https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. For the first time ever, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes ("vapes") for adults 21 and over. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-fda-authorizes-fruit-flavored-vapes.html Wed, 06 May 2026 17:20:05 EDT news697303261 Kidney stones can cause some of the most intense pain people ever experience, affecting daily life and leading many to hospital emergency visits. It affects one in 11 people in the U.S., and almost half will experience a recurrence. A major new study from the Urinary Stone Disease Research Network, coordinated by the Duke Clinical Research Institute, tested whether a behavioral program could help people drink enough fluids to prevent stones from coming back. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-largest-kind-hydration-strategy-kidney.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:30:01 EDT news693131101 Scientists have developed a smart textile vest which can monitor body temperature and detect risk of hypothermia in older people. The technology aims to mitigate the increased risk that elderly people face due to losing body heat faster, having impaired temperature regulation, chronic conditions, medications and frailty. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-smart-vest-hypothermia-deaths-elderly.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:40:35 EST news689946002 A 7-year-old child has an anxiety attack at school. She becomes frustrated and angry. Instead of letting her emotions explode, she remembers what she learned in therapy sessions: to breathe in a controlled manner. Minutes later, the crisis passes. This technique is well-established, but the startup Self Intelligence for Life has modernized it. The exercises are learned on a gamified platform. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-gamified-platform-children-neurodiversity-anxiety.html Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:03:42 EST news688388581 University of Arizona researchers in the Gutruf Lab have developed a comfortable, easy-to-use wearable device that incorporates artificial intelligence to detect subtle warning signs of frailty, signifying a leap forward in elderly care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-ai-powered-wearable-boosts-elderly.html Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:11:34 EST news685642261 Brazilian researchers have developed a low-cost, portable biosensor that can quickly identify a protein whose altered levels are associated with psychiatric disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. When it becomes commercially available in the future, it may contribute to early detection, which is essential for treating and monitoring patients' clinical conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-biosensor-protein-linked-depression-schizophrenia.html Wed, 29 Oct 2025 16:52:05 EDT news680975522 Even though electronic cigarettes do not contain any illicit substances, the liquid can cause serious health problems. Often, the nicotine concentration in these products is several times higher than in conventional cigarettes, promoting rapid addiction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-portable-sensor-synthetic-cannabinoids-cigarettes.html Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:32:05 EDT news679239121 Maintaining balance while walking may seem automatic—until suddenly it isn't. Gait impairment, or difficulty with walking, is a major liability for stroke and Parkinson's patients. Not only do gait issues slow a person down, but they are also one of the top causes of falls. And solutions are often limited to time-intensive and costly physical therapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-smart-insert-mobility-people-problems.html Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:35:03 EDT news677849701 Engineers at Duke University have developed a wireless patch that can noninvasively measure skin and tissue stiffness at depths of up to a couple of inches. Already smaller than a smartwatch, the device could be a gateway into a wide array of medical applications such as the monitoring of wound healing, chronic conditions like skin cancer, fluid management during resuscitation efforts and muscle rehabilitation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-smart-sensor-muscles-tissues-real.html Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:17:04 EDT news676203422 In a small new study, a handheld saliva-sampling device successfully detected breast cancer 100% of the time, researchers said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-saliva-based-breast-cancer.html Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:00:03 EDT news673525329 Researchers from RMIT University have developed a wearable wound monitoring device with integrated sensors that could reduce infection risks by minimizing the need for frequent physical contact. Their study, "Multiplexed cutaneous wound monitor for point-of-care applications," was published in Advanced NanoBiomed Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-smart-wound-poised-chronic-infection.html Wed, 30 Jul 2025 10:00:03 EDT news673080444 A wearable technology developed by Technion Professor Hossam Haick and colleagues in China enables real-time, noninvasive tracking and optimized treatment for diabetic patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-microneedle-glucose-metformin.html Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:10:45 EDT news672585040 Different technologies have been developed to help parents and caregivers address pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH), or scenarios where a child dies from overheating in an unattended motor vehicle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-minimize-pediatric-vehicular-heatstroke-involves.html Wed, 23 Jul 2025 15:57:04 EDT news672505021 Retired schoolteacher Lynn Goodwin wasn't sure she needed any help with her hearing. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-broader-health-benefits-clinical-trial.html Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:10:08 EDT news671802100 It can take as long as 18 months for children with suspected autism spectrum or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorders to get a diagnostic appointment with a psychiatrist in Indiana. But an interdisciplinary team led by an Indiana University researcher has developed a new diagnostic approach using artificial intelligence that could speed up and improve the detection of neurodivergent disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-ai-accuracy-autism-adhd.html Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:26:04 EDT news671199961 A team of Northwestern investigators have developed a wearable and wireless sleep monitoring device that provides an in-depth analysis of different sleep stages and may improve the detection of sleep disorders, detailed in a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-smarter-accurate-disorders.html Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:23:03 EDT news669896581 Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed NAPTUNE (Nucleic Acids and Protein biomarkers Testing via Ultra-sensitive Nucleases Escalation), a point-of-care assay that identifies trace amounts of disease-related genetic material, including nucleic acid and protein markers, in less than 45 minutes. Importantly, it accomplished this without the need for laboratory equipment or complex procedures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-palm-sized-device-disease-markers.html Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:20:01 EDT news669471534 Wearable technologies are revolutionizing health care, but design limitations in adhesive-based personal monitors have kept them from meeting their full potential. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-sticky-patches-3d-wearable-health.html Fri, 16 May 2025 15:07:54 EDT news666626857 While breastfeeding has many benefits for a mother and her baby, it has one major drawback: It's incredibly difficult to know how much milk the baby is consuming. To take the guesswork out of breastfeeding, an interdisciplinary team of engineers, neonatologists and pediatricians at Northwestern University has developed a new wearable device that can provide clinical-grade, continuous monitoring of breast milk consumption. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-breastfeeding-device-babies-intake-real.html Wed, 14 May 2025 05:00:05 EDT news666279588 Just one look at the next-generation lightweight, soft exoskeleton for children with cerebral palsy reveals the powerful role technology can play in solving global challenges and improving lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-smart-wearable-pediatric-soft-exoskeleton.html Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:09:04 EDT news665158141 A new Bluetooth-based positioning system could offer health care systems a low-energy, low-cost method of tracking older adults' mobility, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Qiyin Fang of McMaster University, Canada, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-bluetooth-based-indoor-positioning-older.html Thu, 17 Apr 2025 14:00:09 EDT news664098122 For someone with heart failure, very high blood pressure, or severe COVID-19, going home from the hospital can feel like falling off a cliff. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-high-patients-hospital-home.html Wed, 16 Apr 2025 10:21:06 EDT news664017662 In the 1987 classic film "RoboCop," the deceased Detroit cop Alex Murphy is reborn as a cyborg. He has a robotic body and a full brain-computer interface that allows him to control his movements with his mind. He can access online information such as suspects' faces, use artificial intelligence (AI) to help detect threats, and his human memories have been integrated with those from a machine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-brain-bluetooth-full-robocop-chip.html Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:50:01 EDT news663856533 Northwestern University researchers have developed the first wearable device for measuring gases emitted from and absorbed by the skin. By analyzing these gases, the device offers an entirely new way to assess skin health, including monitoring wounds, detecting skin infections, tracking hydration levels, quantifying exposure to harmful environmental chemicals and more. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-kind-wearable-device-gauges-health.html Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:00:08 EDT news663409742 Wearables such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, or data glasses have become an integral part of our everyday lives. They record health data, monitor your sleep, or calculate your calorie consumption. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-smart-wearable-ear-based-high.html Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:22:03 EDT news662991720 When the body moves, it's harder for existing wearable devices to accurately track heart activity. But University of Missouri researchers found that a starfish's five-arm shape helps solve this problem. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-scientists-unveil-starfish-wearable-tech.html Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:00:13 EDT news662802601 What if your insoles could do more than just cushion your feet? Imagine a pair that could track your movements, help athletes avoid injuries, or even assist doctors in monitoring recovery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-smart-insoles-game-sports-health.html Wed, 26 Mar 2025 10:46:04 EDT news662204762 One in six Australians have hearing loss and, for most adults, hearing starts to decline from middle age onward. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-im-dont-chunky-aids-options.html Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:10:15 EDT news661509861 A small but powerful invention could soon make life in the NICU easier for the tiniest patients. Newborns must have their vitals checked frequently, and one of the most critical measures of newborn health is electrolyte levels. Right now, the only way to monitor electrolytes is to draw their blood multiple times a day. This can be painful and frightening for babies, and challenging to perform for medical staff, who can have trouble drawing blood from tiny, underdeveloped blood vessels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-wireless-pacifier-babies-vitals-nicu.html Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:04:01 EST news660481427 Fingernail-sized vibrating gadgets, similar to the tiny devices that make your cellphone buzz, could help people with Parkinson's disease navigate the world with more confidence and ease. The vibrating devices, which may also help people with other mobility conditions, form the backbone of new flexible, wearable technology developed by Virginia Commonwealth University researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-fingers-toes-wearable-vibrating-technology.html Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:45:40 EST news658593930