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Health

Study finds toddlers get nearly half their calories from ultra-processed foods

Toddlers in the UK obtain nearly half (47%) of their calories from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and this rises to 59% by the age of seven, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

Dentistry

Water fluoridation found to be less effective now than in past

The dental health benefits of adding fluoride to drinking water may be smaller now than before fluoride toothpaste was widely available, an updated Cochrane review has found.

Medical research news

Immunology

Here's why B cells benefit from booster shots

Certain infectious diseases, such as COVID or the flu, evolve constantly, shapeshifting just enough to outmaneuver our immune systems and reinfect us repeatedly. But subsequent reinfections often don't lead to the most severe ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

How doxycycline for STI prevention affects the gut microbiome

Taking a dose of the oral antibiotic doxycycline after a high-risk sexual encounter has dramatically reduced the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in places where the strategy is being tried.

Oncology & Cancer

New imaging technique accurately detects aggressive kidney cancer

A new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has demonstrated a new, non-invasive imaging technique can accurately detect clear-cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common form ...

Ophthalmology

Researchers use AI to help people see more clearly

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is on the rise, especially among children. Experts predict that by the year 2050, myopia will affect approximately 50% of the world's population. Researchers believe that an increase ...

Ophthalmology

Stem cell transplants repair macular holes in primate study

Human stem cell transplants successfully repaired macular holes in a monkey model, researchers report October 3 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. After transplantation, the macular holes were closed by continuous filling ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Meta-analysis finds 10-minute nature exposure boosts mental health

Spending time in nature—even as little as 10 minutes—can yield short-term benefits for adults with mental illness, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Ecopsychology. The new meta-analysis examined ...

Gerontology & Geriatrics

Scientists identify interleukin-11 as key driver of aging

An aging population will bring colossal health, social, and economic challenges over the coming decades. As people live longer, staving off the physical decline and frailty that come with age has become a holy grail, with ...

Neuroscience

Scientists define new type of memory loss in older adults

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have established new criteria for a memory-loss syndrome in older adults that specifically impacts the brain's limbic system. It can often be mistaken for Alzheimer's disease. The good news: Limbic-predominant ...

Neuroscience

Gut protein may protect brain cells in Parkinson's disease

Nearly 10 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease (PD), a condition causing muscle rigidity and tremors due to the loss of the chemical dopamine in the brain. One cause of PD is exposure to toxins. In a recent ...

Genetics

New gene therapy for muscular dystrophy offers hope

A new gene therapy treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy shows promise of not only arresting the decline of the muscles of those affected by this inherited genetic disease, but perhaps, in the future, repairing those ...

Overweight & Obesity

What fat cats on a diet may tell us about obesity in humans

Pet cats may be excellent animal models for the study of obesity origins and treatment in humans, a new study of feline gut microbes suggests—and both species would likely get healthier in the research process, scientists ...