30 minutes agoShareSaveMegan DaviesandCarwyn John

Women who experience continuing thyroid hormone irregularities throughout pregnancy may face a higher chance of having a child diagnosed with autism, according to a study released in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Thyroid hormones supplied by the mother play an important role in fetal neurodevelopment. When these hormones become disrupted during pregnancy, previous work has linked the imbalance to atypical brain development and a higher likelihood of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is a multifaceted condition that shapes how an individual communicates, interacts socially and interprets the world.
Untreated Multi-Trimester Imbalance Carries Higher Risk
“We found that while adequately treated chronic thyroid dysfunction was not associated with increased autism risk in offspring, ongoing imbalance across multiple trimesters was,” said Idan Menashe, Ph.D., of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel. “These findings underscore the need for routine monitoring and timely adjustment of therapy to maintain normal thyroid hormone levels throughout pregnancy.”
Large Birth Cohort Shows Clear Pattern
The research tracked more than 51,000 births and reported that mothers with persistent thyroid hormone imbalance across pregnancy had an increased likelihood of having children with autism.
The authors also documented a dose-response pattern, meaning the risk rose as the number of affected trimesters increased.

Research Team and Publication Information
Other contributors to the study include Leena Elbedour of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; May Weinberg of the Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba, Israel, and Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel; Gal Meiri of the Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel, and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; and Analya Michaelovski of the Soroka University Medical Center.
No funding was received for this research.
“Maternal Thyroid Hormone Imbalance and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder,” was published online, ahead of print.

New findings from scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History show that most dogs alive today retain small but measurable amounts of wolf ancestry that developed after domestication. These lingering wolf genes appear to have influenced characteristics such as body size, scent abilities, and aspects of behavior. The research, published on November 24 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that this subtle gene flow may help dogs succeed in many different human environments. The team reports that post-domestication wolf ancestry occurs across a broad range of breeds, from the large Shiloh shepherd to the tiny chihuahua.
“Modern dogs, especially pet dogs, can seem so removed from wolves, which are often demonized,” said the study’s lead author Audrey Lin, a Gerstner Postdoctoral Scholar in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the American Museum of Natural History. “But there are some characteristics that may have come from wolves that we greatly value in dogs today and that we choose to keep in their lineage. This is a study about dogs, but in a lot of ways, it’s telling us about wolves.”
Ancient Origins and Limited Hybridization
Dogs trace their origins to an extinct population of gray wolves that evolved alongside humans during the late Pleistocene about 20,000 years ago. Although wolves and dogs still share territory and are capable of producing fertile offspring, actual hybridization between them is unusual. Except for a few deliberate crosses, researchers have found little evidence of genetic mixing after domestication established separate lineages.
“Prior to this study, the leading science seemed to suggest that in order for a dog to be a dog, there can’t be very much wolf DNA present, if any,” Lin said. “But we found if you look very closely in modern dog genomes, wolf is there. This suggests that dog genomes can “tolerate” wolf DNA up to an unknown level and still remain the dogs we know and love.”
Large Genomic Survey Highlights Deep Ancestry Links
The research team examined more than 2,700 published genomes from the National Center for Biotechnology Information and the European Nucleotide Archive, including wolves, breed dogs, village dogs, and other canids from the late Pleistocene to the present. Their analysis revealed that almost two-thirds of breed dogs retain wolf ancestry within their nuclear genome from hybridization events that occurred around 1,000 generations ago. Every village dog genome studied also showed detectable wolf ancestry. Village dogs are free-roaming animals that live in or near human communities.

Czechoslovakian and Saarloos wolfdogs, intentionally bred through wolf-dog hybridization, had the highest wolf ancestry levels at 23-40 percent. Among typical dog breeds, the great Anglo-French tricolor hound had the strongest signal at 4.7 to 5.7 percent, followed by the Shiloh shepherd at 2.7 percent. While the Shiloh shepherd’s wolf ancestry fits with its history of breeding with wolfdogs or other recent hybrids to create healthier shepherd dogs in the US, the elevated wolf ancestry in the Great Anglo-French tricolor hound, the most common hound in France, is both unexpected and unexplained. The Tamaskan, a “wolfalike” breed created in the UK during the 1980s by selecting huskies, malamutes, and other dogs for a wolf-like appearance, has about 3.7 percent wolf ancestry.
Wolf Influence Across Dog Types and Sizes
The researchers identified several broad trends in their data. Larger dogs and those bred for specific types of work, such as Arctic sled dogs, “pariah” breeds, and hunting dogs, tended to have higher levels of wolf ancestry. Terriers, gundogs, and scent hounds typically had the lowest levels. Some large guardian dogs showed high wolf ancestry, while others, including the Neapolitan mastiff, bullmastiff, and St. Bernard, showed none. Wolf ancestry also appeared in breeds that did not fit these patterns, including the chihuahua, which had about 0.2 percent wolf ancestry.
“This completely makes sense to anyone who owns a chihuahua,” Lin said. “And what we’ve found is that this is the norm most dogs are a little bit wolfy.”
Personality Traits and Wolf Ancestry Trends
The team also compared how kennel clubs describe the behaviors of breeds with the highest and lowest wolf ancestry. Breeds with low levels were most often labeled “friendly,” followed by “eager to please,” “easy to train,” “courageous,” “lively,” and “affectionate.” Breeds with higher wolf ancestry were more often described as “suspicious of strangers,” “independent,” “dignified,” “alert,” “loyal,” “reserved,” and “territorial.” Descriptors such as “intelligent,” “obedient,” “good with children,” “dedicated,” “calm,” and “cheerful” appeared with similar frequency in both groups. The researchers emphasized that these personality labels reflect human observations and that it remains unclear whether wolf-derived DNA directly influences these traits. Even so, the findings open new directions for future behavioral research.

Wolf-Derived Adaptations in Modern Dogs
The study also highlighted several adaptations that dogs appear to have inherited from wolves. Village dogs showed enriched wolf ancestry in olfactory receptor genes, which may support their need to locate human food waste. Another adaptation traced to a Tibetan wolf-like gene enables Tibetan mastiffs to tolerate low-oxygen environments in the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas.
“Dogs are our buddies, but apparently wolves have been a big part of shaping them into the companions we know and love today,” said study co-author Logan Kistler, curator of archaeobotany and archaeogenomics at the National Museum of Natural History. “Through the years, dogs have had to solve all kinds of evolutionary problems that come with living with humans, whether it’s surviving at high altitude, searching for their next meal as they freely roam a village, or protecting the herd, and it seems like they use wolf genes as part of a toolkit to continue their evolutionary success story.”
Other study authors include Regina Fairbanks, from the University of California, Davis; Jose Barba-Montoya, from the American Museum of Natural History; and Hsiao-Lei Liu, from the National Museum of Natural History and University of Stockholm.

Right now, 68 million Americans have a deadline coming up: the deadline to decide their Medicare health coverage for next year if they’re over age 65 or have major disabilities.
They must make those decisions by December 7, for coverage beginning January 1, 2026, which makes this time, known as Medicare Open Enrollment, a very important time.
And yet, University of Michigan research has shown that many people covered by Medicare don’t take key steps during Open Enrollment that could save them money, headaches and worry.
Based on that research, here are five tips for everyone who has Medicare – and the family members and friends who can help them with their choices.
Use the tools
The official Medicare website has a lot of easy-to-understand and straightforward tools to help anyone understand their Medicare coverage options, and explore the options open to them or their loved ones.
But only 33% of people with Medicare used the Internet at all to explore their options, according to a recent U-M study.

That’s even though the choices can be dizzying: many people have dozens of options. Nearly all people have more than 10 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from, as well as multiple Part D prescription drug and Medigap supplemental plans to choose from if they opt for traditional Medicare.
The Medicare Plan Compare site is the place to start, and you can start on the Your Medicare Options page.
It’s available even during the government shutdown, because the plan-navigation tools on it were built before the shutdown began.
Using the Plan Compare site, you can see which Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans serve your area, what services or drugs they cover, what they charge for monthly premiums and for copays and other costs when you get health care or fill a prescription, and what the plan’s overall star rating is.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan now, using the Plan Compare tool will also show you if your current plan will still be available next year.
Some plans are ending or combining with others.

You can also enter your prescription drug names and doses to see what they will cost you on different Part D plans, and whether pharmacies near you are in-network.
This includes the Part D drug coverage in many Medicare Advantage plans, as well as standalone Part D plans for people who choose traditional Medicare.
U-M researchers showed that using the prescription drug tool to compare estimated costs could save people a lot of money.
They did the study before the annual cap on Medicare prescription costs took effect in 2025, but still feel it’s important for everyone with Medicare drug coverage to use the tool.
If you need help navigating the Plan Finder site, or signing up for an account that will help you get the most use out of it, don’t be afraid to ask a friend, family member or neighbor. Or use the independent help described in Tip 2, below.
“Given changing clinical circumstances and the fact that insurance plan costs and benefits are often modified from year to year, it is very important that people with Medicare coverage use the available tools during Open Enrollment to identify a plan that best meets their medical needs and fits their financial situation,” said A. Mark Fendrick, M.D., director of U-M’s center for Value Based Insurance Design.
Get independent help
Half of people with Medicare get their coverage through Medicare Advantage plans run by insurance companies.
And of the other half, who choose traditional Medicare, nearly half get Part D prescription drug plans and “Medigap” add-on plans from private insurance companies.
Those insurance companies send out a lot of mail and email at this time of year, trying to persuade people to choose their plans.
They make phone calls, pay for advertising and even hold events where participants get a free meal in exchange for listening to the sales pitch for that plan.
They do all this because they make money on enrollees who are healthier and don’t use their insurance a lot.
Then there are insurance brokers and agents – people who do one-on-one consultations, but are paid for every person they sign up for a particular company’s plan.
While all of this can inform your decision, these aren’t independent sources of information. However, there is an independent source: your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP.
Each state has one, with paid staff and trained volunteers who don’t have a financial stake in which plan you choose.
You can find your state’s SHIP program here.
“With the overwhelming number of plans and the vast amount of information available, it’s essential to remember that free help is available,” said Lianlian Lei, Ph.D., who has studied Medicare enrollment by older adults and is an assistant professor in the U-M Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry.
“Seeking independent, unbiased assistance is crucial to making the best choice,” she added.
Because SHIP programs don’t have the marketing dollars that insurance companies and brokers do, many people don’t know about them.
In fact, a recent U-M poll showed that 75% of older adults have never heard of SHIP, and another 21% have heard of it but haven’t used it.
Only 4% of older adults had used SHIP services, even though they’re available for free to anyone eligible for Medicare.
In Michigan, anyone can reach the state SHIP program by calling 1-800-803-7174 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.
You’ll speak with an agent who can schedule an appointment or provide a referral to a trained, certified counselor in their community.
Not only that, the staff at this help line, called MiOptions, can also help older adults and their caregivers find out what other assistance they might qualify for.
You may also find trained SHIP volunteers offering free in-person counseling sessions at your local public library or senior center; check the events listings to see if any are coming up and how to make an appointment.
Interested in learning how to offer this kind of independent help to others as a SHIP volunteer? Visit this page.
Look at the total package, not just the monthly premiums
When choosing any insurance, a lot of people focus on the monthly premium, and not on the total package of coverage.
This is true for Medicare too.
When you use the Medicare Plan Compare tool, you can see monthly premiums for different Medicare Advantage plans side-by-side.
But you can also see things like co-pays and other costs, which can vary a lot depending on how much health care a person actually uses.
The Plan Compare tool does not allow you to compare Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare plus any add-on plans you choose.
So, you’ll want to note these costs for traditional Medicare, and then explore the Part D prescription drug plans and Medigap plans available in your area.
And remember, even if a Medicare Advantage plan says it has a $0 premium, that’s just for the coverage it provides beyond Part B.
Unless the plan includes a Part B premium reduction, which most don’t, you will still need to pay a monthly premium of at least $185, or more if you have a higher income.
Sometimes a plan with a higher monthly premium has lower out-of-pocket costs due at the time of care, or a lower cap on total out-of-pocket costs that you could owe each year.
The National Council on Aging has a great guide to all of these kinds of costs.
When choosing a Part D prescription drug plan or a Medigap plan to go with traditional Medicare coverage, it’s also important to compare options, based on the medications you take or whether you travel a lot or live in a second location during part of the year.
But surprisingly, U-M research shows it isn’t cost but access to care providers, and dissatisfaction with quality of care, that drive most people to switch Medicare Advantage plans.
Access to care is also the biggest driver for people leaving Medicare Advantage to switch to traditional Medicare, the study found.
That’s why it’s important to look at the star ratings that Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription plans have earned from past members’ opinions of them.
It’s also important to look at the networks of hospitals, doctors and other providers that each Medicare Advantage plan will allow you to go to, or the restrictions on specific drug classes that Part D plans might impose.
This kind of information is only available on each plan’s website.
The same research team has also looked at Medicare’s “revolving door” and the patterns of switching to and from the different forms of Medicare.
One item they note: Most states do not require insurers to ensure that people have the right to purchase Medigap plans regardless of their health status, except for an initial period after they enroll in Medicare for the first time.
This can result in Medicare Advantage “lock-in” for individuals with costly care needs, meaning they are unable to obtain Medigap coverage to help offset high out-of-pocket costs in traditional Medicare.
So, if you have significant health issues and have been in a Medicare Advantage plan, but you are thinking of switching to traditional Medicare, it’s important to understand if you’ll be able to get an affordable Medigap plan to cover costs that traditional Medicare doesn’t cover.
If you have a low income, see if you’re eligible for extra assistance
For older adults and people with disabilities who have limited incomes, there are new programs and supports available for 2026, on top of the ones already in place in 2025.
Some of them are automatic, but some require you to apply for them.
You can get help understanding all of the options open to you by contacting the SHIP program for your state (see above).
But here are some major ones to be aware of: Medicaid and Medicare together: Certain people are what’s called “dually eligible” because they are old or disabled enough to qualify for Medicare, and have incomes low enough or disabilities serious enough to qualify for Medicaid. Each state has its own rules for qualifying for Medicaid; visit this page to learn more and use this page to find your state’s Medicaid agency contact information. If you do qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, the Medicaid program may help pay some of your Medicare costs. Your state’s Medicaid agency can tell you more. Also, if you have Medicaid coverage, with or without Medicare, it’s important to know that you have to re-qualify every year; U-M research shows that many people don’t know this. Medicare Savings Programs: There are four different programs available to people with limited resources and incomes. Visit this page to learn more; contact your state’s agency to learn how to enroll. Help with drug costs through the Extra Help program: This program for Part D drug programs gives people with limited incomes and assets coverage for their medications with no monthly premium, no deductibles and low costs for drugs they get at pharmacies. Some people get enrolled automatically, but others may apply. Help with drug costs through the Medicare Prescription Payment Program: This program, open to anyone who has Part D prescription drug coverage through Medicare, allows you to smooth out your prescription costs over the year, so you don’t get a “spike” that might not be affordable. Learn more here. It’s important to note that this program is one that you have to enroll in yourself, through your Part D drug plan provider, and you need to renew it every year; you do not get enrolled automatically. PACE program: The Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, aims to support home-based living for adults age 55 and older who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid and who need nursing-home level care. It covers the cost of services beyond what Medicare and Medicaid cover. Find out if it’s available in your area here. Special needs plans: These are special Medicare plans for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid; people with certain major health conditions including cancer, heart failure, dementia, diabetes, disabling mental health conditions, stroke, and others; and people who need nursing-home-level care for any reason.You can find out if there’s one serving your area, and whether you might qualify, using the Plan Compare tool or by contacting your state’s SHIP program.
Don’t assume you and your spouse or partner should have the same plan
If you are married or live with a partner, your instinct might be to enroll in the same plan as them for convenience.
But that’s not always the best choice.
Your health needs, and your spouse’s or partner’s needs, may be very different. One of you might be retired, the other working.
Or maybe you have different coverage related to your past employment or military service.
If one of you has dementia, for instance, there may be special plans and programs that could cover more services.
But U-M research showed that people with and without dementia make very similar Medicare Advantage choices, which may mean they aren’t examining all their options.
No matter what your health status, and your spouse or partner’s health status, it’s still important to make individual choices when it comes to Medicare Open Enrollment.
U-M research has shown, though, that many people with Medicare Advantage coverage are making changes to their coverage in sync with their spouse or partner.
The Medicare online tools don’t have a “couples” setting, so each person should go through the process by inputting their information.
You could seek SHIP counseling together, but you may have to make two appointments depending on the program in your area.
Bonus tip about Medicare enrollment
Even if you make a choice during Medicare Open Enrollment, you may not be stuck with that choice for all of 2026.
For instance, if you choose a Medicare Advantage plan, but then realize in early 2026 that it’s not right for you, you will have until March 31 to choose a different Medicare Advantage Plan or move to traditional Medicare.
And if you have a major change in your income, employment, address, or living situation during 2026, you may become eligible for a Special Enrollment Period that will allow you to change plans.
This article contains information based on research by, and expertise from, experts who are part of the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, including Lianlian Lei, Ph.D., U-M Medical School Department of Psychiatry; Geoffrey Hoffman, Ph.D., U-M School of Nursing; Kristian Stensland, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., U-M Medical School Department of Urology; and A. Mark Fendrick, M.D., and Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., M.Sc., U-M Medical School Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Medicine. Data on awareness of SHIP comes from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, based at IHPI.

People invest significant time and effort into keeping their skin looking young through masks, creams and serums. Researchers have now identified naturally produced molecules with anti-aging potential that originate within the body itself. These three compounds come from a blood-dwelling bacterium and were shown to reduce both cellular damage and inflammation in laboratory-grown human skin cells. The results, reported in the Journal of Natural Products by the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy, suggest a promising direction for future skin-aging treatments.
Scientists still have limited understanding of how bacterial by-products (called metabolites) circulating in the bloodstream influence human health. One group of metabolites, known as indole compounds, has attracted special interest because of their anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. In 2015, researchers discovered a blood bacterium capable of producing these compounds and named it Paracoccus sanguinis. Chung Sub Kim, Sullim Lee and their team wanted to learn more about P. sanguinis and focused their study on its indole-functionalized metabolites.
“We became interested in P. sanguinis because blood-derived microbes are a relatively uncharted area of research,” says Kim. “Given the unique environment of the bloodstream, we believed that studying individual species like P. sanguinis could reveal previously unknown metabolic function relevant to health and disease.”
Identifying New Compounds
To explore this idea, the team cultured a large quantity of P. sanguinis for three days and then extracted the full mixture of metabolites produced by the microbe. They used several analytical tools, including spectrometry, isotope labeling and computational approaches, to determine the chemical structures of 12 distinct indole metabolites within the mixture. Six of these had never been documented before.
Kim, Lee and their colleagues then examined whether the indole compounds could limit processes linked to skin aging. They added liquid solutions containing each metabolite to cultured human skin cells. Before treatment, the cells had been exposed to conditions that increased reactive oxygen species, which are molecules known to trigger inflammation and damage collagen.
Among the 12 indoles tested, three of them, including two newly identified ones, reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species in these stressed skin cells compared with untreated samples. These same metabolites also lowered the amounts of two inflammatory proteins and a protein involved in collagen degradation.
Potential Pathway for New Skin Treatments
Based on these early results, the researchers note that the newly characterized indole metabolites could one day form the basis for therapies that help counter the effects of aging on the skin.
The authors acknowledge funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea, the BK21 FOUR Project, and the National Supercomputing Center.

A population-based natural experiment investigated how living near cannabis retail stores relates to cannabis-related harms. The researchers found a connection between store exposure and higher rates of harm, with the largest increases appearing in neighborhoods that had many stores located close together. These results indicate that limiting the number of cannabis retailers, reducing concentrated clusters of stores, or restricting store placement in certain areas could support public health goals. The study appears in Annals of Internal Medicine.
A research team from North York General Hospital and partner institutions analyzed data from 6,140,595 people living in Ontario, Canada. Participants were between 15 and 105 years old and lived in 10,574 neighborhoods from April 2017 through December 2022. The team examined whether living near a cannabis retail store after legalization in October 2018 influenced neighborhood-level rates of cannabis-related emergency department (ED) visits.
To define exposure, the researchers used provincial records on cannabis store locations. Neighborhoods were considered exposed if they were located within 1000m of a cannabis retail store and unexposed if they were situated more than 1000m away. The main measure of health impact was the rate of cannabis-attributable ED visits per 100,000 people aged 15 years or older.
The analysis showed that exposed neighborhoods were more commonly located in major urban centers and were disproportionately represented in the lowest income quintile compared to unexposed neighborhoods. After a cannabis store opened nearby, exposed neighborhoods did not show a rise in monthly cannabis-attributable ED visits. By contrast, unexposed neighborhoods experienced a decline in monthly ED visits over the same period.
When the two groups were compared directly, exposed neighborhoods had a 12% increase (CI, 6% to 19%) in the absolute rate of cannabis-attributable ED visits relative to unexposed areas. The researchers also observed that neighborhoods with several cannabis stores located within 1000m experienced greater increases in ED visits than areas with fewer stores. According to the authors, these findings suggest that the combination of legalization and retail expansion may introduce public health risks that differ from legalization on its own.

A new study examining cognitively impaired professional boxers and mixed martial arts fighters reports that the brain’s waste-clearing system appears to weaken after repeated blows to the head. These findings are scheduled to be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Sports-related traumatic brain injuries represent up to 30 percent of all brain injury cases, with boxing and mixed martial arts among the leading contributors. Sustained head impacts over time are known risk factors for both neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric conditions.
How the Glymphatic System Removes Waste From the Brain
The glymphatic system consists of fluid-filled channels that help flush waste materials from the brain. Its function is somewhat similar to the lymphatic system that operates throughout the body.
“The recently discovered glymphatic system is like the brain’s plumbing and garbage disposal system,” said Dhanush Amin, M.D., the study’s lead author and a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Cleveland Clinic Nevada. “It’s vital for helping the brain flush out metabolites and toxins.”
To study this system, the researchers used diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS), a specialized MRI method that measures how water moves in and around the channels linked to glymphatic flow. These pathways also help maintain fluid balance, deliver nutrients and immune cells, and provide protection against injury.
MRI Biomarkers Reveal Early Signs of Brain Decline
The DTI-derived ALPS index is a non-invasive marker of glymphatic function. Lower ALPS values can indicate cognitive decline and have been associated with the development of conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

“When this system doesn’t work properly, damaging proteins can accumulate, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia,” said Dr. Amin, now an assistant professor of neuroradiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “Studying this system gives us a new window into understanding and possibly slowing memory loss.”
Their analysis drew from baseline data in Cleveland Clinic’s Professional Athletes Brain Health Study (PABHS), which tracks roughly 900 active fighters, about 300 of whom have been monitored for at least three years. For this study, the team evaluated information from 280 athletes. Among them, 95 showed cognitive impairment at the start of the study, and 20 healthy individuals served as demographically matched controls.
Higher Initial Glymphatic Activity Followed by Decline
Using the DTI-ALPS technique, the researchers evaluated glymphatic activity among all participants and examined how the DTI-derived ALPS index related to the number of knockouts each athlete had experienced. They also compared impaired fighters with those who showed no cognitive impairment.
“We thought repeated head impacts would cause lower ALPS in cognitively impaired fighters compared to non-impaired fighters,” Dr. Amin said. “We also expected the ALPS measurement to be significantly correlated with the total number of knockouts in the impaired fighters.”
Their results were unexpected. Impaired athletes showed significantly higher glymphatic index values at first, but those values fell sharply over time as the number of knockouts increased. Glymphatic function continued to drop in fighters who sustained ongoing head trauma.

“We believe that the glymphatic index was initially high in the impaired athlete group because the brain initially responds to repeated head injuries by ramping up its cleaning mechanism, but eventually, it becomes overwhelmed,” Dr. Amin said. “After a certain point, the brain just gives up.”
The study also noted that athletes without cognitive impairment had lower right-sided and overall glymphatic index values than impaired fighters. The pattern of how glymphatic activity related to knockout history differed significantly between the two groups.
Early Detection Could Protect the Long-Term Brain Health of Fighters
Dr. Amin emphasized that understanding how repeated head impacts affect the glymphatic system is essential for identifying neurodegenerative risk early in athletes who participate in contact sports.
“If we can spot glymphatic changes in the fighters before they develop symptoms, then we might be able to recommend rest or medical care or help them make career decisions to protect their future brain health,” he said.
Co-authors on the study are Gaurav Nitin Rathi, M.S., Charles Bernick, M.D., and Virendra Mishra, Ph.D.

14 minutes agoShareSaveShareSaveGetty ImagesThe UK’s National Screening Committee has recommended that only a very small group of men at high risk of prostate cancer should be screened for the disease.There is currently no screening programme for prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men.But there has been some energetic campaigning for change by high-profile figures, including Sir Chris Hoy, who has terminal prostate cancer, and Lord David Cameron, who recently revealed he’d been treated for it.The expert advice will now be consulted on for the next three months, before the screening committee gives it final recommendations to government in the four nations of the UK in March.What even is screening?Screening is when people are invited for a test to look for disease despite them having no symptoms.Examples include women being invited for a mammogram to look for breast cancer or the at-home bowel cancer test that is posted to your home every two years over the age of 50.The idea is to catch cancer before you start to get ill and hopefully when it can still be treated.What was recommended today?Experts say there is no justification for screening the large majority of men for prostate cancer.They looked at all the available evidence and concluded that screening was only suitable for:men with a genetic risk of prostate cancer (with a confirmed BRCA gene variant)The advice says this group should be screened every two years between the ages of 45 and 61.This means no screening is recommended for other high-risk groups of men such as:black menmen with a family history of prostate cancerWhy did they come to that conclusion?The UK National Screening Committee said a mass screening programme for prostate cancer was likely to cause more harm than good.The tests for the disease are unreliable, and can lead to men being treated for a slow-growing cancer that isn’t going to cause them any harm. The treatment itself can cause incontinence and impotence, which can significantly affect quality of life.Balanced against that, finding cancers early and treating them can save lives. But it’s difficult for doctors to work out which cancers are going to be aggressive and spread, which means men can be treated unnecessarily.The committe said the number of lives saved by screening does not outweigh its harmful effects on healthy men.Why not screen all high-risk men?Many predicted that all men at high risk of the disease were likely to be included in new screening plans.But the committee stopped short of that recommendation.Despite black men having twice the risk of prostate cancer, it said there should be no screening for black men due to “uncertainties” around the impact, and a lack of evidence from clinical trials in these men. It also recommended no screening for men with a family history of the disease, for the same reason – too many cancers would be overdiagnosed and overtreated.But men with specific genetic mutations – called BRCA variants – develop faster-growing and aggressive cancers at an earlier age, making screening for them justified.Treating these cancers earlier is more likely to improve outcomes for those men and outweigh the potential harm from unnecessary treatment, compared to men in the general population, the experts said.How do you test for BRCA variant?A genetic test is needed, which looks for a mutation of the BRCA 1 and 2 genes.These gene variants affect men and women increasing the risk of a range of cancers, including prostate, breast and ovarian cancer.Around three in 1,000 men have BRCA variants, but many will be unaware unless they have family members that are known carriers, and then had it confirmed with a test.The experts say more genetic tests will need to be offered to high-risk men in future, in order to work out how many are affected.How many men get prostate cancer?Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.Some 55,000 men are diagnosed with the disease each year, and 12,000 men die from it in annually in the UK.Is this the final word on screening?No, a three-month consultation on the recommendations starts today.The committee will meet again after that and give its final advice to ministers in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.They will then have to make their own individual decision on prostate screening. Wes Streeting, Health Secretary in England, says he wants screening in place but only if it’s “backed by evidence”. He said he would examine the evidence “thoroughly” ahead of his final decision in March.

Researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP), working together with the Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL), have found significant amounts of hazardous chemicals in plastic toys sold throughout Brazil. The team examined 70 products, including both imported and locally produced items, creating what they describe as the most extensive investigation in the country to date on chemical contamination in toys. The findings appear in the journal Exposure and Health.
Supported by FAPESP, the study showed that many of the toys failed to meet the safety requirements established by Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology (INMETRO) as well as those set by the European Union. The most concerning violations were linked to barium. In 44.3% of the samples, barium levels surpassed the permitted limit, reaching concentrations up to 15 times higher than allowed. Exposure to this element can lead to serious heart and nervous system issues, including arrhythmias and paralysis.
High Levels of Lead, Chromium, and Antimony
Elevated amounts of lead, chromium, and antimony were also detected. Lead, which is associated with irreversible neurological harm, memory problems, and reduced IQ in children, exceeded the limit in 32.9% of the samples, with some measurements reaching nearly four times the accepted threshold. Antimony, which can trigger gastrointestinal problems, and chromium, a known carcinogen, were present above acceptable levels in 24.3% and 20% of the toys, respectively.
“These data reveal a worrying scenario of multiple contamination and lack of control. So much so that in the study we suggest stricter enforcement measures, such as regular laboratory analyses, product traceability, and more demanding certifications, especially for imported items,” says Bruno Alves Rocha. The research stems from Rocha’s postdoctoral work, supported by FAPESP, carried out during his period as a visiting professor at UNIFAL.
Toy Selection and Testing Methods
To ensure the study reflected the broader market, researchers intentionally selected toys aimed at families from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Purchases took place in both large shopping centers and small discount shops in Ribeirão Preto. “We chose toys intended for children aged 0 to 12, many of which were sized and shaped to facilitate oral exploration — that is, they could be put in the mouth — which increases the risk of exposure to toxic substances,” Rocha told Agência FAPESP.

The team used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to detect and measure the presence of metals and non-metals, including extremely small quantities. They also used microwave-assisted acid digestion to simulate how chemicals might be released when toys come into contact with a child’s saliva.
Twenty-One Toxic Elements Identified
This approach revealed the presence of 21 toxic elements: silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), cerium (Ce), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lanthanum (La), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), rubidium (Rb), antimony (Sb), selenium (Se), thallium (Tl), uranium (U), and zinc (Zn).
Using bioavailability (acid digestion) tests, the researchers developed two different exposure scenarios. One represented typical exposure levels based on median concentrations, while the other considered the highest levels detected. According to Rocha, “Exposure varies according to the concentrations of toxic elements, but it can also vary greatly from one child to another depending on how long they play with or keep the object in their mouth.”
Chemical Release and Safety Concerns
Extraction rates, referring to how much of a substance is released when exposed to gastric juice, ranged from 0.11% to 7.33%. These values indicate that only a small portion of the total contaminants actually leaches out under conditions mimicking oral contact. However, Rocha notes that this does not eliminate health concerns. “While this is positive, the finding doesn’t eliminate safety concerns, particularly given the high total concentrations detected in many samples,” he says.

Tracing Contamination Sources and Additional Risks
The investigation also offered insight into how contamination may enter the toy production chain. “We found correlations between nickel, cobalt, and manganese, suggesting a common manufacturing origin. Beige-colored toys had higher metal concentrations, possibly due to the paint supplier, which is a relevant clue for future enforcement actions,” he explains.
Beyond toxic metals, the same research group has previously examined chemicals that interfere with the hormonal system. These include bisphenols, parabens, and phthalates, which are widely recognized as endocrine disruptors.
“This isn’t the first study with such alarming results, which only reinforces the need for urgent action to protect children’s health,” Rocha concludes.

13 minutes agoShareSaveJames GallagherHealth and science correspondentShareSaveGetty ImagesA screening programme for prostate cancer for all men in the UK is not justified, according to a hugely influential group of experts.Instead they say only men with specific genetic mutations that lead to more aggressive tumours should be eligible.That would rule out black men who have double the risk and men who have the disease running through their families.Sir Chris Hoy, who has terminal prostate cancer, said he was “disappointed and saddened”, while Cancer Research UK said it supported the committee’s expert advice.This is a crucial moment after more than a year of intense campaigning and lobbying involving former prime ministers, celebrities and campaigning charities.The UK’s National Screening Committee – which advises governments across the UK – has said no to screening in all but one rare circumstance.Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and kills 12,000 people across the UK each year.It instinctively feels like screening for the disease should be a simple decision – test for cancer, treat it and save lives.However, it is a far more complex issue.Screening would rely on a blood test followed by scans of the prostate and a biopsy. But this can miss deadly cancers and detect those that never need treatment. Many prostate cancers grow so slowly you would have to live to 120-150 years old before they were a threat – so they do not need treating, the National Screening Committee said.Their recommendations are based on the balance between lives saved by finding cancers early, and treatment that leaves patients unable to control their bladder or maintain an erection, whose cancer was not going to kill them.The UK National Screening Committee recommends:no screening programme for all men as it is “likely to cause more harm than good”no screening for black men due to “uncertainties” around the impact due to a lack of clinical trials in black menno screening based on family historybut screening should be offered every two years for men between the ages of 45 and 61 if they have specific genetic mutations – called BRCA variants.These were not touch-and-go opinions as there was a “strong consensus” on each of these recommendations, the committee said.BRCA variants increase the risk of certain cancers and, famously, led the actress Angelina Jolie to have her breasts removed. Around three in 1,000 men have BRCA variants, but many will be unaware unless they have family members that are known carriers.The National Screening Committee was asked to explain why they had not recommended that more men be tested for the disease.Prof Freddie Hamdy, who is also a urological surgeon in Oxford, told me: “The diagnosis of prostate cancer in a healthy man is a hugely disruptive event – with potential to affect quality of life, very significantly, for many years.”It cannot be done lightly, men need to be really well counselled and informed before the ‘snowball’ starts.”Before you know it, you are on the operating table having your prostate removed – and we see examples of that all the time,” Prof Hamdy said.The screening committee’s decision is not the final word. Today is the start of a three-month consultation before the committee meets again and gives its final advice to ministers in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland who will each have to make their own decision on prostate screening.Wes Streeting, Health Secretary in England, responded saying he wants screening “provided this is backed by evidence” and that he would examine the evidence “thoroughly” ahead of the final advice in March.Responses to the screening recommendations have been divided. Cancer Research UK said it was “good news” that screening was being considered for men with faulty BRCA genes and that they “support the committee’s conclusion” that screening could cause more harm than good for other groups of men.Sir Chris Hoy said he was “extremely disappointed and saddened”, and described tests for men with BRCA variants as “a very small step forward” that was not enough.”I know, first hand, that by sharing my story following my own diagnosis two years ago, many, many lives have been saved. Early screening and diagnosis saves lives,” he said.Laura Kerby, the CEO of Prostate Cancer UK, said she was “deeply disappointed” and that the decision will “come as a blow” to tens of thousands of men.Prostate Cancer Research said the decision was “a serious error that ignores modern evidence” and was a missed opportunity for Black men and those with a family history.Sir Stephen Fry, who is an ambassador for the charity, said “men in the UK deserve so much better” and added “I hope the country sees sense.”A huge clinical trial – called Transform – has now started to try to fill gaps in the evidence on how screening could be safely rolled out to other groups, including those with a family history and black men.