Living Well News

September 24, 2026

Top Headlines

More REM Sleep Linked to Lower Risk of 83 Diseases

Sep. 23, 2026 A large study tracking more than 95,000 people suggests that how you sleep may be linked to your risk of developing dozens of diseases. People who spent more time in REM sleep had lower risks of 83 conditions, including dementia, heart failure, and ...

GLP-1 Weight Loss and Diabetes Drugs Linked to Nutritional Deficiencies in Nearly 1 in 6 Children

Sep. 23, 2026 Children taking GLP-1 medications (such as Victoza, Saxenda, Trulicity, and Ozempic) for weight loss, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes may face an overlooked risk: nutritional deficiencies. A new ...

Coffee Doesn’t Have to Keep You Awake to Disrupt Your Sleep

Sep. 22, 2026 Caffeine may make sleep less restorative even when you fall asleep normally and stay in bed for eight hours, with EEG recordings revealing fewer of the slow brain waves associated with deep sleep. Individual sensitivity varies dramatically, meaning ...

This Emerging Treatment Could Help People Avoid Knee Replacement Surgery

Sep. 22, 2026 A minimally invasive procedure called genicular artery embolization could offer a new middle ground between conservative treatments and knee replacement for osteoarthritis. By blocking tiny blood vessels associated with inflammation, GAE can ...

Brain Scans Reveal a Possible Cause of Long COVID Fatigue and Brain Fog

Sep. 21, 2026 Researchers have found evidence that long COVID may damage dopamine releasing neurons in the brain, potentially explaining persistent fatigue, low motivation, slowed movement, and memory difficulties. The discovery could lead to new treatments that ...

Stopping Ozempic May Raise Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

Sep. 21, 2026 A large study suggests the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound can disappear surprisingly quickly when treatment stops. After two years off the medications, patients had a 22% higher risk of heart ...

Chronic Stress May Be Quietly Reshaping Your Heart

Sep. 21, 2026 Chronic inflammation tied to stress, lifestyle, mental health, and socioeconomic conditions may silently change the heart for years before any symptoms appear. People with the highest inflammation levels faced a 43% greater risk of heart attack and ...

Millions Take Calcium and Vitamin D for Bone Health. a Major Review Finds Little Benefit

Sep. 20, 2026 A sweeping review of more than 153,000 adults found that calcium and vitamin D supplements, alone or together, do little to prevent fractures or falls in most older people. Researchers say the ...

8 Common Food Additives Linked to High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease

Sep. 20, 2026 Common preservatives hiding in processed foods may carry unexpected heart risks, with heavy consumption linked to substantially higher rates of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Researchers identified eight widely used preservatives ...

These Blood Thinners May Have an Unexpected Benefit for Alzheimer’s Patients

Sep. 18, 2026 Newer blood thinners may do more than prevent strokes in people with Alzheimer’s disease and atrial fibrillation. Researchers found that patients taking NOACs experienced a slower decline in ...

Scientists Restore a Brain Protein and Reverse Signs of Aging in Mice

Sep. 18, 2026 Scientists found that declining levels of the brain protein Menin may help drive aging, with lower levels in mice linked to inflammation, cognitive decline, weaker bones, and thinner skin. Restoring Menin reversed several age-related changes, while ...

Ozempic Can Change Your Body. Can It Change Your Life?

Sep. 17, 2026 Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications can improve blood sugar, weight, and cardiovascular health, but researchers found little evidence that they also improve mental health, employment, marriage, or overall well-being. The findings suggest the ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:01am EDT

Sep. 17, 2026 A kimchi-derived bacterium can bind to nanoplastics under gut-like conditions and may help carry them out of the body. In mice, the probiotic more than doubled the amount of nanoplastics detected in ...

Scientists Find a Natural Gut Compound That Helps Heal the Intestine

Sep. 17, 2026 A natural compound produced by gut bacteria after digesting foods such as pomegranates, walnuts, and berries may help repair and protect the intestinal lining. The discovery reveals a surprising ...

Scientists Find a Hidden Health Advantage in Black and Green Rice

Sep. 16, 2026 Scientists found that black and green Japanese rice contain unusual, potentially beneficial fats and may be digested more slowly than ordinary white rice. The combination could make these colorful ...

Scientists Find the Whole Grain “sweet Spot” for Better Heart Health

Sep. 16, 2026 Eating four to six servings of whole grains a day may deliver meaningful benefits for heart health, according to a large review of 87 clinical trials. Researchers found improvements in body weight, ...

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Hidden Muscle Fat That May Threaten Your Knees

Sep. 15, 2026 Eating more ultra-processed foods was linked to greater fat buildup inside thigh muscles, according to MRI scans of 615 adults at risk for knee ...

Scientists Find a Hidden Retinal Defense Against Vision Loss

Sep. 15, 2026 A naturally occurring molecule called erucamide may help the retina fight back against diseases that cause progressive vision loss. Restoring the molecule activated protective immune responses that ...

Scientists Reversed Biological Age in Older Adults in Just 4 Weeks

Sep. 15, 2026 Older adults who changed the balance of fat, carbohydrates, and animal protein in their diets showed signs of reduced biological age after just four weeks. The strongest result appeared in ...

Smelling Chocolate Helped Men Complete More Reps Without Feeling More Tired

Sep. 15, 2026 Simply smelling chocolate helped men complete more leg extension repetitions without making the workout feel harder, with dark chocolate producing the strongest effect. The researchers think familiar ...

Nearly 10,000 Patients Reveal What Works Best for Knee Arthritis Pain Relief

Sep. 14, 2026 A major analysis of 139 clinical trials involving nearly 10,000 people suggests that some of the simplest treatments may work best for knee ...

Cancer Is Rising in Younger Adults. Faster Biological Aging May Help Explain Why

Sep. 14, 2026 Cancer rates are rising in adults under 55, and new research suggests accelerated biological aging may be one piece of the puzzle. Scientists found ...

Your Next Prescription Could Be Treating a Side Effect from the Last One

Sep. 11, 2026 A major Ontario study found 24 common medication chains in which one drug’s side effects can be mistaken for a new medical problem, leading to another prescription. Researchers say closer ...

Study of 1.9 Million People Finds a Striking Link Between ADHD and Gut Problems

Sep. 11, 2026 Researchers analyzing data from more than 1.9 million people found that ADHD is associated with substantially higher rates of digestive problems. People with ADHD had nearly double the odds of ...

Too Much Light at Night May Quietly Reshape Your Heart

Sep. 11, 2026 Nighttime light exposure was linked to thicker, stiffer heart chambers and early signs of reduced heart function in a study of more than 11,000 people. The findings suggest that keeping bedrooms ...

Ozempic and Wegovy Linked to Nearly 40% Fewer Asthma Attacks

Sep. 9, 2026 Semaglutide, the drug found in Ozempic and Wegovy, was linked to nearly 40% fewer asthma attacks in a large real-world study. It was also associated with about 20% fewer COPD flare-ups. Researchers ...

Ozempic and Wegovy May Raise Hair Loss Risk in Some Men

Sep. 12, 2026 GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound may increase hair-loss risk by 7% in men who are already genetically susceptible to male-pattern baldness. The findings suggest thinning hair may not ...

Scientists Find Ozempic May Slow Aging Itself

Sep. 12, 2026 Semaglutide helped older healthy mice live longer while improving memory, muscle function, blood sugar control, and several biological signs of aging. Its effects went beyond those seen with calorie ...

Compound in Blueberries May Help Muscle Cells Burn Excess Fat

Sep. 5, 2026 Scientists in Japan have identified a natural compound found in blueberries, grapes, and other berries that may help muscle cells burn excess fat instead of storing it. The compound, pterostilbene, ...

Early Statin Use Linked to 15% Lower Dementia Risk

Sep. 8, 2026 Starting statins soon after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis may do more than protect the heart. In a nationwide Danish study of more than 132,000 people, those who began statin treatment within a year of ...

Heart Disease and Kidney Disease Can Fuel Each Other. New Guidelines Aim to Break the Cycle

Sep. 5, 2026 Heart disease and chronic kidney disease can accelerate one another, but new guidelines say simple screening and early treatment could substantially reduce the risks. Blood and urine tests, combined ...

A Cancer Therapy Put Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis Into Remission

Aug. 29, 2026 CAR T-cell therapy dramatically reduced disease activity in six people with severe rheumatoid arthritis that had resisted other treatments, with three achieving medication-free remission. The ...

Keto Diet Cut Liver Fat by 67% in a Clinical Trial

Aug. 29, 2026 A ketogenic diet outperformed Mediterranean and low-fat diets in several measures of metabolic health during a clinical trial involving people with obesity, prediabetes, and fatty liver disease. All ...

Most Men Don’t Know Dairy Is Linked to Prostate Cancer Risk

Sep. 13, 2026 Most men may be missing an important dietary clue about prostate cancer. A new survey found that only 20% knew research has linked dairy consumption with increased prostate cancer risk, while 66% ...

The Secret to Longer Life May Be Hidden in Bat DNA

Sep. 11, 2026 Long-lived bats appear to combine powerful immune defenses with unusual strategies for eliminating damaged cells, potentially helping them avoid cancer and disease for decades. Researchers hope these ...

Ozempic and Wegovy May Have an Unexpected Mental Health Benefit

Sep. 8, 2026 Semaglutide, the drug behind Ozempic and Wegovy, may have benefits that extend well beyond weight loss and diabetes. In a large Swedish study of nearly 15,000 people with bipolar disorder, its use ...

Experimental Compound Helps Burn Fat Without Muscle Loss

Aug. 23, 2026 A decades-old compound may point to a new way of treating obesity by making the body burn more energy rather than simply reducing appetite. In mice, TOFA increased energy use by as much as 18%, ...

Scientists Find How “zombie” Cells Fuel Inflammation as We Age

Sep. 13, 2026 Scientists discovered that aging cells can use malfunctioning mitochondria to unlock inflammatory genes and keep the immune system stuck in a prolonged state of alert. Blocking one part of this ...

A Hidden Compound in Healthy Foods May Worsen IBD

Sep. 12, 2026 A natural compound found in foods such as spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes may aggravate gut inflammation in people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis because their intestines appear ...

Eating Only 8 Hours a Day May Help Control Type 1 Diabetes

Sep. 10, 2026 Eating only between noon and 8 p.m. improved blood sugar control in a small study of adults with Type 1 diabetes and obesity, while avoiding an increase in serious complications. The promising ...

A Simple at-Home Test Could Cut Colorectal Cancer Death Risk by 43%

Aug. 21, 2026 People who participated in colorectal cancer screening had a 43% lower risk of dying from the disease, according to long-term data from more than 376,000 people in Sweden. The findings suggest that ...

Hidden Brain Wiring May Help Keep the Mind Sharp as Gray Matter Shrinks

Sep. 14, 2026 Scientists have discovered that the brain’s short-range wiring may help protect cognition even as gray matter shrinks with age. Healthier connections just beneath the brain’s surface were linked ...