The fool is not always unfortunate, nor the wise man always successful; yet never had a fool a thorough enjoyment; never was a wise man wholly unhappy.
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Health Canada issues recall over blood pressure medication mix-up
Taking midodrine instead of amlodipine could lead to serious health risks
Author of the article
enette Wilford
Published Feb 09, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg.
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg. Photo by Supplied /Health Canada
A blood pressure medication mix-up has led to a Canada-wide recall.
Health Canada has recalled MAR-Amlodipine 5 mg tablets, which treat high blood pressure and chest pain, as some bottles may contain the wrong drug.
Marcan Pharmaceuticals Inc. says certain bottles labelled as MAR-Amlodipine may actually contain midodrine 2.5 mg tablets, a medication used to treat low blood pressure.
Taking midodrine instead of amlodipine could lead to serious health risks, including dangerously high blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, slow heartbeats, and potential organ damage, according to the agency.
Additionally, children may face a higher risk of harm if they take the incorrect medication.
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg.
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg. Photo by Supplied /Health Canada
What to look for
To discern the difference in medications, the correct MAR-Amlodipine tablets have eight sides, are white to off-white in colour, and have the numbers “210” and “5” printed on one side (pictured above, on the left).
Meanwhile, Midodrine 2.5 mg tablets (pictured above, on the right), which were mistakenly put in the bottles, are round in shape and are marked with “M2.”
The affected product is MAR-Amlodipine 5 mg, DIN 02371715, from lots 2472021 and 2472021A, with an expiry date of July 2027, according to the public advisory.
Consumers with questions can contact Marcan Pharmaceuticals Inc. directly, and health-care professionals are being asked to carefully check bottles before dispensing and report any issues.
What to do if you have or have taken wrong meds
If your bottle of MAR-Amlodipine contains the wrong tablets, do not take them and return them to your pharmacy.
If you accidentally took the wrong medication, see a health-care professional or call 911 if you feel dizzy, have unusually high blood pressure or a slow heartbeat, Health Canada advises.
If you are experiencing chest pain, a sudden headache, impaired speech or are unable to move or feel part of your body, seek immediate medical attention.
torontosun.com
Taking midodrine instead of amlodipine could lead to serious health risks
Author of the article
enette WilfordPublished Feb 09, 2026 • Last updated 1 day ago • 1 minute read
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg.
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg. Photo by Supplied /Health Canada
A blood pressure medication mix-up has led to a Canada-wide recall.
Health Canada has recalled MAR-Amlodipine 5 mg tablets, which treat high blood pressure and chest pain, as some bottles may contain the wrong drug.
Marcan Pharmaceuticals Inc. says certain bottles labelled as MAR-Amlodipine may actually contain midodrine 2.5 mg tablets, a medication used to treat low blood pressure.
Taking midodrine instead of amlodipine could lead to serious health risks, including dangerously high blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, slow heartbeats, and potential organ damage, according to the agency.
Additionally, children may face a higher risk of harm if they take the incorrect medication.
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg.
MAR-amlodipine 2.5 mg tablets, left, and Midodrine 2.5 mg. Photo by Supplied /Health Canada
What to look for
To discern the difference in medications, the correct MAR-Amlodipine tablets have eight sides, are white to off-white in colour, and have the numbers “210” and “5” printed on one side (pictured above, on the left).
Meanwhile, Midodrine 2.5 mg tablets (pictured above, on the right), which were mistakenly put in the bottles, are round in shape and are marked with “M2.”
The affected product is MAR-Amlodipine 5 mg, DIN 02371715, from lots 2472021 and 2472021A, with an expiry date of July 2027, according to the public advisory.
Consumers with questions can contact Marcan Pharmaceuticals Inc. directly, and health-care professionals are being asked to carefully check bottles before dispensing and report any issues.
What to do if you have or have taken wrong meds
If your bottle of MAR-Amlodipine contains the wrong tablets, do not take them and return them to your pharmacy.
If you accidentally took the wrong medication, see a health-care professional or call 911 if you feel dizzy, have unusually high blood pressure or a slow heartbeat, Health Canada advises.
If you are experiencing chest pain, a sudden headache, impaired speech or are unable to move or feel part of your body, seek immediate medical attention.
Health Canada issues recall over blood pressure medication mix-up
A blood pressure medication mix-up has led to a Canada-wide recall. Some bottles of MAR-Amlodipine 5 mg tablets contain the wrong drug.
It's a snake-eat-snake world, new research says
New research says snakes will eat each other more commonly than previously thought.
Author of the article:Brian Towie
Published Feb 17, 2026 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a penchant for cannibalism in snakes. Getty Images
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a penchant for cannibalism in snakes. Getty Images
A newly released study shows that snakes are more cannibalistic than previously thought.
Snakes will commonly prey on other species of snake, but cannibalism in this case is when a snake will eat one of its own. And researchers say it happens more often than they thought.
“Going from a few scattered reports to compiling more than 500 documented events was honestly astonishing,” says Bruna Falcao, a master’s student at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, who conducted the research while an undergrad at the University of Sao Carlos. “Each new record reinforced the idea that cannibalism in snakes is not an anomaly or a rare curiosity, but a widespread and ecologically relevant behaviour that we had been systematically underestimating.”
Found in 207 species of snakes
In 2022, Falcao found a preserved Brazilian lancehead viper with a younger snake of the same species in its stomach. That inspired her to begin her research into cannibalism in snakes, with one record dating back to 1892.
In research published in November, Falcao and her team found 503 cases of reported cannibalism in at least 207 species of snake. The cases were widely spread geographically and in terms of taxonomy, which suggests that snake cannibalism has multiple origins.
“Cannibalism may have also arisen independently in the snake evolutionary tree at least 11 times,” says study co-author Omar Entiauspe-Neto, a PhD student at the University of Sao Paulo.
Among the least surprising groups found to eat others of their species were the elapids — which includes cobras and kraits. Elapids were responsible for about 19% of the recorded cannibalism events. Conservation scientist Max Jones recalled a 2019 case of a male cobra eating a female looking to mate.
Female is more deadly than the male
In anacondas, the reverse happens. Green anaconda females are larger than males and are polyandrous, which means several males mate with the same female. A female will be surrounded by a harem of suitors, select the strongest males to mate with and eat the smaller, inferior males, possibly to both reduce sperm competition and retain energy to produce fertilized eggs, says Entiauspe-Neto.
The most cannibalistic snakes reported by the team were in the Colubridae family — which includes species such as venomous boomslangs. It represented 29% of all cannibalism reports. The authors argue most cases in this family were related to a lack of other food sources, since this family doesn’t typically prey on snakes.
Mom consumes own eggs
The report says several families of snake are known for maternal cannibalism, cases in which the mother consumes her own eggs. There could be a number of reasons for this, researchers say: They could be weeding out bad, dead or rotten eggs to reduce smells that could attract predators who would eat the viable ones. Or, she could just be hungry.
“Eating those nonviable offspring could protect the viable offspring,” Entiauspe-Neto says. “We found a high proportion of (boa family) snakes doing that, which are usually the ones that exhibit maternal care.”
“None of us expected that … snakes could be so cannibalistic, and no one was talking about it,” Falcao added. “The more we were searching, the more cases we found.”
Falcao said that although this study reveals insight into serpentine dietary habits, there is still more research to be done.
nationalzoo.si.edu
inaturalist.org
torontosun.com
New research says snakes will eat each other more commonly than previously thought.
Author of the article:Brian Towie
Published Feb 17, 2026 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a penchant for cannibalism in snakes. Getty Images
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a penchant for cannibalism in snakes. Getty Images
A newly released study shows that snakes are more cannibalistic than previously thought.
Snakes will commonly prey on other species of snake, but cannibalism in this case is when a snake will eat one of its own. And researchers say it happens more often than they thought.
“Going from a few scattered reports to compiling more than 500 documented events was honestly astonishing,” says Bruna Falcao, a master’s student at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, who conducted the research while an undergrad at the University of Sao Carlos. “Each new record reinforced the idea that cannibalism in snakes is not an anomaly or a rare curiosity, but a widespread and ecologically relevant behaviour that we had been systematically underestimating.”
Found in 207 species of snakes
In 2022, Falcao found a preserved Brazilian lancehead viper with a younger snake of the same species in its stomach. That inspired her to begin her research into cannibalism in snakes, with one record dating back to 1892.
In research published in November, Falcao and her team found 503 cases of reported cannibalism in at least 207 species of snake. The cases were widely spread geographically and in terms of taxonomy, which suggests that snake cannibalism has multiple origins.
“Cannibalism may have also arisen independently in the snake evolutionary tree at least 11 times,” says study co-author Omar Entiauspe-Neto, a PhD student at the University of Sao Paulo.
Among the least surprising groups found to eat others of their species were the elapids — which includes cobras and kraits. Elapids were responsible for about 19% of the recorded cannibalism events. Conservation scientist Max Jones recalled a 2019 case of a male cobra eating a female looking to mate.
Female is more deadly than the male
In anacondas, the reverse happens. Green anaconda females are larger than males and are polyandrous, which means several males mate with the same female. A female will be surrounded by a harem of suitors, select the strongest males to mate with and eat the smaller, inferior males, possibly to both reduce sperm competition and retain energy to produce fertilized eggs, says Entiauspe-Neto.
The most cannibalistic snakes reported by the team were in the Colubridae family — which includes species such as venomous boomslangs. It represented 29% of all cannibalism reports. The authors argue most cases in this family were related to a lack of other food sources, since this family doesn’t typically prey on snakes.
Mom consumes own eggs
The report says several families of snake are known for maternal cannibalism, cases in which the mother consumes her own eggs. There could be a number of reasons for this, researchers say: They could be weeding out bad, dead or rotten eggs to reduce smells that could attract predators who would eat the viable ones. Or, she could just be hungry.
“Eating those nonviable offspring could protect the viable offspring,” Entiauspe-Neto says. “We found a high proportion of (boa family) snakes doing that, which are usually the ones that exhibit maternal care.”
“None of us expected that … snakes could be so cannibalistic, and no one was talking about it,” Falcao added. “The more we were searching, the more cases we found.”
Falcao said that although this study reveals insight into serpentine dietary habits, there is still more research to be done.
Green anaconda
Always free of charge, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of Washington D.C.’s, and the Smithsonian’s, most popular tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors from all over the world each year. The Zoo instills a lifelong commitment to conservation through engaging experiences...
Brazilian Lancehead (Bothrops moojeni)
Bothrops moojeni, commonly known in English as the Brazilian lancehead, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. It is a pit viper endemic to South America. (Source: Wikipedia, '', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothrops_moojeni, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) Jessica dos Anjos, all...
inaturalist.org
It's a snake-eat-snake world, new research says
New research says that snakes are more cannibalistic than previously thought. Read more.
From the Epstein Files?It's a snake-eat-snake world, new research says
New research says snakes will eat each other more commonly than previously thought.
Author of the article:Brian Towie
Published Feb 17, 2026 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a penchant for cannibalism in snakes. Getty Images
Researchers have found widespread evidence of a penchant for cannibalism in snakes. Getty Images
A newly released study shows that snakes are more cannibalistic than previously thought.
Snakes will commonly prey on other species of snake, but cannibalism in this case is when a snake will eat one of its own. And researchers say it happens more often than they thought.
“Going from a few scattered reports to compiling more than 500 documented events was honestly astonishing,” says Bruna Falcao, a master’s student at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, who conducted the research while an undergrad at the University of Sao Carlos. “Each new record reinforced the idea that cannibalism in snakes is not an anomaly or a rare curiosity, but a widespread and ecologically relevant behaviour that we had been systematically underestimating.”
Found in 207 species of snakes
In 2022, Falcao found a preserved Brazilian lancehead viper with a younger snake of the same species in its stomach. That inspired her to begin her research into cannibalism in snakes, with one record dating back to 1892.
In research published in November, Falcao and her team found 503 cases of reported cannibalism in at least 207 species of snake. The cases were widely spread geographically and in terms of taxonomy, which suggests that snake cannibalism has multiple origins.
“Cannibalism may have also arisen independently in the snake evolutionary tree at least 11 times,” says study co-author Omar Entiauspe-Neto, a PhD student at the University of Sao Paulo.
Among the least surprising groups found to eat others of their species were the elapids — which includes cobras and kraits. Elapids were responsible for about 19% of the recorded cannibalism events. Conservation scientist Max Jones recalled a 2019 case of a male cobra eating a female looking to mate.
Female is more deadly than the male
In anacondas, the reverse happens. Green anaconda females are larger than males and are polyandrous, which means several males mate with the same female. A female will be surrounded by a harem of suitors, select the strongest males to mate with and eat the smaller, inferior males, possibly to both reduce sperm competition and retain energy to produce fertilized eggs, says Entiauspe-Neto.
The most cannibalistic snakes reported by the team were in the Colubridae family — which includes species such as venomous boomslangs. It represented 29% of all cannibalism reports. The authors argue most cases in this family were related to a lack of other food sources, since this family doesn’t typically prey on snakes.
Mom consumes own eggs
The report says several families of snake are known for maternal cannibalism, cases in which the mother consumes her own eggs. There could be a number of reasons for this, researchers say: They could be weeding out bad, dead or rotten eggs to reduce smells that could attract predators who would eat the viable ones. Or, she could just be hungry.
“Eating those nonviable offspring could protect the viable offspring,” Entiauspe-Neto says. “We found a high proportion of (boa family) snakes doing that, which are usually the ones that exhibit maternal care.”
“None of us expected that … snakes could be so cannibalistic, and no one was talking about it,” Falcao added. “The more we were searching, the more cases we found.”
Falcao said that although this study reveals insight into serpentine dietary habits, there is still more research to be done.
Green anaconda
Always free of charge, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of Washington D.C.’s, and the Smithsonian’s, most popular tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors from all over the world each year. The Zoo instills a lifelong commitment to conservation through engaging experiences...Brazilian Lancehead (Bothrops moojeni)
Bothrops moojeni, commonly known in English as the Brazilian lancehead, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. It is a pit viper endemic to South America. (Source: Wikipedia, '', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothrops_moojeni, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) Jessica dos Anjos, all...It's a snake-eat-snake world, new research says
New research says that snakes are more cannibalistic than previously thought. Read more.
Must be…just like this:
Researcher from Manitoba university helps identify oldest known fossilized vomit — National Post
Paleontologist Mark MacDougall, who co-authored a study about it, says the find provides direct evidence of predator-prey relationships in a 'prehistoric time capsule'
That beats coprolite hands down.Must be…just like this:
View attachment 33334
Researcher from Manitoba university helps identify oldest known fossilized vomit — National Post
Paleontologist Mark MacDougall, who co-authored a study about it, says the find provides direct evidence of predator-prey relationships in a 'prehistoric time capsule'apple.news
Female tortoises walk off cliffs to avoid sexually aggressive males, says study
The males' sexual aggression 'seems to be causing an extinction vortex' of the females
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Feb 18, 2026 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 1 minute read
Close up of three young hermann turtles on a synthetic grass with daisyflower
Close-up of three isolated young hermann turtles. Photo by Getty Images
Well, that’s one way to avoid unwanted sexually charged partners.
A new study suggests that sexual aggression may be the reason why female tortoises walk off cliffs.
The researchers behind the study say that male Hermann’s tortoises largely outnumber their female equivalents on Golem Grad island in North Macedonia. In some areas of the island, there are 19 males for every one female.
The study – Sex Ratio Bias Triggers Demographic Suicide in a Dense Tortoise Population – noted female tortoise numbers continue to spiral downwards because of the sexual aggression of the males, The New York Times reported.
Researchers found some female tortoises will walk off high cliffs, with some of them dying, to avoid the horny mates.
The study also showed that harassed female tortoises reproduce less and have lower annual survival rates compared to female counterparts from a neighbouring mainland population.
Tortoises die young
Dr. Dragan Arsovski, an ecologist at the Macedonian Ecological Society, reviewed 16 years worth of data for the study.
Researchers predicted that the last female on Golem Grade will die in 2083.
After data revealed that high number of females died young, Arsovski studied the tortoises’ mating behaviour, which found that multiple males would pursue one female.
“She’s literally buried by males, Arsovski said, per The New York Times.
Researchers noted male tortoises would bump, bite, mount and violently poke fleeing females with their sharp tail tip. A majority of the female tortoises were also found with injuries to their genitals.
Arsovski said while males also walk off cliffs, there’s a “very significantly higher proportion of females that do die like this.”
The males’ sexual aggression “seems to be causing an extinction vortex” of the females, Jeanine Refsnider, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Toledo, told The Times.
Refsnider said she’s never “heard of anything like that” in a natural setting that doesn’t involve human interference.
torontosun.com
The males' sexual aggression 'seems to be causing an extinction vortex' of the females
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Feb 18, 2026 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 1 minute read
Close up of three young hermann turtles on a synthetic grass with daisyflower
Close-up of three isolated young hermann turtles. Photo by Getty Images
Well, that’s one way to avoid unwanted sexually charged partners.
A new study suggests that sexual aggression may be the reason why female tortoises walk off cliffs.
The researchers behind the study say that male Hermann’s tortoises largely outnumber their female equivalents on Golem Grad island in North Macedonia. In some areas of the island, there are 19 males for every one female.
The study – Sex Ratio Bias Triggers Demographic Suicide in a Dense Tortoise Population – noted female tortoise numbers continue to spiral downwards because of the sexual aggression of the males, The New York Times reported.
Researchers found some female tortoises will walk off high cliffs, with some of them dying, to avoid the horny mates.
The study also showed that harassed female tortoises reproduce less and have lower annual survival rates compared to female counterparts from a neighbouring mainland population.
Tortoises die young
Dr. Dragan Arsovski, an ecologist at the Macedonian Ecological Society, reviewed 16 years worth of data for the study.
Researchers predicted that the last female on Golem Grade will die in 2083.
After data revealed that high number of females died young, Arsovski studied the tortoises’ mating behaviour, which found that multiple males would pursue one female.
“She’s literally buried by males, Arsovski said, per The New York Times.
Researchers noted male tortoises would bump, bite, mount and violently poke fleeing females with their sharp tail tip. A majority of the female tortoises were also found with injuries to their genitals.
Arsovski said while males also walk off cliffs, there’s a “very significantly higher proportion of females that do die like this.”
The males’ sexual aggression “seems to be causing an extinction vortex” of the females, Jeanine Refsnider, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Toledo, told The Times.
Refsnider said she’s never “heard of anything like that” in a natural setting that doesn’t involve human interference.
Female tortoises walk off cliffs to avoid sexually aggressive males, says study
A new study suggests that sexual aggression may be the reason why female tortoises walk off cliffs. Read more.
White Sands National Park has some of the most archaeologically rich sand in North America, and it is within this New Mexico landscape that the oldest footprints ever found on the continent were discovered. Research now dates those footprints to roughly 23,000 years old—about 10,000 years before it was previously believed humans existed in North America.
apple.news
Archaeologists Found 23,000-Year-Old Footprints That Rewrite the Story of Humans in America — Popular Mechanics
New Mexico’s ancient sands reveal the oldest-known traces of early inhabitants.
Annunaski. Gilgamesh et al were Ukrainian.White Sands National Park has some of the most archaeologically rich sand in North America, and it is within this New Mexico landscape that the oldest footprints ever found on the continent were discovered. Research now dates those footprints to roughly 23,000 years old—about 10,000 years before it was previously believed humans existed in North America.
Archaeologists Found 23,000-Year-Old Footprints That Rewrite the Story of Humans in America — Popular Mechanics
New Mexico’s ancient sands reveal the oldest-known traces of early inhabitants.
Proof we were here first.
All for the love of lapis lazuli.
New approach roughly predicts when Alzheimer’s symptoms begin
A simple blood test can help diagnose Alzheimer's
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Carolyn Y. Johnson
Published Feb 19, 2026 • Last updated 22 hours ago • 4 minute read
Scientists showed in a new study published Thursday that they could use blood draws to build a “clock” for Alzheimer’s disease that could roughly predict when symptoms will develop, findings that could eventually transform how the illness is diagnosed and treated.
A simple blood test can help diagnose Alzheimer’s, but the study in the journal Nature Medicine shows how these kinds of tests could one day play a greater role in preventing the insidious, memory-robbing illness. In the new study, researchers built a model that could use blood test results to forecast symptom onset within a margin of three to four years.
The technique is not yet precise enough to predict the course of a patient’s trajectory. But it could be used to identify which patients would benefit if companies are able to develop drugs to treat the disease before symptoms develop.
In the short term, the approach could accelerate the research to identify such treatments by recruiting the ideal study participants: people with no symptoms, but who are at high risk for developing them soon.
Clinical trials are expensive and time-consuming to run, particularly for diseases such as Alzheimer’s in which the people being studied could begin to experience cognitive decline in a year or a decade.
Suzanne E. Schindler, a dementia specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who helped lead the study, said she’s been involved with research studies that are attempting to test treatments before people have cognitive impairment. When those people receive a positive test, she said, they immediately ask: “So how long do I have before I develop symptoms?”
“The kind of statistical models we’ve had in the past do not address that question. You’re positive, so you’re higher risk. But you could develop symptoms in one year, in 15 years, or never – we have no idea,” Schindler said.
Using blood tests to identify people who are likely to develop symptoms in the short term could offer a faster and more efficient way to find promising treatments, according to Schindler.
As the clock developed in the new study is refined, it could become part of the toolbox that has evolved radically in recent years for early diagnosis and treatment.
But the recently approved treatments have a relatively modest effect in slowing the advancement of Alzheimer’s. Two highly anticipated ongoing clinical trials test whether drugs given to people who are not yet cognitively impaired could be more beneficial.
“If that turns out to be the case, that really increases the potential role of a clock that could give a prediction of when symptoms are likely to develop,” said Andrew Saykin, director of the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center who was not involved in the study. “If we could predict [disease onset] within a year or so, that would be really valuable. I think it’s closing in, but not there yet.”
Building an Alzheimer’s ‘clock’
The research team focused on one specific protein, called p-tau217, that is a sign that a hallmark of Alzheimer’s – clumps of misfolded proteins called amyloid plaques – has begun to build up in the brain. The new treatments remove the buildup of the plaques in the brain. Several commercially available tests measure this protein and are used to help diagnose people with cognitive problems.
The researchers cautioned that these tests are not intended to be used outside of a research setting in people without cognitive symptoms.
In the study, the team examined the levels of this protein over time in participants in two long-running Alzheimer’s databases and found that people with higher levels in their blood developed symptoms more quickly. They also found that age was another risk factor. When levels of this protein began to rise in a person who was 60, it took two decades for their symptoms to develop. At age 80, it took 11 years.
The research team sees this work as a first step and is making its work freely available in the hopes that other groups will use it to improve the model. It said other markers of Alzheimer’s in the blood may be used to refine their predictions.
Gil Rabinovici, a neurologist at the University of California at San Francisco who also was not involved in the study, said the work was exciting because it will help anchor abstract lab results to a timeline – something that would help clinicians, research participants and eventually patients understand risk. He predicted it could have clear benefits in helping researchers recruit the right patients for clinical trials to determine whether treatments are effective.
But before anyone could use these tests to predict individual risk, Rabinovici said the clock would need to be tested on larger, more diverse populations to see if the same patterns held up.
Several Alzheimer’s experts said the benefits of a predictive test will be closely linked to the development of drugs that slow or stop the progression of the disease when given early. Medicine involves balancing the risks of harm from a treatment from the benefit.
“When treatments for this population have received regulatory approval, those individuals who are at highest risk of developing symptoms will inevitably be prioritized for treatment,” Clifford Jack, a neuroradiologist at the Mayo Clinic who was not involved in the study, said in an email. “How soon a currently asymptomatic person is to developing symptoms will be a key piece of the decision-making matrix.”
torontosun.com
A simple blood test can help diagnose Alzheimer's
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Carolyn Y. Johnson
Published Feb 19, 2026 • Last updated 22 hours ago • 4 minute read
Scientists showed in a new study published Thursday that they could use blood draws to build a “clock” for Alzheimer’s disease that could roughly predict when symptoms will develop, findings that could eventually transform how the illness is diagnosed and treated.
A simple blood test can help diagnose Alzheimer’s, but the study in the journal Nature Medicine shows how these kinds of tests could one day play a greater role in preventing the insidious, memory-robbing illness. In the new study, researchers built a model that could use blood test results to forecast symptom onset within a margin of three to four years.
The technique is not yet precise enough to predict the course of a patient’s trajectory. But it could be used to identify which patients would benefit if companies are able to develop drugs to treat the disease before symptoms develop.
In the short term, the approach could accelerate the research to identify such treatments by recruiting the ideal study participants: people with no symptoms, but who are at high risk for developing them soon.
Clinical trials are expensive and time-consuming to run, particularly for diseases such as Alzheimer’s in which the people being studied could begin to experience cognitive decline in a year or a decade.
Suzanne E. Schindler, a dementia specialist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who helped lead the study, said she’s been involved with research studies that are attempting to test treatments before people have cognitive impairment. When those people receive a positive test, she said, they immediately ask: “So how long do I have before I develop symptoms?”
“The kind of statistical models we’ve had in the past do not address that question. You’re positive, so you’re higher risk. But you could develop symptoms in one year, in 15 years, or never – we have no idea,” Schindler said.
Using blood tests to identify people who are likely to develop symptoms in the short term could offer a faster and more efficient way to find promising treatments, according to Schindler.
As the clock developed in the new study is refined, it could become part of the toolbox that has evolved radically in recent years for early diagnosis and treatment.
But the recently approved treatments have a relatively modest effect in slowing the advancement of Alzheimer’s. Two highly anticipated ongoing clinical trials test whether drugs given to people who are not yet cognitively impaired could be more beneficial.
“If that turns out to be the case, that really increases the potential role of a clock that could give a prediction of when symptoms are likely to develop,” said Andrew Saykin, director of the Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center who was not involved in the study. “If we could predict [disease onset] within a year or so, that would be really valuable. I think it’s closing in, but not there yet.”
Building an Alzheimer’s ‘clock’
The research team focused on one specific protein, called p-tau217, that is a sign that a hallmark of Alzheimer’s – clumps of misfolded proteins called amyloid plaques – has begun to build up in the brain. The new treatments remove the buildup of the plaques in the brain. Several commercially available tests measure this protein and are used to help diagnose people with cognitive problems.
The researchers cautioned that these tests are not intended to be used outside of a research setting in people without cognitive symptoms.
In the study, the team examined the levels of this protein over time in participants in two long-running Alzheimer’s databases and found that people with higher levels in their blood developed symptoms more quickly. They also found that age was another risk factor. When levels of this protein began to rise in a person who was 60, it took two decades for their symptoms to develop. At age 80, it took 11 years.
The research team sees this work as a first step and is making its work freely available in the hopes that other groups will use it to improve the model. It said other markers of Alzheimer’s in the blood may be used to refine their predictions.
Gil Rabinovici, a neurologist at the University of California at San Francisco who also was not involved in the study, said the work was exciting because it will help anchor abstract lab results to a timeline – something that would help clinicians, research participants and eventually patients understand risk. He predicted it could have clear benefits in helping researchers recruit the right patients for clinical trials to determine whether treatments are effective.
But before anyone could use these tests to predict individual risk, Rabinovici said the clock would need to be tested on larger, more diverse populations to see if the same patterns held up.
Several Alzheimer’s experts said the benefits of a predictive test will be closely linked to the development of drugs that slow or stop the progression of the disease when given early. Medicine involves balancing the risks of harm from a treatment from the benefit.
“When treatments for this population have received regulatory approval, those individuals who are at highest risk of developing symptoms will inevitably be prioritized for treatment,” Clifford Jack, a neuroradiologist at the Mayo Clinic who was not involved in the study, said in an email. “How soon a currently asymptomatic person is to developing symptoms will be a key piece of the decision-making matrix.”
New approach roughly predicts when Alzheimer’s symptoms begin
The technique is not yet precise enough to predict the course of a patient's trajectory.
Environment Canada ending Weatherradio forecast service
VHF radio forecasts going off the air March 16 after 50 years of operation
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Feb 23, 2026 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 2 minute read
Two-way radio monitoring the soon-to-be decommissioned Weatherradio Canada VHF weather forecast service. Weatherradio Canada is set to go off the air March 16
Two-way radio monitoring the soon-to-be decommissioned Weatherradio Canada VHF weather forecast service. Weatherradio Canada is set to go off the air March 16 Photo by Bryan Passifiume /Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — After 50 years, the airwaves are going silent.
On Monday, Environment Canada announced its Weatherradio Canada service, which broadcasts continuous weather forecasts across Canada over VHF radio channels, will be permanently taken off the air as of March 16.
That also means Canadians who use emergency weather radios as a means of being alerted to impending severe weather will need to find new ways of being notified.
System operates 186 VHF radio channels across Canada
Launched in 1976, Weatherradio Canada broadcasts local and regional forecasts — in both English and French — across a nation-wide network of 185 VHF radio transmitters.
The system was upgraded in 2004 when Environment Canada integrated SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology into its system, which transmits digitally-encoded signals to compatible weather radios to alert specific areas to impending emergencies ranging from thunderstorm alerts to more serious incidents such as civil emergencies, tornadoes and even radiological hazards.
Many of the services offered by Weatherradio Canada and SAME alerts can be found via online services.
The discontinuation of Weatherradio Canada will not impact marine weather broadcasts provided by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Life-saving resource
Michael Iszak, a radiocommunications consultant and licensed amateur radio operator, expressed concern over the system’s impending end.
“These stations are often used by people who travel to areas where there is no cell service, it’s invaluable for getting updated weather forecasts,” he told the Toronto Sun.
“Especially with the recent increase in the ‘van life’ community, this is a resource which can be life saving for people in that situation.”
Weather radios are “as important as smoke detectors,” Environment Canada said in official publications lauding Weatherradio Canada.
As a fixed and constantly-transmitting point of reference, Iszak said Weatherradio Canada’s VHF radio signals are commonly used by amateur radio operators and radio enthusiasts to test and verify their equipment.
“As someone who frequently ventures into areas with poor or no cell service, Weatherradio provides an invaluable service for me, so I can be alert to potentially threatening weather before it arrives,” he added.
The Toronto Sun reached out to Environment Canada for comment.
Environment Canada often lauded the usefulness of in-home weather radios, with official documents describing them as “just as important as having a smoke detector in your home” due to the instant and hassle-free means of getting up-to-date information on severe weather, even when the power is out and Internet connections are unreliable.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
VHF radio forecasts going off the air March 16 after 50 years of operation
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Feb 23, 2026 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 2 minute read
Two-way radio monitoring the soon-to-be decommissioned Weatherradio Canada VHF weather forecast service. Weatherradio Canada is set to go off the air March 16
Two-way radio monitoring the soon-to-be decommissioned Weatherradio Canada VHF weather forecast service. Weatherradio Canada is set to go off the air March 16 Photo by Bryan Passifiume /Toronto Sun
OTTAWA — After 50 years, the airwaves are going silent.
On Monday, Environment Canada announced its Weatherradio Canada service, which broadcasts continuous weather forecasts across Canada over VHF radio channels, will be permanently taken off the air as of March 16.
That also means Canadians who use emergency weather radios as a means of being alerted to impending severe weather will need to find new ways of being notified.
System operates 186 VHF radio channels across Canada
Launched in 1976, Weatherradio Canada broadcasts local and regional forecasts — in both English and French — across a nation-wide network of 185 VHF radio transmitters.
The system was upgraded in 2004 when Environment Canada integrated SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology into its system, which transmits digitally-encoded signals to compatible weather radios to alert specific areas to impending emergencies ranging from thunderstorm alerts to more serious incidents such as civil emergencies, tornadoes and even radiological hazards.
Many of the services offered by Weatherradio Canada and SAME alerts can be found via online services.
The discontinuation of Weatherradio Canada will not impact marine weather broadcasts provided by the Canadian Coast Guard.
Life-saving resource
Michael Iszak, a radiocommunications consultant and licensed amateur radio operator, expressed concern over the system’s impending end.
“These stations are often used by people who travel to areas where there is no cell service, it’s invaluable for getting updated weather forecasts,” he told the Toronto Sun.
“Especially with the recent increase in the ‘van life’ community, this is a resource which can be life saving for people in that situation.”
Weather radios are “as important as smoke detectors,” Environment Canada said in official publications lauding Weatherradio Canada.
As a fixed and constantly-transmitting point of reference, Iszak said Weatherradio Canada’s VHF radio signals are commonly used by amateur radio operators and radio enthusiasts to test and verify their equipment.
“As someone who frequently ventures into areas with poor or no cell service, Weatherradio provides an invaluable service for me, so I can be alert to potentially threatening weather before it arrives,” he added.
The Toronto Sun reached out to Environment Canada for comment.
Environment Canada often lauded the usefulness of in-home weather radios, with official documents describing them as “just as important as having a smoke detector in your home” due to the instant and hassle-free means of getting up-to-date information on severe weather, even when the power is out and Internet connections are unreliable.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
Environment Canada ending Weatherradio forecast service
Environment Canada announced its Weatherradio Canada service will be permanently taken off the air as of March 16. Read more.