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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-May-2026 07:16 ET (31-May-2026 11:16 GMT/UTC)

Can exercise turn back the clock on your brain? New study says yes

Journal of Sport and Health Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Regular aerobic exercise may help slow biological brain aging in adults. In a randomized clinical trial, researchers used MRI-based brain age estimates to assess the effects of a year-long exercise program. Participants who followed guideline-level aerobic activity showed younger-appearing brains compared with controls. These findings suggest that sustained, moderate-to-vigorous exercise in midlife may support long-term brain health and reduce future risk of cognitive decline potentially across diverse adult populations.

Journal: Journal of Sport and Health Science
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

A new diet option for mild-to-moderate Crohn’s disease

Stanford Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A Stanford Medicine-led study finds a short-term, calorie-restrictive diet significantly improved symptoms.

Journal: Nature Medicine

Insects, algae or cell-cultured meat: What do the protein sources of the future look like?

BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
Reports and Proceedings

From 16 to 25 January 2026, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) will once again be participating in the Grüne Woche fair. The exhibition stand will be dedicated to the topic of alternative protein sources – a domain that is becoming increasingly important for nutrition, the environment and health. The focus will be on plant proteins, insects, algae, fermented products and cell-cultured meat, among other things. “Alternative protein sources are being discussed in the media, some are already in use, but further research is also being conducted. At the same time, there are many questions – for example, regarding food safety, health assessment, labelling and public acceptance,” says BfR President Professor Andreas Hensel. “The BfR offers scientifically sound guidance in this area and makes it transparent as well as understandable at Grüne Woche.” The BfR stand (No. 307) can be found in Hall 3.2, “ErlebnisBauernhof”.

FXYD family in health and disease

Compuscript Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The FXYD proteins (FXYD domain-containing ion transport regulators) are a family of seven distinct proteins that play crucial roles in regulating Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) activity. Each of these proteins is characterized by a conserved 35-amino-acid FXYD domain, essential for their functions, and exhibits tissue-specific expression, contributing to diverse roles in various tissues.

Research over the years has highlighted the role of the FXYD proteins in regulating numerous physiological processes, including ion transport, neuronal activity, cell adhesion, and migration; conversely, their altered expression has been implicated in the progression of various diseases, such as cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, and renal diseases, and others. Understanding the FXYD proteins and their underlying regulatory mechanisms may therefore aid in identifying novel therapeutic targets.

Journal: Genes & Diseases
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Science Foundation of China for Youths, General Project of Hunan Provincial Health Commission Research Program (China), Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province, China, Hunan Province Graduate Research and Innovation Project (China), Foundation of Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory (China)

New combination therapy for frequent form of lung cancer

Medical University of Vienna
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team at the Medical University of Vienna has discovered a new approach to treating a particularly frequent and difficult-to-treat form of lung cancer. The study shows that a combination of two well-studied classes of drugs – ERBB inhibitors and Aurora kinase inhibitors – is significantly more effective against KRAS-mutated lung adenocarcinomas than existing therapies. The research, currently published in the journal npj Precision Oncology, opens up a new and promising path for patients for whom there are currently only limited treatment options.

Journal: npj Precision Oncology

Common eye ointment can damage glaucoma implants, study warns

Nagoya University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Widely used eye ointments can cause glaucoma implants to swell and potentially rupture, according to new research from Nagoya University in Japan. This study is the first to show, using clinical and experimental evidence, that petrolatum-based eye ointments can compromise the PRESERFLO® MicroShunt, an implant used in over 60 countries to treat glaucoma.

Journal: Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology

ACCESS-AD: a new European initiative to accelerate timely and equitable AD diagnosis, treatment and care

Alzheimer Europe
Grant and Award Announcement

Developed by a consortium of 30 public and private partners, ACCESS-AD (“Advancing Clinical Care and Equity through Scalable Solutions in Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis and treatment”) is focused on bringing innovations to routine clinical practice for Alzheimer’s disease, supporting timely diagnosis, treatment and monitoring across diverse healthcare settings. Launching on 13 January 2026, ACCESS-AD is funded for a period of 5 years by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), an EU Public-Private Partnership supporting health research and innovation.

Funder: Innovative Health Initiative

Mercury exposure in northern communities linked to eating waterfowl

University of Waterloo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by researchers at the University of Waterloo found that members of many Indigenous communities who eat certain types of locally harvested waterfowl, especially ducks with mixed or fish-based diets, may have higher levels of both mercury and healthy omega-3 fatty acids in their blood.

Journal: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

New Zealand researchers identify brain link to high blood pressure

University of Auckland
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Auckland researchers have discovered that a part of the brain may be behind high blood pressure

Journal: Circulation Research