https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The distribution of body fat, and particularly fat accumulated around the abdomen, is a determining factor in the risk of developing metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. However, not all abdominal fat has the same impact on health: subcutaneous fat, located beneath the skin, does not carry the same risks as visceral fat, which accumulates deeper and can come into direct contact with vital organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-ultrasound-abdominal-fat-linked-metabolic.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:04:42 EST news689879041 Diagnostic tools based on artificial intelligence are now making their way into Norwegian hospitals. AI can independently read X-ray images and detect bone fractures, or assess cancer tumors in both the breast and prostate. "AI tools can take over the detection of simple and clear-cut cases, allowing doctors to spend their time on more complex ones," said Tone Frost Bathen. She is a professor at NTNU and the project manager of an AI-powered analysis tool for prostate cancer called PROVIZ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-ai-tool-prostate-mris-biopsy.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 09:30:05 EST news689442342 In her 35 years as a psychologist, NTNU researcher Audrey van der Meer has studied everything from baby swimming to what infants learn before they are born. At the core of her work is the idea that babies are born to learn—and the key to their learning is movement. Her latest findings are published in the journal Neuropsychologia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-babies-born.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:40:07 EST news689349462 In a prospective imaging study of 200 adults with lung cancer, photon-counting CT reduced radiation exposure, yielded fewer adverse reactions and provided higher image quality and better detection of malignant features compared with conventional CT. Results of the study are published in Radiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-photon-ct-outperforms-conventional-lung.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:20:01 EST news689350599 On Oct. 25, 2023, a 40-year-old man named Robert Card opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at a bowling alley and nearby bar in Lewiston, Maine, killing 18 people and wounding 13 others. Card was found dead by suicide two days later. His autopsy revealed extensive damage to the white matter of his brain thought to be related to a traumatic brain injury, which some neurologists proposed may have played a role in his murderous actions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-injuries-linked-violent-crime.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:54:29 EST news689341981 Children are usually examined using ultrasound to protect them from radiation exposure. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA are now working on a system to automatically document the spatial recording position of ultrasound scans relative to the patient's body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-3d-camera-automates-ultrasound-documentation.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:30:01 EST news689258250 A new strategy that combines two types of PET scans can guide personalized radiotherapy for head and neck cancers, according to new research the published in Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Moving beyond the "one-size-fits-all approach," this research shows that treatment can be biologically tailored in a clinically feasible way with the potential to improve patient outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-combined-pet-imaging-approach-personalizes.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:50:03 EST news688826971 A new study into how different parts of memory work in the brain has shown that the same brain areas are involved in retrieving different types of information, according to researchers from the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham and the Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at the University of Cambridge. The findings could redefine how memory is understood and studied. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-episodic-semantic-memory-involve-areas.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:01 EST news688666801 A deep learning model using retinal images obtained during retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening may be used to predict diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a study published online Jan. 22 in JAMA Ophthalmology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-deep-cardiopulmonary-disease-retinal-images.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:40:04 EST news688664146 Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and Mannheim University Medical Center (UMM) are presenting a method that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to learn how to transfer medical image data from animals to humans. This "xeno-learning" could help make surgical procedures safer and more precise in the future—without relying on human training data. The work is published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-ai-animal-imaging-surgical-precision.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:53:29 EST news688654381 More than 18 million people worldwide suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, including nearly 1.5 million Americans. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-rheumatoid-arthritis-homing.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:34:54 EST news688653241 Recently, there has been convergence of thought by researchers in the fields of memory, perception, and neurology that the same neural circuitry that produces conscious memory of the past not only produces predictions of the future, but also conscious perception of the present. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-exploring-neural-mechanisms-enable-conscious.html Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:00:01 EST news688399062 Histology is one of the foundations of modern diagnostics. When physicians want to determine whether tissue is pathologically altered, they rely on microscopic tissue analysis: They cut the tissue into ultrathin sections, stain it with special dyes, and examine it under a light microscope. In this manner, physicians can identify whether a tumor is present and, if so, what kind of tumor it is—thereby enabling informed therapeutic decisions. In addition, doctors often assess during surgery whether all altered tissue has already been removed or further intervention is required. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-virtual-histography-tissue-section-3d.html Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:14:38 EST news688238041 Teenage girls who maintain a "normal" body weight through constant dieting and exercise may look "healthy" but should be seen as a vulnerable group, according to new research from the University of Warwick. The study is published in the journal Current Psychology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-body-focused-teens-anxiety-depression.html Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:28:41 EST news688220881 Anyone who has ever had to get a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan knows that magnetic and highly conductive materials are a no-go in the tube-shaped scanners. However, for complex diagnoses and medical research, this imaging technique often needs to be combined with other methods that require conductive cables. As part of an Innosuisse project with the Swiss company TI Solutions, researchers at Empa have developed polymer-based cables that function safely and reliably in MRI machines. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-polymer-cables-mri-applications-metal.html Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:00:02 EST news688122916 Early diagnosis and noninvasive monitoring of neurological disorders require sensitivity to elusive cellular-level alterations that emerge much earlier than volumetric changes observable with millimeter-resolution medical imaging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-mri-quantitative-microscope-white-injury.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:20:01 EST news688040350 Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common kinds of arrhythmia, causing the heart not to contract properly in order to pump the blood, which can lead to the formation of thrombi (blood clots) and the consequent associated risks (heart attack, stroke). Normally, patients with atrial fibrillation take anticoagulants, but the dose must be adjusted and kept as low as possible, because these drugs have negative side effects, especially as they increase the risk of heavy bleeding. If bleeding is internal, it can lead to hemorrhagic strokes, embolisms or abdominal bleeding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-heart-doctors-patients-arrhythmia.html Sun, 18 Jan 2026 11:20:03 EST news687626372 In a proof-of-concept study, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that an innovative, noninvasive technique can be used to quickly collect 3D images of the human body, from head to foot. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-3d-hybrid-imaging-limitations-mri.html Sat, 17 Jan 2026 14:00:02 EST news687776305 By recognizing patterns in test results, AI can identify patients at risk of cancer, diabetes complications, heart disease and mental health issues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-ai-health.html Fri, 16 Jan 2026 01:30:01 EST news687705768 Anthracyclines are among the most widely used chemotherapy drugs and have been a mainstay of cancer treatment for more than 30 years. Their extraordinary efficacy against numerous solid and hematologic tumors means that they remain first-line drugs today, administered alone or in combination with other therapies. Anthracyclines continue to be the cornerstone of treatment for cancers such as lymphomas, leukemias, sarcomas, gastric cancer, and several subtypes of breast cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-high-blood-pressure-primes-heart.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:10:08 EST news687715846 Up to 75% of Australian women report concerns about their body image after giving birth, with many feeling intense pressure to "bounce back" to their pre-pregnancy shape, a pressure that can even trigger eating disorders for the first time, warn Flinders University researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-australian-moms-struggle-body-image.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:33:35 EST news687072781 To determine who could benefit from targeted cancer treatments, a researcher at the University of Missouri has put tumors under a spotlight. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-cancer-flashlight-physicians-benefit-treatments.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:20:04 EST news687024511 Harvard Medical School researchers have uncovered crucial insights into how an emerging class of antiviral drugs works. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-antivirals-herpesviruses-scientists.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 12:39:53 EST news686234313 Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered a practical way to detect and fix common labeling errors in large radiographic collections. By automatically verifying body-part, projection, and rotation tags, their research improves deep-learning models used for routine clinical tasks and research projects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-automatic-medical-ai-reliable.html Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:24:42 EST news685804934 A recent study found one in four teens in British Columbia reported disordered eating or significant anxiety about eating and body image; rates were even higher among transgender and sexual minority teens. These overall risks were associated with social media use and exposure to influencer-driven misinformation, researchers say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-social-media-fuels-teen-disorders.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:05:35 EST news685281902 Researchers have developed an AI-based tool that accelerates the detection of kidney cancer. Its effectiveness was validated in a study published in Communications Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-ai-kidney-cancer-faster.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:55:28 EST news685281301 A study by CIC biomaGUNE and Biogipuzkoa HRI conducted on mice has found that the prolonged intake of sweeteners may exert harmful effects on the function of various organs. Artificial sweeteners are widely used to reduce the intake of sugar and control body weight. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-aspartame-sweetener-fat-heart-brain.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:29:33 EST news685279741 Researchers have developed a new compact Raman imaging system that is sensitive enough to differentiate between tumor and normal tissue. The system offers a promising route to earlier cancer detection and to making molecular imaging more practical outside the lab. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-raman-imaging-subtle-tumor.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:00:01 EST news685187232 An international research team investigated the brains of 16 jazz pianists while they played a piece from memory, improvised based on the melody, and freely improvised based on the chord changes. The analysis of how different levels of creative freedom activate specific brain networks revealed that improvisation is more than mere inspiration, as it involves a dynamic reconfiguration of the brain between emotion, technique, and structure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-brain-jazz-musical-pure-dynamic.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:31:24 EST news685193461 The over‐the‐counter supplement lipoic acid may have a small beneficial effect in slowing the loss of gray matter in the brains of people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new research led by Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Health Care System. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-counter-antioxidant-multiple-sclerosis-results.html Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:00:02 EST news685011608