Author: healthadmin

People seeking treatment for depression often experience a reduction in symptoms, whether they are given an active drug or an inactive placebo. By integrating data from different symptom studies, the researchers found that although the pattern of mood improvement was very similar in both scenarios, active drug treatment caused a stronger recovery, which was uniquely related to patients’ baseline brain connectivity. The results of these studies were published in the journal Psychological Medicine. Mood improvement is notoriously difficult to measure. Clinicians typically rely on standard questionnaires that condense a wide range of symptoms into a single score. This approach can…

Jolie Krause and her parents faced her death many times during the first tenuous weeks of her life. The muscles throughout her small body were not working properly. her heart. her feet. her larynx. Even the involuntary movement of breathing was difficult, and I was constantly feeling light-headed. In the midst of panicked days of terrible news and incomprehensible instructions, something unbelievable happened. A long-term attempt to find the root cause of her problems led to the identification of a widely available but previously unknown treatment. “The results were very quick,” Joanie Kraus, Jolie’s mother, told the audience at STAT’s…

Digital health has become an integral part of most Americans’ daily lives, with 71% of American adults using a health-related app and 64% using a health-related device, according to a new report from Reach3 Insights. The Digital Health Trends 2026 report surveyed 1,043 people in the U.S. over the age of 18 who use the company’s platform. Christine Nguyen, vice president of Reach3 Insights, which conducted the study, said in a statement that digital health tools are “becoming deeply integrated into the way people manage their daily lives.” “Consumers increasingly describe these tools as part of their daily lives, motivation,…

Healthcare AI company Commure has raised $70 million in new funding, reaching a valuation of $7 billion. General Catalyst led the funding round, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Morgan Stanley, and Kirkland & Ellis, according to the announcement. Commure said it will use the funding to expand its platform and build out its technology. The company provides AI tools and agents that are integrated into the workflows of health systems and providers. The company’s technology is primarily focused on simplifying administrative tasks, which Comure says are used around $1 trillion annually across the country. The company’s revenue cycle management tools…

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, even though cigarette smoking rates will fall to an all-time low of about 10% by 2024. Some research suggests that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) can help people quit smoking and reduce exposure to harmful chemicals, but products are changing rapidly and it’s unclear whether these benefits still apply. A new study led by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found that switching to pod-based salt nicotine e-cigarettes, one of the most popular types of e-cigarettes on the market, may improve chances of quitting smoking while significantly reducing…

Tirzepatide GLP-1 The drug is known to improve sleep apnea in people with both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity, but not all patients benefit equally. Now, new research presented at the 2026 ATS International Congress narrows down which patients are likely to have the best treatment outcomes. Patients in this “strong response” subtype experienced nearly twice as much improvement in sleep apnea as other patients. The findings could help doctors provide more personalized treatment and give patients clearer expectations for their sleep health. This is the first time that a subgroup has been identified that has a strong response…

The causes of male infertility can be difficult to diagnose, and many tests cannot detect genetic abnormalities. In some cases, infertility may not be caused by the genes themselves. This can occur due to improper folding of the father’s DNA within the sperm. When a couple becomes pregnant, this incorrectly packaged DNA can compromise the child’s lifelong health. Father’s health is very important for sperm quality and child’s health. Understanding DNA packing and folding in sperm cells is a fundamental problem in modern biology. ” Tetsu Namekawa, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Davis Mr.…

A meta-analysis of studies on internet gaming disorder found that the condition was present in an average of 6.1% of young adults. The prevalence was higher in the gamer-only sample (8.1%) compared to the sample that included both gamers and non-gamers. The paper was published in addictive behavior. Internet gaming disorder is a pattern of excessive or inappropriately controlled video game playing that causes serious problems in one’s life. There’s more to this than just enjoying the game and playing it often. People with this disorder are constantly thinking about games, feel restless or irritated when they can’t play, and…

A large new study presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference shows that patients treated for COPD or pneumonia experience worse outcomes across several key measures if they are treated at a hospital acquired by a private equity firm. Notably, patients with pneumonia were more likely to die during hospitalization at hospitals acquired by private equity than at other hospitals. At the same time, COPD patients are more likely to return within the first 30 days compared to patients at other hospitals. This is the first study to show that private equity acquisitions are associated with worse outcomes for patients…

An estimated 15.8 million people in the United States live in pharmacy deserts. With limited access to health services such as hospitals and pharmacies, these people are at increased risk of death and higher rates of progression of preventable diseases. New research published in risk analysisan individual’s choice of pharmacy was found to be influenced not only by proximity but also by the sociodemographic characteristics of the area in which the pharmacy is located. Cal Poly researchers conducted a case study that combined mobility data from cell phone usage and pharmacy footfall patterns with demographic and socio-economic census data to…