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Urbanization reshapes gut microbiomes across diverse South Asian communities

Urbanization is one of the most consequential demographic shifts of the 21st century. As communities move from traditional or rural to urbanized ways of life, changes in diet, lifestyle, and environmental exposures can influence many aspects of human biology and health.

22 Jul 2026

Generic semaglutide could improve diabetes treatment affordability in Canada

In a novel analysis examining the economic implications of generic semaglutide entering the Canadian market, researchers predict that the anticipated price reductions of up to 70% will dramatically increase both the cost-effectiveness and health system affordability of therapy options for patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiorenal risk.

22 Jul 2026

Five epigenetic clocks reveal shared and distinct signals of aging

Researchers linked five epigenetic clocks to distinct blood gene-expression patterns and biological pathways in 3,227 Health and Retirement Study participants. TAGS derived from these patterns often showed stronger associations with frailty, functional measures, morbidity, and mortality than their parent clocks, although further validation is needed.

22 Jul 2026

ACC introduces cardiogenic shock designation to improve heart attack care

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is introducing a new cardiogenic shock designation to improve outcomes for one of the most life-threatening complications of a heart attack.

22 Jul 2026

Newer GLP-1 medications may reduce alcohol-related hospitalization risk

Use of newer GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide or tirzepatide) for obesity or diabetes by people with alcohol-use disorder was associated with a reduction in alcohol-related admissions to hospital, finds a study published online in the open access journal BMJ Open.

21 Jul 2026

New ARPA-H grant aims to advance genomic medicines for rare vascular diseases

Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, has been awarded an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) contract to develop advanced personalized genomic medicines to treat rare genetic vascular diseases.

21 Jul 2026

Adverse pregnancy outcomes increase future peripheral artery disease risk

Women who experience pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or preterm delivery have a significantly increased long-term risk of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) later in life, according to a new study published July 21st in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Casey Crump of the University of Texas, US, and colleagues.

21 Jul 2026

Moderate coffee intake may support heart health, AHA says

The American Heart Association finds that habitual coffee consumption is associated with lower risks of several cardiovascular outcomes, although most evidence comes from observational studies. Moderate intake is generally safe for most adults, while energy drinks and individual caffeine sensitivity may increase cardiovascular concerns.

21 Jul 2026

Childhood ultra-processed food intake associates with altered insulin responses

Researchers analyzed dietary and metabolic data from 508 nondiabetic Mexican American children in the SAFARI family cohort, finding that higher ultra-processed food scores were associated with lower insulin sensitivity and altered early insulin secretion measures. The exploratory cross-sectional study did not establish causality, and its multiple comparisons, historical dietary data, and questionnaire-based UPF estimates warrant confirmation in longitudinal studies and trials.

21 Jul 2026

Innovative framework streamlines communication for pulmonary embolism care

The Pulmonary Embolism Reporting and Data Systems (PE-RADSTM) framework for diagnosing and classifying acute pulmonary embolism using CT and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography was published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

21 Jul 2026

Common heart risk calculators effectively predict certain types of cancer

Risk calculators that doctors use to estimate a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke work about as well for predicting certain cancers, according to a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers.

21 Jul 2026

Experts urge focus on prevention to tackle global heart failure

Heart failure already affects more than 60 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of hospitalization among people over the age of 65.

21 Jul 2026

Thymus hormone identified as key player in reversing age-related inflammation

Chronic, low-grade inflammation in the body-a phenomenon known as "inflammaging" because it increases with age-has been linked to many of today's leading causes of illness and death, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.

21 Jul 2026

Scientists link genetic spelling mistakes to sudden cardiac death

Scientists have found that the 'sudden' cardiac death condition related to high profile deaths or major medical episodes of sports stars including Fabrice Muamba, Christian Erikson and Mark-Vivian Foe has numerous linked gene variations, or "spelling mistakes", which highlights a potentially treatable vulnerability.

21 Jul 2026

Spring clock change increases retinal vascular disease risk, study finds

For the first time, Northwestern Medicine scientists have detailed how the semiannual clock changes impact a person's risk of developing retinal vascular disease, a group of disorders that affect blood vessels in the retina and can lead to vision loss.

20 Jul 2026

Semaglutide vs. liraglutide: Head-to-head study reveals a diabetes risk difference

Researchers compared semaglutide with liraglutide in 57,456 insured adults without recorded diabetes or cardiovascular disease who initiated formulations indicated for chronic weight management. Semaglutide users had a lower risk of incident diabetes, particularly beyond six months of follow-up, but limited cardiovascular events prevented a precise comparison of cardiovascular risk.

20 Jul 2026

Semaglutide fuels rapid growth in US GLP-1RA use as payments rise

Nationally representative US data show GLP-1RA use rose 230% among adults with diabetes and 643% among those without reported diabetes between 2017 and 2022, largely driven by semaglutide. Mean annual out-of-pocket payments decreased, but mean total annual payments per user increased, raising concerns about long-term affordability.

20 Jul 2026

Study reveals why rare neurological disease damages specific brain regions

Many neurological diseases damage specific parts of the brain, even though the harmful protein involved is present throughout the brain.

20 Jul 2026

Daily polypill significantly improves cardiac function in heart failure patients

Treatment with a "polypill" that combines multiple medications into a single daily dose significantly enhanced cardiac function and reduced hospitalizations for patients with heart failure, according to a study led by Michigan Medicine and UT Southwestern Medical Center.

20 Jul 2026

High doses of caffeine from energy drinks cause cardiovascular harm

Previous studies have found that caffeine is the world's most popular stimulant and psychoactive substance, and coffee is the most common way people consume caffeine.

20 Jul 2026