Many middle-aged and older women get mammograms every one to two years to screen for breast cancer. When specialists read these mammograms, they assess breast density along with signs of cancer, comparing a woman’s previous mammograms to her most recent one to look for worrisome changes. But some changes are difficult to detect by eye. A study by researchers indicates that previous mammograms hold underutilized data that could help identify women at high risk of breast cancer.

For people who have experienced a heart attack or stroke, taking a daily aspirin has been shown to prevent a second one. Yet, despite aspirin’s low cost and its clear benefits in such scenarios, fewer than half of people worldwide who have had a heart attack or stroke take the medication, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and University of Michigan.

A growing pile of evidence indicates that the tens of trillions of microbes that normally live in our intestines—the so-called gut microbiome—have far-reaching effects on how our bodies function. Members of this microbial community produce vitamins, help us digest food, prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and regulate the immune system, among other benefits. Now, a new study suggests that the gut microbiome also plays a key role in the health of our brains, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.