to a study tracking thousands of people born in March 1946 across the United Kingdom. Financial stress is often discussed in terms of immediate anxiety over overdue bills or balancing a household budget. But new … Read more

Researchers in Vermont have discovered a contagious skin cancer spreading among brown bullhead catfish in Lake Memphremagog. Published in Nature, this finding marks the first transmissible cancer identified in a freshwater animal and only the fourth known naturally occurring contagious cancer in the natural world. An angler pulling a brown bullhead out of Lake Memphremagog … Read more

Decades of persistent financial hardship can accelerate age-related cognitive decline and cause measurable brain shrinkage by late life, according to a UCL-led study published in Innovation in Aging that tracked thousands of British adults born in 1946 across seven decades. The toll of poverty on the human mind is rarely a matter of a single … Read more

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has seen Ebola infections surge to 3,200 cases and 1,405 deaths as of July 27, 2026. This 17th national outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has spread across five provinces and is currently the third largest Ebola outbreak on record. The escalation is stark. In just 10 days, … Read more

Hitting the sweet spot of 30 grams of protein at breakfast can stabilize morning blood sugar and stave off midmorning crashes, according to dietitians. Experts explain that combining protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fats helps trigger fullness hormones to keep you satisfied until lunchtime. If your stomach starts growling midmorning and you find yourself counting … Read more

Recent brain-scan research reveals that stimulant medications like Adderall and Ritalin target alertness and motivation networks rather than direct attention systems in children with ADHD. Published in the journal Cell by Washington University School of Medicine scientists, the findings challenge decades-old assumptions about how these widely prescribed drugs help young patients stay on task. Revisiting … Read more