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GLP-1 drugs looked promising for depression. The evidence tells a more complicated story

A systematic review of 43 studies found highly heterogeneous results for GLP-1 receptor agonists across animal models and human research assessing depression-, anxiety-, and stress-related outcomes. No study directly tested these drugs as a treatment for PTSD, and the available evidence does not currently support their use for depression or PTSD, although people with metabolic dysfunction may warrant further investigation.

7 Sep 2026

UC Riverside receives grant to evaluate California’s traditional health care practices benefit

A $1.25 million grant to UC Riverside from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will support a statewide evaluation of California's traditional health care practices (THCP) benefit.

4 Sep 2026

Study reveals massive payment gap between Medicaid and other insurers

Medicaid has a reputation for paying doctors less than other health insurers. But exactly how much less has been difficult to establish, particularly for the vast majority of Medicaid patients whose care is provided through private health plans.

4 Sep 2026

Study finds gaps in home rehab after joint replacement

Every year, hundreds of thousands of older Americans recover from hip and knee replacement surgery at home. For many, that recovery depends on timely access to physical or occupational therapy after leaving the hospital.

29 Aug 2026

Biosimilars reduce financial burden for cancer patients and insurers

Biologic drugs play an important role in treating cancers such as breast cancer and lymphoma, but their high costs can add to the financial burden of cancer care.

27 Aug 2026

Study highlights strengths and barriers of remote heart failure care

Interviews with patients hospitalized for heart failure, caregivers, providers, and organizational leaders highlighted several strengths of Mighty Heart (a major clinical trial examining the effectiveness of in home and telehealth-enabled visits from paramedics) that may support its adoption and implementation across health systems, a Columbia Nursing-led study finds.

21 Aug 2026

Dry cleaner proximity associated with increased Parkinson's disease risk

People living near dry cleaners may have a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease according to a new nationwide study led by researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

19 Aug 2026

Online AI breastfeeding advice causes dangerous delays in infant care

For sleep-deprived nursing moms, artificial intelligence may feel like a lifeline.

12 Aug 2026

Living near a dry cleaner may come with an unexpected Parkinson’s disease link

A nationwide case-control study of older U.S. Medicare beneficiaries found that living closer to a dry-cleaning establishment was associated with higher odds of incident Parkinson’s disease, with the strongest association among people living within 0.1 mile.

7 Aug 2026

GLP-1 drug tirzepatide associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular events

Adding the GLP-1 receptor agonist drug tirzepatide (marketed as Mounjaro) to standard care for patients with type 2 diabetes and heart disease is associated with a lower risk of a major cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

5 Aug 2026

Ten-million-person study links semaglutide to lower COVID-19 mortality

Researchers analyzing claims from more than 10.1 million commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage enrollees found that semaglutide use was associated with a 49% lower adjusted hazard of COVID-19-related death. The observational findings corroborate earlier SELECT trial results but do not establish causation, making further prospective research essential.

30 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 links expanding GLP-1 use with rising overall costs

As use of GLP-1s surged across the U.S., average total payments per user also climbed sharply, according to a new Northwestern University study that analyzed national trends in GLP-1 use and spending between 2017 and 2022.

16 Jul 2026

Long-term lenalidomide maintenance shows no survival advantage in multiple myeloma

For patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma not undergoing an autologous stem cell transplant, indefinite lenalidomide maintenance has long been standard care despite limited evidence to guide the optimal duration of treatment.

16 Jul 2026

Framing loneliness as a medical issue hinders societal responsibility

While loneliness has been shown to harm one's health, framing it as a health issue shifts responsibility from society to healthcare, even though healthcare alone cannot rebuild social ties, a new University of Michigan study warns.

15 Jul 2026

More than 50 million Americans lack local radiation cancer treatment

The disappearance of radiation oncology clinics threatens cancer care access for over 50 million Americans, with rural areas facing the greatest impact.

15 Jul 2026

Breast and prostate cancer survival worsens with metabolic syndrome

A SEER-Medicare analysis of more than 200,000 adults aged 66 and older found that metabolic syndrome was associated with about twice the adjusted hazard of death from any cause after breast or prostate cancer. The condition was also linked to higher cancer-specific, cardiovascular-specific, and liver-failure-specific mortality, although the observational design prevents causal conclusions.

14 Jul 2026

High-risk emergency surgery reduces healthy days at home for seniors

Older adults who undergo high-risk emergency general surgery spend significantly fewer days living independently at home after surgery than those undergoing lower-risk procedures, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

14 Jul 2026

High physician knowledge scores linked to lower healthcare costs

Patients whose physicians scored higher in the first year of the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Internal Medicine Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) were significantly less likely to receive low-value healthcare services, which cumulatively cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $100 billion each year.

13 Jul 2026