The experimental Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab slowed thinking declines among patients suffering the early stages of the disease in a new study, but safety concerns about brain swelling and brain bleeds remain. In the eagerly awaited trial findings, published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reported that lecanemab “reduced brain amyloid levels and…  read on >  read on >

Toss out your salt shaker if you want to lower your risk of heart disease, a new study suggests. Even if you already follow a low-salt diet, sprinkling salt on your food can raise your risk for heart disease, heart failure and plaque in cardiac arteries, researchers report. “Compared with people who always added salt…  read on >  read on >

Corticosteroid injections to relieve pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis could actually be setting them back. Two new studies have discovered that, despite the temporary relief of symptoms, the injections were associated with continued progression of the disease. On the other hand, patients injected with another symptom reliever, hyaluronic acid, saw decreased progression of their…  read on >  read on >

Olympic athletes aren’t like the rest of the population — but this time it’s in a far less positive way. Two new studies show that athletes who performed at the top of their sport have a higher risk of developing arthritis and joint pain in later life. The linked studies found that 1 in 4…  read on >  read on >

Teenagers and young adults who use benzodiazepines to treat insomnia may be at heightened risk of overdose, a new study finds. Benzodiazepines include anxiety medications like Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Xanax, as well as prescription sleep aids such as estazolam (ProSom), triazolam (Halcion) and temazepam (Restoril). In the new study, researchers found that young people…  read on >  read on >

Two people have now died from brain hemorrhages that may be linked to an experimental Alzheimer’s drug, calling into question the medication’s safety. A 65-year-old woman with early-stage Alzheimer’s recently died from a massive brain bleed that some researchers link to lecanemab, an antibody drug designed to bind to and remove amyloid-beta from the brain,…  read on >  read on >

Kids who are overweight or obese often struggle with school work, and now new research provides clues on how excess weight may harm the developing brain. “The main takeaway is to raise awareness about brain health consequences of obesity besides physical health consequences, especially since obesity rates are very high and continue to rise,” said…  read on >  read on >