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Dismissive consultations leave some autoimmune patients distressed and suicidal

Patients have been left feeling suicidal after feeling like their doctor was saying their symptoms were 'all in their head' – according to research from the University of East Anglia and the University of Cambridge.

26 Oct 2026

Genetic findings illuminate dental abnormalities and the evolutionary loss of teeth

Rare variants in a gene involved in early development have been linked to a range of dental differences in people, including missing teeth, unusual tooth shapes, and teeth present at birth.

26 Oct 2026

Millions get GLP-1 drugs through channels insurance records may miss

Researchers analyzed reports from 9,150 US adults and found that current or previous GLP-1/GIP use rose from 8.2% to 12% between March 2024 and October 2025, largely driven by weight-loss indications. They also estimated that approximately one-third of users obtained treatment through nontraditional channels that standard insurance claims may fail to capture.

26 Oct 2026

Semaglutide changes gut bacteria in rats beyond what eating less explains

Researchers compared semaglutide-treated male and female rats with pair-fed animals receiving the same amount and type of food to distinguish drug-associated microbiome changes from those linked to reduced eating. Semaglutide altered bacterial richness and community composition, with some changes absent from the pair-fed groups and uncertain consequences for health.

26 Oct 2026

Beer and liquor show more oral bacteria links than wine in a large US study

Researchers analyzed beverage intake and oral microbiome data from 5,598 adults across three US cohorts and found that alcohol consumption showed the strongest associations with oral bacterial diversity and composition among the beverages examined. Higher alcohol intake was associated with greater bacterial richness and differences in genera linked to oral health, but the cross-sectional preprint could not establish whether alcohol caused these differences or influenced disease risk.

26 Oct 2026

The vaginal microbiome may relate to more than reproductive health

Researchers analyzed vaginal microbiota, metabolites, and psychological questionnaire scores in 105 young Italian women and found associations between microbial community types and reward responsiveness, motivational drive, and behavioral inhibition. Exploratory models identified statistical links involving vaginal GABA and valine, but the cross-sectional study could not establish whether microbiome changes influence psychological functioning or the reverse.

26 Oct 2026

Rising heat and humidity increase pregnancy termination risks in Nigeria

New research led by the University of Michigan contains valuable insights for public health officials and communities in Nigeria as they navigate pregnancies through increasing heat and humidity.

26 Oct 2026

Marine-derived compound shows promise against deadly brain eating amoeba

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a parasitic disease that causes the rapid deterioration of brain tissue, is one of the most lethal infections known, with a fatality rate exceeding 97%.

26 Oct 2026

Proteins linked to Alzheimer's found to assist sperm cells

Unexpectedly, a kind of protein that is usually linked with diseases in the brain may play a vital role in semen, helping shepherd genetic material into sperm cells, scientists at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute report today in the research journal Molecular Cell.

26 Oct 2026

Friends play a direct role in encouraging regular cancer screening

Friends may play a direct role in whether people keep up with cancer screening regularly, while family influence appears to operate more through knowledge and attitudes towards screening, according to new research by Singapore Management University's (SMU) Center for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA).

26 Oct 2026

Physical activity may help lower genetic risk of depression in adults

Adding physical activity to a daily routine may seem like a simple step for better health, but research from Kansas State University suggests it could be especially beneficial for individuals with a genetic predisposition to depression, potentially helping reduce their risk and ease their symptom burden.

26 Oct 2026

Simple drug adjustment reduces kidney damage during septic shock surgery

A simple adjustment to drugs given during operations for septic shock could prevent thousands of patients suffering kidney damage, according to a major trial.

26 Oct 2026

Additional education protects people with high genetic risk of dementia

A law that required British teenagers to stay in school for an additional year had an unexpected consequence nearly 50 years later: fewer dementia diagnoses.

26 Oct 2026

Black patients and people with learning disability face longer breast cancer care delays

Black patients and people with a learning disability face longer waiting times at key stages of breast cancer care, according to a nationwide study led by the University of Surrey.

26 Oct 2026

Sarcopenia should be treated as a motor system disease

An older patient mentions that the stairs have become harder. They have stopped carrying the shopping in from the car. Last month they had a fall in the kitchen.

26 Oct 2026

Researchers discover how faulty matrix structure leads to cell death in newly formed bone

Bone cells called osteocytes help maintain skeletal strength, but how newly formed osteocytes survive remains unclear.

26 Oct 2026

Young mothers see rapid increase in substance-related emergency department visits

Emergency department (ED) visits for use of substances, especially opioids, amphetamines, and cannabis, by mothers with dependent children increased almost 5% a year, in contrast to an increase of almost 2% a year among females without children, according to a large study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.260078.

26 Oct 2026