The specific mix of bacteria living in a person's gut can predict the chances that melanoma will recur after surgery and immunotherapy, which helps immune cells target cancer cells. This is according to a new study...
The specific mix of bacteria living in a person's gut can predict the chances that melanoma will recur after surgery and immunotherapy, which helps immune cells target cancer cells. This is according to a new study...
Physicians, dentists, and other nonhospital providers account for more than 80% of health care debt collection cases in Connecticut courts, a CT Mirror-KFF Health News investigation finds.
An Arm and a Leg launches its “101” series with the story of Alfred Engelberg, a lawyer who’s been crusading to improve access to generic drugs by fixing loopholes in a law he helped draft more than 40 years ago.
Understanding which cells within a tumor will go on to form metastases remains one of the major challenges in cancer research. A study led by the Cell Plasticity in Development and Disease laboratory, headed by Ángela...
Up to 80% of people who receive chemotherapy experience cancer-related cognitive impairment, which most commonly involves mild-to-moderate changes such as difficulty paying attention, memory lapses, and struggles with...
Younger children and teens often have built-in opportunities to stay active through gym class, sports, and extracurricular activities. But after high school, those structured options often disappear. And many young...
A new study on physician misconduct using publicly available data on 208 physicians involved in cases of sex- or gender-based violence, harassment, or discrimination found gaps in how physicians were monitored and...
Suicide prevention approaches are key to making sure conversational AI is safe for youth, argues a commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The adoption of AI chatbots by youth as a source of mental...
The next time you need medical advice for a common ailment like acne, insomnia or pink eye, consider visiting your pharmacist. Pharmacists in Alberta have the widest scope of practice in Canada, and more than 100 new...
Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that teenagers who begin using cannabis show slower gains in thinking and memory skills as they grow. The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology,...
Yoga may help support individuals recovering from substance use disorders, according to researchers at Penn State Brandywine. The team includes Kendall Taylor, a fourth-year psychology student at Penn State...
Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients.
A major study presented at ESCMID Global 2026 has found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces accelerated biological aging in people with HIV (PWH) by nearly four years, a finding that could transform how...
A landmark trial presented at ESCMID Global 2026 shows that improving oral hygiene for hospital patients can reduce the risk of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) by 60%.
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)—segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics—can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.
Diabetes affects more than 40 million people in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association. For many, the chronic condition means a lifetime of pain as worsening circulation leads to nonhealing...
Hot flashes, night sweats or swinging mood changes are some of the most common symptoms of menopause—the stage of a woman's life when menstrual periods stop permanently, and she is no longer fertile.
Nothing rivals the human brain's complexity. Its 86 billion neurons and 85 billion other cells make an estimated 100 trillion connections. If the brain were a computer, it would perform an exaflop (a billion-billion)...
Deep in the lungs, resident memory B cells stand guard against influenza reinfection—but whether they remain there may depend on how strongly they are signaled through their own receptors. New research using an animal...
Cancer treatments can take a toll on a person's body. A patient's treatment may cause nausea, changes in appetite, taste and smell, diarrhea, or constipation, making it harder to meet their nutritional needs....
Many studies carried out over the past decades have explored the relationship between mental and physical health, showing that the two are often interlinked. One well-established indicator of overall physical health...
Many households will recognize this familiar exchange. One person insists an object simply isn't there: impossible to find despite what they describe as a thorough and highly competent search. Another walks in,...
Teen cannabis use in Northern California increased following the legalization of adult recreational cannabis and later declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Kaiser Permanente published...
An international research team with the participation of researchers from the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Germany, has developed a mouse model that offers new insights into the development of a rare but...
The larynx, also known as the voice box, is home to the vocal folds and is the reason people can talk and sing while manipulating pitch and volume. The vocal folds are covered with mucosa, or mucous membranes.
Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one's health. But most people don't know just how bad it is. More people in the United States die every year from smoking...
Extra virgin olive oil might help protect your brain by working through your gut. A two-year study found that people who consumed it had better cognitive performance and more diverse gut bacteria than those using...
A new study led by researchers at Dartmouth Cancer Center pinpoints why many patients in rural areas experience delays in receiving critical follow-up treatment for head and neck cancer, and what can be done to...
New research from the University of Kansas shows people who experience chronic pain tend to consume cigarettes and e-cigarettes at higher rates than others. The findings, based on analysis of the National Health...
Soft electrodes designed to perfectly match a person's brain surface may help advance neural interfaces for neurodegenerative disease monitoring and treatment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers....
Around 40% of adults worldwide are affected by osteopenia: a loss of bone mineral density. This condition is extremely common, particularly in postmenopausal women and elderly adults. It's estimated that more than...
As a researcher investigating how electric brain stimulation can improve people's powers of recollection, I'm often asked how memory works—and what we can do to use it more effectively. Happily, decades of research...
The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the Nobel Prize–winning technology is being adapted to fight cancer, with mRNA vaccines in clinical trials for...
Often diagnosed in the teenage years, childhood-onset lupus is a serious, potentially fatal autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack itself. For as many as 10,000 U.S. youths, it can bring extreme fatigue,...
A team of researchers led by the University of Aberdeen has found that private gardens played a vital role in supporting people's well-being during the U.K.'s first COVID-19 lockdown, when access to public green...
While the U.S. has seen a decline in the overall number of overdose deaths, the news on drug use is not all trending positively, and researchers at Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School are focused on an...
Sitting all day might not be as damaging as once feared—if you’re willing to move more. A massive study tracking over 72,000 people found that simply increasing daily steps can significantly reduce the risk of death...
A new commentary in Reproductive Health calls for fetal condition care to be reframed through a reproductive justice (RJ) lens, arguing that systemic inequities, not just medical factors, shape the options available...
The physical differences between men and women are all too obvious, but the biological divide goes right down to the cellular level in the brain, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
Mechanical thrombectomy is a life-saving procedure used to remove blood clots from the brain. The complex procedure is needed within hours to achieve the best outcomes, but as it requires specialist expertise, access...
Scientists looking for the causes of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's generally focus on the buildup of aberrant proteins in the brain that impede normal neural connections. But new research...
Acute sinusitis leads to more antibiotic prescriptions for U.S. adults than any other condition, but there is no consensus on which antibiotic is preferred for uncomplicated cases. In a retrospective, nationwide study...
Measles remains one of the most contagious infectious diseases, spread through coughing and sneezing, with even small declines in vaccination coverage leading to outbreaks. As of 2026, California has reported its...
A supplier of baby food jars in Austria is recalling a line saying a lethal substance may have been introduced through tampering.
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Engineers at Northwestern University have taken a striking leap toward merging machines with the human brain by printing artificial neurons that can actually communicate with real ones. These flexible, low-cost...
A surprising new study suggests that eating a very healthy diet—packed with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—might be linked to a higher risk of lung cancer in younger non-smokers. Researchers found that patients...
Injectable peptides are generating a lot of buzz online.
Have you been to a licensed cannabis dispensary lately? My team and I often visit them in the Greater Lansing area to invite cannabis users to participate in our studies. As soon as we walk in, we are met with a...
New research to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12–15 May) shows that living with obesity in childhood is associated with lower future levels of education, employment, and...
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that can cause severe respiratory illness in infants and young children, including lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. It...
Restricting calorie intake in species such as mice, rhesus monkeys, and fruit flies has been shown to extend their lifespans. In some cases, these animals not only live longer, but are also free of disease. But when...
Women taking antiseizure medication for epilepsy have around a 45% reduced risk of major congenital anomalies in their children—if they initiate high-dose folic acid before pregnancy. This is the finding of a large...
A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains is generally recommended for better health and to lower the risk of cancer and other diseases. However, new research from USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, part...
A new UNC School of Medicine study of incretin-based medications, including newer medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide that are widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, finds they are associated...
Wearable technologies are starting to reshape how people manage health. Continuous glucose monitors that measure blood sugar levels in diabetes patients have already shown the power of tracking an important molecule...
President Donald Trump this week nominated a former deputy surgeon general who has expressed support for vaccines to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Considered a more traditional fit for the job,...
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Most parents of children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years are unaware that the U.S. federal minimum legal age (MLA) for tobacco sales is 21 years, according to research published online April 14 in Pediatrics.
Infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria are difficult to treat and are responsible for over 2.8 million infections and more than 35,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. A new study in Nature Communications reports...
A new approach to weight loss research is challenging one of the biggest assumptions behind popular weight loss drugs: Are GLP-1s actually needed to achieve weight loss?
In patients developing end-stage liver disease, the damage has become too severe for the liver's normally extraordinary regenerative capacity to repair or compensate for it. Once this "point of no return" has been...
A comprehensive new review led by Mayo Clinic is helping shape how clinicians diagnose and treat meningioma, the most common primary brain tumor, with a focus on personalized, patient-centered care and the latest...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon review whether certain peptides should be allowed in customized medications made by compounding pharmacies.
In a new study published in Genes & Development, research led by Dr. Lila Allou at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London and Professor Stefan Mundlos at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics...
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are the gold standard of medical research as random assignment approach helps eliminate bias and yields the most reliable evidence on whether a treatment truly works. Since RCTs sit...
Scientists who use imaging to understand the brain's complexity often focus on the strongest signals and ignore the rest. But this strategy, researchers warn, may reveal only the tip of the iceberg. A study published...
The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, especially visceral fat (fat that accumulates between organs), significantly increases the risk of stress urinary incontinence in women. A study conducted at the...
Cancer risk increases with age and is often more aggressive and difficult to treat in older adults. However, fewer than 10% of mouse studies use aged animals, with most relying on mice roughly equivalent to humans in...
Researchers at Flinders University have developed a new class of biodegradable magnesium-based alloys with improved strength and corrosion resistance, marking an important step forward for next-generation medical...
Two previously unknown stem cell types appear to play a central role in children's height growth, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. The study also shows that growth hormone can act directly on...
New guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) says all average-risk females ages 50 to 74 should receive biennial screening mammography for breast cancer. Females between the ages of 40 and 49 should...
Despite its small size—it could sit in the palm of your hand—the zebra finch is a remarkable learner. A songbird native to Australia, it's renowned for its ability to pick up new songs. That talent has made it a...
Both physicians and the general public want AI in health care to be more accurate than humans. At the same time, trust in the technology is only moderate. That is the finding of a study from the University of Gothenburg.
In a new study exploring stigma associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, women who lost weight using GLP-1 medications were judged more harshly than those who lost weight through diet and exercise, with...
New research from Swansea University has identified significant delays and diagnostic barriers affecting rheumatology patients in Wales. The study is published in the Journal of Patient Experience.
Over 1 billion people worldwide are living with one or more mental health disorders that affect their mood, thinking processes and behavior, impacting their daily functioning to varying degrees. Identifying variations...
A new University of Michigan study, published in Injury Prevention, tested a method called the Family Safety Net in Alaska, which shifts suicide prevention away from individual screening and toward household action....
The ability to function effectively in intercultural settings has been termed "cultural intelligence"—and it is often celebrated as a kind of modern superpower.
Heart transplant surgeon Raymond Lee, MD, explains what patients can expect after a heart transplant—including how long the heart will last. The average lifespan of a transplanted heart is about 10 years, though...
Stanford researchers interviewed 21 global health leaders to identify specific strategies men can use to support women's career advancement.
Scientists have uncovered a surprising twist in how bacteria share genes—including those that spread antibiotic resistance. Tiny virus-like particles called gene transfer agents (GTAs), once ancient viral invaders,...
Expanding access to NHS Talking Therapies may help reduce the long-term economic inactivity faced by people with entrenched mental health problems, University of Manchester researchers say.
UCF researchers have uncovered evidence that some movement-related symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may originate outside the brain, which could change how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.
A study published in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry by University of Technology Sydney (UTS) researchers showed that even short-term vaping at exposure levels below typical daily human use resulted in...
Advances in cancer treatment mean more people are living longer after a cancer diagnosis. But some survivors develop lymphedema—long-term swelling in the arms, hands, legs or feet that can cause pain, limit movement...
With high demand for mental health care, a wave of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are being marketed as therapy apps — with little evidence they work and few regulations.
UPMC and University of Pittsburgh clinician-scientists have weaned and kept multiple liver transplantation patients off of all immunosuppressant drugs for more than three years through a first-in-human clinical trial...
A new report, published in Nature Metabolism, is shedding light on the distinct and underappreciated role of fructose in driving disease, separate from its role as a simple source of calories.
As artificial intelligence embeds itself into health care, some physicians and patient advocates worry it could be used by insurance companies to refuse payment for care. Maryland passed one law banning AI from acting...
Broken wrists are among the most common injuries in children, accounting for about half of children's fractures. Severely displaced distal radial fractures, where the bones move out of place, are often routinely...
Sparkling water is often seen as a simple, healthy drink—but could it also help with weight loss? New research suggests it may slightly boost how the body processes blood sugar and energy. However, the effect is very...
A hormone called FGF21 can reverse obesity in mice by activating a newly identified brain circuit tied to metabolism. Surprisingly, it works in the hindbrain—the same region targeted by GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and...
Researchers have found a way to make cancer-killing immune cells more powerful and precise. By adding specific signaling components, they boosted the cells’ readiness to attack tumors. Surprisingly, briefly...
Scientists have discovered that a protein linked to cell death is secretly driving the aging of blood stem cells in a completely different way. Instead of killing the cells, it damages their mitochondria, sapping...
Several common cough drop brands are being pulled from shelves after officials raised concerns about how they were made.
A widely used anxiety medication is being pulled from shelves due to "failed dissolution specifications," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
Moderate-to-severe disability affects nearly one-third of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a review published online in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
Working double shifts is associated with alterations in normal cortisol patterns, according to a study published online April 8 in Nursing Open.
The gut microbiome influences numerous physiological processes. Researchers at the University of Vienna have now demonstrated for the first time that, in healthy adults, the diversity of gut bacteria and their...
