https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. For many people who suffer from depression, the condition is not just about feeling down but also about a loss of motivation and difficulty finding pleasure in activities they used to enjoy. A new study conducted in Sweden shows that a medicine used to treat Parkinson's disease can be used as an add-on therapy to alleviate these symptoms in some patients with treatment-resistant depression. The study has been published in Nature Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-parkinson-medication-treatment-resistant-depression.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:20:03 EDT news700476841 A working professional who describes herself as "a tired mom of two" believes she's gaining the upper hand on a condition that's made her struggle with fatigue, weight gain, lethargy and hair loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-adding-t3-standard-thyroid-treatment.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:00:06 EDT news700475281 Maybe we shouldn't be surprised that so-called "zombie cells" come with a catch. In response to severe damage, when cells can't recover full function but aren't ready to die, they can become senescent, in a zombie-like state between life and death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-immune-aging.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:40:01 EDT news700465562 New research at Edith Cowan University has shed new light on the growing debate between cow's milk and plant-based alternatives. Results of the study, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, suggest that cow's milk has the edge over plant-based alternatives when it comes to bone strength and nutrient absorption. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-cows-health-benefits.html Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:40:04 EDT news700464415 The White House is gearing up to host a UFC event as part of celebrations marking 250 years of American independence. The fighters on the card are relying on body-conditioning techniques that have been around for centuries to try to emerge victorious. Muay thai, karate and jiujitsu all use ancient practices that condition the body for their field. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-hardening-body-science-martial-arts.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:20:05 EDT news700402710 Our brains make us who we are. But what makes our brains? Which of the myriad experiences and characteristics that define a child's life and identity—from screen time to sleep to illness—leave imprints in the folds of that child's brain? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-socioeconomic-factors-imprint-children-brains.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700398541 For millions of people, cannabis has become the unofficial prescription for lost sleep. But what feels like a solution may be quietly making the problem worse. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-cannabis-isnt-harmless-neurologist-people.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:40:08 EDT news700398482 Researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed an artificial model of the mitral heart valve that faithfully mimics the valve's complex mechanical behavior in the human heart. The study could help researchers better understand valve disease and develop new treatment approaches. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-synthetic-mitral-valve-replicate-heart.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:20:09 EDT news700391222 A novel study among Indigenous communities in Canada utilizing sharing circles as the primary method of qualitative data collection shows that heart health is shaped by emotional, spiritual, social, and systemic factors, with trauma strongly influencing how care is accessed and trusted. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-visual-storytelling-circles-reveal-community.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:01 EDT news700296875 Daniel Daneshvar, MD, Ph.D., director of the HealthSpan Lab and Chief of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham, and Charlotte Luster, of the HealthSpan Lab, are the senior and lead authors of a paper published in Neuroepidemiology, "Brain Cancer Mortality following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A TBI Model Systems Study." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-people-traumatic-brain-injury-die.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 22:20:01 EDT news700315158 The powerful role of exercise in maintaining skeletal muscle could be the key to improving health and resilience in older age, according to new research from Monash University. The new research, published on the bioRxiv preprint server, used preclinical models to uncover the key role a protein found in skeletal muscle, NOX4, plays in this process. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-secret-healthy-aging-skeletal-muscle.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:20:03 EDT news700326134 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 Picky eating is a challenge most parents are familiar with, but for parents of autistic children, severe selective eating can lead to nutritional deficiencies and place tremendous stress on the family. However, a new study from Constructor University Ph.D. candidate Sofya Bajaa has demonstrated a transformative new approach to treating severe selective eating in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Bajaa's newly developed Schmetterling Nutritional Behavior Intervention (NBI) program achieved dramatic improvements in dietary variety and nutritional intake over just 10 weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-ten-week-therapy-empowers-parents.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:20:08 EDT news700318348 For people with physical frailty, having high blood pressure may be associated with a lower risk of dementia, according to a study published in Neurology. The study did not find a lower risk of dementia in people with high blood pressure who were more robust. High blood pressure was associated with a higher risk of dementia in people with no signs of frailty. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-high-blood-pressure-dementia-frail.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:00:07 EDT news700241581 In 2022, about 149 million children younger than 5 worldwide suffered from childhood stunting. A critical marker of chronic undernutrition, stunting is more than a metric of physical height. It represents a lifelong constraint on human potential, carrying a heightened risk of mortality, chronic disease, impaired cognitive development and reduced economic opportunity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-human-linked-childhood-stunting-africa.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:00:05 EDT news700322401 Healthy sleep and regular exercise can work to counteract genetic mutations in white blood cells that are associated with cardiovascular disease and are most common among older people, Mount Sinai researchers have found. In a study published in Nature, the team reported for the first time that sufficient sleep and exercise can help reduce the cancer-like cell expansion and atherosclerotic risk linked to mutations that spontaneously occur in white blood cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-curb-heart-mutant-white-blood.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news700321651 A new Dalhousie study suggests improved fitness may not be enough to protect blood vessels from the effects of prolonged sitting. The study, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, examined whether 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training could protect blood-vessel function in the leg after two hours of uninterrupted sitting. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-undo-effects-day.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:20:06 EDT news700315022 As medical schools increasingly turn to virtual reality, 3D models and digital simulations, a new correspondence in Nature Medicine argues that one essential part of clinical training remains difficult to digitize: the hands-on judgment physicians develop through real-life, mentored practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-virtual-reality-surgeons-year-reveals.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:00:14 EDT news700317121 To better understand what drives the emergence of symptoms in Rett syndrome, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital took a closer look at brain cells in mice modeling Rett syndrome before symptoms appeared. They identified a set of dysfunctional genes and specific cell types that are vulnerable early to genetic changes. The study appears in Science Advances. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-early-rett-syndrome-clues-emerge.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:00:04 EDT news700303441 Have you heard someone say online or in casual conversation, when responding to someone's struggles, "well, the body keeps the score"? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-body-score-trauma-debunked-idea.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:40:01 EDT news700307462 As the world's best soccer players prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup across North America this summer, teams are gearing up not only for opponents but also for the heat. In stadiums from Miami to Mexico City, soaring temperatures and humidity could affect matches, recovery times and ultimately championship outcomes. And behind one of the most storied teams in soccer history is a University of Florida scientist using the science of sweat to help athletes perform, recover and stay healthy in extreme heat. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-science-brazil-world-cup.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:00:06 EDT news700304161 A new Northwestern University study has found one in three middle-aged American adults ages 35 to 64 cannot consistently read prescription instructions correctly, understand medical forms or recall details from doctor visits involving chronic condition diagnoses. These skills—often referred to as health literacy—are critical for managing common conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which commonly emerge in midlife. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-middle-aged-adults-struggle-basic.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 10:00:01 EDT news700217773 A nationwide study tracking Japanese adults before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic found that health-related quality of life steadily declined over seven years and did not rebound after the public health emergency ended. Researchers say the decline may reflect the cumulative impact of pandemic-related changes in physical activity, mental well-being and social interaction among working-age adults across Japan. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-japan-quality-life-covid-restrictions.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 09:45:42 EDT news700303501 A new study published in Frontiers in Psychology challenges the traditional, reactive model of mental health care by demonstrating that proactive brain training can strengthen the human mind before mental health challenges take root. Additionally, it can support the wellness of those with a history of mental illness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-flips-mental-health-paradigm-proactive.html Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:20:01 EDT news700296888 Researchers at University of Tsukuba examined feint dribbling in soccer to clarify how skilled players successfully penetrate defensive pressure in one-on-one situations. Their findings demonstrate that effective dribbling is not simply a matter of speed; rather, it is a complex, coordinated skill that involves the integrated regulation of interpersonal distance (spacing), relative speed between attacker and defender, and acceleration in response to defensive movement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-skilled-soccer-players-outsmart-defenders.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:20:02 EDT news700233186 Our parents' genes, even the ones we didn't inherit, leave a measurable lasting imprint on our lives. An international team led by researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health developed a new approach to analyze genetic data from tens of thousands of families. The study, published this Tuesday in Cell Genomics, found that for height, body weight, and school test performance, the environment shaped by our parents' genes can be nearly as important as the genes we actually inherited from them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-human-traits-inherited-genes-imprint.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:20:01 EDT news700243681 Just over a decade ago, Michigan expanded its Medicaid health coverage program, opening it to all adults with very low incomes through the Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-michigan-medicaid-expansion-uninsurance-debt.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:40:06 EDT news700232200 In South Florida, heat shapes daily routines long before summer officially arrives. For people living with cancer, that heat can feel like an added, continuous health burden that influences daily decisions about care, movement and energy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-reveals-extreme-cancer-decisions.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:00:03 EDT news700234739 A culturally adapted health and lifestyle program, ¡Coma, Muévase y Viva! ("Eat, Move, and Live!"), showed promising results in helping low-income Latina and Indigenous Mexican women in rural Inland Southern California make healthier changes in their daily lives, according to a new pilot study conducted in 2022 by researchers at the University of California, Riverside. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-promotora-health-rural-latina-women.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700228682 Just 4 minutes of daily strengthening exercise dramatically increases key factors in quality of life for older adults, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. Results published in PLOS One show that strength—which affects fall risk, longevity, independent living and more—significantly improved for adults 65 and older in as little as 12 weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-minutes-daily-resistance-quadruple-older.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:40:04 EDT news700234064