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Friendships promote healthier living in older adults, says new survey

Whether they're lifelong buddies or recently connected, close to home or miles away, a new poll shows the key role that friends play in the lives and wellbeing of adults aged 50 and older.

13 Dec 2024

Deep learning revolutionizes COPD diagnosis with single CT scan, reducing patient burden

Using just one inhalation lung CT scan, a deep learning model can accurately diagnose and stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published today in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

13 Dec 2024

Strategies to overcome social challenges in cancer prevention

Researchers at University of California San Diego and collaborating institutions have shed light on the ways that social risks, such as housing or food insecurity, pose barriers to routine cancer screenings.

13 Dec 2024

Common brain network connected to heterogeneous patterns of brain atrophy in schizophrenia

A new study led by investigators from Mass General Brigham has identified a unique brain network that links varied patterns of brain atrophy, or shrinkage, associated with schizophrenia.

12 Dec 2024

WHO report highlights decline in global health spending in 2022

The 2024 Global Heath Expenditure Report by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the average per capita government spending on health in all country income groups fell in 2022 from 2021 after a surge in the early pandemic years.

12 Dec 2024

Addressing inequities in cardiovascular drug access

A new study assessing provincial and territorial variations in reimbursement criteria of drug coverage for patients covered by Canada's public pharmacare programs for two common cardiovascular conditions revealed significant inequities and deficiencies in access to medications and treatment.

12 Dec 2024

Harnessing exosomes to deliver therapeutic proteins

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered an 18-digit code that allows proteins to attach themselves to exosomes - tiny pinched-off pieces of cells that travel around the body and deliver biochemical signals.

11 Dec 2024

Early smoking causes structural and functional heart damage

Cigarette smoking from childhood into early adulthood is associated with an increased risk of premature cardiac injury, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

11 Dec 2024

Skin-friendly bacteria could revolutionize vaccination

Imagine a world in which a vaccine is a cream you rub onto your skin instead of a needle a health care worker pushes into your one of your muscles.

11 Dec 2024

Groundbreaking research offers hope for pregnant people with pre-eclampsia

Penn Engineers have made a critical breakthrough that bridges a major healthy equity gap for pregnant people with pre-eclampsia, a condition that arises due to insufficient blood flow to the placenta and results in high maternal blood pressure and restricted blood flow to the fetus.

11 Dec 2024

Risk-reducing surgeries provide benefits for young BRCA-mutation carriers

Patients with germline BRCA mutations who were diagnosed with breast cancer at or before age 40 and who underwent a bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) and/or a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) had lower rates of recurrence, secondary breast and/or ovarian malignancies, and death than those who did not undergo these surgeries, according to results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 10-13, 2024.

11 Dec 2024

Study reveals ableism as a barrier to mental health care for disabled individuals

People with disabilities (PWD) make up 25% of the U.S. population. They face elevated mental health concerns and are more likely to utilize mental health services compared to non-disabled individuals.

11 Dec 2024

WHO urges equitable action to end malaria burden

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that an estimated 2.2 billion cases of malaria and 12.7 million deaths have been averted since 2000, but the disease remains a serious global health threat, particularly in the WHO African Region.

11 Dec 2024

Herpes infections affect 846 million people worldwide

Around 846 million people aged between 15 and 49 are living with genital herpes infections – more than 1 in 5 of this age-group globally – according to new estimates released today.

11 Dec 2024

Former Montana health staffer rebukes oversight rules as a hospital ‘wish list’

A former Montana health department staffer who described himself as the lead author of legislation to scrutinize nonprofit hospitals’ charitable acts said new rules implementing the bill amounted to a hospital "wish list" and that the state needs to go back to the drawing board.

11 Dec 2024

Empathy-focused phone calls improve blood sugar control for low-income adults with diabetes

Empathy-focused phone calls made by trained, nonmedical community members led to significant improvements in blood sugar control for low-income adults with diabetes, according to a new study from Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with Lone Star Circle of Care.

10 Dec 2024

Public awareness and HPV vaccination rates remain low among American adults

The human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection, accounts for 70% of all throat cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

10 Dec 2024

Structural and functional brain changes found in individuals with opioid use disorder

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine found structural and functional alterations in specific brain regions of individuals with opioid use disorder.

10 Dec 2024

Short, daily reflection sessions help health care workers combat burnout

Watching short, web-based tutorials that inspire health care workers to contemplate awe, gratitude and kindness can promote enduring improvements in mental health outcomes such as depression and emotional exhaustion.

10 Dec 2024

Federal judge halts Dreamers’ brand-new access to ACA enrollment in 19 states

A federal judge in North Dakota has ruled in favor of 19 states that challenged a Biden administration rule allowing — for the first time — enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage by people brought to the U.S. as children without immigration paperwork, known as "Dreamers."

10 Dec 2024