EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-Oct-2026 20:16 ET (29-Oct-2026 00:16 GMT/UTC)

10-Sep-2026

Integrin α3 (ITGA3) expression across breast cancer subtypes: Prognosis and therapeutic relevance

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Highlights

• Integrin alpha 3 (ITGA3) protein expression was detected in approximately 85% of breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry.

• ITGA3 expression was significantly higher in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive and hormone receptor(HR)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer than in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

• High ITGA3 protein expression was associated with shorter 5-year recurrence-free survival.

• ITGA3 alterations in the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) cohort were associated with worse relapse-free and overall survival.

• Integrin α3β1 represents a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target warranting prospective validation.

Journal: Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy

10-Sep-2026

How you feel about fast-food brands can predict overall diet quality

University of Technology Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study suggests liking well-known fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage brands may be a strong warning sign of a poor overall diet, even among those who rate these brands as unhealthy.

Journal: Journal of Health Communication
Funder: Australian Research Council

10-Sep-2026

Ohio State awarded $3 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to study menopause in women veterans

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Grant and Award Announcement

Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the Soter Women’s Health Research Program have received a $3.06 million grant from the United States Department of Defense to study how menopause affects the mental and physical health of women veterans. The study will focus on hormones, stress, brain function and gut bacteria.

10-Sep-2026

People with ADHD more likely to suffer from gut problems, major review finds

University of Warwick
Peer-Reviewed Publication

People with ADHD may be far more likely to suffer from problems like constipation, IBS and diarrhea, finds the largest review of its kind led by the University of Warwick.

Journal: Journal of Attention Disorders

10-Sep-2026

Ontario study identifies potentially harmful drug combinations prescribed to older adults

Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new BMJ study led by Sinai Health's Dr. Paula Rochon identifies 24 common drug combinations that can trigger unnecessary prescribing cascaades in older adults, and points to better clinician awareness, pharmacist involvement, and technology to support prescribing practices.

Journal: BMJ
Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

10-Sep-2026

Brain aging may be detected decades before symptoms appear, with links to gut health

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A UCLA study found a connection between how quickly the brain ages and the bacteria and chemical byproducts found in the gut, offering a fresh clue into what drives brain aging long before symptoms appear.

Journal: EBioMedicine

10-Sep-2026

PET/MRI improves presurgical lesion detection in pediatric epilepsy

Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In children with difficulty-to-diagnose epilepsy, PET/MRI can pinpoint areas of the brain responsible for seizures, even when MRI scans are negative or inconclusive. A new study of a large pediatric cohort, including children younger than 6 years old, found that combining PET/MRI findings with EEG results and a structured presurgical evaluation improved the identification of seizure-causing brain tissue and informed treatment decisions. This research was published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Journal: Journal of Nuclear Medicine

10-Sep-2026

Magnetic carbon beads accelerate the breakdown of sulfamethoxazole

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A Reusable Catalyst for Antibiotic Removal

Sulfamethoxazole, a widely used antimicrobial, can persist in aquatic environments and pose risks to ecosystems and human health. Researchers led by Xuejiao Tang at Nankai University developed millimeter-scale magnetic carbon beads, designated CoNC@cPAN/rGO-800, to address the limited recoverability and metal-leaching concerns associated with powdered cobalt catalysts. The material combines a polyacrylonitrile carbon framework, reduced graphene oxide, and cobalt-containing active sites.

Porous Structure, Rapid Degradation

The beads were prepared from a cobalt-containing zeolitic imidazolate framework, polyacrylonitrile, and graphene oxide, followed by calcination under nitrogen at different temperatures. Microscopy, spectroscopy, diffraction, surface-area analysis, electrochemical measurements, and density functional theory calculations were used to characterize the material and assess its catalytic behavior. Under optimized conditions, 0.1 g L⁻¹ of catalyst and 0.1 g L⁻¹ of peroxymonosulfate removed 100% of 10 mg L⁻¹ sulfamethoxazole within 20 min at pH 7.

Journal: Carbon Research
Funder: Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Project at Southwest United Graduate School

10-Sep-2026

SHEA publishes resource to help hospitals build the business case for diagnostic stewardship

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
Peer-Reviewed Publication

SHEA has published a new practical guide to help healthcare organizations build the business case for diagnostic stewardship. Published in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology (ASHE), the resource outlines five high-impact interventions and provides implementation strategies and financial models that hospitals can adapt to their own settings. The authors estimate that a representative 200-bed community hospital implementing all five interventions could realize approximately $2.5–$2.8 million in annual laboratory and clinical savings, with additional potential savings through improved quality metrics and reduced CMS penalties. The guide, developed by SHEA’s Diagnostic Stewardship Special Interest Group, demonstrates how diagnostic stewardship can simultaneously improve patient care, healthcare quality, and operational performance.