Author: healthadmin

Public health experts estimate that more than 200 million people worldwide are exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water. Scientists know that long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, but there is still no reliable way to track these exposures and fully understand their effects on the body and the mechanisms behind them. A new study led by researchers at the University of Chicago addresses this challenge, revealing how arsenic leaves traces in human DNA and providing a potential new tool for exposure assessment. in International Journal of…

Explore the pivotal changes in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines, including a shift to ‘real food’ with an inverted Food Guide Pyramid, higher protein recommendations, and critiques on full-fat dairy and ultra-processed foods.

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have “reverse engineered” the antidepressant effects of ketamine and identified a potential new strategy for treating depression. There are many effective treatments for depression, but not all patients respond to them. Approximately one-third of patients must try multiple medications before their symptoms finally subside, and the remaining one-third have treatment-resistant depression. An anesthetic called ketamine provides immediate symptom relief for some patients with treatment-resistant depression, but its effects are often short-lived. Ketamine also causes serious side effects for some patients, including changes in heart rate and blood pressure, feeling disconnected from one’s thoughts and self, and…

From smoothies and soups to seafood-rich meals, new research reveals how older Americans’ daily eating patterns reflect deeper divides in health, access, and nutritional risks. Study: Dietary patterns and associations with diet quality, health, and food insecurity among older U.S. adults. Image credit: Inside Creative House/Shutterstock.com In a recent national survey, public health nutrition identified five distinct dietary patterns among adults aged 60 and older in the United States (US) and revealed striking contrasts in diet quality and food security. From soft, easy-to-eat diets associated with increased vulnerability to nutrient-rich patterns associated with improved health outcomes, this study reveals important…

A University of California, Riverside study reports that cells in the early stages of human development may be more susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), providing new insights into how the virus interacts with developing human tissues and why it is important for pregnancy research. Researchers Anne Song and Prue Talbot used a “disease in a dish” laboratory model of early human embryonic development to examine how different cell types respond to exposure to man-made SARS-CoV-2-like particles. They found that multiple early embryonic cell types can be infected, but their susceptibilities vary widely. Cells destined…

Aplastic anemia is a rare, life-threatening blood disease in which the immune system attacks blood stem cells, leaving patients unable to make enough blood cells. This condition can progress to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and leukemia. The study, led by scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and in collaboration with multiple partner institutions, used cutting-edge genomic technology to profile 619 children and adults with aplastic anemia. They discovered that different blood stem cells within the same person’s body independently acquire genetic mutations that allow the cells to escape immune attack. In some patients, these “rescued” stem cell clones were sufficient…

Payment Integrity partners should not be an issueSpring is the season for audits, updates, and difficult conversations. And for a growing number of health plans, one of those difficult conversations is around payment integrity vendors.I often hear people say, “Even though we’ve been together for years, nothing has changed.”The medical billing environment has completely changed. If your payment integrity program isn’t keeping up, the gap between what you’re paying and what you should be paying is widening every day.The scale of the problem is not small.Let’s start with the numbers, because they’re hard to ignore.In 2025, the U.S. Department of…

Healthcare affordability remains one of the defining challenges facing our industry. Insurance premiums continue to rise, employers shift more costs to employees, and consumers struggle to navigate a fragmented system characterized by complex benefits, a disconnected experience, and rapidly increasing medical and pharmacy costs. At the same time, the pace of innovation, new treatments, personalized medicine, virtual care, alternative care settings, and value-based arrangements are increasing opportunities to improve outcomes, but they are also significantly complicating the healthcare ecosystem. Historically, health plans have acted as aggregators, building extensive provider networks, packaging benefits, negotiating discounts, and managing claims. This model was…

A 12-month longitudinal study of adults in four English-speaking countries found that lonely people may be more likely to seek companionship through chatbots. However, such use can worsen feelings of loneliness over time. The paper was published in psychological science. The recent development of large language models, AI systems that can communicate with users in natural human language, has ushered in a new era for humanity. It can be said that a revolution has begun, both in the way business is done and in the way people live. Immediately after its release at the end of 2022, ChatGPT gained millions…

Blood tests that track how certain white blood cells age may help identify depression, focusing on emotional and cognitive symptoms rather than physical symptoms. This study Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and MedicineThis brings scientists closer to finding a reliable biological marker for depression, a condition that affects nearly one in five adults in the United States. Blood-based clues may improve depression diagnosis Currently, depression is diagnosed based on what patients report about their symptoms. Although doctors may order laboratory tests to rule out other illnesses, there is still no objective biological test that can confirm depression or…