Healthcare News and Research

Latest Healthcare News and Research

Novel microneedle patch accelerates healing of chronic diabetic wounds using light

Researchers from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Southeast University, and Wenzhou Medical University have developed a novel microneedle patch that combines MXene hydrogel with nitric oxide (NO) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plasmid for enhanced diabetic wound treatment.

10 Mar 2026

Hormonal imbalance and gut microbes linked to cognitive deficits in patients with PitNETs

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are commonly associated with visual disturbances and endocrine abnormalities; however, many patients also experience cognitive deficits, particularly in memory, attention, and executive function, which significantly affect quality of life.

9 Mar 2026

New index provides state-level vulnerability to influenza-like illness

Infectious disease can afflict a population in complex ways. Understanding the varying risks is an equally complex challenge.

9 Mar 2026

UH psychology professor questions claim that multilingualism protects against brain aging

University of Houston professor of psychology Arturo Hernandez is disputing a high-profile study published in the journal Nature Aging claiming that people who live in multilingual countries show healthier brain aging.

9 Mar 2026

New collaboration aims to accelerate biomedical innovation and education

The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) and Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) have announced a new collaborative research partnership designed to accelerate biomedical innovation through joint research programs, faculty collaboration, and expanded student training opportunities.

9 Mar 2026

Patients with advanced cancer want involvement in treatment decisions

Patients with advanced cancer should be involved in decisions about their own treatment. Yet, patients, and relatives and nurses too, are often unsure how exactly this should take place, according to a new doctoral thesis from the University of Agder (UiA).

9 Mar 2026

Daily multivitamin intake linked to slower biological aging in older adults

An analysis led by Mass General Brigham investigators found slower aging in older adults after two years of a daily multivitamin, with greater benefits for those who began the trial with accelerated biological age.

9 Mar 2026

Women face higher liver fibrosis risk from cardiometabolic factors than men

Women with certain cardiometabolic risk factors, including type 2 diabetes and high waist circumference, face a greater increase in risk for liver fibrosis than men with the same risk factors.

9 Mar 2026

Cellular roadmap offers new targets for improving rotator cuff surgical repair

Rotator cuff tears are among the most common and debilitating musculoskeletal injuries, frequently causing chronic pain, reduced shoulder mobility, and a high risk of re-injury even after surgical repair.

9 Mar 2026

Spiritual care should be routine for patients with neurological diseases

People living with neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, dementia and epilepsy face not only physical decline, but also profound questions about identity, purpose, and meaning.

9 Mar 2026

Understanding PIEZO2 mutations and sensory disorders

Every time we feel a gentle tap on the skin, specialized nerve cells convert that physical force into an electrical signal that the brain can interpret as touch. While scientists have long known that a protein called PIEZO2 acts as a key sensor for touch, it remained unclear why PIEZO2 is specialized for the localized mechanical forces experienced by sensory neurons, whereas its close relative PIEZO1 responds to broader mechanical stresses such as those generated when cells stretch, as occurs in blood vessels.

9 Mar 2026

Navigating the structural challenges of AI in radiology

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to redefine how radiology is practiced, as well as highlight specific challenges for radiology departments, according to new research from the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR).

9 Mar 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help curb addiction? Large veteran study points to potential benefit

A large cohort study of more than 600,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes found that initiating GLP-1 receptor agonists was associated with lower risks of developing substance use disorders compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors. Among veterans with existing substance use disorders, GLP-1 receptor agonist use was also linked to fewer overdose events, hospitalizations, and suicide-related outcomes.

8 Mar 2026

Can aging bring improvement instead of decline? Long-term study says yes

A large longitudinal study of U.S. adults found that many older people improve in cognitive function or walking speed over time, challenging the idea that aging inevitably leads to decline. Positive beliefs about aging were associated with higher odds of improvement in both cognitive and physical health.

8 Mar 2026

Report highlights gaps in cancer care access for tribal citizens

The University of Oklahoma's Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research recently released a new Sovereign Report titled "Purchased/Referred Care and Cancer: Overview and Options for Tribal Consideration."

6 Mar 2026

Meaning, purpose and spirituality should be core parts of healthcare, say experts

A new peer-reviewed paper calls for meaning, purpose, and spirituality to be treated as core components of lifestyle medicine - not optional add-ons - because they directly influence patients' ability to adopt and sustain health-promoting behaviors.

6 Mar 2026

PET imaging reveals molecular mechanism behind ketamine's antidepressant effects

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, and approximately 30% of patients develop treatment-resistant depression (TRD), a condition that does not respond adequately to conventional antidepressant therapies.

6 Mar 2026

Disrupted iron levels after SARS-CoV-2 infection may trigger long COVID

Problems with iron levels in the blood and the body's ability to regulate this important nutrient as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a key trigger for long COVID, new research has discovered.

6 Mar 2026

Buck Institute launches a new initiative to measure and extend human healthspan

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging today announced the launch of Healthspan Horizons, a new initiative designed to address one of the most urgent challenges in modern medicine: how to measure, understand, and extend healthspan-the years of life spent in good health.

6 Mar 2026