Author: healthadmin

The correlation between smoking and neurodegeneration is well established, with one 2011 study finding that heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a more than 100% increased risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia more than 20 years later. Dementia is an understudied effect of smoking, and the reason is simple and frightening. It develops later in life, and smokers tend to die younger. Many of the theories about smoking and dementia revolve around the effects of smoking on the vascular and respiratory systems, essentially blocking the flow of oxygen to the brain after decades of continuous smoking. But…

Eating a high-quality plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias compared to eating a lower-quality plant-based diet, according to a study published in the journal Science on April 8, 2026. Neurology®Medical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Although this study shows an observational association, it does not prove that a high-quality plant-based diet reduces the risk of dementia. Researchers investigated three plant-based diets. A holistic plant-based diet prioritizes plant foods over animal products such as meat, milk, and eggs, regardless of quality. A healthy plant-based diet prioritizes healthy plant foods such…

The state of Florida relies on UCF experts to find better ways to prevent domestic violence and give victims a stronger voice in the services they need. Through a $257,384 two-year grant from the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence, faculty in UCF’s Violence Against Women Research Cluster are conducting a statewide domestic violence needs assessment. Their findings will help policy makers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic violence prevention programs that empower victims. “A common goal of our work is to give a voice to the people who work in these programs and the…

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have developed a new method called PARTAGE that can provide a clearer picture of how genomes are regulated and disrupted in diseases such as cancer. The results of this research have recently Genome research. PARTAGE allows researchers to measure three key features of the genome from the same sample: when DNA is replicated, changes in DNA copy number, and gene activity. Traditionally, these processes have been studied in separate experiments, making it difficult to understand how cells coordinate these processes. PARTAGE allows researchers to connect DNA replication, genomic changes, and gene activity…

Autism Brainnet has published new research revealing a significant gap between public support for autism research and perceptions of how that research is conducted. While most Americans recognize the importance of studying autism brains, far fewer understand the role postmortem brain donation plays in advancing scientific discoveries. The survey found that 92 percent of respondents thought it was very or very important to analyze the brains of people with autism. However, 70% said they had never heard of brain donation. This disconnect suggests that many people evaluate progress in autism research without understanding what makes it possible. Brain donation and…

Last June, multiple mainstream media outlets reported that the number of drug overdose deaths in the United States would skyrocket in early 2025, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A new study from Northwestern University finds that the surge is not real and that the apparent spike is an artifact of statistical modeling and not a true reversal of the overdose trend. In fact, the study found that overdose deaths have continued to decline since peaking in August 2023, marking the longest sustained decline in more than 40 years. Lead author Lorie Ann Post…

Young people who spend a lot of time comparing their bodies and faces to others on the internet often continue to have high levels of these appearance concerns into their teens and young adults. People who are less involved in social media tend to initially have lower levels of concern for their appearance, but over time their concern increases until almost all young people share a similar burden. These patterns are detailed in a recent study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media. The visual nature of the modern internet has produced a constant stream of idealized images. From…

New Jersey became the sixth state in the past decade and second state this year to completely eliminate moratoriums on new nuclear power plant construction. On a crisp Wednesday morning at the Hope Creek Power Plant in the state’s southwest corner, Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed legislation that lifts a de facto ban on building new nuclear reactors until the U.S. has a permanent solution to radioactive spent fuel. Democrats, who campaigned last year to build new nuclear power plants in the state, said the ban has served no purpose. “”For too long, outdated laws have prevented us from even considering…

Adolescent boys and girls begin to develop different cognitive abilities as they progress through high school, with boys increasingly favoring mechanical reasoning and girls leaning toward math and language skills. These different cognitive profiles appear to change as teens age due to fundamental changes in mental processing speed. The results of this research have recently intelligence and cognitive abilities. The concept of cognitive tilt describes specific patterns of mental strengths and weaknesses. This, when combined with relative weaknesses, means that an individual’s cognitive profile is heavily biased towards one area of ​​strength. An academically inclined person may excel at reading…

It is a major risk factor for high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, which is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. Hypertension is treatable, but despite the availability of effective and affordable medications, more than half of Americans still have uncontrolled hypertension, and that rate is rising in tandem with harmful social determinants of health. A new study tested a potentially effective alternative to established drug treatments for low-income patients with high blood pressure. Strategy: A team-based, protocol-driven approach. This includes home monitoring and feedback, medication adjustment, and…