Author: healthadmin

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 infects resting immune cells. The findings challenge decades-old assumptions in HIV biology and open new avenues for understanding how the virus persists in the body despite treatment. To successfully infect T cells, the immune cells that HIV primarily targets, HIV’s genetic material must be delivered to the cell’s nucleus. A highly protected compartment, the nucleus is surrounded by structures called nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which act as selective gateways that control what goes in and out. The HIV capsid, the protective shell that surrounds…

Scientists have discovered new evidence that challenges long-held assumptions about the causes of common types of stroke and provides clues as to why widely used treatments are ineffective. The study found that the buildup of fatty deposits within arteries does not appear to cause lacunar ischemic stroke. Lacunar ischemic strokes account for around a quarter of all ischemic strokes (strokes caused by blockages in blood vessels) that occur in the UK each year. Instead, researchers identified another vascular abnormality, the enlargement and dilation of arteries in the brain, that is strongly associated with lacunar stroke. Experts say the findings help…

Metabolic and bariatric surgery provides significantly greater long-term protection against heart attack, stroke, and death than widely used GLP-1 drugs for older adults with obesity and diabetes, according to a new real-world analysis study presented today at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Annual Meeting (#ASMBS2026). After 5 years, adults aged 65 and older who underwent bariatric surgery were almost 16% less likely to develop a major major cardiovascular event (MACE) compared to patients treated with GLP-1 drugs (11.5% vs. 13.6%). The risk of severe kidney disease was reduced by more than 25% (9.1% vs. 12.4%) and the…

Metabolic and bariatric surgery results in significantly greater weight loss and improved obesity-related disease remission rates than glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1), according to one of the largest and most comprehensive real-world comparisons of the two treatments. The findings were presented today at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Annual Meeting (#ASMBS2026). A systematic review and real-world analysis of 30 clinical studies involving more than 430,000 patients found that while both treatments produced meaningful results, metabolic and bariatric surgery consistently outperformed GLP-1 drugs in every outcome measured. The study was conducted by researchers at Yale School of…

In northeast Wichita, Kansas, chemicals known to increase the risk of human cancer have been seeping into the ground for decades, contaminating groundwater without the public’s knowledge, local officials say.Nearly 50 years after the trichlorethylene chemical spill that likely put generations of professionals at risk, community movements seeking more complete protections and the possibility of class action lawsuits are growing.”Northeast Wichita is a community of resilience and grit,” Wichita City Councilman Joseph Shepherd, who represents the affected area, told ABC News. “So when something terrible happens, you’re going to see this community fight back… They’re going to stand up and…

Recent research published in JAMA network open We provide evidence that interacting with conversational artificial intelligence programs can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while increasing your overall sense of well-being. The findings suggest that these digital platforms can form meaningful therapeutic bonds with users and provide an accessible way to support mental health at scale. Mental health problems affect millions of people around the world, but only a small percentage of them receive the professional care they need. This treatment disparity tends to be caused by structural issues such as a lack of trained therapists, high costs, and…

Angus Cheng covers all issues broadly related to cancer, including medicines, policy, science and stocks. She joined STAT in 2021 after covering health and science at NPR and NPR affiliate stations. His work has been recognized with the national Edward R. Murrow Award and the June L. Biedler Award for Cancer Journalism, among others. You can access Angus.08 on Signal.The way Color Health CEO Osman Laraki sees it, cancer is a growing problem. New science regularly sets new treatment standards and increases the complexity of managing an already complex disease. Laraki said cancer patients are growing faster than oncologists, and…

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has received warm feedback on its start-to-2026 performance after several consecutive quarters of underperformance. This is due in no small part to the company’s head start over rival Eli Lilly in the fast-growing market for oral obesity drugs. With adjusted net sales (PDF) of 70.1 billion Danish kroner ($11 billion) in the first three months of this year, Novo’s first-quarter sales were down about 4% year over year. However, the strong performance of the company’s obesity series and early strong results from the launch of Wegovy tablets sent the company’s stock up about 3% on…

In the latest update on the coronavirus and vaccine-related debate heating up at the FDA, FDA officials recently blocked publication of several safety studies conducted on coronavirus and shingles vaccines, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The study, in which FDA scientists worked with data companies to examine millions of patient records, found that serious side effects of the vaccine were “extremely rare,” according to the NYT. The debacle dates back to October, when researchers were forced to withdraw two coronavirus vaccine studies that had already been accepted for publication in medical journals. Then in February, FDA officials said they…

WASHINGTON – Following reports of pressure from President Trump, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes on Tuesday. The approval may sound like a move sure to alarm public health experts. But the decision, which debates whether the potential benefits of helping people quit outweighing the risks of youth tobacco use, has proven to be rather divisive among researchers and smoking cessation advocates. But they share concerns over reports that politics has tainted the scientific process. Political appointees are increasingly involved in making scientific decisions across government agencies. Newly approved e-cigarette flavors from Los Angeles-based company Glas…