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Pulse oximeter bias undercounts sleep apnea severity in Black patients

Sleep studies often use a pulse oximeter to determine the severity of sleep apnea. But a new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham reports that pulse oximeters may undercount breathing events in Black patients, potentially leading to inaccurate severity classifications.

4 Nov 2026

Men with lower testosterone at 31 reported good health 15 years later

Researchers analyzed testosterone concentrations measured at age 31 in 2,691 Finnish men and assessed self-reported health, medical conditions, and quality of life at age 46. Men across testosterone quartiles generally reported good health and excellent quality of life, while differences in metabolic and gastrointestinal conditions lost statistical significance after adjustment for waist circumference.

27 Oct 2026

Inspire device offers new sleep apnea treatment for teens with Down syndrome

For some adolescents with Down syndrome, neither surgery to remove the tonsils nor a CPAP machine provides a workable solution for obstructive sleep apnea.

21 Oct 2026

Consumer smartwatch helps identify adults with severe sleep apnea

New research suggests that a consumer smartwatch can help identify adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea, offering a way to screen for a common sleep disorder that often goes undiagnosed.

13 Oct 2026

Tirzepatide cuts fat mass by 35% while preserving skeletal muscle

Tirzepatide cuts body fat while preserving skeletal muscle in real-world study

2 Oct 2026

New study links human reaction times to breathing cycles

Imagine swimmers on starting blocks poised to dive at the sound of the starting horn or the driver of a car going 60 mph suddenly needing to brake to avoid a collision. A small fraction of a second in response time could make the difference between winning or losing and life or death.

28 Sep 2026

Otolaryngologists gather to present latest advances in ear, nose, and throat care

The latest treatments and research advances in ear, nose, and throat care will take center stage in Los Angeles October 17-20, when more than 5,000 of the world's leading otolaryngologists gather for the 2026 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

18 Sep 2026

Childhood obesity prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs surge in the U.S.

Although the number of US children under age 12 with obesity being prescribed the weight loss drugs Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound remains low, the number is 310 times higher in June 2026 than it was in 2019, when the drugs were initially prescribed, a new study shows.

4 Sep 2026

Too little or too much testosterone may matter for heart rhythm

A review of clinical trials, observational studies, genetic analyses, and mechanistic research suggests that atrial fibrillation risk may follow a U-shaped relationship with testosterone, increasing at both low and high levels. Evidence on testosterone replacement therapy remains mixed, with researchers calling for prospective studies to determine whether mid-physiological testosterone targets and treatment formulation influence AF risk.

2 Sep 2026

Study links past COVID infection to stronger breathing response after brief arousals from sleep

COVID-19 can leave behind fatigue, breathing difficulties and neurological symptoms that persist long after the initial infection.

21 Aug 2026

Swedish researchers use 3D model to study snoring mechanics

Anyone who has had to share a room - or worse, a bed - with a loud snorer knows the effect unchecked snoring can have on sleep, sanity, and emotional stability.

18 Aug 2026

AI sleep model reveals health risks missed by standard apnea scores

An AI foundation model extracted hidden physiological patterns from routine polysomnography and identified five patient groups with distinct long-term risks of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders. The approach outperformed apnea–hypopnea index severity categories for risk stratification and remained informative in an independent sleep cohort.

6 Aug 2026

Hypothyroidism linked to higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea

According to a study conducted in Brazil by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) with participants from the São Paulo Epidemiological Sleep Study (EPISONO 2018), people with hypothyroidism experience a higher frequency and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

5 Aug 2026

AI model can use routine sleep study data to identify patients' long-term health risks

A novel AI model can use information collected during routine sleep studies to identify patients' long-term health risks, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.

3 Aug 2026

When sleep changes in women over 80, it may signal more than aging

Researchers tracked sleep-wake changes over five years in 704 women in their 80s and 90s using wrist actigraphy. Declining nighttime sleep and increasing 24-hour sleepiness were associated with approximately twice the hazard of all-cause mortality.

29 Jul 2026

Blood tests improve Alzheimer's detection in Down syndrome patients

New blood tests that detect early changes associated with Alzheimer's disease are making diagnosis easier and accessible to more patients, since they are less invasive than the brain scans or spinal taps typically used for a definitive diagnosis.

27 Jul 2026

New CHEST guideline outlines sleep apnea management during pregnancy

The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) recently released a new clinical guideline on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pregnancy.

27 Jul 2026

High costs continue limiting insurance coverage for GLP-1 medications

Despite growing evidence that GLP-1 medications improve health and are worth their cost, many insurance plans still limit coverage. University of Mississippi researchers are examining why, and where that leaves patients.

20 Jul 2026

Sleeping longer may signal early Alzheimer's-related brain changes

Regularly sleeping long hours each night is associated with higher levels of an Alzheimer's-related protein in the blood, even accounting for other health factors, suggests a new study from UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio.

15 Jul 2026

Study: Bariatric surgery is safe, effective for obese adolescents and young adults

A new study from researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Metamor Institute demonstrates that metabolic and bariatric surgery can be delivered safely and effectively for adolescents and young adults living with severe obesity, offering promising improvements in weight loss and obesity-related health conditions.

13 Jul 2026