Author: healthadmin
A new report from the Guttmacher Institute finds that fewer patients will be traveling for abortion care in 2025, and more patients will be using telemedicine services. The March 2026 report used data from Guttmacher’s Monthly Abortion Provisions Survey, which provides estimates of clinician-performed abortions in each state since January 2023. The study tracks surgical and medication-induced abortions at brick-and-mortar facilities, as well as medication-induced abortions from telehealth providers. The results of the monthly survey represent an “underestimation” of the total number of abortions nationwide because the data excludes abortion exceptions in states with advanced regulations regarding medication abortion and…
Recent advances in supercomputing have enabled scientists to tackle long-standing questions in astronomy. Researchers have been trying to understand why the chemical composition of red giant stars’ surfaces changes as they evolve. Scientists have struggled for years to connect what’s happening deep inside red giant stars with what they see on their surfaces. Nuclear reactions within the core change the star’s internal composition, but this region is separated from the outer convective envelope by a stable layer. How material crosses this barrier to reach the surface remained unclear. In a new study published in natural astronomyresearchers at the Astronomical Research…
Recent research provides evidence that artificial intelligence can successfully generate customized images designed to evoke specific emotions in humans. The findings suggest that these computer-generated photographs function similarly to traditional photographs, while offering the added benefit of being adaptable to different cultures, ages, and genders. The study was published in the journal Advances in the methods and practices of psychological science. Generative AI refers to computer systems that can create new content, such as text or images, based on simple written instructions. Scientists often use collections of photographs to study human emotions, known as emotion induction. By showing participants specific…
Consumers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence chatbots to obtain health information, according to a new report from Rock Health. In the 2025 Digital Health Consumer Adoption Survey, 32% of respondents reported using AI chatbots to find health information, up from 16% in 2024. Researchers at the Digital Health Venture Fund surveyed 8,000 adults who responded to the U.S. Census in December 2025 about their attitudes and behaviors toward digital health tools and care. This study was conducted before AI platforms introduced their own healthcare chatbot products, such as Microsoft’s Copilot Health and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health. “For many people, AI…
According to a new study from Eliciting Insights, 75% of U.S. health systems currently use or plan to use at least one artificial intelligence application, up from 59% in 2025. Research (PDF), a leading market research firm, surveyed executives from 120 health systems across the United States for its second annual AI Adoption Survey. The pool of respondents reflected a variety of system sizes and electronic health record platforms. “In 2026, health systems are deploying AI to address both workforce constraints and financial pressures,” Trish Rivard, CEO of Eliciting Insights, said in a statement. “Organizations are moving beyond pilots and…
Men and women should probably avoid ultra-processed foods when trying to have children, according to a new study of 651 couples in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The findings were published March 24 in the journal human reproductionfound that men with diets high in ultra-processed foods had lower fertility, while women with such diets had slower embryo growth during pregnancy and smaller yolk sacs to nourish the embryo during early development. The authors say their study is the first to assess how ultra-processed foods in both mothers’ and fathers’ diets affect early pregnancy and the couple’s ability to conceive. Ultra-processed foods, such…
Researchers at the Canadian Museum of Nature have identified a previously unknown extinct rhino species in the high Arctic. This amazingly well-preserved fossil skeleton was discovered in ancient lake sediments in Horton Crater on Devon Island, Nunavut. This discovery represents the northernmost species of rhinoceros ever recorded. Rhinos have a long evolutionary history spanning more than 40 million years and once lived on nearly every continent except South America and Antarctica. The newly identified “Arctic rhinoceros” lived during the early Miocene epoch, about 23 million years ago. It is most closely related to species that lived in Europe millions of…
An international consortium has made significant advances in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. A recent paper published in the journal Nature Medicine describes the discovery of a new quantitative biomarker in lumbar fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) that could help doctors more accurately diagnose Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. The consortium, led by Dr Katharina Bolsevich and Professor Charlotte Theunissen from the Amsterdam UMC Institute of Neurochemistry, with key contributions from Dr Sebastian Engelborgs, Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Bruxelles and Head of the Department of Neurology at the University of Brussels, focused on the protein DOPA decarboxylase. This protein plays…
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) affects approximately 30% of people worldwide, but effective targeted therapies have long been lacking. Now, researchers have discovered an important genetic factor that worsens the condition. Even more surprising, the most effective way to target this factor may be vitamin B3, an already approved and widely available treatment. An international research team led by Professor Jang Hyun Choi of UNIST, in collaboration with Professor Hwayoung Yoon of Busan National University (PNU) and Professor Neunghwa Park of Ulsan University Hospital (UUH), identified microRNA-93 (miR-93) as a central regulator of MASLD. This is the first time this…
Playing a fast-paced action video game for an hour before bed can actually lower stress levels and improve certain memory skills the next day. A recent experiment found that these short gaming sessions had no negative effect on objective sleep quality in adults who don’t normally play video games. The research results were published in a magazine sleeping pills. The video game industry generates huge profits in the hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide each year. With the majority of young people and adults participating in digital play, questions regarding the physiological and psychological effects of gaming are of great…