Health

Just 4 minutes of daily strengthening exercise dramatically increases key factors in quality of life for older adults, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Results published in PLOS One show that strength—which affects fall risk, longevity, independent living and more—significantly improved for adults 65 and older in as little as 12 weeks.

New historical research has found that early stagecoach passengers were as concerned with motion sickness as they were with the risk of being robbed by highwaymen.

It might soon be "game over" for the video game controller. Yale researchers have developed a new kind of brain-computer interface (BCI) that lets humans play video games directly with their brains. Using real-time fMRI (functional MRI), they confirmed that the technology could help humans control a computer with their brain activity in a highly efficient way. The study appears in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

A new look at data from a nationally representative survey finds that more than 8 million people, roughly 2.8% of the U.S. population, reported having used psilocybin in the year prior to the survey. The data came from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and included responses from 58,000 people in the U.S. age 12 and older.

A new toothpaste for relieving tooth sensitivity has been developed by UCL researchers using a nature-inspired material that supports bone regeneration.

A little over a year ago, about a dozen members of the Johns Hopkins Child Injury Prevention Network logged onto their monthly Zoom call. For those working in bustling emergency departments, the meeting is a chance to brainstorm ways to prevent the most troubling cases that come through their doors. A member of the group raised a virtual hand: "Can y'all do something about dog bites?"

Over the past few years, GLP-1 drugs have transformed the treatment landscape for obesity and type 2 diabetes. By mimicking a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, slows digestion and curbs appetite, these medications have helped millions lose weight while improving metabolic health.

Blood tests have proved to be a promising tool for detecting and monitoring cancer. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden have now developed a new method that makes it possible to analyze samples containing as little as 5% cancer DNA in the blood, compared with the 15%–20% required today. This method could lead to better cancer care and improved monitoring of tumor progression.

A customized throw-back video game may offer a surprisingly futuristic path to stroke recovery. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a 90s-style video game to help chronic stroke survivors regain lost arm function. While wearing a small device on their impaired arm and using a laptop computer, players use their arm muscles to complete tasks such as flying a helicopter around the screen to hit a moving target. The muscle retraining helps separate the brain's uncoordinated movement signals, enabling muscles to work independently again.

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. By eating a variety of plant-based foods, increasing fiber intake gradually and staying well hydrated, you can support gut health and overall well-being while making fiber goals more achievable and sustainable. Purna Kashyap, M.B.B.S., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, offers tips to add fiber to your diet.

Reasons why our walking becomes slower and more tiring with age have been uncovered by new Australian research—with findings showing the body increasingly sacrifices efficiency to stay upright. The findings are published in the journal Gait & Posture.

Research at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont reveals how menopause, once a taboo topic, affects brain function, reinforcing the idea that the menopause transition is not only a reproductive milestone, but also a critical neurological phase. The findings appear in Menopause.

Penn Engineers have developed an open-source algorithm that combines the speed of AI with the precision of geometry to compare complex medical images quickly and accurately, helping detect subtle changes that, over time, can signal disease. In some cases, the new algorithm can accomplish in minutes what would have taken prior techniques an entire week.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, or CVD, report encouraging results from an early clinical trial that tested a new dual vaccine against Lassa fever and rabies. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that the vaccine was safe and induced immune responses against both viruses. There are currently no vaccines against Lassa fever on the market.

"From burden to solutions—safe food everywhere." This is the message of World Food Safety Day 2026, where the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are focusing on how new knowledge about illness, lost lives and societal consequences can be translated into practical solutions.