At minimum, nearly a quarter of all former National Football League (NFL) players who died from 2016 to 2021 had confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated head impacts – at death, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

25 Aug 2026

Visual storytelling transforms scientific evidence into meaningful public health action

Even as the scientific community has reached broad consensus that infectious pathogens, such as viruses, can spread through airborne transmission in virus-laden aerosols, one fundamental challenge remains.

25 Aug 2026

Higher BPA exposure tracked with higher estrogen and progesterone in women

Researchers found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA and several phthalate metabolites were associated with higher serum estrogen and progesterone levels in 90 premenopausal women from Iran. The cross-sectional study also identified positive associations for combined chemical exposures, although the authors cautioned that the mixture findings are exploratory and cannot establish causality.

24 Aug 2026

Researchers link GLP-1 drugs to lower tuberculosis risk in type 2 diabetes

A large retrospective cohort study found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with a lower risk of tuberculosis in people with type 2 diabetes compared with sulfonylureas, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, and SGLT2 inhibitors. The observational findings suggest a possible benefit beyond metabolic control, but the authors emphasize that prospective and mechanistic studies are needed to determine whether GLP-1 therapies themselves reduce TB risk.

24 Aug 2026

Tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome poses potential risks during blood transfusions

A new multi-institute study led by researchers at Dartmouth Health and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth suggests that alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne disease that can result in a chronic allergy to meat and animal byproducts, also may complicate certain patients' ability to safely receive a blood plasma or platelet transfusion.

24 Aug 2026

Japan vaccinated heavily during COVID-19. Why are so many unsure about vaccinating next time?

A nationwide Japanese survey found that only 53.1% of respondents said they would accept vaccination in a hypothetical future pandemic with COVID-19-like fatality, despite substantially higher previous COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Willingness varied by demographics, perceived disease risk, exposure to misinformation, vaccine characteristics, and practical factors such as cost, evidence, professional recommendations, and accessibility.

24 Aug 2026

Understanding of palliative care drives end-of-life preferences

People with a comprehensive understanding of palliative care are more likely to prefer end-of-life care at home or in a hospice. Among individuals with less understanding about palliative care, hospital care is preferred.

24 Aug 2026

New EAACI guidelines for effective allergy management

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are among the most common chronic diseases today, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

24 Aug 2026

Study confirms benefits of robotic gastric cancer surgery

Surgery remains the primary curative treatment for gastric cancer, with laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) established as a standard minimally invasive approach.

24 Aug 2026

A childhood shaped by sugar rationing was linked to mental health more than 50 years later

UK Biobank researchers examined whether sugar rationing during pregnancy and the first two years of life was associated with adult sweet-food preferences, sugar intake, brain structure, anxiety, and depression.

23 Aug 2026

FDA clears innovative blood test for earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing an innovative blood test with underlying technology invented at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

21 Aug 2026

Only 15% of eligible American adults discuss lung cancer screening with their doctors

Lung cancer screenings can save lives by detecting cancer in its early stages, but only 15% of eligible American adults have discussed the screening with their doctors, according to data analysis performed by University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers.

21 Aug 2026

PCOS prevalence rises among pregnant women in China

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 6% to 20% of women of reproductive age globally and remains undiagnosed and poorly managed, especially during pregnancy, leading to significant healthcare costs.

21 Aug 2026

Blood protein biomarkers predict future disability risk in very old adults

Japan has one of the world's fastest-aging populations, but maintaining independence into very old age remains a growing public health challenge.

21 Aug 2026

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy does not worsen depression symptoms

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Center for Healthy Minds (CHM), along with UW–Madison Department of Educational Psychology and a multi-university team, have found no evidence that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) increased a risk of symptom worsening, in a meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open.

21 Aug 2026

Only three of 1,357 FDA-cleared AI devices tested patient outcomes

Researchers found that among 1,357 FDA-cleared or approved AI/ML-enabled medical devices, only 34 were linked to registered clinical trials and just three had been evaluated for patient-centered outcomes. The study highlights major gaps in prospective testing, demographic representation, transparency, and evidence showing whether medical AI meaningfully improves patients’ health.

20 Aug 2026

New AI framework improves reliability of cancer pathology diagnosis

Cancer diagnoses directly affect treatment decisions and prognosis and can even have life-altering consequences.

20 Aug 2026

Psychological factors determine maternal readiness to care for newborns

The first days after childbirth are a time of profound change – not only physically, but emotionally as well. Although the rooming-in model, in which mothers and newborns stay together around the clock, is standard practice in maternity wards, not every woman feels ready to care for her baby independently from the very first hours after delivery.

20 Aug 2026

Rapid test breakthrough could transform iron treatment worldwide

WEHI researchers have developed a blood test that can detect iron deficiency in minutes, overcoming key limitations of existing point-of-care diagnostics and potentially transforming how the condition is diagnosed and treated worldwide.

20 Aug 2026

FDA-cleared medical AI rarely tested for real-world benefits

A new analysis shows that, of 1,357 artificial intelligence (AI)-based medical devices authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patient care, only three had been tested on whether they actually improve patients' health.

20 Aug 2026