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Neighborhood poverty, uninsured status linked to COPD hospitalizations

Certain neighborhood characteristics, including higher poverty, more uninsured residents, and lower educational attainment, may lead to an increase in COPD-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, according to a new study in the January 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

19 Feb 2026

An Arm and a Leg: Personal finance guru faces down an insurance denial

Less than 36 hours before his wife was scheduled to undergo major surgery, New York Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber got an unwelcome letter from his family's insurance plan: It was denying prior authorization for the procedure.

19 Feb 2026

Low-field MRI could offer an alternative to existing breast cancer screening methods

Mass General Brigham's evaluation of low-field MRI performance lays potential groundwork for this technology to be a lower-cost, accessible option for breast imaging.

19 Feb 2026

Nevada debuts public option amid tumultuous federal changes to health care

More than 10,000 people have enrolled in Nevada's new public option health plans, which debuted last fall with the expectation that they would bring lower prices to the health insurance market.

19 Feb 2026

AI analyzes ECG to predict ventricular remodeling in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot

Researchers at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Heart Center led a multicenter effort to develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can analyze a standard electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot who may be at risk for harmful heart changes typically detected by cardiac MRI.

18 Feb 2026

Lifestyle medicine practice linked to lower clinician burnout

Healthcare professionals report that treating patients with lifestyle medicine helps to reduce burnout by increasing professional satisfaction, meaning, and a sense of effectiveness at work, according to a new study published in BMC Health Services Research.

18 Feb 2026

Undiagnosed diabetes and kidney disease raise heart risk

Diabetes and kidney disease are major risk factors for heart disease, yet many cases are undiagnosed. In addition, a consumer survey done last fall suggests that most people don't realize that their heart, kidney and metabolic health (how the body creates, uses and stores energy) are connected.

18 Feb 2026

Study reveals widespread prenatal exposure of babies to forever chemicals

Babies born between 2003 and 2006 were exposed to many more "forever chemicals" before birth than scientists previously understood, according to new research published in Environmental Science & Technology.

18 Feb 2026

Wyoming wants to make its five-year federal rural health funding last ‘forever’

Wyoming officials say they have a plan to make five years of upcoming grants from a new $50 billion federal rural health program last "forever."

18 Feb 2026

Red and blue states alike want to limit AI in insurance. Trump wants to limit the states.

It's the rare policy question that unites Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Democratic-led Maryland government against President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California: How should health insurers use AI?

18 Feb 2026

Muscle strength predicts longevity in older women

You don't need to look like a bodybuilder, but for healthy aging, maintaining muscle strength is likely just as important as getting enough aerobic activity.

17 Feb 2026

AI tool can accurately predict colorectal cancer risk in UC-LGD patients

People with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, are up to four times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than the general population.

17 Feb 2026

Redefining cardiovascular care for women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death for women across the globe, yet significant progress has been made in prevention, diagnosis and management thanks to more sex-specific research, as noted in a special Go Red for Women issue of Circulation, the American Heart Association's flagship, peer-reviewed scientific journal, published today.

17 Feb 2026

Canadian study reveals how COVID-19 lockdowns masked child maltreatment

Hospital admissions for maltreatment of children under the age of 2 years declined 31% during the 16-week lockdown at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, returning to prepandemic levels after restrictions lifted, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

17 Feb 2026

Trump required hospitals to post their prices for patients. Mostly it’s the industry using the data.

Republicans think patients should be shopping for better health care prices. The party has long pushed to give patients money and let consumers do the work of reducing costs.

17 Feb 2026

Do cocoa flavanols influence heart and fatty liver risk factors?

A recent Nutrients review examined whether cocoa-rich dark chocolate influences cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease risk factors through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and endothelial effects. Evidence suggests modest improvements in biomarkers, but most data come from short-term studies, so definitive clinical benefits remain unproven.

16 Feb 2026

Study reveals persistent gaps in child mental health access

A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute finds that mental health care gaps for U.S. children remain stark: one in five households reported a child needing treatment, yet nearly a quarter didn't receive it, and many who did still struggled to access care.

16 Feb 2026