https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. While vaping has been touted by manufacturers as a safer smoking alternative, the public health community is careful to point out the risks. Since the introduction of e-cigarettes to the U.S. in 2007, vaping has taken hold among young people, with approximately 6% of surveyed middle and high school students reporting using e-cigarettes in 2024. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-qa-vaping-young-people.html Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:30:05 EST news681669001 A new development in affordable, open-source mobile networks that enables near-real-time control of robotic arms could help doctors work on patients in remote locations in the years to come. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-source-mobile-network-robotic-arms.html Tue, 21 Oct 2025 08:44:04 EDT news680255041 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 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 Laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive technique, has transformed surgical procedures in high-income countries. This method, which uses a laparoscope to perform surgeries through small incisions, offers significant benefits such as reduced infection rates and quicker recovery times. Despite its advantages, laparoscopic surgery remains largely inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the high cost of equipment and other logistical challenges. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-laparoscope-middle-income-countries.html Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:44:58 EST news657989096 X-rays are a common component of diagnostic testing and industrial monitoring, used for everything from monitoring your teeth to scanning your suitcase at the airport. But the high-energy rays also produce ionizing radiation, which can be dangerous after prolonged or excessive exposures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-highly-sensitive-foldable-detector-safer.html Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:37:03 EST news650720221 What do cycling, showering and making love have in common? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-sex-skin-patches.html Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:23:05 EDT news636895381 Bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been identified as one of the many unmet needs in women's health and affects more than 25% of reproductive-aged women. It is caused by pathogenic bacteria that push the healthy microbiomes in the female vagina and cervix—the small gatekeeper canal that connects the uterus and vagina—into a state of imbalance known as dysbiosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-microfluidic-chip-human-cervix-key.html Thu, 30 May 2024 15:34:05 EDT news636302041 If you use a medical device such as a blood glucose monitor or insulin pump, keeping it charged is a must. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-overheating-dangers-recharging-medical-devices.html Mon, 13 May 2024 11:23:02 EDT news634818181 Wars, drought, displacement, and instability are causing a dramatic increase in the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women around the world who suffer from malnutrition. Without access to sufficient nutrients in the womb, babies born to these women are more likely to die due to complications like pre-term birth, low birth weight, and susceptibility to diseases like malaria. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-human-chip-malaria-drug-treatment.html Tue, 19 Dec 2023 15:56:06 EST news622223761 Detecting a deadly tumor as early as possible is vital to stopping its spread. However, creating the solution doesn't necessarily solve the problem—it needs to be widely adopted by medical professionals. That's why standards like the new IEC 62220-2-1: 2023 Medical electrical equipment—Characteristics of digital X-ray imaging devices are so important. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-breakthrough-x-ray-technology-concept-medical.html Wed, 13 Dec 2023 16:20:01 EST news621706708 A 2,000-year-old practice by Chinese herbalists—examining the human tongue for signs of disease—is now being embraced by computer scientists using machine learning and artificial intelligence. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-eyes-window-soul-tongue-mirrors.html Thu, 19 Oct 2023 10:16:03 EDT news616929361 The Australian government is cracking down on vaping. Recreational vapes of any type—whether they contain nicotine or not—will be banned from retail sale across Australia after legislation is introduced (though the date is yet to be set). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-teen-addicted-vaping-symptoms.html Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:26:03 EDT news613135561 Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease affecting millions worldwide, poses a significant public health and economic burden, particularly in impoverished regions. To combat this disease and achieve World Health Organization (WHO) targets for control and elimination, accurate and accessible diagnostic tools are essential. Currently, microscopy is the standard for diagnosing schistosomiasis, but it is time-consuming, operator-dependent, and requires specialized expertise, making it challenging for resource-limited areas. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-08-automated-medical-imaging-framework-revolutionizes.html Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:32:35 EDT news610644751 We work at Griffith University's Blurred Minds initiative. The program uses games to educate Australian high school students about alcohol, drugs and vaping. As part of our research, schools frequently tell us they do not have the tools and strategies to deal with the vaping crisis. In previous years, schools were most likely to seek our help for alcohol or cannabis. Now, it is for vaping. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-schools-parents-vaping.html Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:47:03 EDT news599917621 Nearly half of parents say they would definitely know if their child was vaping, despite characteristics of vaping devices that make it easy to hide or disguise their use, a new national poll suggests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-unrealistic-vaping-views-percent-parents.html Mon, 20 Mar 2023 04:39:28 EDT news598505960 You've dropped your daughter off at her friend's house and while cleaning the car, you find what looks like a USB drive on the passenger seat. It's a disposable vape. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-teen-vaping-expert-approach.html Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:19:16 EST news593698751 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning patients who use a particular insulin pump system that unauthorized people could access it and change how much insulin a patient receives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-fda-cybersecurity-medtronic-insulin.html Tue, 20 Sep 2022 17:00:01 EDT news582911582 E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among adolescents, and the latest available scientific evidence suggests the use of these products leads to adverse health effects that may accrue over time, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease over the course of the life of people who use e-cigarettes, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published today in the Association's peer-reviewed journal, Circulation: Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-06-action-e-cigarette-adolescents-lifetime-cvd.html Tue, 21 Jun 2022 05:00:01 EDT news574953851 A new, first-of-its-kind clinical trial will examine how the brain adapts to advanced, bionic arms in children born without a limb, with the ultimate goal of improving children's control of their prosthetic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-clinical-brain-ability-advanced-bionic.html Mon, 14 Mar 2022 14:55:53 EDT news566488550 It sounds simple, but to treat someone you suspect has COVID, you need to confirm they are actually infected with the coronavirus. In the UK, it is easy to take this for granted—we've had a reliable detection method for diagnosing infected patients widely available since early on in the pandemic. This allowed for people to be treated and cared for promptly, saving lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-pcr-problem-covid-x-rays.html Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:37:10 EST news565436226 The inherited progressive disorder cystic fibrosis (CF) causes severe damage to the lungs, and other tissues in the body by affecting the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices. In individuals carrying mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes an ion channel controlling the flow of ions and water in and out of cells, the mucus in airways and other passageways, which normally is thin and slippery, becomes sticky and thick—thus instead of acting as a lubricant, it becomes a congestant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-cystic-fibrosis-faithfully-human-lung.html Fri, 19 Nov 2021 13:28:06 EST news556550882 Most of us are familiar with COVID-19's hallmark symptoms of a loss of taste or smell and difficulty breathing, but a full 60% of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 also report gastrointestinal symptoms (GI) such as nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Infection of the gut, which expresses high levels of the ACE2 receptor protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter cells, is correlated with more severe cases of COVID-19, but the exact interactions between the virus and intestinal tissue is difficult to study in human patients. Animal models, while useful, do not fully reflect how human organs react to infection by pathogens, further limiting our current understanding of how coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 affect the gut. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-tool-covid-impact-gut-health.html Mon, 08 Nov 2021 12:17:30 EST news555596245 In chronic leukemias, blocking the overactive kinase JAK2 by a targeted therapy approach is only mitigating the patients' symptoms, but cannot truly change the course of the disease. A study by the University of Basel has shown that it may be possible to improve the therapeutic effects by additionally inhibiting a specific signaling pathway. The results are so convincing that they are already being incorporated into clinical studies in a "bench-to-bedside" approach. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-leukemia-therapy-treatment-approaches.html Thu, 16 Sep 2021 10:17:43 EDT news551006260 Researchers at Texas A&M University are pushing organ-on-a-chip devices to new levels that could change the way clinicians approach cancer treatment, particularly ovarian cancer. A team has recently submitted a patent disclosure with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-07-organ-on-a-chip-crucial-interaction-blood-ovarian.html Fri, 23 Jul 2021 09:54:38 EDT news546252874 Michael Mina is assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a member of the School's Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, and associate medical director in clinical microbiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital's Pathology Department. Mina's work revolves around disease testing and the development of new technologies to better understand the population and immunological consequences and patterns underlying infectious diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-expert-discusses-pandemic.html Thu, 20 May 2021 12:30:02 EDT news540729829 The newest fidget craze is popping toys. Adults and kids all over the world have been buying up this endlessly reusable version of a longtime favorite fidget activity: popping bubble wrap. Made of silicone and coming in a range of colors, shapes and sizes, they are half-sphere "bubbles" that can be pushed in, making a satisfying soft popping sound. After "popping" them all, you can turn the toy over and start again from the other side. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-toys-latest-fidget-craze-stress.html Mon, 10 May 2021 08:33:07 EDT news539854383 A Wyss Institute-led collaboration spanning four research labs and hundreds of miles has used the Institute's organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) technology to identify the antimalarial drug amodiaquine as a potent inhibitor of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-human-chips-enable-covid-drug.html Mon, 03 May 2021 11:00:06 EDT news539246008 Antibody testing can be a powerful tool for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV2 infections, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. A group of scientists from EPFL, UNIGE and HUG have now developed a reliable and cheap antibody test that can analyze more than 1,000 samples at once and requires a small drop of blood, such as that from a finger prick. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-covid-antibodies-hundreds-tiny-blood.html Mon, 03 May 2021 10:43:52 EDT news539257422 In a multicenter study led by the University Hospital and the University Geriatric Medicine FELIX PLATTER Basel, a research group with participation from University of Basel, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, the University of Bern and other centers, has investigated the equivalence of aspirin to anticoagulation. The study shows that aspirin is not as effective as blood thinning (anticoagulation) in the case of cervical artery dissection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-03-aspirin-effective-anticoagulation.html Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:24:30 EDT news535811063