https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Younger children and teens often have built-in opportunities to stay active through gym class, sports, and extracurricular activities. But after high school, those structured options often disappear. And many young adults struggle to stay active during this transition, a national poll suggests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-high-school-collapses-young-adults.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:10:01 EDT news695625492 A new study on physician misconduct using publicly available data on 208 physicians involved in cases of sex- or gender-based violence, harassment, or discrimination found gaps in how physicians were monitored and sanctioned. The research is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Using media stories, legal decisions, and information from physician regulatory body websites, researchers identified 689 victims—of whom 585 were women or girls and at least 40 were children—over five years from 2019 to 2024. Sexual-boundary or sexual-misconduct complaints were the most common (75, 36%) followed by sexual assault (65, 32%), although definitions sometimes differed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-transparency-physician-sexual-misconduct.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:04 EDT news695634502 Suicide prevention approaches are key to making sure conversational AI is safe for youth, argues a commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The adoption of AI chatbots by youth as a source of mental health support makes AI safety an urgent issue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-suicide-ai-young-users.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:02 EDT news695634481 The next time you need medical advice for a common ailment like acne, insomnia or pink eye, consider visiting your pharmacist. Pharmacists in Alberta have the widest scope of practice in Canada, and more than 100 new community pharmacy care clinics across the province are designed to complement what is offered by physicians, walk-in clinics and emergency departments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pharmacy-clinics-alberta-common-illnesses.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:30:02 EDT news695564678 Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that teenagers who begin using cannabis show slower gains in thinking and memory skills as they grow. The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, analyzed data from more than 11,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development in U.S. youth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-largest-teen-cannabis-linked-slower.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:00:01 EDT news695575801 Yoga may help support individuals recovering from substance use disorders, according to researchers at Penn State Brandywine. The team includes Kendall Taylor, a fourth-year psychology student at Penn State Brandywine, who recently presented the work at the Eastern Psychological Association's annual conference in Boston and at the campus's Student Engagement Expo. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-yoga-traditional-recovery.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:30:02 EDT news695634788 Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cannabis-legalization-spurs-ways-benefit.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:00:09 EDT news695306802 A major study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces accelerated biological aging in people with HIV (PWH) by nearly four years, a finding that could transform how clinicians monitor HIV treatment and long-term health outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hiv-treatment-biological-aging-years.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:00:06 EDT news695625376 A landmark trial presented at ESCMID Global 2026 shows that improving oral hygiene for hospital patients can reduce the risk of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) by 60%. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-oral-halves-hospital-pneumonia-major.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:00:04 EDT news695625439 Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-antibiotic-resistance-genes-newborns-hours.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news695625449 Diabetes affects more than 40 million people in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. For many, the chronic condition means a lifetime of pain as worsening circulation leads to nonhealing ulcers in the extremities, especially the legs and feet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-diabetic-wound-treatment-cells.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:00:04 EDT news695572920 Hot flashes, night sweats or swinging mood changes are some of the most common symptoms of menopause—the stage of a woman's life when menstrual periods stop permanently, and she is no longer fertile. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-acupuncture-herbs-menopause.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news695565092 Nothing rivals the human brain's complexity. Its 86 billion neurons and 85 billion other cells make an estimated 100 trillion connections. If the brain were a computer, it would perform an exaflop (a billion-billion) mathematical calculations every second and use the equivalent of only 20 watts of power. As impressive as the brain is, neurologists can't fully explain how neurons work together. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-statistics-math-brain.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:30:01 EDT news695295546 Deep in the lungs, resident memory B cells stand guard against influenza reinfection—but whether they remain there may depend on how strongly they are signaled through their own receptors. New research using an animal model of influenza infection provides fresh insight into how these cells form and persist, findings that could inform the design of vaccines aimed at strengthening immune defenses in the lungs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-robust-flu-cells-residents-lungs.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:00:01 EDT news695651897 Cancer treatments can take a toll on a person's body. A patient's treatment may cause nausea, changes in appetite, taste and smell, diarrhea, or constipation, making it harder to meet their nutritional needs. Fortunately, there are strategies that patients and caregivers can use to cope with these side effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-diet-cancer-treatment.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:00:09 EDT news695572618 Many studies carried out over the past decades have explored the relationship between mental and physical health, showing that the two are often interlinked. One well-established indicator of overall physical health is cardiorespiratory fitness, which is the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen while a person is engaged in sustained physical activity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cardiorespiratory-dementia-depression-psychosis.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 13:00:06 EDT news695304854 Many households will recognize this familiar exchange. One person insists an object simply isn't there: impossible to find despite what they describe as a thorough and highly competent search. Another walks in, glances briefly at the same spot and points to it almost immediately. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-nose-people-plain-sight.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:30:02 EDT news695306730 Teen cannabis use in Northern California increased following the legalization of adult recreational cannabis and later declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Kaiser Permanente published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-teen-cannabis-rose-california-legalization.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 11:00:06 EDT news695645903 An international research team with the participation of researchers from the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Germany, has developed a mouse model that offers new insights into the development of a rare but serious muscle disease. The researchers were able to demonstrate that the persistent inflammation in inclusion body myositis is linked to impaired cellular "garbage disposal"—an important clue for new treatment strategies. The findings have been published in the journal Brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-mouse-reveals-chronic-muscle-inflammation.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:00:02 EDT news695565167 The larynx, also known as the voice box, is home to the vocal folds and is the reason people can talk and sing while manipulating pitch and volume. The vocal folds are covered with mucosa, or mucous membranes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-voice-vocal-regeneration-uncovering-stem.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:04 EDT news695564937 Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one's health. But most people don't know just how bad it is. More people in the United States die every year from smoking than from alcohol, illegal drug use, car accidents, suicides, and murders combined. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-tobacco-world-killers-key-obstacles.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:00:01 EDT news695289331 A new study led by researchers at Dartmouth Cancer Center pinpoints why many patients in rural areas experience delays in receiving critical follow-up treatment for head and neck cancer, and what can be done to address those gaps. Published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, the study examines factors that influence whether patients begin postoperative radiotherapy within the recommended six-week window after surgery, the timeframe known to improve survival for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-barriers-neck-cancer-treatment-rural.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:30:03 EDT news695572634 New research from the University of Kansas shows people who experience chronic pain tend to consume cigarettes and e-cigarettes at higher rates than others. The findings, based on analysis of the National Health Interview Survey from 2014–2023, should inform therapies for both chronic pain and smoking cessation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-chronic-pain-odds-vaping-survey.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:00:02 EDT news695305595 Soft electrodes designed to perfectly match a person's brain surface may help advance neural interfaces for neurodegenerative disease monitoring and treatment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. Neural interfaces are powered by tiny sensors capable of tracking biophysical signals, known as bioelectrodes. These sensors are usually made from stiff materials in a one-size-fits-all design that struggles to match the brain's complex structure. The researchers have created a novel approach to 3D printing bioelectrodes that can stretch and morph to fit the minor differences that make every brain unique. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-3d-brain-sensors-personalized-neural.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695572909 Around 40% of adults worldwide are affected by osteopenia: a loss of bone mineral density. This condition is extremely common, particularly in postmenopausal women and elderly adults. It's estimated that more than 500,000 fractures occur annually in the UK due to low bone density. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-osteopenia-loss-bone-mineral-density.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:30:01 EDT news695564792 As a researcher investigating how electric brain stimulation can improve people's powers of recollection, I'm often asked how memory works—and what we can do to use it more effectively. Happily, decades of research have given us some clear answers to both questions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-memory-effectively.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:30:03 EDT news695295515 The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the Nobel Prize–winning technology is being adapted to fight cancer, with mRNA vaccines in clinical trials for melanoma, small-cell lung cancer and bladder cancer, among others, opening the door to new ways of preventing and treating the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-mrna-cancer-vaccines-destroy-tumors.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news695564913 Often diagnosed in the teenage years, childhood-onset lupus is a serious, potentially fatal autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack itself. For as many as 10,000 U.S. youths, it can bring extreme fatigue, mood changes, pain and inflammation that affect many parts of the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-therapy-kids-lupus-sessions.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:00:02 EDT news695564219 A team of researchers led by the University of Aberdeen has found that private gardens played a vital role in supporting people's well-being during the U.K.'s first COVID-19 lockdown, when access to public green spaces was significantly restricted. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-private-gardens-covid-lockdown.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:05 EDT news695564874 While the U.S. has seen a decline in the overall number of overdose deaths, the news on drug use is not all trending positively, and researchers at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School are focused on an emerging contributor to fatal overdoses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-qa-psychiatrists-unintended-fatal-consequences.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news695305382