Multiple Sclerosis Prevalence Doubled in Two Decades
A new UCL‑Imperial study finds multiple sclerosis prevalence in England more than doubled between 2000 and 2020, rising from 107 to 232 cases per 100,000—a 6% annual increase. The surge reflects earlier, more accurate diagnoses and longer patient survival thanks to disease‑modifying therapies. Researchers estimate roughly 190,000 people now live with MS in England. However, mortality remains higher in deprived areas, highlighting socioeconomic gaps in care and lifestyle risk factors.
Bariatric Surgery in Adolescents 'Reprograms' Kidney Biology to Promote Recovery
A multi‑institutional study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation shows that vertical sleeve gastrectomy in adolescents with type 2 diabetes and obesity triggers profound molecular reprogramming of kidney cells, leading to functional recovery. Over a 12‑month follow‑up, participants lost weight, improved...
Hospital Audit Finds Siblings of Children with Serious Conditions Are Overlooked, Lack Support
A recent audit of major children’s hospitals in New Zealand and Australia reveals that sibling‑focused resources are scarce, with only a handful of sites offering material directly aimed at siblings of chronically ill children. In New Zealand, only Starship Children’s Hospital returned...
Acetaminophen
Acetaminophen, known as paracetamol outside the U.S., is a ubiquitous over‑the‑counter and prescription pain‑relief and fever‑reduction drug. The FDA emphasizes safe use, capping daily intake at 4,000 mg for adults and teens and warning that overdoses can cause liver failure. In...
New Tongue-Swab TB Test Could Help Eradicate The Disease, WHO Says
The World Health Organization has endorsed a new near‑point‑of‑care molecular test that uses a simple tongue swab to detect tuberculosis in under an hour. Developed by PlusLife on its MiniDock platform, the device costs up to 90% less than GeneXpert...
Improving Heart Health May Not Be Enough to Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease
A randomized trial involving 480 seniors at risk for Alzheimer’s tested whether exercise, intensive vascular risk reduction, or their combination could improve cognition over two years. While participants achieved significant cardiovascular gains—blood pressure fell 13 mm Hg and LDL dropped 24 points—the...
Retinal Conditions Present Significant Health Care Burden in US
A new meta‑analysis in JAMA Ophthalmology estimates that 21.9 million Americans live with age‑related macular degeneration (AMD), 10 million with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 1.1 million with diabetic macular edema (DME) and 0.9 million with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) as of 2022. Prevalence varies sharply...
17 Spine Surgery Firsts in Q1
During the first quarter, leading spine surgeons performed a series of first‑in‑human procedures, showcasing new devices and techniques ranging from a standalone ALIF system to augmented‑reality‑guided resections. Notable milestones included Curiteva’s Inspire ALIF, Dymicron’s Triadyme‑C cervical disc, icotec’s CMORE CT...
Guidance Issued for Conservative Management of Patients with Kidney Failure
The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology released new evidence‑based guidance on conservative management for kidney failure, authored by Susan P.Y. Wong and colleagues. The document outlines three core components—customized CKD care, symptom management, and coordinated care transitions—across varying...
Neuroscience of Vitality and Aging Conference in Boston
The Neuroscience of Vitality and Aging (NOVA) Conference will convene on April 25, 2026 in Boston, bringing together neuroscientists, biotech entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors for a single‑day interdisciplinary forum. Hosted by the Aging Initiative, the event aims to bridge fragmented...
Corneal Sensitivity Unaffected by Silicone Hydrogel Lenses
A prospective study of 38 new wearers of Biofinity silicone‑hydrogel contact lenses found no statistically significant change in corneal sensitivity over the first six weeks of daily use. Measurements taken at baseline, one week, and six weeks showed stable sensitivity...
Why Scientists Are Exploring Brain Cooling as a Defense Against Altitude Sickness
Scientists are investigating selective brain cooling as a proactive defense against altitude sickness, especially high‑altitude cerebral edema. Current treatments—acetazolamide, dexamethasone, supplemental oxygen—have limited efficacy and notable side effects. Cooling helmets and cervical collars can lower brain temperature by up to...
Timeline of Selected FDA Activities and Significant Events Addressing Substance Use and Overdose Prevention
Since 1995 the FDA has moved from approving standard opioid products to implementing a comprehensive regulatory regime aimed at curbing misuse and overdose. Key milestones include the 2007 authority to require Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), a series of...
CDER’s Framework for Regulatory Advanced Manufacturing Evaluation (FRAME) Initiative
The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) launched the Framework for Regulatory Advanced Manufacturing Evaluation (FRAME) to create a regulatory pathway for emerging manufacturing technologies. FRAME focuses on four priority technologies—end‑to‑end continuous manufacturing, distributed manufacturing (including non‑traditional sites),...
How to Address Shadow AI in Healthcare
Healthcare organizations are confronting a new wave of shadow IT, now termed shadow AI, where staff adopt generative AI tools without oversight. The article outlines three mitigation strategies: establishing robust AI governance, deploying technical guardrails such as monitoring and sandbox...
BTK Inhibition in CLL: Comparing Brukinsa and Jaypirca Approaches
BTK inhibitors have become the cornerstone of chronic lymphocytic leukemia therapy, replacing traditional chemotherapy. Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) is a second‑generation irreversible inhibitor that offers high selectivity and strong efficacy in treatment‑naïve or early‑relapse patients, with reduced cardiovascular risk. Jaypirca (pirtobrutinib) is...
Maraenui: New Medical Service Hopes as Trust Renovates Napier Clinic
Ahuriri District Health is renovating a long‑vacant clinic on Geddis and Longfellow avenues in Maraenui, Napier, to launch new health services aimed at the local Māori community and broader residents. The project stems from the 2008 Waitangi Tribunal settlement that...
FDA Drug Safety Communication: Safety Review Update of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin) and Possible Increased Risk of Death
The FDA updated its safety review of recombinant human growth hormone (somatropin) after the French SAGhE study raised concerns about a possible increased risk of death. The agency identified significant design flaws in the study and found no supporting evidence...
Psychosocial Factors Do Not Affect Cancer Risk
A large meta‑analysis of 421,799 Europeans found psychosocial stressors do not increase overall cancer risk. The study examined five psychosocial factors—including perceived support, distress, neuroticism, relationship status and recent loss—across breast, colorectal, lung, prostate and alcohol‑related cancers. No associations emerged...
Missouri Doula Program Shows Early Success as Lawmakers Look to Expansion
Missouri’s Medicaid program now offers free doula services to pregnant and postpartum mothers, reaching about 625 participants in its first 15 months. The initiative, championed by bipartisan lawmakers, aims to curb the state’s high maternal mortality rate—70 deaths annually, 80%...
Health Care Roundup: Market Talk
Novartis shares rose 1.1% to 116.84 Swiss francs (≈ $127) after Bank of America lifted its target price to 140 francs (≈ $153) from 130 francs (≈ $141). The Swiss drugmaker’s strong year‑to‑date performance has heightened scrutiny of its late‑stage trials, especially remibrutinib...
Training the Future of AI-Powered Surgery
The integration of artificial intelligence, extended reality (XR) and immersive simulation is redefining how surgeons learn to operate advanced robotic systems. FundamentalXR’s CEO Richard Vincent explains that data‑driven, scalable simulations combined with precise haptic feedback can replicate real‑world procedures in...
To Recruit Staff, Doctor Groups Sweeten Benefits Like Never Before
Nearly 90% of U.S. medical groups are actively upgrading staff benefits, with 87% planning enhancements—a jump from 56% two years ago. More than half are lowering the full‑time equivalent threshold to 0.5 FTE to broaden eligibility. New offerings include higher...
How Health Care Workers Use Medical Manikins
Medical schools and hospitals are increasingly relying on high‑fidelity simulators—lifelike manikins that can bleed, cry, sweat, and even speak—to train nurses and physicians. These devices, such as the pregnant model "MamaAnne," allow students to practice complex, fast‑changing scenarios without endangering...
When Doctors Prescribe Horoscopes: The Trouble With Biological Age Tests
Consumer epigenetic "biological age" tests promise a single number that reflects a person’s true health trajectory, but they actually measure DNA methylation patterns correlated with chronological age. Research‑grade clocks can predict mortality risk, yet the kits sold to patients lack...
Hyperpolypharmacy and Readmission Risk Among Medicare Beneficiaries: The Role of Postdischarge Care
Researchers analyzed Medicare fee‑for‑service claims from 2016‑2019 to assess how hyperpolypharmacy influences 30‑day hospital readmissions and whether postdischarge ambulatory care mitigates this risk. The study found that patients taking ten or more medications at admission had a modestly higher odds...
Frontline Honors Award Winner: Kelley Blackburn, Regional Clinical Director, Innovive Health
Kelley Blackburn, Regional Clinical Director at Innovive Health, has been named to the Frontline Honors Awards Class of 2025. Her leadership helped launch the first behavioral‑health home‑care program in Iowa, a service previously unavailable in the state. Blackburn cites a...
LABJ Insider: L.A. Care Doles Out Food Security Grants
Los Angeles‑based L.A. Care Health Plan is distributing $500,000 in grants to ten local nonprofits that provide grocery and food assistance through the CalFresh program. The funding is part of a $5.4 million allocation approved last year to offset disruptions caused...
Conn. Lawmakers Push for EMS Response Time Transparency
Connecticut lawmakers are advancing SB 238, which would require the Department of Public Health to build an online dashboard that publicly displays EMS response times broken down by geography, call type, and time of day. Current EMS data is two years...
AI Doctor Startup Doctronic Garners $40M
Doctronic, a New York‑based AI doctor startup, announced a $40 million Series B round, bringing its total capital raised to $65 million. The funding, co‑led by Abstract and Lightspeed Venture Partners, will fuel expansion into pediatrics and deepen partnerships with academic institutions, payers,...
Rheumatology Enters the Gut-Brain-Immune Axis
Healio’s latest editorial highlights the expanding role of GLP‑1 receptor agonists in immune‑mediated inflammatory diseases, emphasizing weight‑independent anti‑inflammatory mechanisms. Emerging data suggest central nervous system GLP‑1 activation can modulate peripheral immunity, linking the gut‑brain‑immune axis. The FDA’s recent approval of...
Is FDA Opening the Long‑shut DSHEA ‘Innovation Door’?
The FDA will convene a March 27 public meeting to revisit the DSHEA “innovation door,” specifically the phrase “dietary substance for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake.” Industry leaders from the Natural Products Association,...
Frontline Honors Award Winner: Jodi Bigness, Hospice Manager, Partners in Care
Jodi Bigness, hospice manager at Partners in Care, has been named to the Frontline Honors Awards Class of 2025, recognizing her dedication to patient‑centered hospice care. In a recent Hospice News interview, she debunks common misconceptions about hospice, emphasizing comfort,...
Takeda, Lilly Rejected by Supreme Court on Actos Fraud Lawsuit
The U.S. Supreme Court denied Takeda Pharmaceutical and Eli Lilly’s request to block a racketeering lawsuit, allowing a class action alleging the companies concealed Actos’s link to bladder cancer to proceed. The suit targets tens of thousands of insurers and other...
Imaging Interoperability Offers a Lifeline to Rural Hospitals and the Patients Depending on Them
Rural hospitals, already strained by shrinking Medicaid enrollment and decades of closures, now face an acute threat: 315 facilities are at immediate risk of shutting down and another 450 are in serious jeopardy. A core driver of this crisis is...
New Hope For Spina Bifida
A new prenatal therapy combining in‑utero surgery with placental stem‑cell patches, tested in the CuRe trial, has shown promising safety results for spina bifida. Six pregnancies underwent the procedure between 19 and 26 weeks, all delivering without infection, fluid leak,...
GE HealthCare Secures FDA 510(k) Clearance for Photonova Spectra Photon-Counting CT
GE HealthCare obtained FDA 510(k) clearance for Photonova Spectra, its photon‑counting CT system. The scanner uses Deep Silicon detectors with 8‑bin energy resolution, delivering simultaneous spectral and high‑definition images in a 0.23‑second rotation. NVIDIA GPU‑accelerated reconstruction handles the 50‑fold data...
Contributor: How Much? Addressing Medicines’ Cost and Value
The article argues that drug pricing debates must focus on aligning prices with the full value medicines deliver to patients and society. It critiques current health technology assessment (HTA) practices for using narrow benefit definitions, which can depress prices and...
Digital Health: Gamifying Recovery with MLB The Show 26
MLB The Show 26, Sony’s flagship baseball simulation, is being repurposed as a digital‑health tool to gamify physical and cognitive rehabilitation. By embedding reward systems, progress tracking, and multiplayer interaction, the game transforms repetitive therapy into an engaging experience. Therapists...
Choosing Alert Types For Quiet Rooms Vs High-Traffic Wards
Patient monitoring systems must align alert methods with room dynamics. In quiet patient rooms, discreet solutions such as pressure‑sensitive pads, low‑volume local alarms, pager alerts, and nurse‑call integration minimize disturbance while still notifying staff. High‑traffic wards require louder audible alarms,...
CLL/SLL Treatment Choices Based on Various Factors
A population‑based study of 148 first‑line CLL/SLL patients in Alberta found that time‑limited venetoclax‑obinutuzumab was used in 51% of cases, while continuous BTK inhibitor therapy accounted for 44%. Patients with del(17p) or TP53 mutations chose BTK inhibitors in 84% of...
Guidance Needed for Doctors Treating DOD, VA Patients Exposed to Jet Fuel in Hawaii Water, Report Says
A National Academies report finds no clinical guidance exists for treating long‑term health effects of JP‑5 jet fuel exposure, which contaminated drinking water for roughly 93,000 residents and service members in Hawaii in 2021. The study documents limited, suggestive evidence...
Samsung Medison to Unify Two U.S. Imaging Businesses as Samsung HME America
Samsung Medison announced that its two U.S. imaging units, Neurologica and Boston Imaging, will merge under the new corporate identity Samsung HME America. The consolidation brings together ultrasound, digital radiography and CT operations into a single, globally‑branded organization. Samsung says...
Reimagining Migraine Treatment: Alon Ironi of Theranica on Nerivio’s Journey to Nationwide Coverage
Theranica’s Nerivio, a remote electrical neuromodulation (REN) device, has secured nationwide coverage for roughly 130 million lives through Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. The therapy’s dual acute and preventive indications offer a drug‑free alternative that expands access to underserved groups such...
United Health Services: Talkspace Acquisition Shows The New Normal For Hybrid Healthcare
United Health Services completed the acquisition of virtual behavioral health platform Talkspace at $5.25 per share, valuing the company at roughly $835 million enterprise value. The purchase brings about 6,000 licensed clinicians into UHS’s network, directly addressing chronic staffing shortages and...
Exeter Study Explores Social Camouflaging in Acquired Brain Injury
University of Exeter researchers have launched a study to determine whether people living with acquired brain injury (ABI) employ social camouflaging strategies. Led by MSc student Faye Brookes and Associate Professor Anna Adlam, the project will use a 20‑30 minute...
PromptWell and Ellipsis Health Partner to Transform AI Patient Engagement
PromptWell and Ellipsis Health have announced a partnership that merges PromptWell’s AI‑driven timing engine with Ellipsis Health’s emotionally intelligent voice agent, Sage. The combined platform predicts the exact moment a patient is most likely to answer and then engages them...
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About Iran War’s Impact on Pharma Supply Chain, a Pfizer Lyme Vaccine, and More
The ongoing Iran‑Israel conflict has not yet crippled global pharmaceutical supply chains, but it threatens the modest 0.3% of worldwide drug output and 0.6% of active‑pharmaceutical‑ingredient (API) production that originates in the region. Disruptions to key shipping lanes, especially the...
Why GI Providers Should Care About That “Health Hack”
Patient dissatisfaction is driving a surge in DIY health hacks, especially in gastroenterology where one‑third of patients report avoiding care after negative experiences. Influencers promote trends like "fibermaxxing," urging excessive fiber intake that can aggravate conditions such as small intestinal...