Author: healthadmin
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a flexible optical fiber that can be guided through a medical endoscope into the larynx to destroy tumors on hard-to-reach vocal cords. This advancement could expand outpatient laser treatment options for patients whose only option is surgery under general anesthesia. Researchers reported that in tests using a 3D-printed replica of the human larynx, they were able to reach about 81% of 70 targets that were unattainable through outpatient treatment. “Some people, such as patients with heart disease, may not be able to undergo general anesthesia or traditional laser surgery for laryngeal growth,”…
Obesity is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but a person’s weight can change over time, and little is known about the cumulative effects of excess weight. A new study by researchers at the Massachusetts General Brigham Research Institute shows that long-term exposure to excess weight is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular risk than body mass index (BMI) at any given point in time, and the effect is strongest in young people. The result is pro swansuggest that losing weight and reducing exposure to excess weight may reduce a person’s cardiovascular risk. Excess weight at a certain point…
Older Canadians who are socially connected, physically healthy and mentally engaged are significantly more likely to experience complete mental health, according to a new nationally representative study of adults aged 65 and older. Using data from 2,024 respondents from Statistics Canada’s 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey (MHACS), researchers examined factors associated with both the absence of mental health disorders (APD) and complete mental health (CMH), a broader measure that combines freedom from mental illness and high emotional, psychological and social well-being. Our findings moved the conversation away from mental illness alone and focused on understanding what…
Look at last month’s “No Kings” protests. Millions of Americans are taking to the streets to protest the Trump administration’s reckless governing principles. Thousands of communities have expressed their solemn right to resist against clear and present danger. At least for the time being. actually. As the nation’s attention is diverted by the president’s daily diet of strategic and outrageous distractions, fossil fuel companies and their industrial allies are quietly pursuing new forms of corporate vigilance. They’re not as nasty as clubbing dissidents or trade union organizers, but they’re far more insidious. Louisiana, for example, is considering a bill that…
After more than a decade as head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing Association of America (PhRMA), the most influential organization representing the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, Steve Ubl will step down as CEO at the end of the year. PhRMA’s board of directors announced Wednesday Ubl’s resignation and said it would begin a search for his replacement. PhRMA said Ubl will remain on the board until a new CEO is chosen to ensure a smooth transition. Ubl’s exit comes at a turbulent time for the industry, as President Donald Trump is advancing several initiatives related to drug pricing and domestic…
In a review study published in the journal Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, the UAB research team defines the criteria that CAR immunotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases must meet to advance both conceptually and in trials that are still very preliminary. The application of CAR immunotherapy to neurodegenerative diseases is limited by major challenges due to the complex nature of these pathologies and the heterogeneity of the deleterious molecules targeted for treatment. Nevertheless, despite the uncertainties, the early findings are encouraging to continue moving forward with research that is still in its very early stages. This is what a team of researchers…
Japan’s Shionogi & Co. has joined a spate of drug makers announcing U.S. manufacturing commitments since last year, although the situation is a little different than many of its peers. The Osaka-based company on Wednesday announced a new agreement through the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) aimed at boosting the domestic supply of Fetroya (cefiderocol) and potentially expanding the antibiotic’s coverage to combat “high biothreat pathogens” such as plague and scabies. Fetroja first received the U.S. green light in 2019 for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, and a year later received a second FDA approval…
Finding meaning in life is consistently associated with lower levels of depression across hundreds of independent samples. A comprehensive new review published in the Journal of Affective Disorders outlines how various aspects of purposeful living are related to mental health across diverse cultures and age groups. This wide-ranging result will help mental health professionals tailor treatments to better support individuals facing deep psychological distress. Depression is a widespread public health problem that affects approximately 4% of the world’s population. This condition is accompanied by intense sadness, emotional emptiness, and decreased ability to function in daily life. Identifying defensive psychological habits…
New research suggests that the domestication of wheat was shaped by intense evolutionary struggles for light and space. This competition allowed early crops to outgrow their neighbors, encouraged the development of traits that helped them compete, and provided new insights into how crops evolved and how they could be improved in the future. The research was led by Dr Yishan Xiang and Professor Colin Osborne from the University of Sheffield, with collaborators from the Autonomous University of Madrid, King Juan Carlos University and Wageningen University. The research team investigated how wild plants responded to cultivation by early humans and found…
Digital health startups raised $4 billion in venture capital funding in the first quarter of 2026. This was an increase of $1 billion from the same period last year and the strongest first quarter since the peak of the pandemic. In the first quarter of 2025, digital health companies raised $3 billion in 122 deals, compared to 110 this year. The average deal size rose to $36.7 million, the highest average deal size Rock Health has recorded in a single quarter since Q4 2021, according to the company’s Q1 Digital Health Funding Summary Report. As venture capital investors bet on…