https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Patients booking cervical screening appointments through an AI chatbot respond positively to friendliness and choice-oriented language, but are put off by overmessaging, pushy reminders and blurred human-AI boundaries, according to new research from the University of Surrey. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-pushy-nhs-chatbots-patients-screening.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:40:02 EDT news700302542 The human brain is remarkably complex, with trillions of connections that control how you move, think and feel. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brain-implants-hacked.html Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:10 EDT news698321402 Are you surrounded by screens? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-digital-detox-healthier.html Sun, 17 May 2026 18:30:01 EDT news697810293 Pregnancy is often regarded as a time to prepare the nursery, but it is also a useful moment to get the kitchen ready. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-pregnancy-chance-reshape-family-habits.html Sun, 17 May 2026 09:00:01 EDT news697984371 A new study suggests that breast implant complications are often not just mechanical events, but may be linked to slow biological changes in the surrounding (peri-implant) tissue over time. Researchers have found that microbial contamination and peri-implant inflammation are associated with higher complication rates, particularly implant rupture. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-silent-tissue-reactions-term-breast.html Wed, 06 May 2026 18:40:06 EDT news697303921 Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and plays a central role in vascular inflammation, thrombosis, and impaired vasodilation. A study led by researchers from Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL) identifies high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) as the most robust and evidence-based strategy to improve endothelial function in patients with CVD. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-high-intensity-interval-strongest-vascular.html Mon, 04 May 2026 04:00:04 EDT news696093842 My ex once told me, mid-argument, that I was the most unempathetic person he'd ever met. It was a low blow. I'm a clinical psychologist. Empathy is literally my job. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-brain-arguments.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:00:06 EDT news696684241 More than 207,000 pairs of 32 Degrees heated socks are being pulled from shelves after users reported burns linked to the product, according to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-socks-sold-costco-recalled.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:40:01 EDT news696255961 A computational study shows for the first time how different parts of the human airway experience levels of pressure and friction from breathing therapy devices. Using a patient-specific 3D airway model derived from CT imaging to simulate how breathing-support therapy behaves inside the human airway, University of Technology Sydney (UTS) researchers found the therapy doesn't affect all parts of the airway equally. The study shows the potential to support the design of better devices and personalized treatment settings for patients with conditions such as bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and postoperative atelectasis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-devices-treatment-respiratory-disorders.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:01 EDT news695035923 Growing older has plenty of upsides—but achy joints is not one of them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-aging-joints-healthy.html Sun, 05 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694174930 Depression in young people is often treated as an individual problem. But looking only at the child means that an important part of the story is missed, says Ph.D. candidate Myrthe Veenman. "Parents can make a difference." In her dissertation, Veenman studied how symptoms of depression are related to the dynamics in the family. She looked not only at the influence of parents on the child, but also the other way around: what effect does the child have on the parents? "We sometimes forget that it's not a one-way street. Young people can have just as much of an effect on their parents," she explains. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-parents-play-key-role-depression.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:40:05 EDT news694091582 University College Dublin researchers have developed a robotic model of the human esophagus, transforming how swallowing disorders are studied, diagnosed and treated. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, affects around 20% of the global population, and up to 50% of people over 60. Until now, research has relied on limited models that cannot replicate the majority of swallowing disorders, hindering both understanding of the condition and the development of effective treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-robogullet-realistically-recreates-human-swallowing.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:40:03 EDT news693663841 The festive season has a reputation for undoing good habits such as eating well and exercising. Normal routines disappear, days become less structured and exercise habits can fade. The solution to staying active is not more willpower, but smarter planning. Research shows that simple, practical strategies can help people stay active through Christmas and into the new year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-staying-christmas-science-methods.html Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:19:29 EST news685693141 A study published in Management Science shows that question-and-answer messaging can significantly increase curiosity, drive topic-specific information seeking and, in some cases, promote healthier behaviors. The research demonstrates that framing information as a question, rather than a direct statement, can meaningfully increase engagement across diverse populations and communication channels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-qa-style-messaging-health-engagement.html Wed, 19 Nov 2025 17:00:03 EST news682794001 A new study led by the University of Portsmouth suggests our saliva is stronger than we thought. The research, published in PLOS One, is the first to examine how drinking apple juice affects saliva's lubricating properties using advanced scientific techniques. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-smarter-apple-juice-effects-oral.html Wed, 03 Sep 2025 14:00:07 EDT news676045621 Signs reading "slippery when wet" frequently warn about the dangers of slipping and falling. But floors made slick by dry spills are also a significant hazard—one that's overlooked and understudied, according to University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers who developed a new way to assess floor slipperiness caused by dry contaminants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-lays-groundwork-dangerous-falls-dry.html Thu, 24 Jul 2025 04:45:03 EDT news672551101 A advancement in the diagnosis of upper limb (UL) spasticity is on the horizon, moving beyond traditional reliance on clinicians' tactile assessments. Researchers affiliated with UNIST have developed a robotic technology capable of quantifying spasticity with unprecedented accuracy, promising to enhance diagnosis, personalized rehabilitation, and compensation standards. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-advanced-robotic-solution-precise-quantification.html Wed, 14 May 2025 13:09:52 EDT news666446979 Each year, more than 200 million catheters are used worldwide to treat vascular diseases, including heart disease and artery stenosis. When navigating into blood vessels, friction between the catheter and the vessel wall can cause major complications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-catheter-technology-safer-efficient-treatment.html Thu, 14 Nov 2024 16:47:07 EST news650825219 A team of material engineers and orthopedic specialists affiliated with several institutions in China has developed a hydrogel for slowing or stopping the progression of osteoarthritis. Their research is published in the journal Advanced Materials. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-hydrogel-early-stages-osteoarthritis.html Tue, 03 Sep 2024 09:33:48 EDT news644574823 Sweating is a vital process in a normally functioning body. Generally, sweating occurs to regulate body temperature or as a response to stimuli such as stress. Most sweat glands are of the eccrine type. These eccrine sweat glands are distributed all over the body, but their density is greatest in the armpit and on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-role-gene-trpv4-perspiration-mice.html Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:03:04 EDT news639835381 Imagine you're running with your friends in a park. You're in good shape, smiling and feeling strong. But suddenly you feel a sharp pain in your right side, just below the ribs. You find it hard to breathe, you slow down, you stop. You've just got hit by a side stitch. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-side.html Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:53:02 EDT news639658381 Abnormal blood flow in the aorta is linked to inflammation and breakdown of the vessel wall in conditions where the aorta is dilated. This is shown in a study led by researchers at Linköping University. The findings can contribute to better diagnosis and open up new ways to assess the risk of serious and usually fatal complications, such as rupture of the aorta. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-disturbed-blood-vessel-wall-cases.html Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:15:04 EDT news637244101 A new review paper focuses on how parents experience and are affected by their children's sports injuries. The research is published in the journal Sport in Society. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-parents-children-sports-injuries.html Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:41:27 EST news625495285 Researchers have shed light on why brain implants are tricky to engineer and often lose their functionality once surgically placed into brain tissue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-12-brain-implants-functionality.html Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:23:28 EST news621779005 Encouraging immigrants to visit primary care doctors creates a striking decline in costly emergency room use, according to a new study co-authored by an MIT economist. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-09-immigrants-primary-er.html Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:53:14 EDT news614339590 Think about the last time you tied your shoe: maybe you tied it tightly, or tied multiple knots to ensure the laces wouldn't come undone. You likely relied on intuition to tell you how much tension to apply to keep the laces from untying, without pulling hard enough to break them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-reveals-mechanics-ideal-surgical.html Fri, 09 Jun 2023 09:32:55 EDT news605521967 Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease caused by the breakdown of cartilage that afflicts more than 35 million adults in the U.S. The exact mechanism of cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis is unknown, but damage from mechanical stress with insufficient self-repair is believed to be the main culprit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-composition-synovial-fluid-potential-culprit.html Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:00:02 EDT news600425480 Untreated knee cartilage defects can lead to osteoarthritis, with symptoms such as continuous pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. Current treatments for cartilage defects are limited to lesion sizes and specific age groups. Cartilage resurfacing implants are a promising alternative treatment for middle-aged patients who are no longer suitable for regenerative treatments, but are too young for a total knee replacement. The success of an implant is measured by looking at the friction, lubrication, and wear (tribological properties) experienced by the part in the body. Alicia Damen's Ph.D. research looked at the development of two new cartilage resurfacing implants to treat cartilage defects and investigated their tribological properties. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-biotribology-cartilage-resurfacing-implant-materials.html Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:58:58 EDT news582807536 Research conducted at Cruzeiro do Sul University in São Paulo, Brazil, can contribute to earlier diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy, a disorder characterized by damage to peripheral nerves, with symptoms such as pain and paresthesia (pricking, burning and numbness), mainly in the legs and feet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-07-paves-early-diagnosis-diabetic-neuropathy.html Wed, 07 Jul 2021 12:26:36 EDT news544879589 A new tissue-transport device which was inspired by the egg-laying organs of parasitic wasps could greatly advance the field of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), according to a new study in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. The prototype, developed by researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, could allow MIS techniques to be used in previously hard-to-reach areas of the body and vastly reduce the trauma from surgery, and therefore recovery time, of patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-wasp-egg-laying-tool-trauma-minimally.html Wed, 30 Sep 2020 04:26:38 EDT news520658784