EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health - News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 2-Jan-2026 02:11 ET (2-Jan-2026 07:11 GMT/UTC)

New study shows Q&A-style messaging can increase public health engagement and information seeking

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in Management Science shows that question-and-answer messaging can significantly increase curiosity, drive topic-specific information seeking and in some cases promote healthier behaviors. The research demonstrates that framing information as a question, rather than a direct statement, can meaningfully increase engagement across diverse populations and communication channels.

Journal: Management Science

Research reveals gaps in tracking opioid use among older adults in Medicare post-acute care

Hebrew SeniorLife Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new research letter published in JAMA Health Forum highlights major gaps in how opioid use is tracked among older adults receiving post-acute care under Medicare. Researchers found that Medicare Part D claims significantly underreport opioid dispensing for patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities after hospitalization — a shortcoming that may hinder effective pain management, patient safety monitoring, and health policy decisions.

Journal: JAMA Health Forum
Funder: National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Aging

New clues to why some women experience recurrent miscarriage

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, University of Sydney, and the Royal Hospital for Women have uncovered important new insights into the biology of recurrent miscarriage - a devastating condition that affects up to one in fifty couples trying to conceive.

Journal: Human Reproduction
Funder: NHMRC, NSW Health

UC awarded $985K NIH grant to prevent infant obesity

University of Cincinnati
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of Cincinnati has received a $985,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to test a community-based intervention aimed at promoting healthy eating and feeding practices for children 0-12 months.

Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

University of Houston researchers map Houston’s mental health deserts for the first time

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For the first time, University of Houston researchers have mapped Houston’s “mental health deserts,” revealing inequities in access to care across the city.

Journal: Frontiers

High blood pressure in adolescence a silent risk of atherosclerosis later in life

Linköping University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A blood pressure as low as 120/80 mm Hg in adolescence can be linked to a higher risk of atherosclerosis in middle age, according to a study led from Linköping University, Sweden. The findings, published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, indicate that high blood pressure early in life plays an important role in the development of coronary artery disease.

Journal: JAMA Cardiology
Funder: Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Swedish Research Council, Vinnova

Physical activity over the adult life course and risk of dementia in the Framingham heart study

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this cohort study of adults in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, higher levels of midlife and late-life physical activity were associated with similar reductions in risk of all-cause and Alzheimer disease dementia. These findings may inform future efforts to delay or prevent dementia through timing interventions during the most relevant stages of the adult life course.

Journal: JAMA Network Open