1: Brain Food or Brain Shield? Midlife Diet and Cognitive Health

A cohort study of 160K adults in their 40s and 50s found that those adhering to a healthier diet — including patterns such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet — had better objective cognitive function and a lower risk of subjective cognitive decline compared with those less consistent in eating fruits, vegetables, and protein. The findings suggest that dietary habits in midlife may play a meaningful role in long-term brain health.

2: Surgical Extent in Sporadic Medullary Thyroid Cancer — Does More Mean More Benefit?

A systematic review and meta-analysis compared total thyroidectomy with lobectomy in patients with sporadic medullary thyroid cancer. Across 9 studies including more than 1,300 patients, thyroid lobectomy produced similar outcomes in mortality, overall survival, cure rates, and development of distant metastases. With fewer adverse events reported, lobectomy may offer comparable oncologic outcomes with a lower complication burden in this population.

3: Alcohol on the Feed, Alcohol on the Mind

An RCT of 2,000 young adults aged 18 to 24 examined whether exposure to alcohol-related social media content influences desire to drink. Participants assigned to view Instagram posts from lifestyle influencers that visibly depicted alcohol consumption reported a higher desire to drink — regardless of their prior alcohol use. Whether repeated exposure translates into sustained changes in drinking behaviour remains an open question.

In Canada, nearly 1 in 3 people are living with obesity, and gaps in support are showing up in clinics every day. Clinicians are often expected to deliver respectful, evidence-informed care in short visits, while science evolves faster than the systems, policies, and clinical pathways around us.

Today is World Obesity Day, and a useful moment to step back and ask: how do we translate fast-moving evidence into real clinical decisions, within the constraints we’re working in? 

The Canadian Obesity Summit is designed for exactly that: practical learning that helps bridge evidence into real-world care. Join us March 25-29 in Montréal for sessions that cover obesity care across the lifespan.

Program highlights include: 

Across the program, the focus stays practical, grounded in how obesity care actually plays out across specialties and care settings.

Join us in Montréal on March 25–29, 2026

Children’s checkups may now carry a more mature question

What happened: The Canadian Paediatric Society recently released a statement recommending cholesterol screening for all children between 2 and 10 years old.

Why it matters: Around 1 in 300 Canadians lives with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic condition that causes dangerously high cholesterol. Typically resulting from a mutation in the liver’s LDL receptor, FH significantly impairs the body’s ability to clear "bad" cholesterol. If left untreated, patients face a 20-fold increase in the risk of premature heart disease. Physical markers can include yellowish deposits (xanthomas) on tendons or knuckles and grayish-white rings around the cornea. 

Universal screenings could allow doctors to catch the condition early enough to begin treatment, preventing cardiovascular disease in adulthood, an expert told CBC News. Currently, Canadian doctors miss approximately 95% of children with FH, as the condition remains largely asymptomatic during childhood.

Luckily, long-term data have shown that statin medications used to treat high cholesterol in adults can be given to children 8 years and older in low doses. In a 20-year follow-up, researchers found that kids on the medication had a lower risk for heart issues later in life. 

But: Some healthcare workers are worried how the new guidelines will impact hospital resources. Screening thousands of kids — scheduling both the tests and follow-ups — could strain an already overwhelmed system. With family physicians in short supply across Canada, experts warn that the provincial systems must address current resource limitations to ensure a smooth rollout.

Bottom line: This is the first time Canadian family doctors and pediatricians have had a clear set of cholesterol screening recommendations. While these new rules could save countless kids from heart disease, they’ll mean nothing unless more time and money are put into strengthening Canada’s healthcare system, starting with hiring more family physicians.

Oops — we missed the mark: In last week’s issue, we incorrectly stated that Nova Scotia was the only province with a lung cancer screening program. In fact, several other provinces — including British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec — already have organized screening programs or large-scale pilots in place. We regret the error and are happy to set the record straight!

1: 🚀 A weekend of heavy US and Israeli strikes on Iran has triggered a massive regional no-fly zone, with reports of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader sending the situation into a tailspin. Following Saturday's attacks on Tehran, Iran has retaliated with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. For Canadians, the impact is immediate: Air Canada has suspended service to Dubai and Tel Aviv, and Global Affairs Canada is tracking over 85,000 citizens currently in the region. Ottawa is now advising Canadians to avoid all travel to the region as the conflict continues to escalate.

2: 🦠 Alberta’s flu season just became the deadliest in recent memory. The province has reported 250 influenza deaths so far — the highest total recorded since at least 2009, when public reporting began. More than 3,700 hospitalizations and 275 ICU admissions have followed. Vaccination uptake sits just above 20% — the lowest level in over a decade. Experts describe a “perfect storm” of reduced immunity, strain mismatch, and post-pandemic fatigue. It’s also the 4th straight year Alberta has set a new flu mortality record. Four straight records are hard to dismiss as an anomaly.

3: 🏛️ Anthropic’s Claude just leapfrogged ChatGPT in US app downloads —immediately after the Pentagon blacklisted its maker. Claude surged past OpenAI in recent weeks, even as the US Department of Defense restricted employee access over security concerns. Translation: nothing boosts curiosity like a government ban. The spike shows how fast AI attention shifts when regulators step in and an agency’s warning can look a lot like free advertising.

4: 🩸 Rising CO₂ is officially under our skin. A 20-year study of 7,000 people found that as atmospheric CO₂ rises, our blood chemistry is shifting with it. Since 1999, average bicarbonate levels have climbed 7%, while calcium and phosphorus have dipped. Researchers warn we may be nearing a physiological “upper limit” of CO₂ tolerance; if trends hold, bicarbonate levels could reach unhealthy ranges by 2076. We’ve long known we were changing the atmosphere. We’re only now seeing how much it’s changing us back.

5: 🧴 Your SPF 50 might be a mathematical hallucination. A recent CBC Marketplace investigation found that the number on your sunscreen bottle is often more suggestion than certainty. When researchers sent a top-selling SPF 50 to 5 different labs, they got back a "roller coaster" of results — ranging from SPF 60 down to just SPF 15. The culprit? An archaic, subjective testing system that relies on human "redness" and offers almost no oversight. Despite the inconsistency, physician advice remains the same: a "weak" product is better than nothing.

More than skin deep: Tackling the burden of GPP

Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (GPP) is rare, but the stakes are high. This accredited eCME program from MDBriefCase gives a practical roadmap for diagnosing and managing GPP flares. The course covers everything from the physical pain to the heavy psychosocial toll this condition takes on patients. Spend 45 minutes this week learning how to identify those "red flag" features and implement new evidence-based therapies.

Knock out this free accredited eCME program in under an hour.

326K to 534K: the number of micro- and nanoplastic particles that can migrate into food after just minutes of microwaving in plastic. A Greenpeace review of 24 studies argues that “microwave safe” refers to structural integrity, not chemical shedding. With nearly 1,400 food-contact plastic chemicals already detected in humans, regulators have yet to establish clear exposure thresholds.

8%: the average body weight lost by patients taking orforglipron, a new once-daily GLP-1 pill from Eli Lilly. The trial showed the tablet was more effective than current oral semaglutide, though about 10% of participants stopped treatment due to gastrointestinal side effects.

93%: the proportion of respondents in a 2019 BC consultation who supported year-round daylight saving time. This Sunday’s “spring forward” will be the province’s last — and airports are already raising scheduling concerns. The circadian system may benefit, but cross-border calendars might not.

$1.7M: the amount the average Canadian couple now believes they need to save for a comfortable retirement. According to BMO’s latest survey, that target is nearly $160K higher than last year.

95: the age of a Canadian grandmother who is still hitting the slopes 3 times a week. While most of us are happy to survive a March sidewalk without a hip pointer, she credits downhill skiing and staying active for her longevity.

First clue: CT CAP, for example

Need a rematch? We’ve got you covered. Check out our Crossword Archive to find every puzzle we’ve ever made, all in one place.

Think you crushed it? Challenge your physician friends to beat your time.

🌮 Make: scrambled egg tacos. Swap the boring toast for warm tortillas, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Efficient, filling, and significantly better than a cold protein bar.

🎧 Listen: to this Nature Briefing podcast on how Pokémon has inspired science. As the franchise turns 30 this year, it turns out “Gotta catch ’em all” wasn’t just a marketing slogan — it helped shape how a generation of scientists identifies species and tracks data in the lab.

📺 Watch: this lineup of what’s hitting streaming in March. If you actually manage to put your feet up between shifts, this guide covers everything new on Netflix, Prime, and Crave this month.

✈️ Visit: the world’s most iconic concert halls. From the futuristic glass of Hamburg to the gold-leafed ceilings of Vienna, these venues prove that great architecture is the best opening act.