The prevalence of wildfires and co-occurring power outages is increasing in the United States. A study published October 27th in PLOS Medicine by Lauren Blair Wilner, University of Washington, USA, and colleagues suggests public safety power shutoffs aimed at preventing wildfires are associated with an increased risk of acute respiratory illness.

27 Oct 2026

Non-drug and non-surgical low back pain treatments are highly cost-effective options

Non-drug and non-surgical treatments for low back pain, including psychological support, exercise and self-management strategies are cost-effective interventions, according to a study published October 27th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Manuela Loureiro Ferreira from the George Institute for Global Health, Australia, and colleagues.

27 Oct 2026

UC San Diego receives major grant to secure healthcare cybersecurity

The University of California San Diego Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity has received an award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to lead the Preventative Assessment and Network Analysis of Cyber Essential Abilities for Health (PANACEA-H) project in collaboration with the American Hospital Association (AHA), the University of Maryland and the University of Minnesota.

27 Oct 2026

Updated ASTRO guidelines recommend shorter radiation courses for prostate cancer

An updated clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) provides evidence-based recommendations on the use of hypofractionated radiation therapy for patients with localized prostate cancer.

27 Oct 2026

Opioid drop drives decline in drug-related heart infection hospitalizations

A new national study found that hospitalizations for serious heart infections associated with drug use are declining after years of increases, driven largely by a decrease in opioid-associated cases.

27 Oct 2026

Machine learning models predict common cancer risks using routine health data

Machine learning models using routinely collected health information, such as blood tests, medical history and lifestyle factors, could help identify people at higher risk of several common cancers, according to an international study reported at the ESMO Congress 2026.

27 Oct 2026

Black Dog Institute announces Australian-first ketamine treatment trial for Australia’s emergency service workers

Black Dog Institute has today announced a new clinical trial investigating whether ketamine, combined with evidence-based psychological therapy, can improve treatment outcomes for Australia's emergency service workers living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

27 Oct 2026

Could a few days of annual extreme heat raise dementia risk?

Extreme outdoor heat is associated with higher dementia risk, especially in socially vulnerable areas, emphasizing the need for targeted community strategies.

27 Oct 2026

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

AI drug recommendations show bias toward costly branded products

Large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT and Claude, are increasingly being used to provide health information to the public.

26 Oct 2026

New smart bedding technology monitors residents' wellbeing in healthcare settings

Aussie medtech company Sleeptite and RMIT University researchers have secured a US patent for smart bedding technology designed to monitor residents' wellbeing in healthcare settings and identify falls risk so carers can intervene.

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

Medical societies release landmark framework redefining women's heart health

Today, the American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine released a landmark publication that redefines heart health in girls and women.

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

New report urges unified lifecycle approach to women's heart health

A new approach to women's heart health may offer them a lifetime of opportunities. A trio of scientific papers, published today in the journal Circulation, spells out how fluctuating hormones, mental health and well-being, the heart and the brain are linked and how those connections need to be a routine part of care from a young age.

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

Taking a GLP-1 drug? Here's what the safety evidence really shows

A review on GLP-1 receptor agonists highlights risks like pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, emphasizing individual patient risk over general safety concerns.

26 Oct 2026

One in three young adults turns to AI for substance use

More than 32% of participants in a Rutgers study reported using ChatGPT and similar chatbots for substance-use information.

26 Oct 2026

Airborne ESKAPE bacteria pose severe risks to immunocompromised patients

At a clinic in South Africa, researchers have identified airborne ESKAPE bacteria which survive most antibiotic medicines. The clinic is in a densely populated inner-city area.

26 Oct 2026

Women in perimenopause report more anxiety than other menopausal groups

Researchers reviewed 21 studies involving 24,523 women and found that perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had higher odds of reporting anxiety symptoms than premenopausal women. Their meta-analysis of 15 studies found the highest odds during perimenopause, but the cross-sectional evidence cannot establish that menopause causes anxiety.

25 Oct 2026