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Large-scale study finds no link between psychosocial factors and cancer risk

New research indicates that psychosocial factors-which influence how a person perceives, interprets, and reacts to their surroundings-do not affect an individual's risk of developing cancer. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

23 Mar 2026

Early adulthood hypertension linked to heart and kidney disease later in life

Higher blood pressure during young adulthood is likely linked to a higher risk of heart disease and kidney disease later in life, reinforcing the importance of maintaining healthy blood pressure at younger ages, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026.

23 Mar 2026

Major UK clinical trial finds surfactant therapy ineffective for severe bronchiolitis

A major UK-led clinical trial has found that a treatment commonly used to help premature babies breathe offers no benefit for infants on life support with severe bronchiolitis - a seasonal viral illness that hospitalizes thousands of babies each year.

23 Mar 2026

U.S. study links ultra-processed foods to lower odds of fertility

A cross-sectional NHANES study of 2,582 U.S. women found that higher ultra-processed food intake was associated with lower odds of being classified as fertile based on self-reported infertility history. Greater Mediterranean diet adherence was linked to higher odds of fertility in adjusted models, but that association was no longer significant after accounting for obesity.

22 Mar 2026

Do artificial sweeteners increase appetite or food intake?

The study evaluates artificial sweeteners' role in appetite regulation, showing no significant effects on hunger or energy intake during weight management.

20 Mar 2026

Brain age from sleep patterns may signal future dementia risk

A machine-learning analysis of brain waves recorded during sleep may help identify people at high risk of developing dementia, according to a study led by UC San Francisco and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

19 Mar 2026

New method uses biomarkers to determine a person's biological age

Aging is a highly individual process. An international consortium coordinated by researchers in Konstanz has developed a method that uses biomarkers to determine a person's biological age - a valuable tool for research on ageing and the development of new approaches in preventive medicine.

19 Mar 2026

A healthier thymus predicts longer life and lower cancer and heart disease risk in adults

Imaging-based analysis of over 27,000 adults shows that better thymic health is strongly associated with lower all-cause mortality, reduced lung cancer risk, and improved cardiovascular outcomes. The findings suggest the thymus remains biologically relevant in adulthood, linking immune aging, inflammation, and chronic disease risk, although causality cannot be established.

19 Mar 2026

Young women face rising mortality rates from high blood pressure

Nearly 1 in 2 Americans has high blood pressure—sometimes called the "silent killer" because it harms the heart and blood vessels—but many people don't know they have it.

19 Mar 2026

Early morning workouts may improve cardiometabolic health

People who regularly exercised early in the morning were significantly less likely to have coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or obesity compared with people who exercised later in the day, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

19 Mar 2026

New tool helps thousands achieve better blood pressure control

A blood pressure program adopted across the University of California's six academic medical centers has effectively lowered hypertension and prevented serious disease or death for thousands of patients, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco.

18 Mar 2026

Thymus health in adults linked to longer life and disease risk

Two new studies from investigators at Mass General Brigham challenge a decades-old assumption that the thymus, an organ best known for its role in establishing immune function in childhood, becomes irrelevant in adulthood.

18 Mar 2026

Early menopause linked to higher lifetime heart disease risk

Women who enter natural menopause before age 40 face about a 40% higher lifetime risk of developing coronary heart disease than women who experience menopause later, according to a large Northwestern Medicine study that is the first to calculate lifetime heart risk associated with premature menopause.

18 Mar 2026

Impact of ban and ordinances against indoor smoking in eating, drinking establishments

To reduce the adverse health effects associated with exposure to second-hand smoke, Japan fully enforced the Revised Health Promotion Law in April 2020, introducing a nationwide indoor smoking ban in restaurants and similar hospitality establishments.

18 Mar 2026

New data platform transforms prediction and understanding of Alzheimer’s disease

A powerful new real-world data platform could transform how scientists predict and understand Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related dementias (AD/ADRD), reports a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and collaborators at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the School of Nursing as well as the University of Miami and University of Chicago.

18 Mar 2026

Better cardiovascular health scores linked to lower mortality in postmenopausal women

Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and Life's Crucial 9 (LC9) from the American Heart Association are industry-accepted metrics that summarize overall cardiovascular health.

18 Mar 2026

Weight-loss drugs linked to preterm birth risk in women with pre-existing diabetes

Weight loss drugs have been linked to an increased risk of premature births among women who took them inadvertently just before or during early pregnancy to treat pre-existing diabetes.

17 Mar 2026

Automated system boosts maternal smoking cessation in pediatric care

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that a new automated tobacco treatment system integrated into routine pediatric care helped drive a 3.9% absolute increase in smoking cessation among mothers – a population-level impact that could translate to tens of thousands of parents quitting each year and protect hundreds of thousands of children from harmful secondhand smoke exposure.

17 Mar 2026

How one antibiotic dose can reshape your gut microbiome for years

Long-term registry-linked analysis of nearly 15,000 adults shows that antibiotic use is associated with persistent changes in gut microbiome diversity and composition for up to 4–8 years. These effects vary by antibiotic class, with clindamycin, fluoroquinolones, and flucloxacillin showing the strongest and most sustained associations.

17 Mar 2026

Blood pressure readings may help identify future dementia risk

Measures of blood vessel health derived from routine blood pressure readings may help identify adults at increased risk for dementia, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26).

17 Mar 2026