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Health warnings on vapes changed people's choices, but there was a catch

In a Canadian discrete choice experiment involving 2,961 e-cigarette users and nonusers, researchers examined how health warnings, nicotine strength, plain packaging, and prices influenced preferences for vaping products, heated tobacco, and cigarettes. Warnings on all three product categories increased the predicted probability of choosing none from 50% to 65% among nonusers and from 10% to 18% among users, while lower nicotine strength made vape pods more appealing and price increases produced smaller, mixed effects.

1 Nov 2026

Menopause reshapes women's careers, from brain fog to changing priorities

In a qualitative analysis of 130 Reddit posts, researchers examined how perimenopause and menopause affected women's career sustainability, finding that brain fog, fatigue, mood changes, and anxiety were associated with reduced confidence, workplace performance concerns, and threats to professional identity. The accounts revealed interconnected challenges involving health, happiness, and productivity, alongside experiences of supportive managers, online peer support, reduced working hours, and career reassessment that helped some women adapt to the transition.

1 Nov 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help women with PCOS beyond weight loss?

A scoping review of 28 studies suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists may improve androgen levels and menstrual function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), alongside their established metabolic benefits. Evidence for improved ovulation, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes remains limited, and the researchers could not determine whether reproductive benefits result directly from the drugs or from weight loss and improved metabolic health.

1 Nov 2026

Why you still want dessert even when you're completely full

A 2026 narrative review examines how food liking (pleasure) and wanting (motivation) interact with hunger and satiety to influence food choices, explaining why certain foods may remain appealing even after a satisfying meal. The authors report that food reward can change independently of hunger under specific conditions, but evidence remains limited that these changes reliably predict subsequent eating or improve weight-management outcomes.

1 Nov 2026

The type of fiber you eat shapes how gut bacteria feed and work together

A 2021 review examined how the chemical structure and physical properties of dietary fiber influence which gut bacteria can break it down and how microbial species compete and cooperate during fermentation. The authors described how these interactions contribute to short-chain fatty acid production, while emphasizing the need for further research involving intact plant foods to understand their implications for human health.

1 Nov 2026

Eating walnuts was linked to higher IgG levels, but what does that mean for health?

A two-year randomized trial involving 474 older adults found that daily consumption of 30–60 grams of walnuts was associated with 6% higher total serum IgG concentrations compared with a control diet, with an 11% difference observed among US participants. Walnut consumption did not significantly affect IgM, MDA-LDL or MDA-LDL-specific antibodies, and whether the modest IgG difference has meaningful cardiovascular benefits remains unknown.

1 Nov 2026

Extreme heat and cold hit some people far harder, and it's not just about illness

Researchers analysing 285,444 adults in Finland and the UK found that excess mortality associated with extreme heat and cold was more than tenfold higher among people with both pre-existing medical conditions and socioeconomic disadvantage than among those with neither or only one vulnerability. Climate modelling suggested that warming from approximately 1°C to 4°C could increase the proportion of deaths attributable to extreme temperatures from around 1% to more than 5% in both countries.

1 Nov 2026

Reducing opioid medication during pregnancy may not ease neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome

Pregnant patients receiving medication to treat opioid use disorder should not reduce their medication dose out of fear that it will worsen withdrawal symptoms in their newborns, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).

30 Oct 2026

Testosterone shows no evidence of improving menopausal brain fog

Published in Reproduction and Fertility, the review examined five existing studies of women aged 41 to 65 to understand whether testosterone treatment improves thinking and memory in women during and after menopause.

30 Oct 2026

Tailoring prostate cancer radiotherapy to body clock could cut long-term side effects

A study by Leicester researchers shows that the timing of radiotherapy treatment may be as important as how it is given for prostate cancer patients.

30 Oct 2026

Why do we turn to comfort food? A survey of 1,203 adults offers clues

A cross-sectional study of 1,203 UK adults found that stronger expectations of positive emotions from high-fat, salt and/or sugar foods were weakly associated with poorer diet quality and more frequent comfort eating. Negative emotional expectations about many foods also tracked with comfort eating, but the study did not establish whether eating these foods actually changed mood.

29 Oct 2026

Multivitamins boost key vitamin levels, but do they improve your health?

A scoping review of 157 clinical trial reports found that multivitamins consistently improved circulating levels of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, while other nutritional and clinical effects varied by formulation, population, and baseline nutritional status. Selected prenatal and cognitive outcomes improved in some trials, but evidence for cardiovascular disease prevention was largely negative, and the review could not establish the overall certainty of clinical benefits.

29 Oct 2026

$3.7 million grant awarded to assess the impact of testosterone on binge eating

A team of clinical scientists from the Michigan State University Department of Psychology and Texas A&M University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has been awarded a $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to assess the impact of testosterone on binge eating risk in women.

29 Oct 2026

Is AI changing what gives our lives meaning?

A rapid review of 18 publications examines how artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and other digital tools influence identity, existential inquiry, and the search for meaning. The findings suggest that digital literacy and knowledge management may support more reflective engagement with technology, although the evidence remains varied and does not establish causation.

29 Oct 2026

Worried nuts will cause weight gain? A large review puts that concern in perspective

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials found that eating nuts modestly reduced body fat and improved cholesterol levels without significantly changing body weight. The review did not establish that nuts rich in monounsaturated fats offered greater body-composition benefits than those rich in polyunsaturated fats.

29 Oct 2026

Can broccoli sprouts help with insulin resistance? New review offers clues

A review published in the British Journal of Nutrition examines how carotenoids and bioactive compounds in Brassicaceae microgreens may influence obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes through metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Small human trials involving broccoli sprouts have reported improvements in selected metabolic markers, but larger, longer-term studies are needed to establish their clinical benefits.

29 Oct 2026

Fish, shellfish or seaweed? A Korean study found striking differences in chemical exposure

A national study of 4,279 Korean adults found that higher finfish consumption was associated with increased blood concentrations of PFAS, PCBs, and mercury, while shellfish showed narrower associations with three PFAS. Persistent chemical mixtures were also associated with modest increases in liver health biomarkers, and mediation analysis identified a positive PFAS-related pathway, although finfish intake was not significantly associated with GGT overall.

29 Oct 2026

Two rounds of prenatal STI screening lower preterm birth risk

Screening and treating pregnant patients for three common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) twice during pregnancy was associated with a 23 percent lower risk of preterm birth compared with standard care, according to a randomized clinical trial published in Clinical Infectious Diseases from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Southern California.

29 Oct 2026

Limited app use adds a twist to a nurse-led dementia risk trial

A cluster-randomized trial involving 403 Australian adults aged 45–65 found that a 12-month nurse-led behavioral intervention supported by a mobile app modestly improved estimated dementia risk scores compared with brief counseling and usual care. The study found no significant improvements in cognitive performance or other secondary outcomes, leaving its long-term effects on dementia prevention uncertain.

28 Oct 2026

Researchers tested an unexpected addition to vaginal treatment: oxygen

Researchers investigated the effects of topical vaginal oxygen treatment, alone or combined with antimicrobials, on the vaginal microbiota of 22 women with bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis. The combined treatment reduced the relative abundance of strict anaerobes and increased Lactobacillus abundance, but the absence of an antimicrobial-only control group prevented researchers from establishing whether oxygen contributed independently to these changes.

28 Oct 2026