8 hours agoShareSaveAlex TaylorLondonShareSaveGetty ImagesFor years, local DJ Dave Gilmore soundtracked other people’s nights out in pubs and clubs.But now he’s curating a uniquely personal playlist – the songs of his own life to carry him through terminal illness.The list includes both November Rain and Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns and Roses, Apache by The Shadows – which inspired Dave to play guitar – and Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb.Hazel O’Connor’s 1980 hit Will You? is dedicated to his wife and mother to their two children.An ode to tentative yet powerful romantic tension, it is known for its saxophone solo – an instrument Dave also learned to play.”It’s our tune from when we got together,” Dave tells BBC’s Morning Live, tapping his feet. As the song evokes memories, his wife Kate quietly adds “the fight was worth it.”Kate Gilmore/BBC Morning LiveMoments like this emphasise the power of music to forge everlasting connection.Its therapeutic benefits are increasingly recognised in palliative and end of life care. The impact is neurological as well as emotional, explains Sarah Metcalfe, managing director of the Utley Foundation’s Music for Dementia campaign.Brain activity scans show music “lights up” multiple parts of our brain, simultaneously touching physical and emotional sense centres.”Even if one part of the brain is damaged, those other parts can still be accessed,” Sarah says.Kate GilmoreUK charity Marie Curie surveyed 1,000 adults whose loved ones had received care in the final stages of life. It found listening to music together helped to create a shared experience that brought them closer, creating a sense of normality and helping them relax.Kate experienced this first hand. When Dave once returned home after a lengthy hospital stay, he was twitchy and exhausted but unable to sleep.Out of desperation she turned to Native American music, one of his favourite genres to relax to. Other stories you may enjoy”And then all of a sudden, this agitated, anxious man began to sleep,” she recalls.Diana Schad, a staff nurse at the Marie Curie hospice in Glasgow with 19 years of experience as well as a musician herself, has installed a piano for patients and volunteers to use.She says it is important to consider the feelings music evokes.”You’ve always got to ask yourself, is this what they would like to be feeling at the moment?” says Diana. How to make a good palliative playlist1. Focus on music memories between ages 10-30, which is when the strongest associations are formed2. Include songs connected to special, significant places and important life events – youth, holidays, romance, first dances and wedding songs3. Consider feelings sparked by songs – these can be just as powerful as memory association4. Remember that music can trigger memories even for people with conditions like dementia by connecting multiple brain regions. Use resources like BBC Music Memories to spark memory recall5. Be open to unexpected musical connections, like TV show themes or commercial jingles that might hold special meaningSource: Music for Dementia’s managing director, Sarah MetcalfeMarie CurieExperts agree that music can reduce anxiety and psychological pain, even when someone is unconscious.Dr Sam Murphy, senior lecturer at the Open University, specialises in thanatology, the study of death and the practices associated with it.”There’s certainly evidence to suggest that hearing is the last sense to go so even when someone is unconscious or unresponsive, music can still reach them,” she says. “It keeps them connected to their surroundings, to the people they love, and to the sense of being alive and those memories that they’ve had.”An everlasting comfort in deathMusic can be equally helpful to loved ones after a person has passed away. “I think it’s just another distraction for those people that are mourning a loved one,” Dr Murphy says. “But there’s that comfort in knowing that they’re listening to something that their loved one would have listened to over the years.”This is true for Anna-Kay Brocklesby, whose husband Ian passed away from prostate cancer in 2023.As Ian’s health deteriorated, sharing his favourite songs became a crucial part of their family’s coping mechanism. It became a way to keep spirits up and stay positive, says his wife.”Every morning he would go down and make the tea, he would play. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning from the musical Oklahoma,” she says.”And he would belt it out. He used it as a sort of mindset of, this is how today’s going to be”.They would play Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Elton John songs, which provided comfort and connection.Two years after Ian died, Anna-Kay still finds comfort in the music they shared together.”He lives on in us in many, many ways,” says Anna-Kay, “but music can take us to a place with Ian”.

One of the main factors driving prices in pharmaceuticals, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs and antibiotics, is the cost of production and materials. Researchers at the University of Maine Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) have discovered a sustainable method to produce the key ingredient in a broad range of pharmaceuticals, which could help address high prescription drug costs in the U.S.
Among some of the most expensive medications are those that require a chiral center ― a property in which a molecule cannot be superimposed with its mirror image, like right and left hands. Chirality can direct a drug’s biological effects including efficacy, side effects and metabolization. The price of chiral drugs is greatly contributed to the building blocks used during synthesis, which are costly to produce due to complex reaction and purification pathways.
In a new study recently published in Chem, FBRI researchers explore a new, cost-reducing pathway to produce one of these crucial building blocks, (S)-3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone (HBL), from glucose at high concentrations and yields.
According to researchers, HBL is a chiral species used for the synthesis of an array of crucial drugs such as statins, antibiotics and HIV inhibitors. Because glucose can be derived from any lignocellulosic feedstock ― such as wood chips, sawdust, tree branches or other woody biomass ― this process opens a new door for the sustainable production of HBL. This approach could also potentially be used to produce other types of important consumer products.
“If we use other kinds of wood sugars, like xylose that is an unneeded byproduct from making pulp and paper, we expect that we could produce new chemicals and building blocks, like green cleaning products or new renewable, recyclable plastics,” said Thomas Schwartz, associate director of FBRI and associate professor in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing who was a lead author for the paper.
In addition to its use as a chiral species, HBL has been identified as a highly valuable precursor to a variety of chemicals and plastics by the U.S. Department of Energy. Previous attempts to produce HBL sustainably achieved only limited success due to safety issues, ineffectiveness or a lack of cost-efficiency.
“The competing processes either lead to low yields, use hazardous starting materials or are just generally costly because of the chosen production scheme and low output,” said Schwartz. “The commercial process is expensive because you have to add the chiral center to the molecule, which doesn’t occur naturally with most petrochemicals.”
Not only does this new approach result in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but the production costs are also reduced by more than 60% compared to current methods that use petroleum-derived feedstocks. The process can also yield other commercially important chemicals, such as glycolic acid (GA), which presents additional economic opportunities.
The research included work from students in the UMaine Catalysis Group led by Schwartz and was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Products Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Funding for the project was provided by the USDA, U.S. Forest Service and the National Science Foundation.

An estimated 7.2 million Americans over age 65 currently live with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). That number is expected to nearly double to 13.8 million by 2060. These increases reflect more than demographic shifts; they point to a growing public health crisis that requires a new, proactive approach. While chronological age is the strongest known risk factor for cognitive decline, losing cognitive function is not an inevitable part of aging.
As AD and other forms of cognitive decline continue to rise at an alarming rate, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, highlight a powerful and untapped path to prevention.
In a commentary published in The American Journal of Medicine, the researchers urge clinicians, public health professionals and policymakers to implement coordinated efforts to support lifestyle-based interventions that can help reduce the growing burden of cognitive decline in the United States and worldwide.
“While deaths from cardiovascular disease have declined since 2000, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have surged by more than 140%,” said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., FACPM, FACC, co-author, the First Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine, and senior academic advisor, Schmidt College of Medicine. “At the same time, it is estimated that up to 45% of dementia risk could be attributed to modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors.”
Lifestyle risk factors like physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity, alcohol use, and conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and social or intellectual isolation are believed to contribute to cognitive decline. The authors point out that the same therapeutic lifestyle changes proven effective for reducing risks of cardiovascular and other major diseases may also help reduce cognitive decline – potentially with additive effects when multiple risk factors are present.
The commentary highlights the recently published results from POINTER, the first large-scale U.S-based randomized trial to test whether intensive lifestyle changes can improve cognitive outcomes in older adults at high risk of decline. In this trial, participants who were assigned at random to a structured, team-based lifestyle intervention showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in global cognition over two years. These gains were especially notable in executive functions such as memory, attention, planning and decision-making. The intervention emphasized regular physical activity, a combination of Mediterranean and DASH-style diets, cognitive stimulation and social engagement – reinforced through ongoing professional guidance and group support.
These findings are similar to an earlier Finnish trial, the FINGER trial, in which participants with elevated cardiovascular risk scores assigned at random to a multidomain lifestyle approach experienced cognitive benefits.

“The data from both these landmark, large scale randomized trials demonstrate that lifestyle changes – previously shown to reduce heart disease and cancer – also hold transformative potential for brain health,” Hennekens said.
The researchers also speculated about biological mechanisms that may underlie these benefits. Physical activity, for example, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which supports hippocampal growth, while also improving blood flow and reducing inflammation. Healthy dietary patterns like the Mediterranean and DASH diets can lower oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity as well as risks of cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking may help preserve brain structure and white matter integrity, and regular social and cognitive engagement promotes neuroplasticity and mental resilience.
“The implications for clinical practice, public health and government policy are potentially enormous,” said Parvathi Perumareddi, D.O., co-author and an associate professor of family medicine in the Schmidt College of Medicine. “Clinicians now have powerful, evidence-based tools to help their patients prevent or slow cognitive decline – tools that go beyond medications, are generally low-risk, and are cost-effective. Public health agencies could adopt the framework of trials like POINTER and FINGER to develop brain health programs.”
On the policy front, the researchers note that potential cost savings are large, particularly when considering the high price and limited effectiveness of many new pharmacologic agents, which may cause common and less serious side effects like nausea, headache and fatigue, as well as more rare but more serious risks like confusion or gastrointestinal bleeding. Modeling studies suggest that reducing key risk factors by even 10% to 20% each decade could lower the burden of cognitive decline by up to 15%.
Beyond the health care system, the societal costs of dementia are staggering. In 2024, nearly 12 million family members and unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 19.2 billion hours of care to individuals living with dementia – amounting to a societal cost of more than $413 billion. Caregiving also takes an emotional toll, often resulting in mental health challenges and caregiver burnout. The researchers emphasize that these realities underscore the need for practical, community-based solutions that support both patients and caregivers and reduce the long-term burden on families and the economy.
“While more research is needed, the current totality of evidence supports a clear path forward: invest in lifestyle-based strategies to protect brain health,” said Hennekens. “Doing so will not only benefit individuals at risk but also serve as a powerful tool for reducing national and global health care burdens related to cognitive decline.”
The first and corresponding author is John Dunn, a medical student at the Schmidt College of Medicine.

A new study from Duke University School of Medicine is challenging long-standing views on blood sugar regulation — and pointing to a surprising new ally in the fight against type 2 diabetes.
Published Sept. 19 in Science Advances, the research reveals that pancreatic alpha cells, once thought to only produce glucagon — a hormone that raises blood sugar to maintain energy when fasting or exercising — also generate GLP-1, a powerful hormone that boosts insulin and helps regulate glucose. GLP-1 is the same hormone mimicked by blockbuster drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Using mass spectrometry, Duke researchers found that human alpha cells may naturally produce far more bioactive GLP-1 than previously believed.
Led by Duke scientist Jonathan Campbell, PhD, the team of obesity and diabetes researchers analyzed pancreatic tissue from both mice and humans across a range of ages, body weights, and diabetes statuses. They found that human pancreatic tissue produces much higher levels of bioactive GLP-1 and that this production is directly linked to insulin secretion.
“This research shows that alpha cells are more flexible than we imagined,” said Campbell, an associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine and a member of the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. “They can adjust their hormone output to support beta cells and maintain blood sugar balance.”
This flexibility could change how we think about treating type 2 diabetes, where beta cells in the pancreas can’t make enough insulin to keep blood sugar at a healthy level. By boosting the body’s own GLP-1 production, it may offer a more natural way to support insulin and manage blood sugar.
Switching gears
In mouse studies, when scientists blocked glucagon production, they expected insulin levels to drop. Instead, alpha cells switched gears — ramping up GLP-1 production, improving glucose control, and triggering stronger insulin release.

“We thought that removing glucagon would impair insulin secretion by disrupting alpha-to-beta cell signaling,” Campbell said. “Instead, it improved it. GLP-1 took over, and it turns out, it’s an even better stimulator of insulin than glucagon.”
To test this further, researchers manipulated two enzymes: PC2, which drives glucagon production, and PC1, which produces GLP-1. Blocking PC2 boosted PC1 activity and improved glucose control. But when both enzymes were removed, insulin secretion dropped and blood sugar spiked — confirming the critical role of GLP-1.
Implications for diabetes treatment
While GLP-1 is typically made in the gut, the study confirms that alpha cells in the pancreas can also release GLP-1into the bloodstream after eating, helping to lower blood sugar by increasing insulin and reducing glucagon levels.
Common metabolic stressors, like a high-fat diet, can increase GLP-1 production in alpha cells — but only modestly. That opens the door to future research: If scientists can find ways to safely boost GLP-1 output from alpha cells they may be able to naturally enhance insulin secretion in people with diabetes.
But measuring GLP-1 accurately hasn’t been easy. The team developed a high-specificity mass spectrometry assay that detects only the bioactive form of GLP-1 — the version that actually stimulates insulin — not the inactive fragments that often muddy results.

“This discovery shows that the body has a built-in backup plan,” Campbell said. “GLP-1 is simply a much more powerful signal for beta cells than glucagon. The ability to switch from glucagon to GLP-1 in times of metabolic stress may be a critical way the body maintains blood sugar control.”
Additional authors: Canqi Cui, Danielle C. Leander, Sarah M. Gray, Kimberly El, Alex Chen, Paul Grimsrud, Guo-Fang Zhang, David A. D’Alessio, all of Duke; and Jessica O. Becker, Austin Taylor, Kyle W. Sloop, C. Bruce Verchere, and Andrew N. Hoofnagle,
Funding: National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Borden Scholars, and Helmsley Charitable Trust Foundation.

When German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in the late 1800s while experimenting with cathode ray tubes, it was a breakthrough that transformed science and medicine. So much so that the basic concept remains in use today. But a team of researchers at Sandia National Laboratories believes they’ve found a better way, harnessing different metals and the colors of light they emit.
“It’s called colorized hyperspectral X-ray imaging with multi-metal targets, or CHXI MMT for short,” said project lead Edward Jimenez, an optical engineer. Jimenez has been working with materials scientist Noelle Collins and electronics engineer Courtney Sovinec to create X-rays of the future.
“With this new technology, we are essentially going from the old way, which is black and white, to a whole new colored world where we can better identify materials and defects of interest,” Collins said.
The team found they could achieve this using tiny, patterned samples of varied metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, gold, samarium and silver.
The Basics of X-ray Creation
To understand the concept, one must understand the basics of X-ray creation. Traditional X-rays are generated by bombarding a single metal target, or anode, with high-energy electrons. Those X-rays are channeled into a beam and directed at a subject or material. Denser tissues, like bone, absorb more X-rays, while less dense tissues, like muscles and organs allow more to pass through. A detector records the pattern, creating an image.
While X-ray technology has advanced over time, the basic concept remains the same, which limits resolution and clarity.

A New Type of X-Ray Image
The Sandia team set out to solve that limitation by making the X-ray focal spot smaller. The smaller the spot, the sharper the image.
They achieved this by designing an anode with metal dots patterned to be collectively smaller than the beam, effectively reducing the focal point.
But the team decided they wanted to push the limits and took the concept a step further.
“We chose different metals for each dot,” Sovinec said. “Each metal emits a particular ‘color’ of X-ray light. When combined with an energy discriminating detector, we can count individual photons, which provide density information, and measure the energy of each photon. This allows us to characterize the elements of the sample.”
The result is colorized images with what the team calls revolutionary image clarity and a better understanding of an object’s composition.

“We get a more accurate representation of the shape and definition of that object, which is going to allow us to make unprecedented measurements and unprecedented observations,” Jimenez said.
Far-reaching applications
The team sees this as a major advancement for X-ray technology with a wide range of uses, from airport security and quality control to nondestructive testing and advanced manufacturing.
They also hope its impact will improve medical diagnostics.
“With this technology, you can see even slight differences between materials,” Jimenez said. “We hope this will help better identify things like cancer and more effectively analyze tumor cells. In mammography you are trying to catch something before it grows. In breast tissue, it’s hard to identify the different dots, but with colorization you have a sharper beam and higher resolution image that increases the system’s capability to detect a microcalcification. It’s really exciting to be a part of that.”
“From here we will continue to innovate,” Collins said. “We hope to identify threats faster, diagnose diseases quicker and hopefully create a safer, healthier world.”
The team was recently awarded an R&D 100 award for their technology. They were among six winners from Sandia. Click for R&D 100 Submission video with soundbites.

Knee braces, water therapy and exercise are the most promising non-drug therapies for treating knee osteoarthritis, according to a new meta-analysis publishing June 18, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Yuan Luo of the First People’s Hospital of Neijiang, China.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common and often debilitating condition that affects millions of older adults, causing pain and stiffening of the knee joint. Treatment often includes anti-inflammatory drugs, which are linked to gastrointestinal and cardiovascular adverse events.
In the new study, researchers examined the current evidence on non-drug therapies for treating KOA. They looked at data from 139 clinical trials involving nearly 10,000 people to compare 12 different non-drug treatments. These included laser therapy, electrical stimulation, braces, insoles, kinesiology tape, water-based therapy, exercise, and ultrasound. By combining results from all these studies into a powerful network meta-analysis, the team could rank the therapies based on how well they worked.
Knee braces came out on top across most categories, including reducing pain, improving function, and relieving stiffness. Hydrotherapy — exercises or treatments performed in warm water — was particularly effective at easing pain and general exercise was also consistently effective, improving both pain and physical function. High-intensity laser therapy and shock wave therapy showed some benefits, while ultrasound consistently scored the lowest in effectiveness.
The authors caution that differences in study design, small sample sizes, and variability in treatment duration between the 139 included studies may limit the precision of the rankings. However, they conclude that physical therapy has promising effects on KOA, offering potential treatments without the risks of anti-inflammatory drugs. Future studies should examine the clinical efficacy of combined therapies, as well as their cost-effectiveness.
The authors add: “Knee braces, hydrotherapy, and exercise are the most effective non-drug therapies for knee osteoarthritis. They reduce pain and improve mobility without the gastrointestinal or cardiovascular risks linked to common pain medications. Patients and clinicians should prioritize these evidence-based options.”
“Our analysis of nearly 10,000 patients reveals that simple, accessible therapies like knee bracing and water-based exercise outperform high-tech options like ultrasound. This could reshape clinical guidelines to focus on safer, lower-cost interventions.”

Waking up with a pimple is no longer cause for panic, thanks to pimple patches — small, sticker-like bandages that cover and help heal the unwanted zit. A team of researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces has designed a two-stage pimple patch set with an array of tiny spikes that grabs onto the pimple and delivers antibacterial or anti-inflammatory compounds. Human clinical trials confirmed that the pimples completely disappeared after seven days of treatment.
Also called acne stickers, pimple patches are made of polymers that absorb excess moisture and oil. Some versions contain medications that reduce inflammation or fight infection. These medicated stickers often use microarrays (rows of teensy spikes) that penetrate the skin’s outermost layer and deliver compounds underneath. But microarrays may shift during wear and irritate the skin. So, Shayan Fakhraei Lahiji, Yong-Hee Kim and colleagues wanted to design a medicated acne patch system with a microarray platform that stays put.
To create their patch, the researchers first printed a microarray of arrowhead-shaped spikes using a specialized 3D printer. This unique shape helped the patch lock in place when attached to the skin. The patch’s backbone is made of hyaluronic acid — a gooey polymer that’s a common skincare ingredient — that was mixed with either antibacterial agents (including salicylic acid and Cannabis sativa extract) or anti-inflammatory agents (including niacinamide and chamomile extract).
These patches were clinically tested on 20 participants. On the first day, the participants applied the antibacterial patch, and for the next six days, they applied a new anti-inflammatory patch. The hyaluronic acid-based microarray dissolved into the skin within 30 to 90 minutes, with no pain or irritation. After three days, participants noted an 81% reduction in acne lesions in the treated areas compared to untreated pimples, and after seven days, the treated pimples were gone altogether. Additionally, researchers noted a significant reduction in sebum — an oily substance that causes acne. Around 95% of participants report that they were satisfied with the results of the treatment.
The researchers plan to make their new patch available for purchase in fall 2025, in both South Korea and the United States. In addition, the technology could be reformulated to deliver other therapies, beyond just acne-fighting compounds.
“Our work highlights the potential of microarray patches as a platform for applications beyond acne treatment, ranging from skin disorders to obesity therapies and vaccine delivery,” explains Kim.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Technology Development Program of the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups; the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute; and the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare.
The authors are employees of Cursus Bio Inc., a company focusing on microarray-based technologies.

In the U.S., one in five of the 37 million adults who has diabetes doesn’t know it. Current methods of diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes usually require a visit to a doctor’s office or lab work, both of which can be expensive and time-consuming. Now, diagnosing diabetes and prediabetes may be as simple as breathing.
A research team led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, has developed a sensor that can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample. Their results were published in Chemical Engineering Journal.
Previous diagnostic methods often used glucose found in blood or sweat, but this sensor detects acetone levels in the breath. While everyone’s breath contains acetone as a byproduct of burning fat, acetone levels above a threshold of about 1.8 parts per million indicate diabetes.
“While we have sensors that can detect glucose in sweat, these require that we induce sweat through exercise, chemicals or a sauna, which are not always practical or convenient,” Cheng said. “This sensor only requires that you exhale into a bag, dip the sensor in and wait a few minutes for results.”
Cheng said there have been other breath analysis sensors, but they detected biomarkers that required lab analysis. Acetone can be detected and read on-site, making the new sensors cost-effective and convenient.
In addition to using acetone as the biomarker, Cheng said another novelty of the sensor came down to design and materials — primarily laser-induced graphene. To create this material, the CO2 laser is used to burn the carbon-containing materials, such as the polyimide film in this work, to create patterned porous graphene with large defects desirable for sensing.
“This is similar to toasting bread to carbon black if toasted too long,” Cheng said. “By tuning the laser parameters such as power and speed, we can toast polyimide into few-layered, porous graphene form.”
The researchers used laser-induced graphene because it is highly porous, meaning it lets gas through. This quality leads to a greater chance of capturing the gas molecule, since breath exhalation contains a relatively high concentration of moisture. However, by itself, the laser-induced graphene was not selective enough of acetone over other gases and needed to be combined with zinc oxide.

“A junction formed between these two materials that allowed for greater selective detection of acetone as opposed to other molecules,” Cheng said.
Cheng said another challenge was that the sensor surface could also absorb water molecules, and because breath is humid, the water molecules could compete with the target acetone molecule. To address this, the researchers introduced a selective membrane, or moisture barrier layer, that could block water but allow the acetone to permeate the layer.
Cheng said that right now, the method requires that a person breathe directly into a bag to avoid interference from factors such as airflow in the ambient environment. The next step is to improve the sensor so that it can be used directly under the nose or attached to the inside of a mask, since the gas can be detected in the condensation of the exhaled breath. He said he also plans to investigate how an acetone-detecting breath sensor could be used to optimize health initiatives for individuals.
“If we could better understand how acetone levels in the breath change with diet and exercise, in the same way we see fluctuations in glucose levels depending on when and what a person eats, it would be a very exciting opportunity to use this for health applications beyond diagnosing diabetes,” Cheng said.
Funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Science Foundation supported the Penn State contributions to this work. Li Yang, who was a visiting scholar in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at the time of the research, is the first author. A full list of funding and authors can be found in the paper.

1 day agoShareSaveRuth CleggHealth and wellbeing reporterShareSaveBBCI have some in my cupboard. And I’m far from alone – creatine has become the supplement of choice for millions.Originally known for enhancing the performance of bodybuilders and athletes in the 1990s, this white powder is now entering the spice cupboards (well, that’s where I store mine) of women in their 40s.It’s arguably one of the world’s most researched supplements. Thousands of studies have been carried out over the past few decades evaluating its ability to increase muscle mass and overall strength.”Creatine has become so big, you feel that if you are not using it, you are kind of losing out,” says Dr Henry Chung, a lecturer in sport and exercise science at the University of Essex. “It’s moved from elite sport into the mainstream. It’s not about whether to take it anymore, it’s about when to take it – before or after exercise? Everyday? How much?”In which form is best? Powder, tablets, gummies?”Creatine is a naturally occurring compound which is stored in our muscles, and helps our cells produce energy. It is a vital component in the ATP-CP system, the fastest, most powerful energy system in our bodies.It fuels the first 10-20 seconds in high intensity workouts – giving that quick, powerful burst of energy. From lifting weights to sprinting round the track, research suggests creatine supplementation can help improve performance.And away from the gym, there is a growing, but still relatively limited, body of evidence to suggest it can also help with our short-term memory, mood and focus.So, can this supplement improve our ability to think, remember and respond?And for me, and many others, will it help clear our brain fog, a catch-all term that describes an inability to think clearly, string a sentence together, and remember the simplest of things?For some people with serious post-viral conditions, brain fog can be longer term and potentially life-changing. If you have concerns, it is best to seek medical help.For most, brain fog is usually temporary and can happen because of an illness or certain types of medical treatment. For millions of women, it can be a symptom of the perimenopause, due to hormonal fluctuations.Katie Mansell believes creatine has helped in many parts of her life. The 46-year-old from Merseyside lifts weights, runs 30-40 miles a week, has a full-on job as the chief financial officer of a software company, and a busy home life with a teenage son and two dogs.”A few months ago, I was out of sorts. I was finding training really hard work and I was struggling to focus on things,” she says.”It was my friend who recommended it – she said it was a game changer.”Katie, who is also perimenopausal, started taking six grams of creatine a day three months ago, and is beginning to feel a difference. Her mood feels a bit lighter, she can lift heavier weights and the fog that had descended on her brain has started to lift.”I’ve got more motivation to do things, especially when it comes to training. I feel stronger when I’m lifting and bouldering, and I can also think more clearly.”Katie does caveat this – she’s also on magnesium supplements and has started on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but she’s confident that creatine is making an impact and will continue with her daily dose.There are others who believe it’s made little difference and there is divided opinion on whether the majority of us get the amount of creatine we need through our diets. Katie, who is a vegetarian, says she was probably missing out. While it’s understood our bodies produce one gram of it naturally, the rest comes from high-protein food like meat and fish.The supplement’s impact on male athletes has been documented since the early 1990s but, as with a lot of scientific research, female biology was missing from the equation.”I used to have to guess what my female athletes needed,” explains Dr Susan Kleiner, a high-performance nutritionist from the US state of Washington. “All the research was based on men.”It wasn’t until a few years ago that women’s hormonal fluctuations were taken into account, says Dr Kleiner, an adviser on the board of Creatine Health, a global initiative set up to promote research on the supplement. “And that was when scientists started to see a real impact in other parts of the body.”Instead of just concentrating on how creatine interacts with our muscles in a sport setting, scientists have begun to discover how it could potentially affect reproductive health, bone health and brain function – all of which can be affected during perimenopause, she explains.So does that mean that creatine can help my brain fog?”That’s an interesting thought,” says Professor Emeritus Trevor McMorris. “It might do.”Having been in the field for more than 40 years, he has carried out many studies into creatine supplementation.He says perimenopausal brain fog could have a similar impact to sleep deprivation, something he has researched extensively, finding that high doses of creatine could mitigate the effects of too little sleep.When people use the supplement, the brain may – like our muscles – increase its stores of creatine. This helps produce more energy, which could help improve memory and the ability to process information.But Prof McMorris say it won’t work for everyone. His most recent research suggests people need to be under a level of stress – for example, being sleep deprived or not having enough creatine in their diet – for it to make a difference.So, in short, when it comes to helping me with my brain fog – maybe – there’s potential. The experts I have spoken to believe it’s an “an exciting time” in this line of research, but that more studies are needed.Dietician Lucy Upton warns that we could start to see more side effects to creatine use because of the supplement’s surge in popularity. “While there is extensive research, that has been in a controlled environment,” she says. “Now we need to think about the variation of body sizes, doses and any pre-existing conditions.”Currently, known side effects are the risk of stomach upset, muscle cramps and bloating. People with conditions affecting their kidneys should consult a doctor before taking it.While Dr Chung sees no harm in healthy adults “trying it out”, he also says results tend to be “minimal gains”, adding that “it is not, by any means, a wonder drug”.As for me, I started taking the creatine in my cupboard but stopped after a month (blame it on the brain fog). Perhaps I’ll give it another try.More weekend picks

Researchers at Baylor College ofMedicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions provide new insights into how exercise helps lose weight. The researchers discovered a mechanism by which the compound Lac-Phe, which is produced during exercise, reduces appetite in mice, leading to weight loss. The findings appeared in Nature Metabolism.
“Regular exercise is considered a powerful way to lose weight and to protect from obesity-associated diseases, such as diabetes or heart conditions,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Yang He, assistant professor of pediatrics – neurology at Baylor and investigator at the Duncan NRI. “Exercise helps lose weight by increasing the amount of energy the body uses; however, it is likely that other mechanisms are also involved.”
The researchers previously discovered that Lac-Phe is the most increased metabolite – a product of the body’s metabolism – in blood after intense exercise, not just in mice but also in humans and racehorses. The team’s previous work showed that giving Lac-Phe to obese mice reduced how much they ate and helped them lose weight without negative side effects. But until now, scientists didn’t fully understand how Lac-Phe works to suppress appetite.
“Understanding how Lac-Phe works is important for developing it or similar compounds into treatments that may help people lose weight,” He said. “We looked into the brain as it regulates appetite and feeding behaviors.”
The researchers studied two types of brain cells in mice. One type was AgRP neurons, which stimulate hunger and are in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. The other type was PVH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These neurons help suppress hunger.
AgRP and PVH neurons work together. Normally, AgRP neurons send signals that inhibit PVH neurons, making you feel hungry. But when AgRP neurons are turned off, PVH neurons become more active, reducing appetite.
He lab members and colleagues discovered that Lac-Phe directly inhibits AgRP neurons, which in turn activates PVH neurons. This chain of events resulted in mice eating less. The animals’ behavior remained normal, suggesting that Lac-Phe doesn’t cause unpleasant side effects.

In addition, the team investigated how Lac-Phe inhibits AgRP neurons. “We found that Lac-Phe acts on a protein on AgRP neurons called KATP channel, which helps regulate cell activity. “When Lac-Phe activates these channels in AgRP neurons, the cells become less active,” He said. “When we blocked the KATP channels using drugs or genetic tools, Lac-Phe no longer suppressed appetite. This confirmed that the KATP channel is essential for Lac-Phe’s effects.”
This research helps explain how exercise can naturally reduce appetite and improve metabolism. “The results also suggest the exciting possibility of targeting this newly discovered mechanism for weight management,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Yong Xu, currently at the University of South Florida.
“This finding is important because it helps explain how a naturally produced molecule can influence appetite by interacting with a key brain region that regulates hunger and body weight,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Jonathan Long at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Although this study focused on mice, the findings are promising for humans. Future research will explore how Lac-Phe works in different metabolic states (like obesity vs. leanness), how it travels to the brain and whether it can be used safely and effectively as a therapy.
Other contributors to this work include Hailan Liu, Veronica L. Li, Qingzhuo Liu, Yao Liu, Cunjin Su, Hueyxian Wong, Na Yin, Hesong Liu, Xing Fang, Kristine M. McDermott, Hueyzhong Wong, Meng Yu, Longlong Tu, Jonathan C. Bean, Yongxiang Li, Mengjie Wang, Yue Deng, Yuhan Shi, Olivia Z. Ginnard, Yuxue Yang, Junying Han, Megan E. Burt, Sanika V. Jossy, Chunmei Wang, Yongjie Yang, Benjamin R. Arenkiel and Dong Kong. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, University of Texas Health Center at Houston, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and University of South Florida.
This work was supported by grants from the USDA/CRIS (51000-064-01S, 3092-51000-062-04(B)S), American Heart Association (23POST1030352), NIH (F32DK134121, R01DK136479, R01DK136526, T32GM13854), Bio-X SIGF Graduate Student Fellowship and Texas Children’s Research Scholar funds.