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Free contraception program sharply reduces patient spending in British Columbia

Researchers at UBC found that B.C.'s decision to provide universal, no-cost prescription contraception sharply reduced what patients pay, with the largest financial gains for people in their 20s.

29 May 2026

New protocol screens clinical research participants for prior radiation exposure

A new study highlights a critical gap: most clinical research studies that use imaging techniques such as amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans do not account for the radiation participants have already received from prior medical procedures.

29 May 2026

Researchers develop open source framework for health AI research

A research team led by Columbia University has developed an open-source framework designed to streamline and accelerate artificial intelligence research using health data, addressing longstanding challenges in data standardization, reproducibility, and collaboration across institutions.

29 May 2026

Herbal cigarettes are not safer than regular tobacco alternatives

Herbal cigarettes, widely sold in India and abroad as natural, tobacco-free, and even therapeutic alternatives to conventional cigarettes, are not safer than regular tobacco cigarettes.

29 May 2026

Sociological shifts change expectations and behaviors of modern patients

Whereas patients in the past were expected to be patient, grateful, passive and docile - many of today's patients are assertive, demanding, impatient and insistent. So, what has happened?

29 May 2026

Children left waiting up to two years for NHS continence care, new data reveals

Children with bladder and bowel conditions are waiting months – and in some cases years – for specialist NHS support, as overstretched continence services struggle to meet rising demand, new Freedom of Information (FOI) data reveals.

29 May 2026

WHO prioritizes candidate vaccines and therapeutics for Bundibugyo virus

In response to the current outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with cases also reported in Uganda, WHO convened several of its expert and advisory groups.

29 May 2026

Researchers say using digital mental health tool just once can provide exam season support to students

At this time of year, exam season means many young people feel overwhelmed, stuck or under huge pressure to perform.

29 May 2026

Menopause misinformation and dismissive healthcare impact women’s daily lives

Experts have exposed a gap between the surge of menopause information available online and the quality of medical care women receive, suggesting women's symptoms are too often minimised or dismissed by doctors.

28 May 2026

High-puff disposable vapes may accumulate harmful toxic chemicals

A University of California, Riverside-led study has found that heavily used high-puff electronic cigarettes may contain higher levels of harmful chemicals than fresh e-cigarettes, raising concerns about potential health risks for users.

28 May 2026

Low protein intake linked to declining physical function with age

Researchers have found that consuming lower amounts of protein-rich foods may negatively affect physical functioning as people grow older, underscoring the vital function protein plays in preserving mobility and muscle strength in adulthood.

28 May 2026

Menstrual pain relief purchases reveal stark income-related healthcare disparities

More than a quarter of women buying menstrual products also purchase pain relief at the same time-and those in lower-income areas are significantly less likely to do so-according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Dr. Victoria Sivill of the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues, which used supermarket loyalty card data to map menstrual pain disparities across England.

28 May 2026

AI ingredient swaps make meals healthier and more affordable

An artificial intelligence framework that suggests just one to three ingredient swaps can make meals meaningfully more nutritious and less expensive, according to a new study published in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Trevor Chan and Ilias Tagkopoulos of the University of California, Davis, USA.

28 May 2026

AI chatbots answer health questions with moderate overall accuracy

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots respond to everyday health-related questions from general users with nearly 76% accuracy, which raises concerns about their trustworthiness in real-world client-facing applications, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.

28 May 2026

Mental health diagnostic interviews are less consistent than thought

Diagnostic interviews are widely used by mental health professionals to identify conditions such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression in adults, but new research led by McMaster University shows that the long considered "gold standard" may not be as consistent as previously thought.

28 May 2026

Low-cost training for frontline health workers can reduce medical supply shortages

A recent study from The University of Texas at San Antonio reveals that low-cost training for frontline health workers can significantly reduce medical supply shortages, potentially saving thousands of lives in developing nations.

28 May 2026

Scientists uncover unexpected thermal retention properties inside the cell

Living cells cool much slower than our current understanding of heat conduction can explain, according to new research from the University of Tokyo. Researchers used two techniques - high-speed temperature mapping and artificial heating - to observe how heat dissipated from living cells and similar-sized artificial, fluid-filled sacs (liposomes).

28 May 2026

Study shows mandatory fortification shields infants from vitamin D deficiency

The majority of young children showed good vitamin D status, no child had indications of deficiency, but among some intake was too low. This is the result of a study encompassing over 1,800 infants in Sweden. Foods providing children with vitamin D also contributed to greenhouse gas emissions.

28 May 2026

Study explores alternatives to clinical trials in rural healthcare research

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are challenging to conduct in rural areas, however, a new Griffith University study examined how high-quality research could be conducted when RCTs were not possible.

27 May 2026