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A team of neurologists led by UCSF scientists has developed a new scale for assessing damage caused by brain trauma that could overhaul the field of concussion medicine and help doctors better treat patients with both the least and most severe injuries, including those who are comatose and considered near-death. Health providers have been using the Glasgow Coma Scale to assess brain injuries for more than 50 years. (Allday, 5/20)

In what researchers hope could be a case of 1 + 1 = 3, new research suggests that combining a model to predict 10-year cardiovascular risk with an imaging test of coronary arteries could be better than either method alone at identifying people in danger of their first heart attack. (Cooney, 5/21)

Molecules in blood and urine may reveal how much energy a person consumes from ultraprocessed foods, a key step to understanding the impact of the products that make up nearly 60% of the American diet, a new study finds. It’s the first time that scientists have identified biological markers that can indicate higher or lower intake of the foods, which are linked to a host of health problems, said Erikka Loftfield, a National Cancer Institute researcher who led the study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine. (Aleccia, 5/20)

New research says 49 is the age when physical activity markedly declines. Putting a number on when exercise drops off could encourage people to establish active habits early — before brain changes can make it harder to get moving. (Mallenbaum, 5/20)

In a review published last week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists came to a concerning conclusion. Red meat appeared healthier in studies that were funded by the red meat industry. Of course, this is not surprising to anyone familiar with nutrition research, which often has conflicts of interest because of a lack of federal funding. But it is yet another example of how industry-linked studies might shape the way people understand, and potentially misunderstand, the health consequences of what they eat. (Legaspi, 5/20)

A highly toxic plant, that can be deadly if ingested, is spreading fast around the U.S. Poison hemlock (or Conium maculatum) is about to flower in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, and can already be seen spreading along roadsides, fields and fence lines. Poison hemlock grows nationwide and can be spotted throughout the seasons, but its most rapid growth typically occurs between March and May. (Patton and Marichoux, 5/20)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Listen To The Latest '�鶹Ů�� Health News Minute'

Sam Whitehead reads this week’s news: Using “elderspeak” with seniors can be harmful, and independent pharmacists worry tariffs could force them to close. Jackie Fortiér reads this week’s news: CPR and defibrillator training can give people the skills to help others survive cardiac arrest, and doctors are using telehealth to help thousands of patients each month access abortion care in states where it’s banned. (5/20)

A vaccine for gonorrhoea will be rolled out in England as part of a world-first programme, officials have announced. The move, hailed as a “landmark moment for sexual health”, will aim to tackle rising levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI). Gonorrhoea cases in England topped 85,000 in 2023, the highest since records began in 1918, with warnings over some strains being resistant to antibiotics. (PA Media, 5/21)