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Today:
Painful Side Effect of Statins Explained After Decades of Mystery
NEWS | 05 February 2026
Around 10 percent of people who take statins to lower cholesterol experience mysterious muscle pains, causing many to discontinue these potentially life-saving medicines. Statins work by blocking an enzyme that's required for the biosynthesis of cholesterol in the liver. Using mice as models, the researchers observed the precise way statins bind to RyR1, using an imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Around 40 million adults take statins in the US alone, and approximately 10 percent of treated individuals experience SAMS. The first is to redesign statins so they don't bind to RyR1 but still inhibit cholesterol production in the liver.

Top Stories:
Nipah Virus Outbreak Has Asia on High Alert Amid Deaths in India
NEWS | 05 February 2026
An outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in India has put many countries in Asia on high alert, given the fatality rate in humans can be between 40% and 75%. But what is Nipah virus, and how concerned should we be? What is Nipah virus? Like Hendra virus, Nipah is in a category of viruses called henipaviruses. This Nipah outbreak in India is worrying because there's currently no prevention and no treatment available, and it's a severe disease.

World:
Surprising Find Inside Kidney Stones Suggests We Were Wrong About How They Form
NEWS | 05 February 2026
For the first time, scientists have discovered evidence of bacteria hiding in 'noninfectious' kidney stones. Most kidney stones are considered noninfectious after they are passed. The findings suggest that in some cases where kidney stones keep coming back, there may be a bacterial infection in the kidney, ureter, or bladder contributing to recurrence. If this infection is treated, then perhaps there may be fewer kidney stones going forward. Using electron and fluorescence microscopy, the researchers found structural and chemical evidence of bacteria in calcium oxalate stones taken from human patients.

Current Events:
Roots of Many Miscarriages May Trace Back To Before The Mother Is Even Born
NEWS | 05 February 2026
A miscarriage can occur for a variety of reasons, but chromosomal abnormalities are a common factor. About half of all known miscarriages in the first or second trimester result from fetuses possessing too many or too few chromosomes. To remedy that, scientists would need to analyze a huge volume of genetic data from many thousands of embryos before pregnancy loss, along with data from their biological parents. frameborder="0″ allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>"Here the power comes from these huge sample sizes," McCoy says. "Our results demonstrate that inherited differences in these meiotic processes contribute to natural variation in risk of aneuploidy and pregnancy loss between individuals," McCoy says.

News Flash:
Autism Probably Affects Boys And Girls Equally, Massive New Study Reveals
NEWS | 05 February 2026
Autism has historically been viewed as a condition that affects men and boys more frequently than women and girls. But a massive new study based on data from millions of people suggests this isn't actually the case, at least in Sweden. This suggests it's not a case of fewer women having autism: it's just that they aren't diagnosed until later in life. That finding suggests autism isn't actually a predominantly male condition: it just takes longer for girls and women to be diagnosed. There's clearly a lot more to learn about autism, particularly among women and girls.

Sponsored:
Remote Monitoring App
SPONSORED | 05 February 2026
SmartSync is a mobile application, compatible with any Android smartphone, that syncs your important data to your email. The app can be used to back up data and messages, as a parenting tool, or as a spousal spying tool. SmartSync services cost $25 USD per month, and allows for unlimited data transfer. The app can be found Here

Latest:
Most Preventable Cancers Are Linked to Just Two Lifestyle Habits
NEWS | 05 February 2026
According to new analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a third of all cancer cases globally are preventable. Smoking tobacco. It was linked to 15 percent of all cancer cases that year. Infections, meanwhile, were linked to roughly 10 percent of new cancer cases. Among women, the largest share of preventable cancers was due to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer.

Breaking:
Bacteria at The Back of Your Eye May Be Linked With Alzheimer's Progress
NEWS | 05 February 2026
A common bacterium usually found in the respiratory system appears to be linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease when it's present in the retina. Now, a new study has detected C. pneumoniae in the vision-generating tissue that lines the back of the eye, at higher levels in people with Alzheimer's. Some had Alzheimer's disease, some had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and some hadn't reported any cognitive problems. They found a clear association between the presence of C. pneumoniae in the eye and brain and having a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Next, the researchers ran tests using lab-grown neurons and animal models to determine what C. pneumoniae might be doing biologically.

Trending:
Cholesterol Levels Slashed by 60% in Promising New Pill Trial
NEWS | 05 February 2026
If approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the pill, named enlicitide, could offer an easier-to-use option for millions of people. In a major study, more than 2,900 high-risk patients were randomly assigned to add a daily enlicitide pill or a dummy drug to their standard treatment. The enlicitide users saw their LDL cholesterol drop by as much as 60 percent over six months, researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Heart disease is the nation's leading cause of death and high LDL cholesterol, which causes plaque to build up in arteries, is a top risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Statin pills like Lipitor and Crestor, or their cheap generic equivalents, are highly effective at lowering LDL.

This Just In:
47-Year Study Reveals The Age We Hit Our Physical Peak
NEWS | 05 February 2026
Even if physical activity won't help us delay our peak, it can make a difference in how rapidly our abilities deteriorate, the study suggests. Previous research on elite athletes has shown that, despite continuous training, physical performance typically peaks by about age 30. By age 63, participants' overall drop from their peak physical capacity ranged from 30 percent to 48 percent. While we may be unable to dodge or delay our physical decline, we can reduce its speed with regular exercise, the authors report. Participants who became more active in adulthood still managed to improve their physical capacity by around 10 percent, the study found.

Today:
Yawning Does Something Surprising in Your Brain, MRI Scans Reveal
NEWS | 05 February 2026
The research team used MRI to scan the heads and necks of 22 healthy participants while they were told to yawn, take deep breaths, stifle yawns, and breathe normally. Given that yawning and deep breathing share similar mechanisms, the researchers expected them to look similar on the scans. Surprisingly, the images revealed a key difference: unlike deep breaths, yawns sent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) away from the brain. The analysis also revealed that both deep breaths and yawns increased the flow of blood leaving the brain, making more room for fresh blood to be pumped in. One possibility raised by the researchers is that yawning has a specific role in cleaning out the brain.

Top Stories:
How Did This River 'Flow Uphill'? Geologists May Finally Have an Answer
NEWS | 05 February 2026
It turns out, the Green River did not have to flow uphill at all: instead, the mountain range was conveniently lowered, in a phenomenon known as lithospheric drip. This would have temporarily pulled the mountain range down, allowing the Green River to chart its unlikely course. Later, the Uinta mountains grew by 400 meters up around the river, forming the canyon we have today. At the Uinta Mountains, seismic images revealed a cold, round chunk about 200 kilometers below the surface: probably the drip in question. By then, the Green River had settled in for good: The Canyon of Lodor was there to stay, and the Green River became a tributary of the Colorado River.

World:
Regular Laxative Use May Raise Risks of Dementia And Depression
NEWS | 05 February 2026
Even though serious complications from chronic laxative use are rare, they do happen. However, a later review of more than 70 publications describing 240 cases of stimulant laxative abuse found no cases of cathartic colon reported. Laxative abuse can also lower other electrolytes, such as calcium and magnesium, leading to painful muscle contractions. Occasionally, the kidney can be severely affected by chronic laxative abuse. One theory is chronic laxative abuse could alter what's known as the microbiome-gut-brain-axis (the way microbiota and the brain communicate) and lead to a higher risk of conditions such as depression and dementia.

Current Events:
Brain-Eating Amoebas May Pose a Growing Global Threat, Scientists Warn
NEWS | 05 February 2026
Scientists are calling for urgent action on free-living amoebas – a little-known group of microbes that could pose a growing global health threat. Free-living amoebas are single-celled organisms that don't need a host to live. Some people have become infected while using contaminated tap water to rinse their sinuses for religious or health reasons. Climate change is probably making the threat from free-living amoebas worse by creating more favourable conditions for their growth. Keeping water systems properly chlorinated, flushing hot water systems, and following safe recreational water and contact lens hygiene guidelines all help reduce the chance of infection.

News Flash:
It May Be Safe to Nuke an Earthbound Asteroid After All, Simulation Suggests
NEWS | 05 February 2026
Could humanity nuke an incoming asteroid to deflect it and save the Earth, disaster-movie style? A unique new impact simulation suggests that a nuclear option could be a viable last resort to avert an apocalypse. So, to decide between an impactor like DART or an as-yet untried nuclear approach, planetary defenders must ascertain the mechanical behavior of different asteroid materials. For example, different models yield different values for yield strength, a measure of how easily a body breaks under stress. Instead of loading an asteroid with explosives, some physicists propose a standoff nuclear detonation near an asteroid to vaporize part of its bulk and deflect its orbital path.