news 2026

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects more than one billion people worldwide and is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. For decades, researchers have observed that premenopausal women are less likely to develop high blood pressure than men or postmenopausal women. Researchers have known for years that estrogen is the deciding factor, but exactly how it offers this protection has remained unclear.

An international team of researchers say a newly discovered fossil thighbone from Bulgaria could rewrite the history of human origins. Walking on two legs has long been considered a milestone in human evolution and one of our most defining characteristics. Until now, researchers assumed that the first humans originated in Africa and that bipedalism developed there around six million years ago.

Scientists reveal that even small differences in solar magnetic activity produce detectable changes inside the Sun. Scientists have analysed more than 40 years of astronomical data to uncover evidence that the Sun's internal structure subtly changes from one solar cycle minimum to the next. Publishing their findings in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , researchers from the University of Birmingham and Yale University reveal that even small differences in solar magnetic activity produce detectable changes inside the Sun.

Health The fear that cancer will progress or worsen is one of the most common concerns among people living with this disease. Identifying and measuring this concern is key to providing appropriate psychological care and improving patients' quality of life.

Methanol is a key starting material for chemical products. Researchers from ETH Zurich can now produce this precursor from CO2 and hydrogen with high efficiency by using isolated metal atoms as catalysts. Every chemical reaction faces a barrier: for substances to react with one another, it is first necessary to supply energy.

VUB research shows that targeted protection makes mangroves more resilient to climate change. A new study by an international team of researchers shows how climate change can be better considered when protecting mangrove forests. The researchers found that even modest increases in protected areas can make these ecosystems more resilient to climate change.

Consistent and permanent abstinence from alcohol can lead to the regression of existing liver-related complications, even in cases of advanced alcohol-related cirrhosis. This is shown by an international multicentre study led by MedUni Vienna, which was recently published in the Journal of Hepatology.

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed a unifying mechanical principle that explains why animals as different as pike, tuna, vultures and swifts have evolved such vastly different shapes for flight and swimming. The findings suggest that the same equations used when designing propellers apply to swimming and flapping flight.

A tool originally designed to monitor the erosion of Scotland's coast has proven its worth on a tropical island the other side of the world. The open-source tool, called VedgeSat, was developed by researchers from the University of Glasgow as a more affordable and accessible alternative to traditional methods of coastal management.

Just a few days in simulated microgravity can subtly change the way women's blood clots, sparking bigger questions about health monitoring protocols for astronauts who can spend six months or more in orbit, say Simon Fraser researchers. First reported in 2020, an International Space Station mission detected an unexpected blood clot in a female astronaut's jugular vein.

A new experimental treatment for children with a hard-to-treat form of epilepsy is safe and can reduce seizures dramatically, helping them lead much healthier and happier lives, according to a new international clinical trial. The findings of the trial - led by UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow and NHS GG&C - found that children with Dravet syndrome had up to 91 per cent fewer seizures while being regularly administered a new medication called zorevunersen.

Caltech scientists have developed a method that detects tiny, imperceptible movements at the surface of objects to reveal details about what lies beneath. By analyzing the physics of waves traveling across the surface of an object-whether that be a manufactured product or the human body-the new technique can determine both the stiffness and thickness of the underlying material or tissue.

Scientists have long focused on rising temperatures to understand how climate change is reshaping the natural world. But there's a critical blind spot in that picture: rain. A new global study reveals precipitation has been largely overlooked in studies of how climate change impacts birds, even though it can be just as influential as temperature.

International research team led by Göttingen University design versatile imaging system Understanding how cells are organized and how their molecular components interact in a coordinated and cooperative manner is a central goal of modern life sciences. To answer these questions, researchers need to observe many structures inside the same cell at once and map how they are arranged and interact.

Communication tool can improve treatment outcomes for patients with high blood pressure and cholesterol A new study from the University of Southern Denmark shows that when people are given a clear and concrete understanding of their heart health alongside their usual treatment, they can achieve significant improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Weight loss drugs may help prevent further tissue damage following a heart attack, significantly reducing the risk of further life-threatening complications that affect up to half of all patients, finds a new study in mice led by UCL and University of Bristol researchers. Published in Nature Communications , the research suggests that GLP-1 mimicking weight loss drugs could offer a promising new therapeutic approach for improving heart attack recovery.

There are many open questions about how our planet formed 4.55 billion years ago: When did plate tectonics start? When did the earth's mantle begin to vigorously circulate in a process called convection? What was Earth like early in its lifetime? Because no rock records from the earliest years of the earth remain, researchers turn to minerals called zircons, which are resilient against physical and chemical alteration over time and therefore preserve a precise chemical record about the moments in which they were formed.

Researchers at the University of Bonn have conducted a review study to examine the methods used to research consumer behaviour in supermarkets. WHAT IS IT ABOUT? Researchers from the University of Bonn have taken a comprehensive look at how scientists study consumer behavior in supermarkets. Their review covers everything from real-life grocery stores to lab-based shelves, online supermarkets, and virtual reality environments.

BRUSSELS 03/03/2026 - An international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and UZ Brussel, has made a major breakthrough in the study of how our bodies maintain healthy blood sugar levels. In a new study, they show that young beta cells, the tiny factories in the pancreas that produce insulin, need an enormous amount of iron to become mature and functional.

Observing exoplanets poses a number of challenges. In particular, planets that resemble the Earth are very difficult to study, as they only shine faintly and are outshone by their associated star. Now an international research team including Stefan Kimeswenger, astrophysicist at the University of Innsbruck, has investigated a new approach: a large, Earth-based telescope is to be combined with a "sunshade" orbiting in space that specifically blocks out the star's light.