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Single-pill combination medications may simplify treatment for adults with high blood pressure

Taking one pill that combines two or more blood pressure medications may help adults with high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) lower their blood pressure level faster and more effectively than taking multiple medications separately, and it may also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new scientific statement published today in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

15 Dec 2025

FDA panelists questioned antidepressants in pregnancy. But doctors call them a lifeline.

If you are pregnant or a new mother who is struggling with depression or anxiety, you can call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, 24/7: 833-TLC-MAMA (833-852-6262). Postpartum Support International can help connect you with a local mental health provider at 800-944-4773 or psidirectory.com.

15 Dec 2025

Psychedelic microdosing can temporarily boost mood

A new UBC Okanagan study found that people who microdose psychedelics feel better on the days they take them-but those boosts don't seem to last.

11 Dec 2025

Study finds dramatic increase in ADHD medication use

Annual prescriptions for drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased 157 percent in Ontario from 2015 to 2023, according to a new study from researchers at ICES, North York General, and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

11 Dec 2025

Glucose-lowering drugs may reduce risk of developing epilepsy

A preliminary study of people with diabetes suggests that use of glucose-lowering GLP-1 drugs may be linked to a lower risk of developing epilepsy. The study was published on December 10, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Dec 2025

Deep learning uncovers why synthetic cannabinoids cause harmful effects

New psychoactive substances, originally developed as potential analgesics but abandoned due to adverse side effects, may still have pharmaceutical value if researchers could nail down the causes of those side effects.

10 Dec 2025

Online reference library provides a more accurate picture of drug exposure

Doctors and researchers try to understand what medications a person has taken by asking patients directly or by looking at medical records. But this information is often incomplete.

9 Dec 2025

Lubiprostone shows signs of slowing kidney function decline in chronic kidney disease

In adults with stage IIIb–IV chronic kidney disease, the constipation drug lubiprostone did not reduce gut-derived uremic toxins but preserved creatinine-based kidney function over 24 weeks. The benefit was linked to microbiome remodeling, increased polyamine production, and improved mitochondrial function rather than toxin lowering.

8 Dec 2025

Shingles vaccination is linked to fewer dementia diagnoses and deaths in older adults

A large quasi-experimental study in Wales shows that eligibility for shingles vaccination is linked to fewer new mild cognitive impairment diagnoses and lower dementia-related mortality. Benefits appear strongest in women and are observed at multiple stages of the dementia disease course.

7 Dec 2025

Diabetes drugs linked to slower frailty progression in older adults

A new study shows that older adults with type 2 diabetes who start treatment with sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors-such as empagliflozin (Jardiance) and dapagliflozin (Farxiga)-or glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists-such as semaglutide (Ozempic) and liraglutide (Victoza)-experience slower progression of frailty over one year compared with those starting other diabetes medications.

3 Dec 2025

Gut bacteria produce immune-boosting compounds in response to tetracyclines

The microbes inside our bodies not only help break down food but also impact our health. Yet their precise influence is not always understood, especially in the presence of prescription drugs.

3 Dec 2025

Medical cannabis evidence falls short for most conditions

Medical cannabis lacks adequate scientific backing for most of the conditions it is commonly used to treat, including chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia, according to a comprehensive review led by UCLA Health.

3 Dec 2025

Common water pill may be a useful add‑on to the standard HIV treatment

An FDA‑approved medication called spironolactone, often prescribed as a diuretic, or water pill, for heart and blood pressure conditions, may be a useful add‑on to the standard HIV treatment, according to new research from the Valente lab at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology.

2 Dec 2025

Study finds sharp rise in long-term antidepressant use among young Australians

Long-term antidepressant use in Australia has risen steadily over the past decade, with the largest increase seen in young people aged 10-24, where rates have more than doubled.

2 Dec 2025

Common nerve pain drugs may set off prescribing cascades in older patients

Clinicians may fail to recognize common side effects of drugs like gabapentin - which are frequently prescribed for nerve pain - leading them to prescribe unnecessary medications that cause yet more side effects.

2 Dec 2025

WHO releases first guideline on the use of GLP-1 therapies for treating obesity

To address the growing global health challenge of obesity, which affects more than 1 billion people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first guideline on the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies for treating obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease.

2 Dec 2025

Breakthrough immunotherapy approved for treatment of adults with aggressive blood cancer

Adult patients with an aggressive form of leukemia will be able to receive a breakthrough immunotherapy, which was invented by UCL researchers, on the NHS within weeks following approval for use by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

27 Nov 2025