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Adding a chatbot to specialist care helped young people make sense of cancer risk

In a randomized trial of 106 adolescents and young adults with hereditary cancer predisposition, adding AYA-RISE to a clinic visit improved knowledge of cancer risk before age 30 compared with a clinic visit alone. Researchers observed no increase in distress, but the main analyses did not establish additional benefits for lifetime-risk or screening knowledge.

12 Oct 2026

AI helps neurologists distinguish epilepsy from functional seizures

Researchers developed EpiScreen, an AI system that distinguished epilepsy from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures using clinical notes from 13,633 patient records across two institutions. AI assistance improved neurologists’ classification accuracy in a retrospective assessment of 300 cases, but prospective studies must establish its performance and benefits in routine clinical care.

12 Oct 2026

Diet drinks showed no clear weight-loss edge over water after two years

In a two-year randomized trial combining assisted weight management with an unassisted follow-up year, completers maintained average weight losses of 4.8 kg with diet drinks and 3.7 kg with water. Researchers found no significant difference between groups, but fewer than half of the 493 participants completed follow-up.

11 Oct 2026

What people ate at the start of a 20-year study was linked to their heart failure odds

Researchers linked higher baseline diet quality to lower odds of developing heart failure over 20 years among 2,159 Greek adults initially free of cardiovascular disease. Healthy-food consumption showed the most consistent association, but the observational study cannot establish that dietary changes prevent heart failure.

11 Oct 2026

Severe long Covid associated with distinct oral and lung microbiomes

A study of more than 700 people has shown that those with long Covid have distinct differences in the mix of bacteria that live in their mouths and lungs, according to a study published today (Monday) in the European Respiratory Journal.

11 Oct 2026

Women with bipolar disorder and regular cycles report worse premenstrual symptoms

Researchers have found that women with bipolar disorder who have regular menstrual cycles are more likely to report severe premenstrual symptoms than those with irregular cycles, according to preliminary research being presented at the 2026 ECNP Congress in Munich.

11 Oct 2026

Intensive breathwork reduces brain blood flow and alters neural communication

Intensive breathing exercises can reduce blood flow to the brain by up to 45% and alter communication between brain networks, according to a new brain-imaging study.

11 Oct 2026

Stopping GLP-1 drugs often brings weight back. A small trial suggests ways to slow it

In a randomized pilot trial of 39 adults, researchers found that participants receiving medically tailored meals or Noom regained about 3.6% of their body weight over four months after stopping GLP-1 therapy, compared with about 11% under usual care. These exploratory findings suggest structured support may slow early weight regain, but the small sample and short follow-up leave lasting benefits uncertain.

11 Oct 2026

16-year study links worsening vision to higher dementia risk

Researchers followed 15,576 older adults in Hong Kong for up to 16 years and linked moderate to severe visual impairment to higher dementia risk, with rapid visual decline strengthening the association at poorer levels of vision. They estimated that severe impairment corresponded to 2.1 fewer dementia-free years over the study period, but could not establish that correcting vision prevents dementia.

11 Oct 2026

Extreme heat threatens maternal health and newborn wellbeing worldwide

Extreme heat has led to a marked increase in the risks faced by pregnant women and their babies, according to a survey of 1,000 healthcare professionals in countries including Brazil, India and Zimbabwe.

11 Oct 2026

A study links a blood protein to memory and brain changes in Down syndrome

Researchers studying 88 adults with Down syndrome and 43 controls estimated that serum β-synuclein increased approximately two decades before expected Alzheimer’s symptoms, preceding changes in other blood biomarkers. Higher levels correlated with poorer memory and brain changes, but the cross-sectional study could not distinguish whether the earliest increase reflected Alzheimer’s-related synaptic dysfunction, trisomy 21-related neurobiology, or both.

11 Oct 2026

A trial of 3,220 smokers puts cash rewards for quitting to the test

In a randomized trial of 3,220 medically underserved adults referred for lung cancer screening, adding financial incentives to usual care and free medication increased sustained smoking abstinence at six months. Offering free medication alone did not significantly increase quit rates, and adding a forward-looking mobile tool did not improve outcomes beyond the incentives.

11 Oct 2026

Blood proteins may offer new clues to gut health in celiac disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system reacts adversely to gluten. Eating gluten causes inflammation in the gut, which can damage the intestine and impair its ability to absorb nutrients.

10 Oct 2026

Scientists identify the neuroblastoma cells that signal poor outcomes

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor found outside of the brain in children, yet why some children respond well to treatment while others do not has remained poorly understood.

10 Oct 2026

New research reveals the remarkable complexity of human milk

Two major international studies are providing new insight into how human milk is regulated, showing that some components respond to maternal nutrition, while others remain stable or reflect biological processes involved in lactation and infant growth.

10 Oct 2026

A trick from tardigrades could help human blood withstand freezing

Tardigrades, also called water bears, are famous for their ability to survive nearly anything. They protect themselves in extreme environments using proteins that researchers have developed into an efficient and effective strategy to preserve human red blood cells.

10 Oct 2026

Sauce placement shapes diners’ perceptions of food healthiness

Researchers found that placing sauces separately can make a dish appear healthier even before tasting.

9 Oct 2026

Prenatal training may reduce postpartum depression risk in women with previous births

Researchers have shown that prenatal training may reduce the risk of postnatal depression in women, - but only if they have previously had a baby. This surprising finding is presented for the first time at the ECNP Congress in Munich.

9 Oct 2026

New project aims to test a protein-based therapy for Fragile X syndrome

A new research project at the University of California, Riverside, has received funding to investigate whether a novel protein-based therapy can correct abnormal brain activity associated with Fragile X syndrome.

9 Oct 2026

Routine blood test may offer clues to future dementia risk

A common blood test already carried out during routine health checks may contain clues about a person's long-term risk of dementia, according to research being presented at the ECNP Congress in Munich and recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

9 Oct 2026