Author: healthadmin

People taking GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes (liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide) may be more likely to stop and then restart treatment than many people realize, according to a study presented Sunday at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting ENDO 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. This study examined two questions that have received little attention to date. “Our study asks two questions that have not been fully answered to date: How many people with type 2 diabetes taking GLP-1 drugs actually stop taking them? And how many start taking them again?” said Dr. Sainikil Sonta, a researcher at the Boston University School…

JMIR Publications has released two feature articles in its News and Outlook section. Shalini Katuria Narang’s “Can human-like reasoning be replicated in large-scale language models for clinical decision-making?” and Sara Novak’s “How healthcare professionals can cope with digital fatigue” provide complementary insights into the capabilities of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and the real-world fatigue faced by healthcare professionals managing digital systems. Are LLMs equivalent to doctors in clinical reasoning? In “Can Humanlike Reasoning Be Replicated in Large Language Models for Clinical Decision-Making?,” Narang discusses recent research comparing diagnostic reasoning in OpenAI’s o1 model to that of physicians. Dr. Narang reports…

New research published in engineering uncovered a regulatory mechanism linking lysosomal function and mitochondrial stability in pathological cardiac hypertrophy and identified transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) as an important protective factor against progression to heart failure. Researchers found that TRPML1 maintains mitochondrial homeostasis and reduces cardiac hypertrophy by directly inhibiting the oligomerization of voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) on the mitochondrial outer membrane. Transcriptomic analysis of heart failure samples from both mice and humans showed consistent downregulation of TRPML1 expression, suggesting a potential link between decreased TRPML1 levels and pathological cardiac remodeling. In animal models, cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression or pharmacological…

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have developed a new form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that adjusts in real time to a person’s gait, improving gait and reducing falls in people with Parkinson’s disease. The study was published on June 15th. natural medicinedemonstrated for the first time that an implantable brain stimulator can detect neural signals associated with each step and automatically adjust stimulation within a fraction of a fraction of a second. The new system responds to the brain’s walking rhythm in the same way that a cardiac pacemaker responds to the rhythm of the heart.…

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is most commonly known as a disease that affects wild animals such as deer and elk. But a new study by researchers at the University of Calgary and their international collaborators investigated whether the disease could spread beyond cervids (ungulates, plant-eating animals) to other species. There are no confirmed cases of CWD in humans. Still, scientists say the new findings highlight the importance of continued surveillance and research as the disease continues to spread to new regions. CWD is a fatal neurological disease caused by infectious proteins called prions. It is becoming increasingly widespread throughout North…

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are very popular for weight loss, but results vary from person to person and from drug to drug. Venky Soundararajan and colleagues investigate the full spectrum of responses to tirzepatide (e.g., Mounjaro or Zepbound) and semaglutide (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus) by analyzing deidentified electronic medical records of a matched cohort of 10,339 tirzepatide-treated patients and 10,339 semaglutide-treated patients. In the real world, results range from minimal weight loss to more than 25% weight loss. Patients taking tirzepatide lost more weight than patients taking semaglutide (mean loss, 14.7% vs. 10.8% of body weight). There were…

People who regularly use psychedelic drugs outside of a clinical setting appear to process emotional information differently than non-users. A recent brain imaging study found that experienced psychedelic consumers process threatening facial expressions more efficiently and show altered neural responses to different emotions. The study was published in the journal Human Brain Mapping. Classic psychedelics such as psilocybin mushrooms and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) profoundly alter sensory perception, mood, and self-awareness. Recent medical trials have shown that these substances may have long-term psychological effects. Patients who participate in these clinical trials often experience reduced symptoms of depression, less anxiety about…

Unlike tobacco and alcohol, cannabis products are often packaged as colorful gummies, chocolates, candies, and snacks that look very similar to products found in grocery store aisles. A new study from Washington State University suggests that some of these products may attract the attention of underage consumers. More than 80% of the 454 teens and young adults surveyed said that some cannabis gummy and candy products appeal to people under the age of 21, even if they comply with Washington state cannabis packaging regulations. Although cannabis products are sold only in licensed stores that minors cannot legally enter, young people…

NEW YORK — The U.S. infant mortality rate will hit a record low in 2025, according to preliminary government data. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025. Although this number appears to be a slight decrease from about 5.5 deaths in 2024 and 5.6 deaths in the two years before that, researchers say it is statistically significant and would translate into hundreds of fewer infant deaths per year. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause of recent developments, “this is an encouraging data point and…

It’s a mystery. An eye disease known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) can lead to permanent blindness if untreated. However, there are significant differences in how often Norwegian hospitals actually provide this treatment. “These differences between hospitals are inexplicable,” says Dordi Oosteng. Osteng is a professor in the Department of Neurology and Exercise Sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). In fact, the proportion of newborns who develop this condition should be the same across the country. There should be no difference between hospitals in the proportion of premature infants who develop the disease and therefore require…