Urdu Fall Risk Questionnaire Adapted for Elderly
Researchers Naseer and Tantisuwat have translated and culturally adapted a fall‑risk awareness questionnaire into Urdu, publishing validation results in BMC Geriatrics. The adapted tool demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha above 0.85) and retained the original factor structure, confirming reliability for Urdu‑speaking older adults. Clinicians and public‑health programs can now systematically assess fall‑risk awareness in Pakistan and other Urdu‑dominant regions. The work also establishes a methodological template for future health‑instrument translations into non‑Latin scripts.
Contract Doctor System a Failed Policy, Says MMA
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has labeled the five‑year contract doctor system introduced in 2016 a failed policy, citing rising attrition among public‑sector physicians. MMA president Datuk Dr R. Thirunavukarasu warned that contract‑only appointments leave young doctors without clear career...
Real World Outcomes Support the Benefits of Psychedelic Therapy for Severe Depression
A Swiss compassionate‑use program evaluated psychedelic‑assisted psychotherapy using either 100 µg LSD or 25 mg psilocybin in adults with treatment‑resistant depression or anxiety. More than a third of participants reported at least a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms within three months, and...
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How the Hamilton Anxiety Scale Is Used
The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM‑A), created by Dr. Max Hamilton in 1959, remains a cornerstone tool for quantifying anxiety severity. It evaluates 14 items covering both psychic (emotional) and somatic (physical) symptoms, producing a total score from 0 to 56...
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Medications That Increase Serotonin
A wide range of prescription drugs, over‑the‑counter painkillers, antibiotics, and herbal supplements can raise serotonin levels in the brain. The article outlines major classes—SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, triptans, and others—detailing common brand names and the conditions they treat. It warns...
The Emerging Cancer Treatment That’s Exciting Scientists: ‘We’ve Just Scratched the Surface on What’s Possible’
CAR T-cell therapy, a genetically engineered immunotherapy, is gaining attention after Australian actor Sam Neill announced remission from stage‑three cancer following a clinical trial. Australia has approved four CAR T products since 2018, all targeting blood cancers, while researchers push the...
Policy Of Auto-Enrolling Seniors In Medicare Advantage Could Backfire
The Trump administration is weighing a rule that would auto‑enroll newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries into Medicare Advantage plans or Accountable Care Organizations, replacing the current default of traditional fee‑for‑service Medicare. Proponents argue it could streamline coverage, but critics warn it...
Patients at Risk for ASCVD, Kidney Failure May Not Get Referral
A study of 7,364 primary‑care patients with stage 3‑5 chronic kidney disease revealed that more than half carry intermediate or high ten‑year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, yet over 90% have low two‑year kidney‑failure risk. None of these patients received a...
AI-Powered Electrocardiogram Detects Early Signs of Heart Failure
A University of Texas‑Southwestern team demonstrated that an artificial‑intelligence‑enhanced electrocardiogram (AI‑ECG) can reliably detect left ventricular systolic dysfunction, a precursor to heart failure, among Kenyan patients. In a cohort of nearly 6,000 individuals, 1,444 received confirmatory echocardiograms, revealing a 14.1%...
Esomeprazole Vs. Fexuprazan: Anti-Inflammatory Effects Compared
A 2026 study compared the anti‑inflammatory activity of the proton‑pump inhibitor esomeprazole and the potassium‑competitive acid blocker fexuprazan in LPS‑stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Esomeprazole markedly reduced nitric oxide output by down‑regulating iNOS, while fexuprazan more strongly curtailed TNF‑α and IL‑6 release....
Q&A: How to Make Medicine ‘More Human’ Again
Ann O’Hare, a nephrology professor and recent Shaul G. Massry Distinguished Lecture winner, argues that the growing infusion of geriatrics and palliative‑care values is making nephrology more person‑centered. She warns that rapid AI adoption—particularly AI scribes—could strip away the nuanced, compassionate documentation that...
Dr. Joel Ross Highlights the Importance of Ethics and Compassion in Modern Medical Practice
Dr. Joel Ross argues that ethical principles and genuine compassion are inseparable foundations of modern medical practice. He outlines the four core ethical pillars—autonomy, beneficence, non‑maleficence and justice—and shows how they guide daily clinical decisions. Compassion, he notes, moves beyond...
New Survey Finds that Majority of Americans Are Concerned About High Blood Pressure, the 'Silent Killer'
A Morning Consult survey commissioned by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows that 60% of Americans are worried about high blood pressure, while 65% would try a plant‑based diet during May’s High Blood Pressure Education Month. The poll also...
Bimanual versus Unimanual Capacity and Visuospatial Monitoring in Children with and without Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Researchers compared upper‑limb motor capacity and visual monitoring during bimanual and unimanual tasks in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) and typically developing peers. Using a robotic exoskeleton with eye‑tracking, they found that bimanual tasks amplified arm asymmetry in the...
Ala. Hospital Adds Pediatric Critical Care Transport Ambulance
Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children has launched a new Kids Care Critical Care Transport ambulance, replacing an aging unit to keep infants and children in North Alabama linked to the region’s top pediatric services. The mobile ICU transports more...
Antiglycation Potential of Launaea Taraxacifolia on Pentosidine- and Vesperlysine-Like Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
Researchers evaluated a 70 % ethanol leaf extract of Launaea taraxacifolia for its ability to counteract advanced glycation end‑products (AGEs) linked to diabetic complications. Phytochemical analysis revealed notable levels of phenolics (7.27 mg GAE/100 mg) and flavonoids (11.03 mg QE/100 mg), and the extract showed...
Predictive Value of Combined Lipoprotein(a) and Hs-CRP for Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury After PCI in Elderly Patients With Acute Coronary...
A retrospective analysis of 1,321 patients aged 60 and older with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention evaluated whether pre‑procedural high‑sensitivity C‑reactive protein (hs‑CRP) and lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) together improve prediction of contrast‑induced acute kidney injury (CI‑AKI). The combined biomarker...
As Hantavirus Outbreak Unfolds, the CDC Is Missing in Action, Experts Say. ‘I’m Very Sorry to Say that We Are...
A hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship traveling from Argentina to Antarctica has drawn global attention, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has remained largely invisible. The World Health Organization (WHO) has taken the lead, issuing...
Malaria's Hidden Toll on Children: Why Survivors May Struggle in School Years Later
A longitudinal Ugandan study of 889 children tracked 4‑15 years after severe malaria found survivors of cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia scored 3‑7 IQ points lower and performed worse in math than peers. The research, published in JAMA, showed...
Taiwan's First 3-in-1 Home Test for COVID, Flu to Hit Pharmacies by Late May
Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration approved the island's first at‑home 3‑in‑1 rapid test for COVID‑19, influenza A and B in November 2025. The combined antigen kit, featuring a shallow 2‑centimetre nasal swab, will be stocked in pharmacies by late May...
Hantavirus and Tuberculosis Cases: Should We Be Worried?
Recent reports highlighted three tuberculosis clusters in Singapore and a suspected hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship. Experts from Duke‑NUS Medical School explain that rodent control is the primary defense against hantavirus, which is carried by local rats but...
Contributor: How Remote Care Is Changing Parkinson Treatment
Remote programming of Abbott’s NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic has accelerated deep brain stimulation (DBS) optimization for Parkinson’s patients, cutting adjustment time from over 15 hours to under an hour. In the ROAM‑DBS trial, participants using the virtual clinic reported symptom improvement...
Insurance Type May Tie to Transplant Referral Odds in some States
A study of 56,775 dialysis patients in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina found that those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have a 7% lower chance of receiving a kidney transplant referral compared with traditional Medicare beneficiaries. The disparity...
Depression Severity May Tie to Vascular Access Type
A recent analysis of 175 hemodialysis patients found that 80% reported minimal depressive symptoms while 10.3% experienced moderate‑to‑severe depression. The study highlighted a stark contrast in depression severity based on vascular access type: patients who began dialysis with a permanent...
Patients May Not Understand AKI Risks After Hospital Discharge
A cross‑sectional analysis of 490 patients who experienced stage 2 or higher acute kidney injury (AKI) during hospitalization revealed that objective knowledge of AKI averaged just 37.8%, with perceived understanding scoring 2.5 out of 5. Fewer than one‑third of patients could...
VIDEO: ‘New Era of Oral Therapies’ on Horizon in Psoriasis
At the American Academy of Dermatology meeting, data from phase 3 trials showed that next‑generation TYK2 inhibitors zasocitinib (Takeda) and envudeucitinib (Alumis) achieved significant plaque‑psoriasis reduction by week 24. These oral agents build on the earlier success of deucravacitinib, offering greater specificity...
What Have RFK, Jr. And The Trump Administration Done For Mothers?
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed by the Trump administration, has pursued a series of controversial health policies that target mothers and children. He questioned the safety of acetaminophen in pregnancy, barred pregnant women and children from COVID‑19...
Message by the WHO Director-General to the People of Tenerife Regarding the Hantavirus Response
The World Health Organization’s Director‑General, Tedros, addressed Tenerife residents about the Andes‑strain hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, which has caused three deaths. WHO assesses the public health risk to the island as low and outlines a controlled disembarkation plan at...
Kaohsiung to Fine Cosmetic Surgery Chain Branches over Regulatory Violations
Taiwan's Kaohsiung Department of Health fined two Airlee Group cosmetic‑surgery branches after inspections uncovered regulatory breaches. The Zuoying location failed to list medical‑institution names on controlled‑drug prescriptions and faces fines of NT$60,000‑NT$300,000 (US$1,915‑US$9,575). The Sinsing branch stored expired controlled drugs,...
The $227 Million Bet on North-Central Wisconsin’s Healthcare Future
Aspirus Health is investing $227 million in a privately funded expansion of its Wausau Hospital, slated for completion in 2028. The project adds 48 intermediate‑care beds, a 16‑bed observation unit and a new fixed PET/CT scanner, increasing total patient capacity by...
Journalists Shed Light on Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak and a Crisis in the Nation’s ERs
Public health journalist Céline Gounder highlighted a hantavirus outbreak aboard a transatlantic cruise ship across PBS NewsHour, Fox LiveNow, CBS Mornings, and NPR’s Morning Edition in early May. Simultaneously, KFF senior editor Elisabeth Rosenthal warned that emergency‑room boarding delays are...
Re: Make Compassion Visible in Emergency Medicine Again
In a letter to the BMJ, GP Ruth L. Evans reflects on the call for renewed compassion in emergency medicine, arguing that clinicians must first care for themselves and their colleagues. She describes how mounting patient demand and dwindling resources...
Modicus Prime Announces $8M in Funding to Enable AI Audit Readiness Across Pharma
Modicus Prime announced it has closed an additional $4.5 million financing round led by Frist Cressey Ventures, bringing its total capital to $8 million. The funds will be used to scale its Trustworthy AI Compliance Software, which embeds a compliance layer into...
AI Predicts Chemoresistance in Bladder Cancer
Researchers published a machine‑learning framework that fuses tumor transcriptome profiles with high‑resolution digital pathology to forecast chemoresistance in muscle‑invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). The multimodal model outperformed single‑data approaches, accurately distinguishing resistant from responsive tumors in extensive validation cohorts. By pinpointing...
Lab-Grown Diamond Technology Poised to Revolutionize Radiation Dose Measurement
Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University, together with Tohoku University and Orbray, have created a heteroepitaxial lab‑grown diamond ionization chamber that dramatically outperforms conventional air‑based dosimeters. The diamond detector is about 1,250 times smaller yet 13,500 times more sensitive per unit...
Queensland Funds New Biomedical Manufacturing Projects to Strengthen Sovereign Capability
Queensland has earmarked about US$133 million from its Sovereign Industry Development Fund for its first biomedical manufacturing projects. More than US$12.9 million will support AdvanCell’s Thorium‑228 radiopharmaceutical plant and US$1.6 million will fund Southern RNA’s semi‑automated sterile fill‑finish platform, together creating roughly 100...
Lilly and Caitlin Clark Reframe Progress with “Start How You Can”
Eli Lilly, together with Wieden+Kennedy Portland, launched the “Start How You Can” campaign featuring basketball phenom Caitlin Clark. The initiative reframes exercise as a form of preventive medicine, positioning health improvement over drug sales. Debuting alongside the WNBA season, the campaign...
Biological Clock Insights in Parkinson’s Disease Therapy
On May 9 2026 Bioengineer.org released a multi‑topic research roundup covering neurology, oncology, geriatric trial design, environmental virology, terahertz communications, and AI‑driven cancer analytics. The pieces highlight that mild cognitive impairment independently reduces gait speed in seniors, a new drug combination shows...
New Combo Shows Promise for Unknown Primary Cancer
Researchers reported phase II results of the Fudan CUP‑002 trial, which combines an anti‑PD‑1 checkpoint inhibitor, nab‑paclitaxel chemotherapy, and bevacizumab anti‑angiogenic therapy for cancer of unknown primary (CUP). The triplet achieved higher objective response rates and longer progression‑free survival than historical...
Informal Networks and Professional Culture Shape Advancement in UK Surgical Careers
A University of Surrey study of 3,402 trainee surgeons across 212 NHS trusts reveals that informal networks and professional culture, rather than formal equality rules, drive senior‑level homogeneity in UK surgery. Surgeons from under‑represented gender and ethnic groups are more...
Engaging Older Adults in Pragmatic Trial Research
A 2026 multi‑methods study published in BMC Geriatrics examined how researchers involve older adults in pragmatic clinical trials. Using interviews, focus groups and surveys, the authors identified facilitators such as dedicated PPI coordinators and barriers like limited funding and absent...
Alberta Can’t Rely on Immigrant Workers While Denying Them Health Care
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is pushing a fall referendum to bar many newcomers from provincial health care and education, arguing that federal immigration levels strain the province’s systems. The government admits it lacks data to quantify any savings, yet relies...
Cardiometabolic Diseases Remain Leading Cause of Excess American Mortality
A new JAMA Network Open study led by Boston University researchers finds that between 1999 and 2022 the United States logged roughly 12.7 million excess deaths compared with 17 peer high‑income countries. Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases accounted for over half of...
Asthma Medication Formoterol Shows Promise for Treating Fatty Liver Disease
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina found that the asthma drug formoterol reverses fatty liver in mouse models of metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and is linked to lower liver‑related complications in retrospective patient data. The β‑2 adrenergic agonist...
Gestational Constipation and the Gut Microbiota: Mechanisms, Interventions, and Implications for Maternal and Offspring Health
Gestational constipation affects up to 40% of pregnant women and reflects disruptions in the pregnancy‑driven gut microbiota remodeling. Hormonal, immune and dietary shifts reduce microbial diversity, expand Actinomycetota and Pseudomonadota, and alter short‑chain fatty acid production, impairing colonic motility. Fiber‑rich,...
Predictive Value of TyG-BMI, CTI, and SII in Identifying Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes...
A retrospective study of 796 hospitalized type 2 diabetes patients evaluated three inexpensive blood‑based indices—TyG‑BMI, the C‑reactive protein‑triglyceride‑glucose index (CTI) and the systemic immune‑inflammation index (SII)—for detecting metabolic dysfunction‑associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). All three markers were independently associated with...
The Role of Fat-Free Mass Index in Evaluating Protein-Energy Wasting in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Researchers evaluated fat‑free mass index (FFMI) measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in 272 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients across three Chinese hospitals. Low FFMI (<17 kg/m² for men, <15 kg/m² for women) was present in 38.6% of patients and identified many individuals...
Serum Lipid Profiles and Risk of Depression: A UK Biobank Prospective Cohort Study
A prospective analysis of 445,105 UK Biobank participants over a mean 12.3‑year follow‑up found that higher baseline levels of Apolipoprotein B, LDL‑C and total cholesterol were each associated with a lower risk of incident depression. Apolipoprotein A displayed a U‑shaped relationship, with...
Association Between Nutritional Status at Admission and Inadequate Bowel Preparation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study
A retrospective cohort of 697 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in China found that malnutrition at hospital admission markedly increases the risk of inadequate bowel preparation for colonoscopy. Using three validated nutrition screens—Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI)...
What Does Cannabis ‘Rescheduling’ Mean for Science and Society?
In April 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice reclassified cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, ending a federal ban that has hampered scientific study for decades. The move clears a major regulatory hurdle, allowing federally funded researchers to conduct randomized controlled...