PAIN
Study finds X-rays very helpful for diagnosing low back problems: A new study from researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that in cases of low back pain without worrisome signs, use of an X-ray is often sufficient to diagnose the problem. “Imaging, used in the management of low back is not always needed, but when employed there can be an overuse of MRI which adds to patient wait times, costs and the potential for more false positives,” says corresponding author Michael D. Perloff, MD, assistant professor of neurology. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Only around 1 in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for back pain effective: And the pain relief they offer is only marginally better than that achieved with a placebo, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.
Poor oral health linked with body pain and migraines in women: Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, the world-first study identified specific oral microbes correlated with certain pain conditions, suggesting a potential relationship between the oral microbiome and the nervous system. The findings highlight the importance of good oral health to potentially mitigate pain and improve overall wellbeing, prompting further exploration into the role of oral microbiota in chronic unexplained pain conditions. This includes fibromyalgia, a condition experienced by 67 percent of the study participants.
Migraine sufferers’ brains respond differently to visual stimulation: A new study has demonstrated that the brains of people who experience migraines and other types of headaches cannot modulate visual stimulation in the same way a person without these conditions can. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
A rubber hand alleviates pain: If a person hides their own hand and focuses on a rubber hand instead, they may perceive it as part of their own body under certain conditions. What sounds like a gimmick could one day be used to help patients who suffer from chronic pain: Researchers at the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the LWL University Hospital in Bochum, Germany, have shown that pain caused by heat is experienced as less severe thanks to the rubber hand illusion. They published their findings in the journal PAIN Reports from April 2025.
New ACP guideline recommends combination therapy for acute episodic migraines: The American College of Physicians (ACP) has developed new recommendations for treatment of acute episodic migraines in nonpregnant adults in outpatient settings. ACP evaluated pharmacologic treatments known to be effective for migraine treatment using the best available comparative effectiveness evidence of benefits and harms, patients’ values and preferences, and economic evidence in order to prioritize the most effective treatments. The new guideline is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Prevention of Episodic Migraine Headache using Pharmacologic Treatments in Outpatient Settings,
Psychological prehabilitation improves surgical recovery, study finds: Prehabilitation is a proactive approach aimed at improving surgical outcomes through preventive measures. Traditionally, it has focused on physical function and patient education. However, mental health has recently gained attention due to its crucial role in postoperative recovery, including reducing persistent opioid use. A meta analysis found that psychological prehabilitation significantly reduces the length of hospital stay, pain, anxiety, and depression after surgery. For more details, read the full study in the Annals of Surgery.
Not knowing what to expect can make pain feel worse: When the brain doesn’t know what to expect we perceive pain to be worse, a new study from Aarhus University shows. The study may help shape more effective ways to manage pain in the future.
Cannabis terpenes offer potential new way to treat fibromyalgia pain Terpenes from the Cannabis sativa plant may be a viable medication for fibromyalgia and post-surgical pain relief, according to University of Arizona Health Sciences research published in Pharmacological Reports.
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
Two Studies Link Cannabis Use to Substantially Higher Risk of Heart Attack: A retrospective study found that cannabis users were six times as likely to have a heart attack compared to non-users. A meta-analysis of 12 previous studies showed that cannabis users had a 50% higher risk of a heart attack than non-users. Both studies lacked sufficient information to determine whether the risk was different for inhaled cannabis versus ingested products. These findings are from a retrospective study that will be published in the journal JACC Advances and a meta-analysis of 12 previously published studies being presented on March 29 at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session.
Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy improve chronic low back pain
Behavioral interventions were associated with reduced pain and daily opioid use and improved function and quality of life for up to 12 months among adults with opioid-treated chronic low back pain, according to a new randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open.
Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life: Patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia maintained improvements in overall health-related quality of life (HRQL), fatigue, and sleep disturbance across a one-year period, according to a study published April 2, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Margaret-Ann Tait from The University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues. Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain also improved over time for those with corresponding health conditions.
ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain: The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued Best Practice Advice for clinicians whose patients are considering or using cannabis or cannabinoids for management of chronic, noncancer pain. Cannabis or Cannabinoids for the Management of Chronic Noncancer Pain: Best Practice Advice From the American College of Physicians Recommendations include: Counsel patients about the benefits and harms of cannabis or cannabinoids when patients are considering whether to start or continue to use cannabis or cannabinoids to manage their chronic noncancer pain. Counsel subgroups of patients that the harms of cannabis or cannabinoid use for chronic noncancer pain are likely to outweigh the benefits. Advise against starting or continuing to use cannabis or cannabinoids to manage chronic noncancer pain in patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding or actively trying to conceive. Advise patients against the use of inhaled cannabis to manage chronic noncancer pain.
FDA ACTION
• Approved marketing for the Visby Medical Women’s Sexual Health Test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.
• Ordered compounding pharmacies to stop making less expensive versions of popular weight loss medications like Ozempic and Zepbound.
• Approved Qfitlia (fitusiran) for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with hemophilia A or hemophilia B, with or without factor VIII or IX inhibitors (neutralizing antibodies).
• Approved xelixis, Inc.’s Cabometyx (cabozantinib)) for adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and for adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, well-differentiated extra-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
• Approved Fabhalta (iptacopan) for the treatment of adults with complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) to reduce proteinuria. C3G is a rare disease that causes inflammation and damage to the kidney glomeruli, which are responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.
PREVENTION
Exercise
Weekend Warriors Reap Same Health Benefits As Those Who Exercise Daily: New research shows that weekend warriors, people who exercise just one or two days per week, have a lower risk of death than regular exercisers. Prior studies have also shown that weekend warriors achieve similar benefits to heart and brain health. Experts agree that when you exercise each week matters less than making sure you get enough. Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA)Trusted Source
Can weight training protect your brain from dementia? A new study recently published in the journal GeroSciencereports that weight training may help protect the brains of older adults from dementia, including those already showing signs of mild cognitive impairment.
Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue: Retired adults who habitually exercised outperformed sedentary adults in physical and cognitive tests. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity
Pedometers suffice for measuring health-promoting physical activity: A basic pedometer can prove suffice for measuring health-promoting physical activity, according to a study comparing pedometers with more complex devices. Simply counting steps captured a remarkable amount of information about the participants' aerobic fitness and cardiovascular health. Journal of Internal Medicine
Multitasking exercise enhances objective sleep quality in older women: The study involved fifteen healthy older women residing in Tsukuba City, who participated in five conditions: (1) low-intensity single-task exercise, (2) low-intensity multi-task exercise, (3) moderate-to-vigorous intensity single-task exercise, (4) moderate-to-vigorous intensity multi-task exercise, and (5) resting in a seated position as a control. Brain activity in the prefrontal cortex was measured before and after each exercise session, and sleep stages and delta power were assessed using polysomnography. Results indicated that low-intensity multitask exercise activated the prefrontal cortex immediately after the session and increased the delta power during sleep. These findings suggest that low-intensity multitask exercise is a promising strategy for promoting better sleep in older adults and may contribute to the development of new exercise programs. NeuroImage
Older adults experience similar or even less muscle damage than young adults after exercise: Older adults experience less muscle soreness following exercise according to research which overturns the widespread belief that ageing muscles are less resilient. Younger adults were categorised as between 18 to 25 and older adults more than 35 years old. Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity (JAPA).
Everyday physical activity does not slow bone loss during menopause: A study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, examined the relationship between everyday bone loading and changes in bone strength at the femoral neck, femoral shaft, and tibial shaft in women of menopausal age. Hormonal changes during menopause cause accelerated bone weakening, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Previous studies have shown that bone-loading exercise can slow age-related bone weakening. However, it is not yet known whether exercise can slow hormonal bone loss during menopause. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
ECU study finds exercise could reduce breast cancer recurrence: Research investigating the effects of exercise in women with non-metastatic breast cancer, found that a combination of resistance exercise and aerobic exercise could reduce pro-inflammatory biomarkers. The full paper can be found at The Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Smartwatches may help control diabetes through exercise: Wearable mobile health technology could help people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) to stick to exercise regimes that help them to keep the condition under control, a new study reveals. An international team including Lancaster University studied the behaviour of recently-diagnosed T2D patients in Canada and the UK as they followed a home-based physical activity programme, with some participants wearing a smartwatch paired with a health app on their smartphone. They discovered that MOTIVATE-T2D participants were more likely to start and maintain purposeful exercise at if they had the support of wearable technology. The study successfully recruited 125 participants with an 82% retention rate after 12 months. Publishing their findings in BMJ Open, researchers reveal a range of potential clinical benefits among participants including improvements in blood sugar levels and systolic blood pressure.
Five minutes a day eccentric exercise can improve your life: As little as five minutes a day of eccentric exercise could offer significant health benefits to those living a stagnant lifestyle, researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) found. The study, evaluated the effects of a five-minute a day, home-based bodyweight eccentric exercise program on physical fitness, body composition, and both physical and mental health in sedentary individuals.
Exercise of any kind boosts brainpower at any age: Whether it’s an early morning jog, or a touch of Tai Chi, groundbreaking research from the University of South Australia shows that any form of exercise can significantly boost brain function and memory across children, adults, and older adults. In the largest, most comprehensive umbrella review to date, researchers found that regular exercise improves general cognition, memory, and executive function in both healthy individuals and those with clinical conditions, reinforcing exercise as an essential, inclusive activity for optimising cognitive health. Synthesising findings from 133 systematic reviews, covering 2724 randomised controlled trials and 258,279 participants, the systematic umbrella and meta-meta-analysis found that: low- to moderate-intensity exercise had the greatest benefits for brain function and memory; children and adolescents showed the greatest improvements in memory, while people with ADHD saw the biggest gains in executive function; yoga, Tai Chi, and exergames (active video games) delivered the most significant cognitive benefits.
Sleep
1 Hour of Screen Time at Bedtime Reduces Sleep by 24 Minutes, Study Finds: A new Norwegian study finds that one hour of screen time at bedtime results in a 59% higher risk of insomnia and 24 fewer minutes of sleep. The findings indicate that social media use is no more disruptive to sleep than watching TV or movies or reading on a mobile device. While there is some controversy about the negative effects of blue light on sleep quality, there is widespread agreement that exposure to bright light in general before bed may lead to poor sleep. Frontiers in Psychiatry.
New AASM position statement highlights the clinical significance of sleepiness and its impact on health and safety: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has released a new position statement emphasizing the clinical significance of sleepiness and its impact on performance, health, mood, safety, and quality of life. The position states that sleepiness is a critical patient-reported outcome that is associated with an increased risk for adverse health effects and diminished quality of life. The statement urges health care professionals, policymakers, and researchers to prioritize the evaluation, management, and treatment of sleepiness to improve public health.
Rise and shine: Natural light lessens morning fatigue: Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology led a team in examining whether introducing moderate light into the bedroom just before waking would improve morning wakefulness. Using light-shielding curtains and motorized closing devices, a comparative experiment was conducted on 19 participants under three conditions: natural light for 20 minutes before waking up (IA), natural light from dawn until waking up (IB), and no natural light before waking up (CC). After each session, participants’ sleepiness, alertness, and fatigue were measured with an electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, and a survey. Results revealed that participants were less sleepy in IA and IB conditions than in CC. In addition, IA was found to be one of the most effective methods for improving wakefulness, as too much light in IB caused adverse effects. Building and Environment
Sleep unlocks the brain’s ability to sort memories, Baycrest study reveals: While sleep’s positive impact on cognition has long been recognized, Baycrest researchers have revealed that a good night’s sleep may actively enhance memory rather than simply protect it from decline. The new findings are the first to reveal that sleep helps us better remember the order of events in our lives, even after more than a year. “Sleep selectively and durably enhances memory for the sequence of real-world experiences” and published recently in Nature Human Behaviour.
Beyond jet lag: New study from NUS unveils extent of travel-related sleep disruption from 1.5 million nights of data: A new study found that sleep duration typically returns to baseline within approximately two days, but changes in sleep timing and structure (for example, more night time awakenings) can take more than a week, with eastward travel and crossing multiple time zones amplifying the disruption. The study titled ‘Insights about Travel-Related Sleep Disruption from 1.5 Million Nights of Data’ was published in SLEEP on 24 March 2025.
Diet/Nutrition
This Diet Leads to Healthy Aging: Diets rich in plant-based foods and moderate amounts of animal-based foods may enhance healthy aging, a new longitudinal cohort study revealed. “A novel finding was the association between the planetary health diet and healthy aging,” she added. “This diet, which minimizes animal products and emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, emerged as one of the leading dietary patterns associated with healthy aging. This is particularly interesting because it suggests that we can eat a diet that benefits both human health and environmental sustainability.” The study was published online in Nature Medicine.
Chewing Gum Contributes to Microplastic Ingestion: Chewing gum released up to 637 microplastic particles per gram, with most particles released within the first 8 minutes. Both natural and synthetic gums released similar amounts. “These findings suggest that chewing gum may lead to the direct ingestion of microplastics, potentially posing health risks,” the authors wrote. presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2025 meeting on March 25, 2025.
Diet high in fiber, fermented foods could keep inflammatory diseases at bay: Recent research published in Nature MedicineTrusted Source highlights the rapid impact that dietary changes can have on immune and metabolic health. Urbanization and increased availability of processed foods in Africa are shifting dietary patterns, with many people abandoning traditional diets for Western-style diets. To explore the effects of this dietary shift, researchers from Radboud University Medical Center and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College investigated the health impacts at the cellular level. Their findings indicate that just 2 weeks of adopting a Western diet over a traditional African diet can lead to increased inflammation, weakened immune responses, and disrupted metabolic pathways tied to lifestyle-related diseases. In contrast, switching from a Western diet to a traditional African diet or consuming traditional fermented beverages may have anti-inflammatory benefits. While more research is needed, these results support the idea that largely plant-based heritage diets — like traditional African, Mediterranean, and Latin American diets — can improve health and lower the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.
How can you avoid fractures, heart issues in your 60s? Diet may be the answer: Researchers in the United Kingdom followed a group of older adults to assess how lifestyle habits influenced health factors such as bone fractures and cardiovascular disease mortality. The researchers followed the adults, who were around age 65 when the study began, for 20 years. The researchers found an association between more prudent dietary choices and a slightly lower risk of bone fractures and heart disease mortality. The researchers described a prudent diet as “characterized by high consumption of fruit, vegetables, whole-grain cereals, and oily fish, with low consumption of white bread, chips, sugar, and full-fat dairy products.”Frontiers in Aging
A type of Mediterranean diet may support weight loss and bone health: A new study says following a low-calorie Mediterranean diet coupled with physical activity may help reduce weight loss- and age-related bone mineral density decline in older women who have metabolic syndrome and who have obesity or overweight. This energy-reduced version of the Mediterranean diet still contains healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and fish, but with controlled portion sizes. JAMA Network Open
Certain combos of common food additives may raise type 2 diabetes risk: A new study has found that two certain mixtures of common food additives can increase a person’s chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Mixtures with a range of additives and preservatives, including aspartame, xanthan gum, and sucralose, were linked to increased diabetes risk. PLOS Medicine
Is Butter Consumption Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer Death? Higher, long-term butter consumption is linked with increased total and cancer mortality, whereas plant-based oils may offer protective benefits, according to a prospective study of more than 200,000 adults. AMA Internal Medicine
Carb restriction offers relief from calorie counting: The intermittent fasting diet, which involves periods of severe calorie restriction, may be on the way out, as research is suggesting that rather than drastically reducing calories, people can achieve similar metabolic benefits by cutting back on carbs. European Journal of Nutrition,
Plant-Based Protein in Vegan Diet May Still Lack Some Key Amino Acids: Study: Vegans who consume adequate protein may still not get enough of certain essential amino acids in their diet, according to new research. While prior studies have tended to focus on the total amount of protein consumed in a vegan diet, a new study, published on April 16 in PLOS ONETrusted Source, has honed in on specific amino acids. When considering digestibility, the research found that only about half of the participants appeared to meet the body’s requirements for lysine and leucine. The study emphasizes the importance of evaluating not just total protein consumption, but also protein quality and amino acid composition in a vegan diet.
Vitamins/Supplements
Can Probiotics Improve Your Mood? In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers observed that participants began feeling mood improvements within about two weeks of taking probiotics. Because the study involved healthy adults — not just people with diagnosed depression — the findings suggest probiotics could benefit mental health across the general population. The results were published on April 9 in the journal npj Mental Health ResearchTrusted Source.
Other
Males Who Skip Prostate Screenings Could Face 45% Higher Risk of Death: Study: Men who avoid prostate cancer screening face a significantly greater risk of dying from the disease, concludes a large European trial. Yet questions remain about why some males are hesitant to attend screenings and what can be done to encourage them. European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC),
Women's Heart Health More Affected by Lifestyle Risks Than Men, Study Finds: The links between blood pressure, diet, exercise, or smoking and heart disease risk have been well established. Yet new research indicates these risk factors may significantly impact women’s heart health more than men’s. The findings, being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25) on March 29-31 in Chicago, suggest that a person’s sex should be considered during routine screenings, which could provide a clearer assessment of cardiovascular risk.
HPV Vaccine Succeeds Against Cervical Precancers: Incidence of preliminary cervical cancer decreased by approximately 80% among women aged 20-24 years in the United States since the widespread use of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the researchers reviewed data from the HPV Impact Monitoring Project (HPV-IMPACT) and identified trends in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ (CIN2+; defined as CIN grades 2-3 and adenocarcinoma in situ) and CIN3+ (defined as CIN grade 3 and adenocarcinoma in situ).
Lower LDL of ‘Critical Importance’ in Reducing Dementia Risk: A low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level below 70 mg/dL was associated with a 26% reduced risk of all-cause dementia and a 28% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia (ADRD), with statin use further decreasing that risk, a new study suggests. published online April 1 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
Reducing Dust Mites May Have Little Effect on Allergies: Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 17 randomized clinical trials that investigated the efficacy of different interventions for reducing exposure to HDM allergens. Methods for reducing house dust mite (HDM) allergens, such as cleaning, ventilation, and the use of bedding covers, demonstrated effectiveness in lowering dust and allergen concentrations; however, their impact on patient quality of life and symptom improvement was minimal. published online on March 16 in International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology.
Long-Term NSAID Use Linked to Lower Dementia Risk: Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with a 12% reduced risk for dementia in a new study, whereas short- and intermediate-term use showed no protective benefits. published online on March 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Study explores how time-restricted eating affects weight loss: A new study from the University of Mississippi shows that when healthy adults pair an eight-hour eating window with regular exercise, they lose more fat – without sacrificing lean muscle – compared to exercise alone, according to a study released in the International Journal of Obesity,
Eating only during the daytime could protect people from heart risks of shift work: A study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham suggests that, when it comes to cardiovascular health, food timing could be a bigger risk factor than sleep timing. Nature Communications https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079440
TREATMENT
Urine Test Strips Show Promise for Kidney Disease Screening: Urine test strip analysis emerged as a valuable screening tool for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in low-risk individuals, with the albumin-to-creatinineratio (ACR) showing higher sensitivity and specificity for detecting albuminuria than the protein-to-creatinine ratio (PCR). published online on March 10, 2025, in BMC Nephrology.
Treating Fibromyalgia With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation May Improve Pain, Function:When a patient with fibromyalgia is not responding to standard treatments, adding a noninvasive brain therapy might help them feel better. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the motor cortex might help reduce pain and improve functioning in fibromyalgia, according to new research published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia. The study was the first international randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial testing rTMS, which uses magnetic fields to stimulate the brain, as an add-on therapy for fibromyalgia. In this study, patients who used opioid medications were less likely than others to benefit from rTMS
Why a Placebo May Work Better When You Know It’s a Placebo: Surprisingly, a growing body of research suggests that these “open-label placebos” can still lead to positive health outcomes, and many past studies of open-label placebos give patients an explanation of why they might work. A new study, published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, showed that this explanation is important — and even beneficial. The Hawthorne effect explains the psychological phenomenon in which individuals alter their behavior due to their awareness of being observed. A large body of evidence shows placebos can lead to measurable changes in the brain, particularly MRI studies showing placebos lead to widespread reductions in pain-related brain activity. PET imaging has also shown that placebos can increase dopamine and opioids in the brain, brain chemicals linked to positive experiences and reduced discomfort.
Antidepressants Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death Risk, Early Results Suggest: Preliminary results from a new study showed that the risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) was more than twice as high in individuals who used antidepressants for 6 or more years compared with that in those not taking the medications. While the findings suggest a possible association between long-term antidepressant use and SCD, researchers caution that the results do not imply these medications are inherently dangerous or should be discontinued.Medscape
Berberine Ursodeoxycholate Reduces A1c in Type 2 Diabetes: Berberine ursodeoxycholate (HTD1801) showed potential as a treatment option for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with significant reductions in A1c and fasting plasma glucose levels. The treatment was well tolerated, with mild to moderate adverse effects observed. “These findings support HTD1801 as a well-tolerated oral treatment option that could be used alone or in combination with other available therapies for T2D,” the authors wrote. published online in JAMA Network Open.
Switching to Tirzepatide Outweighs Upping Dulaglutide Dose: For people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) inadequately controlled on submaximal dulaglutide (Trulicity) doses, switching to tirzepatide (Mounjaro) produces significantly greater A1c and weight lowering than does escalating dulaglutide treatment. American College of Physicians (ACP-IM) Internal Medicine Meeting 2025. The findings were simultaneously published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
ADHD Drugs May Raise Blood Pressure and Pulse, but Effects Are Minimal: New research suggests the small cardiovascular risks associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications like methylphenidate, bupropion, and lisdexamfetamine do not outweigh their mental health benefits. The study, published on April 6 in The Lancet PsychiatryTrusted Sourceand written by an international group of researchers, analyzed 102 random control trials involving 13,315 youth and 9,387 adults.
Diabetes drugs like Ozempic or Jardiance may slash Alzheimer's risk: A new study, published in JAMA NeurologyTrusted Source, finds that people with type 2 diabetes who take two common anti-diabetes medications had a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and associated dementias. Specifically, GLP-1RA was linked to a 33% lower risk of dementia, and SGLT2i was linked to a 43% lower risk. Other diabetes medications, however, were not associated with a change in risk.
Women with chest pain may not need intensive medical therapy: An intensive three-drug regimen of heart medications did not significantly impact the rate of serious cardiovascular events at five years in women who experienced signs and symptoms of ischemia, or insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle, but had no blockages in their heart’s arteries, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).
Shorter Radiotherapy, Fewer Toxicities in Breast Cancer: In patients with breast cancer, a 3-week moderately hypofractionated radiation therapy regimen resulted in lower rates of grade ≥ 2 adverse events (AEs) overall than conventional 5-week treatment, according to the first results from the phase 3 UNICANCER HypoG-01 trial. published online in Radiotherapy and Oncology.
Surgical Delay Linked to Higher Mortality Risk in HR+/HER2− Breast Cancer: Surgical delay beyond 42 days after breast cancer diagnosis led to exponential growth in mortality risk for patients with hormone receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HR+/HER2−) breast cancer. Time to surgery from diagnostic biopsy showed varying impacts across breast cancer subtypes, with patients with HR+/HER2− breast cancer facing the highest risk. published online in Breast Cancer Research.
Clopidogrel Better Than Aspirin Long-Term After PCI: People at risk of a cardiac event after a percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) stent procedure who received long-term antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel were 29% less likely to die than those who received aspirin, according to data from the SMART-CHOICE 3 trial. The results showed that patients were also less likely to experience a heart attack or stroke. SMART-CHOICE 3 results at the ACC Scientific Session 2025 in Chicago, which were simultaneously published in The Lancet.
Promising New Data on Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s: Two early-stage clinical trials demonstrate the safety and potential effectiveness of stem cell therapies to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurological disease worldwide. The two new studies were published online on April 16 in Nature.
Stents as Good as Surgery for Triple-Vessel Disease: Patients with severe triple-vessel heart disease who underwent a less-invasive stent procedure fared just as well as those who underwent open-heart bypass surgery after 5 years, the FAME 3 trial shows. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session 2025, which were simultaneously published in The Lancet.
Repurposed Antidepressant Effective for Cataplexy in Narcolepsy: The investigational drug AXS-12 (reboxetine, Axsome Therapeutics) is safe and effective for the treatment of cataplexy (emotionally induced muscle weakness) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients with narcolepsy, a new study suggested. Reboxetine was available previously in the United States as an antidepressant, but its preliminary approval was withdrawn in 2001 due to concerns over its efficacy intreating depressive symptoms. The current investigators repurposed the drug because of its noradrenergic- and dopaminergic-modulating traits. American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2025 Annual Meeting.
Novel Agent for Alzheimer’s Agitation Continues to Show Promise: New data confirmed the safety and efficacy of AXS-05, a combination of dextromethorphan and bupropion, for the treatment of agitation associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the phase 3 ACCORD-2 study, AXS-05 (Axsome Therapeutics) met the primary and key secondary endpoints by statistically significantly delaying and preventing AD agitation relapse compared with placebo and was generally well tolerated. American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2025 Annual Meeting.
Low-Cost Drug Combination Could Reduce Risk of Second Heart Attack, Stroke: According to the study, published in the April 2025 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, people who received ezetimibe (brand name Zetia) with their statin therapy within 12 weeks of a heart attack had fewer heart-related complications and deaths than those who waited longer or never added ezetimibe at all.
OTHER
Obesity ‘Strongly’ Linked to 16 Cardiometabolic Diseases: Obesity was “strongly” associated with 16 major health conditions, with an increasing prevalence across body mass index (BMI) categories in most cases, a new longitudinal cohort study revealed. The study showed that class III obesity was most strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Medscape
1 in 5 Americans are on Medicaid. Some enrollees have no idea: Some Americans who rely on Medicaid to pay for their health care don’t realize their insurance is funded by that very program, which congressional Republicans are looking to shrink.
One reason is that state programs aren’t always called “Medicaid.” Many states have rebranded their programs with consumer-friendly names such as SoonerCare in Oklahoma, Apple Health in Washington, Medi-Cal in California or TennCare in Tennessee. And nearly all states now use private insurance companies such as UnitedHealth or Blue Cross Blue Shield to run their Medicaid programs. That means Medicaid enrollees may hold an insurance card and paperwork with the name of a commercial insurance company. Stateline Read the original article here.
HHS Cuts Programs That Help People Quit Smoking: What Are the Health Impacts? The CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health was eliminated by the HHS, which could limit access to valuable resources on smoking cessation and prevention. Experts say the federal cuts could increase smoking rates in the U.S. and raise smoking-related disease burden and treatment costs. Healthline
CT Scans Linked to New Cancer Diagnoses in U.S., But Overall Risk is Low: A new study suggests that CT scans may slightly increase the lifetime risk of developing cancer. The researchers say the cumulative effects of ionizing radiation over time should not be ignored. Other experts say the risk of cancer from CT scans is minimal, and these imaging exams are an important diagnostic tool for various cancers.
