Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, is linked to degeneration of brain regions associated with memory through damage to the brain’s small blood vessels, according to a study published May 7, 2025, online in Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found the brain changes were strongly associated with the severity of drops in oxygen levels during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The study does not prove that sleep apnea causes this degeneration; it only shows an association.

National Jewish Health researchers with the Advanced Diagnostic Laboratories have developed a groundbreaking molecular diagnostic test capable of accurately diagnosing a major genetic cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) known as Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD). The novel 23-SNP alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) assay, as described in a recent study published in CHEST Pulmonary, significantly improves the speed and precision of AATD diagnosis by identifying multiple genetic mutations associated with the disease. The test addresses a long-standing challenge in the medical community.

Healthy hearts are adaptable, and heartbeats exhibit complex variation as they adjust to tiny changes in the body and environment. Mass General Brigham researchers have applied a new way to measure the complexity of pulse rates, using data collected through wearable pulse oximetry devices. The new method, published in Journal of the American Heart Association, provides a more detailed peek into heart health than traditional measures, uncovering a link between reduced complexity and future cognitive decline.

In a groundbreaking study led by a multinational team of experts, researchers at National Jewish Health and their collaborators in Colorado, Illinois, Taiwan and Israel have introduced a new term to the medical lexicon: silicosarcoidosis. This novel designation describes cases where patients’ lung tissue exhibits overlapping features of both silicosis and sarcoidosis, two serious pulmonary diseases linked to occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) commonly found in construction, mining, and engineered stone fabrication.

New Haven, Conn. — A sweeping new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) reveals stark disparities in life expectancy across U.S. states and Washington, D.C. over the past century – offering new insights into how a region’s public health policies, social conditions, and environmental factors can shape people’s lifespans.

Analyzing more than 179 million deaths between 1969 and 2020, the multi-institutional research team traced life expectancy trends by birth cohort — a more precise measure for following the life experiences of a population than traditional year-by-year summaries of mortality, which represent a mix of many generations.

The study, which appears in JAMA Network Open, found that some states saw dramatic gains in life expectancy, while others, particularly in the U.S. South, experienced little or no improvement over an entire century.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis led a study of nearly 30,000 students that shatters misconceptions about eating disorders, a common and misunderstood condition.