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Heavy drinking linked to next day cognitive problems in students

When college students drink very heavily or to the point of blacking out, they're more likely to report poorer cognitive functioning the next day, like forgetting someone's name or having trouble making decisions, according to new research from the University of Oregon.

22 Apr 2026

Cancer during pregnancy causes lasting emotional and financial challenges

Women diagnosed with cancer in pregnancy face profound, long-term emotional and financial challenges, a new study from the University of Surrey finds.

22 Apr 2026

New antibody mechanism selectively suppresses harmful immune responses

The immune system is our frontline protection against infection, continually searching for and destroying unknown pathogens.

22 Apr 2026

Blood protein levels shift significantly from childhood through early adulthood

Blood protein levels change markedly already during childhood and adolescence, and differences between girls and boys become increasingly pronounced with age.

22 Apr 2026

Why social supermarkets are gaining attention in the fight against food insecurity

This scoping review found that social supermarkets can offer a more dignified, choice-based way to access lower-cost food while also helping divert some surplus food from waste. However, the evidence suggests they work best as a complement to existing food support, not as a solution to the underlying causes of food insecurity or overproduction across the food system.

22 Apr 2026

COVID-19 virus not retained in placenta after maternal recovery

A new Yale study published in JAMA Network Open finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.

22 Apr 2026

Global experts highlight new strategies to target human aging

A new meeting report was published in Volume 18 of Aging-US on April 6, 2026, titled "Toward actionable interventions in human aging (12th ARDD meeting, 2025)."

22 Apr 2026

AI model analyzes single-cell tumor data to predict cancer survival

In a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, researchers developed a cancer assessment tool that can identify high-risk patients and the tumor cells linked to that risk.

22 Apr 2026

Listen: Cheap health insurance isn’t always cheap

A lot of people choose their health insurance the way they shop for a flight — sort by the lowest price and click "buy." But what looks like a bargain upfront can come with costly consequences later.

22 Apr 2026

Tirzepatide vs. semaglutide: Study compares cost and health outcomes in obesity

In a US societal-perspective lifetime simulation based on SURMOUNT-5 data, tirzepatide was projected to deliver lower total costs and better health outcomes than semaglutide for adults with obesity or overweight without type 2 diabetes.

22 Apr 2026

Study links common herbicide to rising early-onset colorectal cancer risk

Researchers used DNA methylation-based “epigenetic fingerprints” as proxies for lifelong exposome-related patterns and found that early-onset colorectal cancer was associated with lower Mediterranean diet adherence, lower education, smoking-related signatures, and higher picloram-related exposure signals. They then supported the picloram association in nine independent cohorts and with 21 years of US county-level pesticide-use data, while noting that the findings show association rather than proof of causation.

22 Apr 2026

Low-plastic diets cut plastic-linked chemicals in urine within 7 days, study finds

A Nature Medicine study found that healthy Australian adults were widely exposed to plastic-associated chemicals, with processed, packaged, and canned foods emerging as important modifiable contributors to urinary phthalate and bisphenol levels. In a 7-day pilot randomized trial, low-plastic food interventions reduced several urinary plastic-associated chemicals without lowering daily energy intake.

22 Apr 2026

Acupuncture regulates immune function through specific neural circuit activation

Traditional explanations of acupuncture often emphasize direct acupoint-organ relationships, focusing on local stimulation or endpoint physiological changes.

22 Apr 2026

Gut microbiome characteristics predict treatment response in IBS-D patients

In a new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the low FODMAP diet and the antibiotic rifaximin provided similar and significant relief for patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D).

22 Apr 2026

Patient outcomes vary by drug class despite achieving clinical remission

A study published in Rheumatology & Autoimmunity challenges the assumption that achieving clinical remission in rheumatoid arthritis is sufficient, showing that patient-reported outcomes vary significantly by drug class even when disease activity is comparable.

22 Apr 2026

Rural and urban children face distinct mental health challenges

A study in Pediatric Investigation found that rural and urban children and adolescents tend to experience different mental health issues, with those living in the country showing more emotional problems and those in the city demonstrating more behavioral issues.

22 Apr 2026

Fitness in midlife extends health span and overall life expectancy

How fit you are in midlife may help determine not just how long you live, but how many of those years are spent in good health, according to a new study published today in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

22 Apr 2026

Availability of HIV treatments contributed to a resurgence in syphilis

A study in Health Economics uncovered an unintended consequence of a major medical breakthrough: while the availability of HIV treatments in the late 1990s dramatically improved survival, they also contributed to a resurgence in syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection.

22 Apr 2026

Survey of families suggests high risks for electroconvulsive therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which involves passing electricity through the brain under general anesthesia to cause a seizure, usually between six and twelve times, is used to varying degrees around the world for patients with depression and other mental conditions.

22 Apr 2026

Prostate cancer overdiagnosis risk increases substantially in older men

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have found that the likelihood of prostate cancer overdiagnosis – the detection of a cancer that would never have been diagnosed during a patient's lifetime but for PSA screening – is low in younger men but rises substantially with old age.

22 Apr 2026