Category Biology/Biotechnology

Population surveys and research studies suggest that meaningful social connections are strong predictors of health and longevity. In other words, a sense of belonging to a social group and strong social bonds appear to be linked with better health and a longer lifespan.

Most earlier studies, however, primarily focused on the possible health-related benefits of receiving social support or interacting with others regularly. In contrast, the potential benefits of supporting and helping others remain largely unexplored.

Researchers at Georgetown University, Emory University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently carried out a study investigating the possibility that time spent supporting others is associated with brain health...

Scientists found that five seemingly unrelated conditions, including longCovid, ME/CFS, and PTSD, may disrupt many of the same biological networks involved in immunity, metabolism, and cellular energy. The findings could help explain their shared symptoms and may open the door to new blood tests and treatments.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia and Oxford BioDynamics have identified a possible biological connection that could help explain why profound exhaustion appears across conditions as different as long Covid and PTSD.

The new study, published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, point...

For millions of people, osteoarthritis slowly breaks down the joints, bringing pain, swelling and stiffness that make free movement harder with time. It is largely a condition of age, with 73% of those living with it older than 55. For years, the wear and tear that comes with aging and physical trauma was considered a major driver of the disease. A recent study published in Science, however, points to a metabolic disease that is also highly common among this demographic as a contributing factor in osteoarthritis progression.

A look at national health data from 36,820 Korean adults ages 45 and older revealed that high blood pressure was linked to osteoarthritis, with stronge...

Treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition characterized by distressing, uncontrollable thoughts and repetitive behaviors, has centered on psychotherapy and medication to curb symptoms. New research identifying a previously unknown brain circuit involved in OCD could be a key step toward treatments that target specific brain regions to better control the condition.

Published in the journal Neuron and led by Joshua L. Plotkin, Ph.D...