Scientists finally explain statin muscle pain

Statins have dramatically improved cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and cutting the risk of heart attacks and strokes for millions of people. Despite these benefits, many patients experience unwanted side effects. These can include muscle pain and weakness, and in rare situations, a dangerous breakdown of muscle tissue that can…

Jupiter’s clouds are hiding something big

Towering clouds ripple across Jupiter’s surface in dramatic patterns. Like Earth’s clouds, they contain water, but on Jupiter they are far denser and far deeper. These layers are so thick that no spacecraft has been able to directly observe what lies below them. Now, scientists have taken a major step…

Puffy baby planets reveal a missing stage of planet formation

Astronomers were surprised to learn in recent years that most Sun-like stars host at least one planet that falls between Earth and Neptune in size and orbits closer than Mercury does in our own solar system — sizes and orbits absent from our solar system. These worlds, known as super-Earths…

Weak magnetism causes big changes in a strange state of matter

Picture a glowing cloud that looks like a neon sign, but instead of water droplets it holds vast numbers of microscopic dust particles suspended in space. This unusual mixture is known as dusty plasma, a rare state of matter that exists both in outer space and inside laboratory experiments. In…

Electric fields flip the rules of water chemistry

Hydrogen is widely seen as a key energy source for the future, which makes it critical to understand how water is split during electrolysis. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge have taken a closer look…

A quiet change in everyday foods could save thousands of lives

Lowering sodium levels in packaged and prepared foods could lead to major improvements in heart health and prevent large numbers of heart attacks, strokes, and premature deaths in France and the United Kingdom. That is the conclusion of two new studies published in Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart…

How gene loss and monogamy built termite mega societies

Termites are among the most dominant animals on the planet, forming enormous colonies that can contain millions of individuals. Their highly organized societies raise an obvious question: how did insects with such advanced social systems evolve from solitary ancestors that closely resembled modern cockroaches? New research from the University of…

Ancient tools in China are forcing scientists to rethink early humans

A recently uncovered archaeological site in central China is changing how scientists understand early hominin behavior in East Asia. The discoveries suggest these ancient populations were far more capable and adaptable than previously assumed. An international research team led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences carried out excavations at Xigou…

Late bedtimes are linked to higher heart disease risk

Night owls may face higher risks to their heart, especially later in life, with women appearing particularly affected. Adults in midlife and older age who tend to be most active in the evening, especially women, showed poorer overall heart health than those without a strong preference for mornings or evenings,…

The early turning point when men’s heart risk accelerates

A decades-long study tracking people from young adulthood has uncovered an early and unexpected shift in heart disease risk. Men reached a 5% risk of cardiovascular disease roughly seven years earlier than women, revealing a clear and early gap in heart health. Coronary heart disease accounted for most of this…

Breakthrough sepsis drug shows promise in human trial

Researchers at Griffith University report encouraging progress toward treating sepsis after a Phase II clinical trial in China produced positive results. The study suggests a new drug candidate may reduce the severity of sepsis, a condition that affects millions of hospitalized patients worldwide each year. The experimental treatment, known as…

Gray wolves are hunting sea otters and no one knows how

On Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, gray wolves are showing an unusual behavior: they are hunting sea otters. This unexpected shift in diet could have wide-ranging effects on coastal ecosystems and on the wolves themselves. However, scientists still know very little about how these predators manage to catch prey in…

A breakthrough that could make ships nearly unsinkable

More than 100 years after the sinking of the Titanic, the idea of ships that cannot sink continues to motivate engineers. Researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics have now taken a significant step toward that long-standing goal. They have developed a technique that makes ordinary metal tubes…

Scientists find hidden pathways pancreatic cancer uses to spread

A new study from Brazil, published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, sheds light on how pancreatic cancer gains the ability to spread at an early stage. Researchers found that a protein called periostin, along with stellate cells in the pancreas, plays a crucial role in helping cancer cells…

A fish that ages in months reveals how kidneys grow old

A new study published in Kidney International reports that a class of medications called SGLT2 inhibitors helped prevent age-related damage to kidney structure and function in the African turquoise killifish. This small vertebrate completes its entire lifespan in only a few months, making it a unique model for studying aging.…

New scan spots heart disease years before symptoms

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have created a new medical imaging tool called “fast-RSOM” that can capture highly detailed images of the body’s smallest blood vessels directly through the skin, without invasive procedures. By making it possible to detect early signs of cardiovascular risk,…

A 20-year-old cancer vaccine may hold the key to long-term survival

More than two decades ago, a small group of women with advanced breast cancer took part in a clinical trial that tested an experimental vaccine. All these years later, every one of them is still alive. Researchers say survival over such a long period is extremely uncommon for people with…

A Trojan horse cancer therapy shows stunning results

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have created an experimental immunotherapy that approaches metastatic cancer from a different angle. Rather than attacking cancer cells directly, the treatment focuses on the cells that surround and protect them. The research, published in the January 22 online issue of…

Dermatologists say collagen supplements aren’t the skin fix people expect

Farah Moustafa, MD, an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and a dermatologist with Tufts Medical Center, explains that collagen supplements are not a proven solution for skin aging. “Oral collagen supplements are not currently recommended to treat skin aging, although they can be considered along with other…

A diabetes drug shows surprising promise against heart disease

Research building on earlier work in type 2 diabetes suggests the experimental drug IC7Fc may also help protect against heart disease. A new study reports that the drug can lower cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation, two major contributors to cardiovascular problems. An international research team led by Leiden University Medical…

A simple blood test could spot Parkinson’s years before symptoms

Researchers led by a team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have identified biological markers that appear in the earliest stages of Parkinson’s disease, before major damage occurs in the brain. These early changes leave detectable traces in the blood, but only for a short time. The findings highlight…

Ancient oceans stayed oxygen rich despite extreme warming

The Arabian Sea contained more oxygen about 16 million years ago than it does today, even though Earth’s climate was warmer at the time. Powerful monsoons, shifting ocean currents, and connections between seas strongly influence oxygen levels, showing that ocean health depends on more than temperature alone. Over very long…

Scientists found a way to cool quantum computers using noise

Quantum computers only work when they are kept extremely cold. The problem is that today’s cooling systems also create noise, which can interfere with the fragile quantum information they are supposed to protect. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have now introduced a new type of minimal quantum…

Tiny mammals are sending warning signs scientists can finally read

The decline of lions and pandas often captures global attention, but a quieter and potentially more damaging crisis is unfolding among small mammals. These tiny animals are disappearing at alarming rates, and their loss can have outsized consequences for biodiversity. Small mammals are powerful indicators of environmental health, yet tracking…

Helping with grandkids may slow cognitive decline

Helping to care for grandchildren may serve as a buffer against cognitive decline in older adults, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. Helping to care for grandchildren may help protect older adults from cognitive decline, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The findings suggest…

Long-term alcohol use linked to a sharp rise in rectal cancer

Past research has shown that drinking alcohol is linked to a higher chance of developing colorectal cancer. New evidence now shows that the total amount of alcohol consumed over a person’s lifetime also plays an important role. Higher lifetime intake is tied to greater cancer risk, with rectal cancer showing…

A breakthrough that turns exhaust CO2 into useful materials

Exhaust gases from home furnaces, fireplaces, and industrial facilities release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air, contributing to pollution. Scientists reporting in ACS Energy Letters have developed a new type of electrode designed to address this problem by capturing CO2 directly from the air and turning it into a useful…

Low-Earth orbit is just 2.8 days from disaster

The phrase “House of Cards” is often linked today with a popular Netflix political series, but its original meaning describes something far more literal: a structure that can collapse easily. That idea is exactly how Sarah Thiele, formerly a PhD student at the University of British Columbia and now a…

Dark stars could solve three major mysteries of the early universe

A new study led by Colgate Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy Cosmin Ilie, working with Jillian Paulin ’23 of the University of Pennsylvania, Andreea Petric of the Space Telescope Science Institute, and Katherine Freese of the University of Texas at Austin, proposes a single idea that could address three…