NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Most of us have some decline in our memory and learning abilities as we age. But certain older adults can remember past events better than most people 25 to 30 years younger. Researchers recently found that exceptional recall and memory is linked to the ability to create new brain cells. An NIH-funded research team analyzed more than 350,000 individual brain cells from younger and older adults, including cognitive SuperAgers. Cognitive SuperAgers are people at least 80 years old with memory test scores as good as or better than people in their 50s and 60s. The cells were from donated postmortem brains. The team looked for newly formed brain cells. They found that the molecular make up of new brain cells differed depending on the donor’s cognitive abilities. SuperAgers’ brain cells had a unique molecular make-up. SuperAgers also had more newly created brain cells than other groups. Certain cell processes in the SuperAgers’ brains appeared to be better maintained, too. These processes serve important functions. Some are involved in communication between brain cells. Others help with cell survival. “Determining why some brains age more healthily than others can help researchers make therapeutics that will boost memory in aging and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” says Dr. Orly Lazarov at the University of Illinois, Chicago, who co-led the study. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published June 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Dealing with Dementia: When Thinking and Behavior Decline What is Dementia? Symptoms, Types, and Diagnosis Alzheimer's Disease & Related Dementias Human hippocampal neurogenesis in adulthood, ageing and Alzheimer's disease Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule For over 30 years, doctors have recommended the DASH diet to help people reduce high blood pressure. Studies have repeatedly shown that the DASH eating plan can improve heart health. The DASH diet seems to have other health benefits. But its effects on blood glucose, also called blood sugar, in people with type 2 diabetes were unclear. The DASH diet encourages eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. It favors beans and lean meats for protein. It suggests limiting saturated fats and sugar-sweetened food and drinks. In a new study, researchers tweaked the DASH diet to help improve glucose control. The adjusted diet for diabetes is called DASH4D. It includes slight changes, such as eating even fewer sweets and starchy foods like potatoes. Researchers studied 89 people with type 2 diabetes. Participants followed four different diets, in random order, for five weeks each. Two of the diets were variations on DASH4D. The other two were similar to the typical American adult diet. Compared to a typical diet, the DASH4D eating plan led to more time with blood glucose in the recommended range. The results suggest that a modified DASH diet could help control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. “The original DASH diet has long been recommended for people with diabetes and other health conditions due to its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure,” says Dr. Elizabeth Selvin at Johns Hopkins University. “But this is the first time a controlled study has shown a significant improvement in glucose control as well.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published December 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Preventing Diabetes: Small Steps Can Make a Big Difference DASH Eating Plan Type 2 Diabetes National Diabetes Prevention Program (CDC) Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (CMMS) DASH4D diet for glycemic control and glucose variability in type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Tendons connect muscles to bones. Without them, your muscles couldn’t move your body. When you injure a tendon, it can affect your everyday activities. “No matter how strong your muscle is, you’re not going to be able to have the functionality and the stability that you need if a tendon is impaired,” says Dr. Nelly Andarawis-Puri, a bioengineering researcher at Cornell University. Tendon troubles can arise from The heat, swelling and redness caused by the body’s protective response to injury or infection. inflammation, a rupture, or breakdown (degeneration) of the tendon tissue. These conditions are called tendinopathies. Symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness, and weakness. Problems can stem from a sudden, awkward movement. But they’re usually a result of overuse. Overuse injuries are common in athletes. But daily activities that require repetitive movements can put anyone at risk. For instance, repeated exercises that require jumping may cause knee problems. Typing all day at work may lead to pain in your hands. Tendon injuries can lead to long-term (chronic) issues if they don’t fully heal. And they often don’t. That’s because our bodies’ ability to repair tendon tissue declines with age. Researchers are trying to unravel why tendons often don’t heal properly and what’s needed to repair them. Breaking the Cycle “The most common type of tendon injury is an overuse, or wear-and-tear, injury,” explains Andarawis-Puri. “It’s not necessarily painful once it starts and can be silent for a long time. Essentially, you predispose yourself to more and more accumulation of damage. Then, eventually you have degeneration.” Getting treatment early can help keep tendon problems from getting worse. Your doctor may recommend icing the area, pain relievers, and resting the tendon. These treatments don’t help repair your tendon. “But they can make you less miserable and manage the pain and the discomfort,” Andarawis-Puri says. Physical therapy is often recommended for treatment as well. But there is a fine balance between exercise that promotes healing or causes damage. “That’s tricky,” Andarawis-Puri says, “because that’s different for every person.” Her team is studying the biology of tendons to better understand how and when exercise promotes healing. Tendons are made up of cells called tenocytes and bundles of a protein called collagen. These bundles form long helical chains. “These helices look almost like springs—that allows them to coil and uncoil,” says Dr. Adam Abraham, an expert on chronic tendon disease at the University of Michigan. Coiling helps the fibers absorb the force from your body movements. “A tendon is a unique connective tissue that’s highly ordered and made primarily of collagen. That’s what gives it its strength,” explains Dr. Jenna Galloway, a regenerative medicine expert at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “When you do too much movement, you can damage some of those collagen fibers. Normally, we can repair a little bit of damage. But if you do this over and over again, you change the properties of the tendon.” When collagen fibers are injured, they look kinked under a microscope, says Andarawis-Puri. Her team has shown in animals that exercising too soon after an injury worsens that kinking. They’ve also found that waiting two weeks before letting the animals exercise gives time for the coils to straighten out. “Our research shows that with the right timing and conditions, movement can actually trigger the tendon to repair,” Andarawis-Puri says. Her team hopes to find ways to easily tell when exercise will help rather than hurt. Reversing Chronic Conditions The highly organized nature of tendons is key for them to work properly. “But tendons are a rather lazy organ,” Abraham explains. “They are slow to adapt, if they adapt at all.” Abraham’s team is trying to understand the changes tendons undergo from chronic injuries. They’ve developed a system that allows them to grow 3D tendon-like structures using cells from patients’ tendons. “We’re developing a system that basically allows us to make microtendons,” Abraham explains. “The goal is to grow hundreds to thousands of these from a single person. That may sound very large, but they’re the size of a human hair.” This 3D system allows the researchers to expose the micro-tendons to different conditions. Then, they can look at how the microtendons respond. They’re comparing microtendons grown with cells taken from people who have healthy tendon tissue to those with chronic tendinopathies. “We can stress out healthy microtendons and get them to behave like those from patients with chronic injuries,” says Abraham. “The cells that come from patients with a chronic condition are already stressed. They become locked in this stressed state.” His team is trying to restore chronically injured cells to a healthy state. “We’re hoping with this 3D system, we will be able to synthesize many hundreds of different environments at the same time. So we can screen what might be a possible fix,” he explains. Abraham’s team is also testing an injectable hydrogel to mimic a healthy environment. They hope to deliver it to injured tissue to restore an organized tendon structure. Coaxing Repair Unlike people, some animals can fully repair tendon tissue as adults. For instance, zebrafish completely regenerate tendons throughout their lives. Galloway hopes to learn from them. Her group has shown that tenocytes can repair fully torn tendon tissue in zebrafish. Her recent study showed that the cells bridge fully severed tissue back together. People and other mammals have tenocytes, too. But after a tendon is injured in mammals, the tissue usually doesn’t recover. Instead, a scar forms and disrupts the carefully crafted collagen structure. There’s something different about how mammals respond to a fully torn tendon injury, Galloway says.  “The cells in the zebrafish can respond to an injury to regenerate the tissue, but the cells in mammals cannot,” she adds.  Her team is comparing differences between fish and mammals after a tendon injury. And they’re testing potential compounds in injured tissue in mammals. They hope they can make the process of healing go better for them, too. Scientists are still trying to fully understand tendon biology. In the meantime, it’s important to protect your tendons (see the Wise Choices box) and get injuries treated early. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published December 2025. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references 7 Tips: Nutritional Approaches for Musculoskeletal Inflammation Sports Injuries–Types, Symptoms, & Risk Factors Nutritional Approaches for Musculoskeletal Pain and Inflammation Histological and immunohistochemical guide to tendon tissue. Glycosaminoglycans modulate microscale mechanics and viscoelasticity in fatigue injured tendons. Endogenous tenocyte activation underlies the regenerative capacity of the adult zebrafish tendon. Engineered microenvironmental cues from fiber-reinforced hydrogel composites drive tenogenesis and aligned collagen deposition. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Many Americans don’t get enough exercise. A lack of physical activity can increase the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. A new study suggests that your neighborhood’s design can affect how many steps you get in a day. Walking provides many health benefits. But some neighborhoods aren’t as easy to get around on foot. They may lack sidewalks, parks, or nearby shops to entice you to go for a walk. Researchers looked at how many daily steps people got before and after moving to more walkable neighborhoods. They analyzed data from study participants’ fitness smartphone apps. The neighborhoods were given a walkability score based on measures of pedestrian friendliness. For example, less distances to stores and parks led to higher scores. Researchers found that people walked more when living in places with higher walkability. This trend showed up across age, gender, weight, and fitness levels. The only exception was women over age 50. Their steps didn’t change after relocating. People who moved to more walkable neighborhoods also walked faster. “Our study shows that how much you walk is not just a question of motivation,” says Dr. Tim Althoff at the University of Washington. “There are many things that affect daily steps, and the built environment is clearly one of them." Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published January 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references The Benefits of Walking Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity Physical Activity and Your Heart Benefits of Physical Activity (CDC) What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults (CDC) Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (HHS) Countrywide natural experiment links built environment to physical activity. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Arsenic is a naturally occurring element. It’s found in soil, water, and air. Long-term exposure can cause health problems. Millions of people rely on water sources with unsafe levels of arsenic. A new study showed that reducing arsenic exposure can lower the chances of death from cancer and heart disease. The study tracked adults living in Bangladesh. Researchers measured the levels of arsenic in participants’ drinking water and urine. They checked levels multiple times over 20 years. During those years, a mitigation program labeled unsafe wells. The government also installed deeper wells with less arsenic. The scientists tracked deaths from cancer and heart disease over the two decades. Participants’ arsenic levels dropped by over one-half on average. Their chances of dying from cancer and heart disease also changed. Those whose arsenic levels dropped were less likely to die. People whose exposures rose over time had a higher risk of death. Some participants’ arsenic levels started out high but ended low. They were half as likely to die than people whose levels remained high. “Our research suggests that improved access to low-arsenic water, periodic testing, and clear signage to mark safer water are useful tools to help improve long-term health around the world,” says Dr. Yu Chen at NYU Langone Health. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published February 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Arsenic Factsheet Arsenic and Drinking Water (USGS) ToxFAQs™ for Arsenic (CDC) Arsenic exposure reduction and chronic disease mortality. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article There’s much more to your mouth than your teeth, gums, and tongue. Your mouth also contains billions of tiny critters that can only be seen with a microscope. These are called Microscopic germs like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. microbes. Together, all the microbes living in your mouth are known as the oral microbiome. Scientists believe the oral microbiome can contribute to diseases both in the mouth and elsewhere in the body. That means research into these microbes might lead to new ways to prevent and treat many illnesses. Who’s in There? Your mouth makes a lovely neighborhood for microbes. And many different types can move in. Scientists believe roughly 700 species of microbes live in the human mouth. Some of these may contribute to diseases. Others help keep disease-causing microbes from taking over. “It’s a natural, normal part of life to have these microbes living in your mouth,” says Dr. Christian Abnet, an oral cancer researcher at NIH. “Even people with good oral hygiene have a thriving microbiome in their mouth.” The set of microbes in a person’s mouth usually doesn’t change much over time, at least in adults. When it does change, it can be bad news. “People tend to have certain microbes in specific proportions,” says Dr. Akintunde Emiola, a researcher who studies the oral microbiome at NIH. “When that proportion changes, that can be linked to diseases. But which specific microbes are linked to diseases isn’t clear. Researchers are trying to figure out how microbe changes in the mouth play a role in disease. Beyond the Mouth One kind of microbe that can wreak havoc in the mouth is bacteria. Dentists are well-known for pointing out that sugar-loving bacteria can harm your teeth and gums. These live in the plaque that dentists scrape off your teeth. But the influence of these microbes is not confined to the mouth. Mouth microbes have been linked to a wide variety of diseases outside the mouth. These include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, asthma, and even Alzheimer’s disease. For example, studies have shown that poor oral health is linked to a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. That may be because not taking proper care of your teeth makes your mouth a friendlier place for disease-causing bacteria. “We think the type of bacteria that live in the mouth might secrete substances that can get into your bloodstream, go into the brain, and cause things to go awry,” says Dr. Colin Combs, an expert in neurodegenerative diseases at the University of North Dakota. Combs’ team has found a substance linked to Alzheimer’s disease inside our mouths. Beta-amyloid is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In the brain, it clumps together into “plaques.” But Combs’ work recently showed that beta-amyloid is also in saliva. His team is researching how beta-amyloid in saliva affects mouth microbes, and vice versa. They’re trying to figure out whether beta-amyloid in the mouth plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease, too. Cancer may also be influenced by the oral microbiome. Abnet’s studies have linked certain mouth microbes to a higher risk for cancer in the lungs, colon, and esophagus. Abnet explains that there are a few ways mouth microbes might promote cancer. One is that certain bacteria produce substances that cause cancer. These are called carcinogens. The oral microbiome can also affect the defenses that protect you from germs. Those defenses are called the immune system. One of the ways it fights off germs is with a reaction called Heat, swelling, and redness caused by the body’s protective response to injury or infection. inflammation. Inflammation is linked to many diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Changes to the immune system might also explain how mouth microbes affect allergies. An allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to something that’s normally harmless. Take, for instance, peanut allergy in kids. One study showed that when kids have certain mouth bacteria, it takes a smaller amount of peanut to trigger a reaction. Knowing how mouth microbes are linked to diseases might one day help us create new treatments. “Figuring out the mechanisms is really important if you want to design an intervention,” Abnet says. Managing Our Microbes Getting rid of disease-causing microbes in our mouths is easier said than done. There are medications that kill microbes, called antibiotics. But current antibiotics kill off all kinds of microbes, not just harmful ones. That’s why Emiola’s team is working on more precise ways to destroy disease-causing microbes. “When you kill all of the microbes, the problematic ones tend to repopulate faster,” Emiola says. “But if you specifically target the bad microbes, that allows the good ones to repopulate the environment.” His lab is looking for viruses that only infect specific bacteria. These viruses are called bacteriophages. Using bacteriophages that prey only on specific bacteria in the mouth could be a way to get rid of disease-causing microbes. Emiola’s group is also trying to create medications that only harm certain bacteria. To do that, he’s relying on treatments called prodrugs. “Prodrugs are compounds that are normally inactive,” Emiola says. But the prodrugs he is developing become active once inside specific bacteria. And when they’re activated, they work like antibiotics. In fact, his team has already created a promising prodrug that eliminates bacteria that cause severe gum infections. And he believes this approach could one day help treat diseases outside the mouth as well. Meanwhile, many “probiotic” and “prebiotic” supplements can already be found in grocery stores. They’re often promoted for their ability to make the microbiome healthier. A prebiotic encourages the growth of certain microbes. A probiotic already contains those microbes. But researchers still don’t truly know which microbes or combination of microbes are effective. “There’s really very little evidence [on specific supplements]…, so that would not be anything that I would recommend,” Abnet says. Fortunately, there are many evidence-backed ways to have a healthier oral microbiome. The habits that make for a healthy lifestyle also happen to be good for the oral microbiome. That includes good dental hygiene and a well-balanced diet. “Maybe one day we’ll have [microbiome-based treatments that are] beneficial to people,” Abnet says. “But we’re in the early days of that research right now.” See the Wise Choices box for more tips that are good for both you and your mouth microbes. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published March 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Your Body’s Bugs: Nurturing Healthy Microbes Mouth Microbes: The Helpful and the Harmful Don’t Toss the Floss! The Benefits of Daily Cleaning Between Teeth Keep Your Mouth Healthy: Oral Care for Older Adults Chew on This: Healthy Teeth for Baby and Beyond Tooth Decay Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth Gum Disease The Microbiome The Human Microbiome Project The human oral microbiome and risk of colorectal cancer within three prospective cohort studies in the United States The oral microbiome and lung cancer risk: An analysis of 3 prospective cohort studies Salivary Aβ secretion and altered oral microbiome in mouse models of AD Multiscale study of the oral and gut environments in children with high- and low-threshold peanut allergy Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article You can’t see most air pollution. You can’t smell much of it, either. But polluted air—both outdoors and indoors—can still affect your health. “Nearly everyone on the planet is exposed to unhealthy air at least some of the time,” says Dr. Stavros Garantziotis, a lung doctor and researcher at NIH. Breathing polluted air doesn’t just affect the lungs. Because the lungs connect directly to the bloodstream, pollutants can travel through the body. Once there, they can cause Heat, swelling, and redness caused by the body’s protective response to injury or infection. inflammation, which raises the risk of many health problems. These include asthma, heart disease, stroke, brain disorders, and some cancers. “The same air pollution exposure doesn’t affect everyone the same way,” says Garantziotis. This is especially true for people with asthma. Asthma is a disease that makes breathing hard. It can be worsened by polluted air. Children, older adults, and people with heart disease or diabetes can also be affected more seriously. After a high-pollution day, asthma attacks increase in children. Hospital visits for heart attacks and strokes in older adults also go up. Some pollutants may even increase the risk of cancer. Air pollution today looks different than it did decades ago. Regulations have helped reduce some harmful emissions. Lead pollution decreased after it was removed from gasoline. Levels of sulfur dioxide have fallen because of cleaner power plants. But other sources of pollution remain. Particulate matter is a major component of air pollution. These are tiny particles in the air that can get deep into the lungs. These particles come from vehicles, power plants, and industrial processes. Another problem pollutant is ozone. Ozone is a gas that can irritate and damage the airways. It forms when sunlight reacts with certain pollutants. Wildfire smoke is also a growing concern. Wildfires are happening more often and burning more intensely. They release tiny particles, metals, and chemicals that can travel hundreds of miles. “Smoke doesn’t stay where the fire is,” Garantziotis explains. “It goes wherever the wind takes it.” Outdoor pollution doesn’t stop at your front door. It seeps inside your home. Indoor air can also be polluted by everyday sources, such as gas stoves, fireplaces, cigarette smoke, mold, dust, pet dander, and pests. “Indoor air quality is often overlooked, but it’s something people can actually do something about,” Garantziotis says. As a lung doctor, he tells his patients to take simple steps to reduce exposure. See the Wise Choices box for tips. Garantziotis and his research team are studying how lung cells heal after exposures. They found that air pollution can break apart supportive material around lung cells. The loose material irritates the lung cells and makes it harder to breathe. His work suggests that giving a healthy form of this material, called hyaluronan, may help restore lung health. Scientists are also studying why some people are more susceptible to the health effects of air pollution. Understanding why could help doctors prevent and treat related illnesses. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published April 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Keep Your Lungs Healthy: Defend Against Chronic Lung Diseases Hidden Hazards: Clearing Out Toxins in the Home Making a Healthier Home: Cast Toxins from Your Living Space Air Pollution and Your Health · About Air Quality (CDC) Safety Guidelines: Wildfires and Wildfire Smoke (CDC) Care for Your Air: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality (EPA) Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home (EPA) AirNow (EPA) Inhaled high molecular weight hyaluronan ameliorates respiratory failure in acute COPD exacerbation: a pilot study. Ambient fine particulate matter and breast cancer incidence in a large prospective US cohort Environmental management of asthma in clinical practice: results from the 2012 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. PM2.5 air pollution and cause-specific cardiovascular disease mortality Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular emergency department visits associated with wildfire smoke exposure in California in 2015 Hyaluronan mediates ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in mice. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule Researchers found that bacteria likely plays a key role in most kidney stones. Previous studies only linked bacteria with kidney stones that formed after an infection. Kidney stones are hard, pebble-like pieces that form in your kidneys. They are made of minerals that build up in urine. Most are made of calcium oxalate. Others form after urinary tract infections (UTIs). This type is made of struvite. Struvite stones are linked to bacteria that cause UTIs. Researchers used high-powered microscopes to look at kidney stones removed by surgery. They looked at both calcium oxalate and struvite stones. The team found bacteria in stones from both people with and without UTIs. Bacteria were organized into biofilms inside the stones. Biofilms are communities of microbes that stick to each other and to surfaces. They appeared to release molecules that spur minerals to clump together and form stones. Researchers are trying to learn more about the link between bacteria and kidney stones. The findings could lead to new ways to prevent or remove kidney stones. “This breakthrough challenges the long-held assumption that these stones develop solely through chemical and physical processes,” says Dr. Kymora Scotland of the University of California, Los Angeles. “Instead, it shows that bacteria can reside inside stones and may actively contribute to their formation.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published May 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Get Clarity on Kidney Stones Pebbles in Your Plumbing: Flushing Kidney Stones Kidney Stones Your Kidneys & How They Work Reference Intercalated bacterial biofilms are intrinsic internal components of calcium-based kidney stones Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Burns can affect anyone. The consequences can range from mild skin damage to permanent scarring or even death. That’s why it’s important for everyone to know how to prevent burns. Most burn injuries occur at home. Kitchen fires or other household accidents are common causes. For children, scalds are the leading cause of burn injury. These are caused by steam or boiling water. Treatment depends on how serious the burn is. A first-degree burn affects only the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis. Sunburns are one example. You can usually treat them at home by cleaning the area and applying lotion to keep it moist. Second-degree burns are deeper. They affect the second layer of skin, called the dermis. These burns may cause scars or change how the skin feels. Some can be treated with wound care only. This includes washing the wound and covering it with a bandage. Deep second-degree burns may require a surgery called skin grafting. This is where healthy skin is removed from one area of the body and used to cover the damaged area. Third-degree burns are even deeper. They damage the entire skin down to the fat and nerves beneath the dermis. Fourth-degree burn cases are the most serious. Muscles, tendons, and bones can also be affected. These burns always require medical care. Treatment often includes skin grafting surgery. Doctors determine how serious a burn is through visual examination. “Burn injuries often worsen after the initial injury, so it can take up to a week to get an accurate assessment,” says Dr. Angela Gibson, a surgeon who specializes in burn care at the University of Wisconsin. Gibson and her team are studying an imaging technology to help determine how deep a burn is. The tool uses fluorescent dyes to see into the skin. If successful, the tool may help doctors more accurately predict burn depth. This could allow patients to get the right care sooner. It could also help doctors identify healthy tissue, so they remove only damaged tissue. “We want to limit the amount of healthy skin we cut away,” Gibson explains. “If you cut away tissue, you must replace it with the patient’s skin. In those cases, we’d like to keep the area where the skin was taken for the skin graft, or donor site, as small as we can.” Gibson’s lab is also studying bandages that generate tiny electrical signals. These signals tell cells to grow and move to the injured area. This helps new skin form and supports the growth of new blood vessels. The bandages copy the body’s natural electrical activity, which helps burn injuries heal faster. Traditional electrical stimulation therapy needs an external power source. But the bandages use the body’s movements. Movement creates electricity to power the bandages. This technology is being studied for multiple uses, including wound healing. But it’s still in the early stages and needs more research. Scientists continue to study new treatment options. But Gibson says prevention is the best defense. She recommends burn prevention education for everyone. Learn ways to help prevent burns at home. See the Wise Choices box for tips. “A burn injury can happen to anyone,” Gibson says. “Prevention is just as important as knowing how to care for burns.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published May 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Learn About Burn Care Burn Prevention, First Aid and Calling 911(FEMA) Protect the ones you love (CDC) References Indocyanine green and protoporphyrin IX fluorescence imaging of inflammation, hypoxia, and necrosis of burns Burn progression in human skin—A review of current knowledge and opportunities for future research Recent advances of nanogenerator technology for cardiovascular sensing and monitoring Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Health Capsule In food allergies, the body’s defense system, called the immune system, reacts to harmless food as if it were a threat. To understand why this happens, scientists first need to know how the body develops a tolerance to a food. A new study showed that certain parts of dietary proteins normally act as signals that foods are safe. Researchers found seven different sensors in specialized immune cells in the mouse gut. The sensors reacted to proteins in mouse chow. Five of the sensors were activated by corn protein found in mouse chow. One was activated by a wheat protein, and the other by a soybean protein. The sensors only detected certain parts of the proteins, called epitopes. The most frequently recognized epitope was on a corn protein. The specialized cells that recognized the corn protein first appeared when the mice were four weeks of age. This was about the same time that the mice first ate the food. The cells sent signals to other immune cells not to attack the food protein. Scientists are just starting to understand how the body builds tolerance to food. “For a long time, we thought food tolerance simply meant the immune system was ignoring the foods we eat—that is to say that tolerance is the absence of allergy,” says Dr. Elizabeth Sattely of Stanford University, who co-led the study. “But we now know that tolerance is active and adaptive behavior. Certain cells in our intestines survey the foods we eat, looking for specific proteins. When found, the cells signal the immune system that the food is safe.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published June 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Food Allergy Allergens Identification and characterization of dietary antigens in oral tolerance Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Huntington’s disease can be devastating. The illness reduces your ability to control your body’s movements. It can also give rise to problems with thinking and memory. It’s caused by changes in one gene, and those changes are passed down from generation to generation. Scientists are looking for ways to lessen the impact of the disease. Huntington’s disease is caused by a gene that makes a protein called huntingtin. Certain changes in the gene cause it to make a defective protein. The defective protein has toxic effects in brain cells, causing them to die. The brain areas most affected are those that control voluntary movements. People with Huntington’s may develop uncontrollable, irregular movements. These are called chorea. They may also have body stiffness and trouble moving, called akinesia. Symptoms get worse over time, and the disease is eventually fatal. “Right now, we don’t have a therapy that can prevent the disease, or slow down or stop it,” says Dr. X. William Yang, an expert on neurodegenerative diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles. As the disease worsens, people can experience problems with swallowing, eating, thinking, emotions, body posture, or speaking. Eventually, they cannot walk or care for themselves. Some people may also have hallucinations or believe things that aren’t true, called delusions. The problem in the huntingtin gene is in a short DNA sequence that’s repeated multiple times in a row. As the number of those repeats increases, so does your risk for Huntington’s disease. Most people have fewer than 27 of these repeats. People with Huntington’s disease usually have at least 36 repeats. Those with 27 to 35 repeats are not likely to develop the disease, but they may pass along genes that increase their children’s risk. The number of these repeats also influences when symptoms appear. “The more repeats, the earlier the disease onset,” Yang says. The disease can start as early as childhood, though that’s rare. Children inherit two copies of the huntingtin gene—one from each parent. They only need to get one copy of the gene with too many repeats to develop the disease. A genetic test can tell you how many repeats your huntingtin genes have. But the test itself isn’t a diagnosis. The diagnosis is based on a clinical exam and specific movement symptoms. Scientists are studying ways to lessen the effects of the disease-causing huntingtin gene. They’re looking at ways to alter the gene and testing how to lower levels of the defective huntingtin protein. Yang’s team is investigating the role of other genes in Huntington’s disease. They’re studying an animal model of the illness. In these animals, the huntingtin gene gains more repeats during their lifetime, like it does in people with the disease. Yang’s team has found that the extra repeats are added most rapidly in the brain cells most affected by the disease. The changes happened more slowly in animals lacking certain other genes. In these animals, the huntingtin protein is also much less toxic. Yang thinks these other genes may make good targets for interventions. His team is now searching for molecules that can turn off those genes. Although we can’t stop Huntington’s disease, there are ways to improve quality of life for people with the illness. Medications are available that decrease uncontrolled movements, curb hallucinations, and soothe emotional symptoms. Identifying the disease as early as possible may make those treatments more effective. Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published June 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Getting a Genetic Test About Huntington’s Disease Huntington’s Disease Genetic Testing FAQ Distinct mismatch-repair complex genes set neuronal CAG-repeat expansion rate to drive selective pathogenesis in HD mice. Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.

NIH News in Health · Source article Home is where we eat, sleep, relax, and spend time with family. It’s where children grow and develop. Because we spend so much time there, scientists say the home is one of the most important places to think about health. Over the past decade, researchers have learned much more about the harms we’re exposed to indoors. They have also learned how to reduce some of these risks. The science has advanced. So have the tools for measuring what’s in our air, water, and dust. “The home environment plays a powerful role in shaping health,” says Dr. Heather Patisaul, an environmental toxicology expert at NIH. “The good news is that there are simple, manageable steps people can take to lower common exposures.” Chemicals in Everyday Products Many everyday products in our homes contain chemicals that can be slowly released into the air or settle into dust over time. These include flame retardants in electronics and furniture, plastic additives, pesticides, dyes in fabrics, and PFAS. PFAS stands for a group of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. “As building materials have evolved and we’ve shifted to newer construction standards, we’re introducing a lot more chemicals and a lot more plastics into our homes,” says Dr. Heather Stapleton, an environmental chemist at Duke University. Flame retardants are chemicals added to products to slow the spread of fire. Years ago, certain flame retardants were widely used in couch cushions and other items in the home. Over time, research raised concerns about some of these older chemicals. Some were linked to problems with brain development and thyroid Molecules sent through the bloodstream to signal another part of the body to react a certain way. hormones. Many of the older flame retardants have now been phased out, Stapleton says. But she adds that scientists continue to pay attention to newer flame retardants used in electronics and products, like home insulation. Many products are now available without flame retardants, such as furniture, mattresses, and clothing. Air, Dust, and Mold One key way chemicals move through a home is by attaching to dust. “They’re very sticky,” Stapleton explains. “They’re going to stick to particles that are in the air or in settled dust. So dust becomes a sink for these chemicals.” Dust can especially affect children’s health. Kids spend more time close to the floor. They touch surfaces and often put their hands in their mouths, increasing exposure. “Home hygiene plays a big role in reducing exposures coming from dust,” Patisaul says. Stapleton’s NIH-funded work suggests that cleaning routines can make a difference. In her ongoing study, families are using a robotic vacuum on a set schedule at home. After 10 weeks, Stapleton says her team saw exposure go down for many types of chemicals. This included flame retardants and plastic additives. Cooking, smoking, pets, candles, cleaners, and building materials can all add harmful particles and gases to indoor air, too. “If you burn something in your house, it’s going to release toxic chemicals,” she says. “What you need to do is ventilate it.” Ventilation means bringing in fresh air and pushing out stale air. Use a vent hood or open windows when possible. Moisture indoors can also affect health because it can lead to mold. Mold is a fungus that grows on damp surfaces, such as around leaks or in humid bathrooms. It releases spores that can irritate the nose and lungs. So, it’s important to control moisture in the home. Water Quality Water quality is another important part of a healthy home. “It’s something that people are consuming frequently and directly, across the lifespan,” says Dr. Abby Fleisch, a pediatrician and environmental health researcher at MaineHealth. Most public water systems in the U.S. are regulated and monitored for some contaminants like lead, arsenic, and pesticides, but not all. Drinking water levels of PFAS are monitored or regulated only in certain areas. And problems can still occur, especially with corroded pipes that can leach lead or other harmful chemicals. Filtering your water can be an effective way to protect against contaminants. But be sure to check what the filters can be used for. Different filters protect against different contaminants. Private wells are not regulated the same way. That means well owners should test their water regularly. Some contaminants, like PFAS, often have no taste, smell, or color. “People need to do testing to be able to identify contaminants in well water,” Fleisch says. She adds that even small levels can matter because exposure can add up over time. A recent report linked higher PFAS levels to higher cholesterol, lower response to some vaccines, higher risk of kidney cancer, and low birth weight in babies. Fleisch stresses that exposure does not mean someone will get sick. “Having been exposed to PFAS doesn’t mean that a person is definitely going to develop a particular health outcome,” she says. She describes PFAS as a risk factor. That means it may raise the chance of some health problems, but it is only one part of the picture. Build a Healthier Home Experts say that you don’t need to make drastic changes all at once. Small steps, taken over time, can create a healthier home. Fleisch points to an encouraging finding from her own NIH-supported research. In a large study, she looked at adults at risk for diabetes. People with higher PFAS levels were more likely to gain weight and develop high cholesterol or diabetes over time. But people who followed a program focused on healthy eating and regular exercise did not show this increased risk. The lifestyle changes appeared to undo the health risk in the study. That’s an important takeaway. “People shouldn’t feel overwhelmed,” Patisaul says. “They should feel empowered to ask questions and stay informed, so that they can make choices that support their families’ health.” Source: NIH News in Health. Originally published June 2026. Republished by Graymedy on 11 October 2026. This is a sourced NIH article, not a Graymedy interview or original study. Read the original article and its research references. NIH News in Health permits republication of its articles and illustrations with acknowledgement. Research findings retain their original study context. Further reading and research references Probing Personal Care Products: Look Out for Harmful Ingredients Cosmetics Flame Retardants Indoor Air Quality Mold PFAS Water Water Health Series Filtration Facts (EPA) Water Filters (EPA) Indoor air pollution and airway health Cleaning indoor air—what works for respiratory health: An updated literature review and recommendations Guidance on PFAS exposure, testing, and clinical follow-up Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and blood lipid levels in pre-diabetic adults—longitudinal analysis of the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study Detection of organophosphate flame retardants in furniture foam and U.S. house dust Flame retardant associations between children's handwipes and house dust Illustrative archival photograph: National Cancer Institute / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The people or equipment shown are not identified as participants in the research or interviews described here.