Author: healthadmin

Recent research published in PNAS Nexus The study suggests that America’s political polarization is straining personal relationships, with more than one-third of Americans reporting losing a friend, family member, or loved one over political differences. This loss of relationships tends to further antagonize opposing voters, providing evidence that political divisions affect day-to-day social connections and psychological well-being. Political polarization refers to the widening gap in political attitudes and growing aversion between members of opposing political parties. Democrats and Republicans are reported to have more negative feelings toward each other, and they tend to spend less time together in their daily…

A server room in a data center. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images) Data centers require large amounts of water to cool their systems, which heat up as they process digital information through large numbers of computers and network servers. Systems that are not “closed loop” require water that does not evaporate to be circulated and discharged. Most data centers in Virginia are allowed to discharge water into municipal wastewater systems, the same location where household water is treated and recycled for consumption. However, data tracking of potential chemicals in data center wastewater is limited. At least one data center is…

Creating nearly invisible wearable technologies, such as smart contact lenses and ultra-thin augmented reality (AR) glasses, requires a fundamental redesign of traditional optical components. Rather than relying on bulky lenses and hardware, researchers are exploring materials that can manipulate light at the atomic scale. The XPANCEO team collaborated with scientists from the National University of Singapore and the Technical University of Chemistry in Prague and reported significant progress in their efforts. Their research focuses on a layered crystal called molybdenum oxychloride (MoOCl2). The crystal exhibits a set of unusual optical properties that could help significantly scale down future optical devices.…

Merck’s extensive clinical development program for the TROP2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) sac-TMT already includes 17 international Phase 3 trials. But one important part is missing. The New Jersey drug company is not currently conducting registration trials for the drug in partnership with Cologne Biotech for first-line PD-L1-low or negative non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Instead, the company is conducting a Phase 3 to add sac-TMT to Keytruda in first-line maintenance squamous NSCLC regardless of PD-L1 expression, as well as a Phase 3 in non-squamous patients with high PD-L1 expression. More than two years have passed since these two studies began.…

Bob covers medical expenses, focusing on health insurance and hospitals. His story delves into Medicare Advantage, opaque prescription drug benefits, and what executives actually earn. He is also the author of the Health Care Inc. newsletter. You can reach Bob at Signal at bobjherman.09.Medicare is advertising that adults 65 and older can receive Wegovy and Zepbound for $50 a month starting in July, especially for weight loss. But the agency has yet to say how much this will cost taxpayers, who are largely responsible for the burden. There’s a lot at stake for the public and Medicare beneficiaries. Temporary coverage…

A conservation approach once hailed as a global model for helping humans and predators coexist may be losing ground due to a lack of long-term government support, a new study finds. In 2015, Sweden attracted international attention when researchers reported that its Conservation Payments (CPP) program, the oldest of its kind, helped boost the population of the endangered wolverine. But more than a decade later, maintaining that early success is looking increasingly difficult. The program was designed to benefit both wolverines and the indigenous Sami reindeer herders who share the same landscape with them. New findings suggest this agreement is…

Europe’s first study reveals that thousands of health and social care workers are regularly exposed to cancer risk factors, with ionizing radiation, diesel exhaust fumes and solar ultraviolet radiation emerging as the most common workplace hazards. Study: Occupational exposure to cancer risk factors among health and social care workers in Europe: Results of a worker exposure survey. Image credit: killa1/Shutterstock.com recent European Journal of Public Health This study investigated the prevalence and patterns of occupational exposure to known cancer risk factors among health and social care workers in Europe. Occupational exposure to cancer risk factors in Europe Occupational exposure to…

Black and Latinx adults with cognitive impairment have lower amyloid accumulation associated with Alzheimer’s disease despite higher rates of dementia, a national study has found, raising urgent questions about diagnosis, access to treatment, and the future of dementia care. Study: Differences in amyloid PET positivity based on ethnic groups and social determinants of health: a new IDEAS study. Image credit: PeopleImages/Shutterstock.com Research published in journals Alzheimer’s disease and dementia We identified ethnoracial differences in amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) positivity rates in older adults with cognitive impairment. Investigation of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in diverse populations The global prevalence of Alzheimer’s…

Nine out of 10 prescriptions are filled with generic drugs, FDA-approved carbon copies of brand-name drugs whose patents have expired. Over the past 30 years, generic drugs have saved hundreds of millions of people trillions of dollars. However, new biologic medicines, including breakthrough treatments for diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, are difficult to manufacture as generic drugs. Unlike traditional “small molecule” drugs made from chemicals, biologics are large protein-sized molecules made in living cells. Their equivalents, called biosimilars, are similar but not identical copies. Now, a study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco shows that regulations for…

Online information about artificial intelligence (AI) and its cancer research and treatments for both patients and general audiences is limited, and available web pages and videos are mostly of low quality, difficult to read, and often omit the risks of using AI, according to a new study presented today at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and led by researchers at Abramson Cancer Center (ACC). Penn State and Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. This study highlights the opportunity to create more accessible, high-quality resources as AI is increasingly incorporated into cancer research and patient care and…