Author: healthadmin

Although women make up half of the world’s population, there is relatively little research focus, leading to a lack of mental health care for women. A Perspective shares key takeaways from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine workshop “Essential Health Services Related to Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Women.” This workshop was organized to provide recommendations to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. This Perspective describes the challenges women face and offers some evidence-based solutions. George Slavich and colleagues point out that women experience anxiety and depression at much higher rates than men. Women also suffer from…

As more people live years or even decades after being diagnosed with cancer, supporting the growing number of Americans living with cancer has become one of the most urgent challenges in modern cancer care. In response, City of Hope®, one of the nation’s largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment institutions, is setting new standards for lifelong, research-driven survivor care. Its efforts include the City of Hope Line, a national initiative that invites survivors, caregivers and loved ones to share their experiences and words of encouragement. The City of Hope Line kicks off with messages from prominent voices such…

A study of young adults attending public universities in the United States found that religiosity moderated the association between praying for a partner and relationship satisfaction. For more religious people, the association between praying for their partner and higher relationship satisfaction was stronger. The paper is Psychology of religion and spirituality. A recent survey of U.S. adults found that only 57% consider themselves to be somewhat or very religious. Still, a majority say they believe in God or a universal spirit (83%). 67% reported praying at least weekly or monthly. Since the majority of the population continues to pray, researchers…

Scientists have discovered a surprising link between a baby’s earliest biological programming, the gut microbiome, and later brain development. The survey results are Cell Press Bluesuggesting that epigenetic changes present at birth can influence the development of gut microbiota during early childhood. The study also found an association between specific epigenetic patterns, specific gut microbes, and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by age 3. “This is interesting because certain bacteria seem to offer protection, suggesting that in the future there may be ways to support child development through diet and probiotics,” says lead author…

For centuries, forests have followed a surprisingly consistent rhythm. Beneath trees, roots and microorganisms break down organic matter and fuel plant growth, steadily releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists call this process soil respiration, and it represents one of the largest flows of carbon on Earth. New research suggests that this natural rhythm is disrupted by a growing but often overlooked form of pollution: excess nitrogen. Nitrogen pollution is affecting forests around the world On a cool spring morning, the forest floor may seem calm and still. But beneath the surface, billions of microorganisms are hard at work breaking…

In recent research, Journal of Cultural Economics suggests that highly accurate content recommendation algorithms can mistakenly make entertainment seem boring over time. Theoretical models show that injecting small amounts of randomness into these systems tends to improve long-term user satisfaction. This mathematical imperfection helps people discover new flavors before they get bored with their usual favorites. Today, computer programs influence the way billions of people discover music, movies, and videos. The platform designs these systems to maximize immediate user engagement. However, researcher Samsan Knight noticed a contradiction in this modern setting. Knight is an assistant professor at the University of…

A new firearm injury risk screening tool developed by Northwell is now available to health systems nationwide through Epic. Electronic health record screening tools combine access to firearms and community violence risk assessments. From there, it is up to each organization to decide whether to intervene to refer patients if they screen positive. “We have known for decades that there are evidence-based strategies that health care workers can use to save lives,” Dr. Chesan Sathya, director of the Northwell Gun Violence Prevention Center, told Fierce Healthcare. These include counseling patients and teaching youth about safe firearm storage. However, as of…

Researchers at Columbia University and Tübingen University Hospital have discovered a protein that appears to play a key role in weakening CAR T cells over time. Scientists discovered that by disabling a protein known as NFIL3, these engineered immune cells remained active longer and were better able to attack tumors. The survey results are cancer discoverycould help improve CAR T cell therapy, especially for solid tumors that have proven difficult to treat. CAR T-cell therapy is one of the most advanced forms of personalized cancer treatment. This approach involves collecting a patient’s own immune cells, genetically modifying them to recognize…

As governments and health authorities scramble to respond to the worsening Ebola outbreak in central Africa, Merck & Co. is considering discontinuing its antiviral drug molnupiravir, which was expected to be used to treat COVID-19 under emergency use authorization during the pandemic. Eliav Barr, M.D., chief medical officer at Merck Research Laboratories, told Reuters at the ASCO conference in Chicago over the weekend that the New Jersey drug giant is currently in discussions with multiple global health authorities about making the pill, also known as Lagebryo, available as a treatment for Ebola. “Molnupiravir is a non-specific RNA virus drug,” Barr…

More biopharmaceutical layoffs are occurring in New Jersey, this time in the latest round of job cuts from Merck & Company’s $3 billion cost-cutting plan announced last July. Recent job cuts also impact the company’s global headquarters in Rahway. A total of approximately 88 staff members at Merck’s headquarters will face job cuts in September, according to a recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice filed in New Jersey. “Merck today began the next phase of human resources impact related to a multi-year optimization, as announced in July 2025,” a company spokesperson told Fierce Pharma in an emailed…