Medical Bulletin 15/May/2026

Here are the top medical news for today:

Study Finds Increased Cardiovascular Health Risks Among Perimenopausal Women

The years leading up to menopause may quietly become one of the most important turning points for a woman’s heart health.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that women going through perimenopause were twice as likely to have poor cardiovascular health compared to women with regular menstrual cycles.

Perimenopause is the stage before menopause when hormone levels — especially estrogen and progesterone — begin to fluctuate. During this time, many women experience irregular periods, sleep problems, mood changes, and hot flashes. Scientists now say these hormonal changes may also significantly affect cardiovascular health.

The study analyzed health data from 9,248 women aged 18 to 80 who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2007 and 2020. Researchers used the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 scoring system, which evaluates blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, body weight, sleep, diet, physical activity, and smoking habits.

The results showed cardiovascular health steadily declined across reproductive stages. Premenopausal women had a median score of 73.3 out of 100, while perimenopausal women scored 69.1, and postmenopausal women dropped further to 63.9.

After adjusting for age, researchers found that perimenopausal women were twice as likely to have low overall heart health scores compared to premenopausal women. They were also 76% more likely to have poor cholesterol scores and 83% more likely to show unhealthy blood sugar levels.

Researchers believe fluctuating estrogen levels may negatively influence cholesterol metabolism, insulin resistance, weight control, and blood pressure regulation during this stage.

Diet emerged as one of the weakest areas across all groups, with researchers emphasizing that healthier eating habits, regular physical activity, and early screening could help reduce future cardiovascular risk.

The team now plans to follow women over several years to better understand how hormone changes influence long-term heart health and whether lifestyle interventions during perimenopause can reduce disease risk later in life.

REFERENCE: Nayak, A., et al. (2026). Cardiovascular Health Characterization Using Life’s Essential 8 Score in Perimenopausal Women: An Analysis of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. Journal of the American Heart Association. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.125.046898. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.125.046898

Researchers Link Frequent Speech Pauses to Possible Early Dementia Warning Signs

The brain may reveal its earliest warning signs not through scans or blood tests, but through everyday conversation.

Researchers from Baycrest, University of Toronto, and York University have found that subtle speech patterns — including pauses, filler words like “um” and “uh,” and difficulty finding the right word — may provide important clues about declining cognitive health.

The study suggests that ordinary speech could become a simple and noninvasive tool for detecting early changes linked to memory problems and dementia risk.

Scientists focused on executive function, a group of mental abilities that includes planning, attention, memory, processing speed, and flexible thinking. These functions naturally weaken with age and are often affected early in neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.

For the research, participants were shown detailed images and asked to describe them naturally. They also completed standard cognitive tests used to measure executive function. Researchers then used artificial intelligence to analyze the speech recordings in detail.

The AI system identified hundreds of subtle speech features, including the frequency and duration of pauses, timing patterns, speaking speed, and the use of filler words. These speech markers strongly predicted how well participants performed on cognitive tests, even after accounting for age, education, and sex.

Researchers say speech analysis could eventually offer major advantages over traditional cognitive testing. Standard tests can be time-consuming and often become less reliable when repeated because people improve through familiarity. In contrast, speech occurs naturally every day and could potentially be monitored continuously and unobtrusively at home or in clinics.

Although more long-term studies are still needed, scientists say combining speech analysis with other health measures could improve early detection of dementia and create more accessible ways to monitor brain health over time.

REFERENCE: Hsi T. Wei, Dana Kulzhabayeva, Lella Erceg, Mira Kates Rose, Kiah A. Spencer, Jessica Robin, Ellen Bialystok, Jed A. Meltzer. Natural Speech Analysis Can Reveal Individual Differences in Executive Function Across the Adult Lifespan. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 2025; 68 (12): 5708 DOI: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00268

Scientists Decode Rare Plant Compound With Potential Cancer-Fighting Properties in New Study

A rare cancer-fighting plant compound that once seemed nearly impossible to produce may now be within scientists’ reach.

Researchers at University of British Columbia Okanagan have uncovered the molecular process plants use to create mitraphylline, a natural compound known for its potential anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The discovery reveals how plants assemble one of nature’s most chemically complex molecules and could open the door to greener, more sustainable drug development.

Mitraphylline belongs to a rare family of plant chemicals called spirooxindole alkaloids. These compounds are recognized for their unusual twisted molecular structures and strong biological activity, including potential anti-tumor effects. However, scientists had long struggled to understand exactly how plants produce them.

That changed when researchers identified two critical enzymes involved in the final stages of mitraphylline production. One enzyme helps fold the molecule into its correct three-dimensional structure, while the second converts it into the final compound.

The work builds on an earlier 2023 discovery from Dang’s laboratory, which identified the first known plant enzyme capable of twisting molecules into the distinctive “spiro” shape seen in these compounds.

Mitraphylline naturally occurs only in extremely small amounts in tropical plants such as Mitragyna speciosa and Uncaria tomentosa, making it difficult and expensive to isolate for research or medical use. Now, by identifying the enzymes responsible for building the molecule, scientists believe they may eventually reproduce the process using biotechnology rather than relying on limited plant sources.

Scientists say the next phase of research will focus on adapting these newly discovered molecular tools to create a wider range of therapeutic compounds that could eventually support cancer treatment and other medical applications.

REFERENCE: Larissa C Laforest, Tuan-Anh M Nguyen, Gabriel Oliveira Matsumoto, Pavithra Ramachandria, Andre Chanderbali, Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri, Abhisheak Sharma, Christopher R McCurdy, Thu-Thuy T Dang, Satya Swathi Nadakuduti. A chromosome-level Mitragyna parvifolia genome unveils spirooxindole alkaloid diversification and mitraphylline biosynthesis. The Plant Cell, 2025; 37 (9) DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaf207