Some people living with chronic stress have a higher risk of stroke, according to a study published on March 5, 2025, online in Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at younger adults and found an association between stress and stroke, with no known cause, in female participants, but not male participants. This study does not prove that stress causes stroke; it only shows an association.

The body’s internal clock doesn’t just dictate when we sleep — it also determines how quickly our muscles heal. A new Northwestern Medicine study in mice, published today in Science Advances, suggests that muscle injuries heal faster when they occur during the body’s natural waking hours.

Oxytocin, a hormone already known for its role in childbirth, milk release, and mother-infant bonding, may have a newfound purpose in mammalian reproduction. In times of maternal stress, the hormone can delay an embryo’s development for days to weeks after conception, a new study in rodents shows. According to the authors, the findings about so-called “diapause” may offer new insights into pregnancy and fertility issues faced by humans.

UCSF researchers may have discovered how the female brain remains resilient in aging, answering an age-old question of how most women outlive men and retain their cognitive abilities longer.