Resources & Information

Medical News Today
May 30, 2026
Chronic stress, depression, cardiovascular disease, fragmented sleep, and aging are all associated with a higher risk of dementia, but scientists have not yet discovered exactly why. Now, a review outlines that all these factors may link to disruption of a sleep-dependent brain rhythm that helps clear ‘waste’ from the brain. The author suggests that sleep coordinates brain chemistry, blood vessel movement, and cerebrospinal fluid flow to support the brain’s nightly cleaning processes. Heart rate variability, which is closely linked to the rhythmic cleaning processes, shows promise as a non-invasive way to identify those at increased risk of cognitive decline.

MedPage Today
May 28, 2026
Exposure to traffic-related gases was associated with increased chronic rhinosinusitis risk, a case-control study showed, supporting a role for pollutants beyond particulate matter. Each standard deviation increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2, from high-temperature fuel combustion) at one’s home address averaged over 5 years correlated with more than double the odds of chronic rhinosinusitis (adjusted OR [aOR] 2.32, 95% CI 1.09-4.93) independent of demographics, smoking history, use of steroid medication, and comorbidities.

Medicals News Today
May 28, 2026
A rare hantavirus outbreak has affected a cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people who were travelling from Argentina on a long-haul Atlantic journey. With a few confirmed deaths so far, several countries have ordered tracking and self-isolation for people at risk of suspected infection. However, the WHO currently maintains that the risk of human-to-human transmission and global spread is ‘low’ and the outbreak is under monitoring. Medical News Today spoke to three experts to find out what symptoms to watch out for, when to seek care, and what to do if they suspect contact with the hantavirus.

Medical News Today
May 12, 2026
Participating in creative pursuits and engaging with arts and culture is good for the soul but could it also help the body stay in shape? That seems to be what a new study from University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom is suggesting. The study — whose findings appear in the journal Innovation in Aging — has found an association between engagement with arts and culture and a slower pace of biological aging. Other studies have connected creativity with better cognitive health. For instance, research published in Nature Communications in October 2025 found that activities such as dancing and engaging with the visual arts could help the brain stay younger for longer.

NPR
May 9, 2026
Hello, stranger! That’s a good thing to say, as we reported in a story we published three years ago: Why a stranger’s hello can do more than just brighten your day. NPR correspondent Rhitu Chatterjee reported on studies showing that simply chatting with strangers has a lasting impact: It can make the participants happy. Even smiling and waving hello to a vendor you see regularly can boost your spirits, says psychologist Gillian Sandstrom, who delved into the benefits of social ties after her own uplifting exchanges with a hot dog seller during a time when she was feeling really isolated.

Medical News Today
May 5, 2026
Worldwide, the number of people ages 65 and over is expected to exceed 1.5 billion by 2050. And the goal is to remain healthy for as many of those years past 65 as possible. With cases of dementia rising, a key part of healthy aging is maintaining cognitive function and a healthy brain. On April 28, 2026, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement outlining how experiences throughout a person’s life can affect brain health and how a person can improve their brain health.