https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Women who engage in light physical activity and lessen their sedentary time may significantly reduce the risk of key health problems during pregnancy, according to a new University of Iowa-led study. The paper, "Optimal 24-hour movement behaviour compositions across trimesters and risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: the Pregnancy 24/7 cohort study," is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-pregnant-women-key-health.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news700241222 Researchers at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, together with Newcastle University's Translational and Clinical Research Institute and the Department of Immunology at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have identified an important driver of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This discovery reshapes understanding of IBD and opens the way to targeted approaches to diagnosis and treatment in a subset of patients. The findings suggest that inflammatory bowel disease is not a single condition, but a group of biologically distinct diseases driven by different underlying mechanisms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-decades-puzzle-scientists-uncover-inflammatory.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:00:03 EDT news700323061 People who attended or experienced the same event often remember it in completely different ways. For instance, one person might remember a family dinner as warm and enjoyable, while another might recall that the same dinner was uncomfortable or emotionally demanding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-recollections-events-linked-similar-brain.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:20:01 EDT news700303796 Moderate screen time in the first three days after concussion is linked to faster recovery, with an average 141 minutes of daily use speeding symptom resolution by 35%, according to a study of 80 concussed teens published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Recovery above or below this level seems to be slower, the findings suggest, prompting the researchers to conclude that rather than total avoidance, a balanced level of use may be helpful. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-moderate-screen-days-concussion-linked.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700132534 Changes to the heart linked to marathon running vary by age, sex and training level, finds a synthesis of the available data, published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. But it is not clear whether these changes represent normal physiological responses to endurance exercise or long-term maladaptations, the findings indicate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-marathon-heart-soaring-alarms.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news700153982 Does a depressive mood inevitably lead to more pessimistic thinking or overanalyzing? A global meta-analysis, the largest of its kind to examine the relationship between a depressive mood and reality judgment, co-conducted by the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University, has found that the key lies in the nature of the judgment. The paper was published in Clinical Psychology Review. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-depressive-mood-sharpen-judgment-blur.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:00:05 EDT news700232004 University students who aren't always enthused about walking across campus for class can take heart in new research that suggests lots of daily steps translate to improved mental health and better sleep. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-linked-healthful-rest-college-students.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:20:05 EDT news700234149 A circuit that runs from the prefrontal cortex near the front of the brain to a deeper brain structure called the insular cortex appears to mediate the antidepressant effects of a newer form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The discovery could lead to more effective TMS treatment of depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-brain-region-linked-tms-antidepressant.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:00:03 EDT news700233975 To function properly, neurons need to recycle cellular waste before it becomes toxic. When neurons can no longer do that, either due to aging or harmful genetic mutations, neurodegenerative disease can set in. One sign that neurons are losing their recycling function is the buildup of pigmented material called lipofuscin that accumulates with age. Understanding how it forms could help illuminate the aging process and, in turn, how age-related neurodegenerative diseases progress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-brain-aging-neurodegeneration.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:20:05 EDT news700234021 Can a simple scent released while you sleep improve your sense of smell, your memory or even the quality of your sleep? New research explores the benefits of passive olfactory stimulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-beneficial-brain.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:20:06 EDT news700223762 Eating when the body is normally asleep appears to desynchronize the circadian clocks of different cell types in the intestines, a UT Southwestern Medical Center study suggests. The findings, published in PNAS, could help explain why shift work, jet lag and other environmental stressors that affect circadian rhythms are associated with irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-middle-night-gastrointestinal-issues.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:20:04 EDT news700225795 A new pill developed by the British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca appears to help people lose a similar amount of weight as other oral GLP-1 drugs, trial results showed Monday. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-trial-results-astrazeneca-weight-loss.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:00:04 EDT news700197840 A technological platform developed by Brazilian researchers could revolutionize the treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo. The group, affiliated with the NanoGeneSkin laboratory at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Ribeirão Preto, is developing nanoparticles capable of delivering therapeutic RNA molecules directly to skin cells. These nanoparticles can precisely silence the genes responsible for chronic inflammation at the molecular level. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-nanoparticles-psoriasis-genes-aiming-million.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 19:40:01 EDT news700133160 University of Maine researchers have published new findings about how muscles form, why certain muscle diseases develop and why symptoms may not appear until years after muscle degeneration begins. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-mylpf-protein-molecular-linchpin-muscle.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:00:02 EDT news700157941 As travelers prepare to set off on summer trips, scorching temperatures lie in wait. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-stay-safe-extreme.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:20:05 EDT news700149772 Early trends have pointed to reductions in traffic congestion, travel times, and air pollution within the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ), the initiative launched by New York City in 2025. Traffic crashes also declined significantly after tolling began, according to a new study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in partnership with the Yale School of Public Health. However, the program's impact on injurious and fatal crashes is less clear. The findings are published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-congestion-relief-zone-results-year.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:40:01 EDT news700146169 An anticancer medication called TLD1433, a ruthenium(II) complex that has entered Phase II trials for conditions such as non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, is now being repurposed to address one of the biggest public health issues globally—bacterial infections. Despite being preventable or treatable in many cases, bacterial infections kill an estimated 7.7 million people each year, resulting in one in eight deaths worldwide. With these numbers, it stands as the second-leading cause of death on the planet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ultrasound-anticancer-molecule-deep-lung.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:00:08 EDT news700143190 A new study from the University of Kansas details how U.S. tobacco corporations expanded into global food markets from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, using strategies honed through cigarette sales to market ultra-processed foods, which are industrially processed and contain ingredients and additives that maximize their appeal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-tobacco-firms-cigarette-tactics-globally.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:40:10 EDT news700135214 By inducing specific patterns of activity in small portions of the brain in awake mice, researchers have triggered a recalibration of neural connections that normally only occurs during sleep. This new approach offset the effects of sleep deprivation on memory tasks and revealed features of sleep that are key to its restorative effect. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-trigger-effect-brain.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:40:11 EDT news700133685 It's no accident that we spend a third of our lives asleep. It is essential to our health, and even animals for whom resting is complicated—such as aquatic mammals that need to surface to breathe, or birds that go up to 10 days without touching dry land—manage to sleep with surprising adaptations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-good-night-healthy-gut-bacteria.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 20:30:02 EDT news699540301 Tracking the brain's blood flow during neurosurgery represents one of the most critical and challenging parts of the operation. A brief interruption can mean the difference between permanent damage and full recovery, but it's difficult to track blood flow across the surgical field. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-newly-view-brain-blood-surgery.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 17:00:02 EDT news699634097 An increasing number of people are suffering from sleep deprivation, difficulty falling asleep, or interrupted sleep—with consequences for health, society, and the economy. An international research team involving the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine—Brain and Behavior (INM-7) at Forschungszentrum Jülich is therefore calling for a fundamental rethink. In the future, sleep should no longer be regarded merely as a personal health issue, but as a global health priority, they argue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-poor-threatens-health-society-economy.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 10:30:02 EDT news699624126 A new noninvasive technology, called broadband optical spectroscopy (BOS), has promise for reliably detecting necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants at earlier stages, before this devastating intestinal disease progresses enough to be visible on X-rays, according to a first-in-human study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-noninvasive-tool-early-dangerous-intestinal.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 06:13:28 EDT news700031582 A team of experimental oncology researchers at the University of Alberta is shedding light on how the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma spreads. In newly published research, they identify a potential treatment target to slow or even stop it. Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of cancer that affects 4 in 100,000 people, according to Brain Tumor Canada, with an average survival of 12 to 18 months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-inhibit-brain-cancer-infiltration-mechanism.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:00:05 EDT news699866873 Working with mouse models, research led by the University of Michigan has revealed previously hidden biology of how touch-sensitive hairs create itching sensations. This fundamental discovery opens new avenues to better understand and potentially address human health conditions characterized by persistent itchiness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-peach-fuzz-clues-chronic-treatments.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:20:02 EDT news699879601 An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, leads to inefficient pumping of blood by the heart, which then prevents blood and oxygen from getting to the body's other organs. When blood and oxygen flow poorly to the brain, the risk of stroke and cognitive decline increases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-triggered-arrhythmia-reveals-rapid-brain.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:40:06 EDT news699877621 A miniaturized, biomimetic model of the human intestine has successfully reproduced long-term enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) infection, report researchers from Science Tokyo. Using this innovative platform, they shed light on how this virus grows in the intestine without triggering a strong immune response. Their findings, appearing in the Journal of Virology, could help develop effective treatments for EV-A71 infectious diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-scientists-recreate-enterovirus-infection-human.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:40:03 EDT news699810181 Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed an AI model capable of predicting light propagation in biological tissue in diffuse optical tomography, a noninvasive imaging technique for detecting abnormalities such as hemorrhages and tumors. The model performs these calculations in approximately 2 milliseconds, exceeding the speed of conventional simulation methods by more than 1 million times, paving the way for real-time diagnostic applications. The paper is published in Biomedical Engineering Letters. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ai-enables-million-diffuse-optical.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:20:03 EDT news699805201 You have gone without food for days, and the temperature drops to near freezing. What do you do? For some animals, the answer is influenced by the brain's circadian clock. Hummingbirds, bats, and mice are among the animals that can enter torpor, which reduces body temperature and metabolism. Scientists suspected that the brain's circadian clock controls the timing of torpor, but until now the exact mechanism was not known. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-brain-circuit-state-metabolism-implications.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:20:05 EDT news699804241 Scientists at Université de Montréal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) have identified a dynamic structure that forms a network on the surface of epithelial cells. Led by Gregory Emery, director of IRIC's vesicular trafficking and cell signaling research unit, and Ph.D. students Claire Baudouin and Léa Marpeaux, the research is published in the Journal of Cell Science. It shows that, in certain skin cells, actin fibers can connect with neighboring cells to form a shared network on the surface of the tissue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hidden-actin-web-skin-cells.html Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:40:03 EDT news699795898