Author: healthadmin

A federal judge in Oregon said he is reversing a declaration late last year by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that said gender-affirming care for transgender youth did not meet medical standards. The Confederation of States and DC immediately sued Kennedy over this declaration, accusing him of overstepping his authority. Regulation of drugs is largely left to the states, and federal rules are subject to a public notice and comment period. Trump administration targets hospitals in massive effort to end gender-affirming care The Department of Justice, which represents HHS, pushed back against these claims, arguing that President Kennedy’s declaration…

A new study presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Science Session 2026 suggests that fat stored around the waist (central obesity or visceral fat) may increase the risk of heart failure primarily due to inflammation. The conference, held March 17-20 in Boston, will highlight the latest discoveries in prevention, lifestyle, and cardiometabolic health. The study found that higher levels of visceral fat were more closely associated with heart failure risk than overall body weight. Even in people whose body mass index (BMI) was within the normal range, a larger waist measurement was associated with increased risk. These results suggest…

A specialized network responsible for flushing out cellular waste in the brain may play a role in the development of schizophrenia and other mental disorders. In a recent brain imaging study, researchers found that young people at high genetic risk for psychosis show early signs of malfunctioning brain clearance systems, which are associated with toxic accumulation of irritating chemicals. The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science. Alessandro Pascucci, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Geneva and a resident in child psychiatry at the Paul Autism Foundation, led the research…

New imaging evidence linking thymus health to survival, cancer risk and cardiovascular outcomes in adults suggests a long-overlooked immune organ may hold important clues to longevity. Research: Effects on thymus health in adults. Image credit: Nerthuz / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal natureA group of researchers used imaging data and large cohort data to investigate how thymic health influences mortality, cancer and cardiovascular disease outcomes in adults. Thymus and immune aging process What if a tiny organ that you don’t often notice could predict your lifespan? The thymus gland produces T cells (a type of immune…

Using a proof-of-concept approach, researchers demonstrated that colorectal cancer-associated RNA biomarkers, including CDH1, can be detected in community wastewater. Research: Use of wastewater for population-level colorectal cancer surveillance: A future research agenda. Image credit: Siyanight / Shutterstock A proof-of-concept feasibility study Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reveals a feasibility-based approach to detect colorectal cancer (CRC)-related signals at the community level through wastewater monitoring systems. Researchers have for the first time detected specific human ribonucleic acid (RNA) biomarkers associated with colorectal tumors in community wastewater using a biomarker used in a sensitive multi-targeted fecal RNA (mt-sRNA) assay used for early…

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) has launched an investigation into discrepancies in reports and observations of methane pollution from the Permian Basin, the largest producing oil field in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The study, released Wednesday, follows a recent report by MethaneSAT, a short-lived methane sensing satellite launched in 2024 by the Environmental Defense Fund, Harvard University and others. The report, released in early February, found that methane emissions from oil and gas production facilities in the Permian Basin from May 2024 to June 2025 were four times higher than official estimates from the…

A new study reveals that interacting with an emotionally intelligent artificial intelligence chatbot can improve a person’s mental health, while at the same time isolating them from real-life relationships. This study highlighted a hidden trade-off in the use of digital companions, where the comfort provided by algorithms comes at the expense of real-world social connections. The research results were published in a magazine psychology and marketing. Millions of people rely on artificial intelligence chatbots to feel less lonely and get emotional support. Unlike older digital assistants that only set alarms or book flights, modern social chatbots use advanced algorithms to…

Tara Banau covers hospitals, health care providers, and insurance companies. You can access Tara with the signal tarabannow.70.Chris Klomp, a senior federal health official, spoke at a STAT event Thursday and offered a reality check about President Trump’s drug discount platform TrumpRx. Despite President Trump speaking in grand terms about the platform, calling it “transformative” and promising “the biggest prescription drug price reductions in history,” Klomp offered a more measured perspective on stage at STAT’s Breakthrough Summit East event in New York. He said the program was not intended to be used by the majority of Americans with health insurance,…

CSL Behring says the last available hemophilia gene therapy will be temporarily unavailable. HemGenix, CSL’s one-time gene therapy for hemophilia B patients, is experiencing a “temporary global stockout,” which will result in delays in treatment for “some” patients in countries where commercial access has been established, Deborah Long, M.D., Ph.D., the company’s senior vice president of medical affairs, said in a March 17 community letter. Long attributed the situation to the “complexity of manufacturing gene therapy products” and CSL’s “commitment to adhering to the highest regulatory and quality standards.” “We are working with regulators on strategies to ensure a continued…

The Texas Environmental Commission on Friday approved an investigation into Tesla’s battery lithium compound manufacturing facility near Robstown in Nueces County, finding that the plant did not violate its wastewater discharge permit. TCEQ began the investigation after workers with the Nueces County Drainage District 2, which manages the ditch area, discovered an unfamiliar pipe extending across the district’s easement and discharging a black liquid into the ditch. Workers filed two complaints with TCEQ on January 20 and February 9 regarding the quality of wastewater discharged from the Tesla facility. On Feb. 12, state investigators evaluated liquid waste from a ditch…