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. Guaranteed income programs may reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition among low-income Black households in the state of Georgia, according to a new study led by the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-income-food-black-households-georgia.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:47:42 EST news689863621 Children in families who participate in a home visitation program in Maskwacîs, Alberta, are six times more likely to get their childhood vaccines than others in the First Nations community, according to new research from the University of Alberta published in the International Journal for Equity in Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-home-sixfold-early-childhood-vaccines.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:50:28 EST news689856602 It may sound like a scene from "Nosferatu," but research from the University of East Anglia shows that humans can use bat-like echolocation skills to judge the distance of objects. The new study reveals that, just like bats navigating in the dark, humans too can rely on the echoes of mouth clicks to gauge how far away objects are. While humans may not match the precision of these nocturnal navigators, the study, published in Experimental Brain Research, shows that with simple tools like mouth clicks, we can tap into a surprisingly effective form of spatial awareness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-humans-skills-mouth-click-echolocation.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:20:03 EST news689508535 Hundreds of international experts in gambling addiction are urging a more coordinated approach to enhance interventions and therapies, while aligning research priorities to tackle the escalating problem. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-experts-countries-priorities-curb-gambling.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:10:01 EST news689488958 A Medicare-covered program that offers support and medical advice for caregivers of patients with dementia may bring more benefit than a costly Alzheimer's medication, research finds. UC San Francisco researchers have compared outcomes for patients in collaborative care programs with those taking lecanemab, one of two approved drugs that have been shown to slow progression of Alzheimer's in some patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dementia-patients-easy-access-experts.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 07:00:04 EST news689447281 In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, Yale researchers examined the burdens for people who use public transit to access methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) at Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) in Connecticut. While previous work has demonstrated long drive times for people using personal vehicles, these analyses did not include travel by public transit, a method of transportation used by many people who need methadone treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-methadone-transit-barrier-accessing-treatment.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:50:03 EST news689425435 Medicare has launched a six-year pilot program that could eventually transform access to health care for some of the millions of people across the U.S. who rely on it for their health insurance coverage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-medicare-ai-denying.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:05 EST news689428741 In their day-to-day work, first responders—including police, firefighters, paramedics and lifesavers—often witness terrible things happening to other people, and may be in danger themselves. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-firefighters-trauma-ptsd.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:33:36 EST news689423581 Female brains have historically evolved to adapt to pregnancy, undergoing structural and functional changes. But the cognitive health implications of these adaptations have long been overlooked—until now. A study led by UCLA anthropology professor Molly Fox has found that pregnancy and breastfeeding are linked with stronger long-term cognitive ability in postmenopausal women. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-pregnancy-breastfeeding-higher-cognitive-function.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:42:30 EST news689359321 Daily physical activities play a far greater role in the well-being of patients with osteoarthritis than handgrip strength or isolated motor tasks, according to new research from the University of Sharjah. The study, published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, addresses what the authors describe as an "overlooked question" in osteoarthritis research and clinical practice: the best daily physical activities that can improve the well-being and quality of life for people living with this wear-and-tear joint disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-everyday-movements-beneficial-osteoarthritis-patients.html Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:02:33 EST news689266921 There were only 10 reported cases of Guinea worm infections confined to three countries in 2025, a historic low announced Friday by The Carter Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-world-closer-eradicating-human-guinea.html Sat, 31 Jan 2026 04:53:01 EST news689057552 Month after month, Patricia Hunter and other members of the Nursing Home Reform Coalition logged onto video calls with congressional representatives, seeking support for a proposed federal rule setting minimum staff levels for nursing homes. Finally, after decades of advocacy, the Biden administration in 2023 tackled the problem of perennial understaffing of long-term care facilities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-policy-health-older-people.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:30:01 EST news688803752 At the start of the new year, many of us will commit to joining a gym, eating healthier or cutting back on drinking and smoking. We do this knowing that investing in our health today will pay off into the future—that prevention is better (and cheaper) than the cure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-stronger-focus-rein-health-social.html Wed, 21 Jan 2026 21:20:03 EST news688222863 Hours after Donald Trump began his second term as United States president on Jan. 20, 2024, he signed an executive order to end American membership in the World Health Organization (WHO) after one year. This restarted a process that the first Trump administration initiated in July 2020 but was reversed by Joe Biden. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-affect-global-health-powers-disease.html Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:46:36 EST news688214761 Despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing a higher rate of fragility fractures from low-impact injuries, such as a fall from standing height, bone health remains an under-researched health issue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-fracture-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander.html Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:53:56 EST news688107182 While it's true that many Canadians would benefit from more exercise and from improving the quality of their diet, research shows that society often blames nutrition problems and food insecurity on personal choices like lack of willpower and imperfect parenting. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-root-food-insecurity.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 19:10:01 EST news688050236 Federal funding for mental health and addiction treatment programs will continue after the Trump administration abruptly reversed a plan to end nearly $2 billion in grants across the country. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-trump-administration-billion-mental-health.html Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:44:08 EST news687775369 OpenAI recently introduced ChatGPT Health, "a dedicated experience in ChatGPT designed for health and wellness," as a response to the millions of people who ask ChatGPT a health care-related question every day, the company said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-qa-health-ai-patients.html Fri, 16 Jan 2026 07:30:01 EST news687770216 As Australians return to work after the holidays, many will be reflecting on their health and well-being goals for the year ahead. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-occupational-factors-high.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:07:30 EST news687503222 Once considered a regional problem, methamphetamine-related overdose deaths have risen across every U.S. Census division, with particularly sharp spikes in the Southeast, including Mississippi, a new study reveals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-methamphetamine-deaths-risen-region.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:19:51 EST news687446342 Bullying in the United States remains a serious public health issue with consequences that extend far beyond the school grounds. For adolescents, being bullied—or engaging in bullying—can lead to lasting mental, physical and social challenges that follow them into adulthood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-reveals-social-family-health-factors.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:25:52 EST news687432301 The link between heart disease and mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is becoming so clear that some cardiology practices are offering psychological support as part of the treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-heart-condition-psychologist.html Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:33:46 EST news687169982 Commuters feel this in their bones—time spent in traffic is bad for your health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-electric-cars-wont-health-cities.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:00:02 EST news687106809 Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal form of pancreas cancer. It's also the most common form of the disease. Potential treatments typically target a key mutated oncogene called KRAS. In some cases, PDAC tumors with these mutations have resisted therapeutic efforts. However, combination therapies involving alternative drug targets may one day help clinicians overwhelm these defenses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-short-circuiting-pancreatic-cancer-potential.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:03:50 EST news687099782 The scale-up of HIV treatment and prevention programs has led to remarkable declines in orphanhood rates in Rakai, Uganda, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) availability has been the primary driver of these improvements, underscoring the critical importance of sustained investment in HIV programs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-decline-cases-orphanhood-uganda-driven.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:30:03 EST news687008056 Knee injuries in rugby players occur with high incidence and severity, posing a significant burden on athletes. Although many studies on rugby injuries have been published, few combine video analysis with epidemiological injury surveillance to further elucidate injury mechanisms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-injury-mechanisms-severity-knee-injuries.html Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:09:33 EST news687010141 A new study co-led by the Southern California Superfund Research and Training Program for PFAS Assessment, Remediation and Prevention (ShARP) Center and the University of Hawai'i has linked certain common "forever chemicals" to a higher risk of liver disease in adolescents. These synthetic compounds, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may as much as triple the chances that adolescents develop a liver condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—formerly known as fatty liver disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-chemicals-liver-disease-adolescents.html Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:43:54 EST news686932981 Health behavior experts have a question: If loneliness results in the same risk of dying early as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, could the strategies that greatly reduced smoking in the United States a half century ago also potentially ease the loneliness epidemic today? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-reduction-strategies-ease-loneliness-social.html Mon, 05 Jan 2026 13:24:32 EST news686841842 From 2012 to 2021, there was an increase in the prevalence of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) in Massachusetts, with the highest 10-year prevalence among young adults, Hispanic individuals, Black individuals, and men, according to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-cannabinoid-hyperemesis-syndrome.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:22:04 EST news685293547 Linda Pescatello, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in the Department of Kinesiology (CAHNR), has established herself as a leading figure in the study of exercise as medicine. One avenue of Pescatello's work has highlighted how exercise can help lower blood pressure. Pescatello recently published a spotlight on the topic in JACC. This accompanies the release of the 2025 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Multisociety high blood pressure guidelines. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-medicine-high-blood-pressure.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:17:46 EST news685275422