EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health - News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 27-Dec-2025 08:11 ET (27-Dec-2025 13:11 GMT/UTC)

Concordia researchers identify key marker linking coronary artery disease to cognitive decline

Concordia University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Concordia University have discovered a key brain-marker linking Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) to cognitive decline. Using MRI scans and a novel 12-metric model, they found that older adults with CAD show widespread changes in brain white-matter—particularly in regions fed by the middle and anterior cerebral arteries. These alterations reflect reduced myelin integrity, which correlates with slower processing speed—even when overall cognitive scores are still normal. The findings suggest that myelin-loss may serve as an early biomarker for brain health risks in cardiovascular disease, opening pathways for preventive interventions.

Journal: JNeurosci

Seal milk more refined than breast milk

University of Gothenburg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered that milk from grey seals in the Atlantic Ocean may be more potent than breast milk. An analysis of seal milk found approximately 33 per cent more sugar molecules than in breast milk. Many of these sugars are unique and may pave the way for even better infant formula for babies.

Journal: Nature Communications

New study links immediate treatment for traumatic brain injuries to lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Case Western Reserve University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine found that treatment within a week of a brain injury significantly reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders.

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Study suggests many men may not need long-term hormone therapy for prostate cancer

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study co-led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that most of the benefits of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer occur within the first 9 to 12 months. Extending therapy beyond that provides only small additional protection and increases the risk of other health problems, such as heart or metabolic issues.

Journal: JAMA Oncology
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

Research challenges idea that gene PTPN22 boosts production of interferons

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new paper from the University of Kansas overturns the idea that a “risk gene” carried by millions of people worldwide influences production of Type 1 interferon, a workhorse of the immune system.

Journal: ImmunoHorizons

Hospital infections associated with higher risk of dementia

Impact Journals LLC
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 10 of Aging-US on Oct. 13, 2025, titled “Hospitalization with infections and risk of Dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.”

Journal: Aging-US

New study investigates how diet may slow normal brain aging

Boston University School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As the brain ages, cells in the central nervous system experience metabolic dysfunction and increased oxidative damage. These cellular issues impair the ability to maintain the myelin sheath (the protective covering around nerve fibers), which leads to age-related white matter degradation. Microglia are the brain's primary immune cells, and their activation is a normal response to injury or infection. In conditions like aging or Alzheimer's, microglia can become chronically activated, leading to a harmful inflammatory state that damages neurons, but the exact reasons are not fully understood.

A new study from researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that consuming 30% fewer calories than usual for more than 20 years, can slow down signs of aging in the brain. The study was done using an experimental model closely related to humans.

Journal: Aging Cell