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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-May-2026 21:16 ET (13-May-2026 01:16 GMT/UTC)

Scientists map brain's blood pressure control center

University of Virginia Health System
Peer-Reviewed Publication

UVA Health researchers have identified a group of nerve cells in the brainstem that act as a stabilizing system for blood pressure. The findings could open the door for new treatments to overcome harmful effects of short-term blood pressure fluctuations in patients whose blood pressure otherwise appears normal.

Journal: Circulation Research

Hospice use after ICU admission increased across the US from 2011-2023

Boston University School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In recent years, medical guidelines and national policies have pushed hospitals to offer more palliative care to patients who are seriously ill. This has led to a major rise in palliative care use, especially among people treated in ICUs. Although past research suggested that palliative care can help patients transition to hospice, the actual trends in hospice use after critical illness have not been described.

In a new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, researchers

have found that more older adults in the U.S. are being discharged to hospice after an ICU stay than in the past, and this increase happened even as overall short-term death rates stayed stable. This research is the first to quantify hospice use after ICU stays on a national scale, and suggests a real shift in how end-of-life care is delivered to the seriously ill.

Journal: Annals of the American Thoracic Society

Neighborhood factors may lead to increased COPD-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations

COPD Foundation
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Certain neighborhood characteristics, including higher poverty, more uninsured residents, and lower educational attainment, may lead to an increase in COPD-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, according to a new study in the January 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

Journal: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Journal of the COPD Foundation

Lower risk of exposure to cereulide following continued recall of infant formula products across European countries

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
Reports and Proceedings

Following the ongoing recall of infant formula products due to the detection of cereulide across Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have concluded that due to the recall, the current likelihood of exposure to contaminated formula is low.

What Zinc concentration in teeth reveals

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Teeth are composites of mineral and protein, with a bulk of bony dentin that is highly porous. This structure is allows teeth to be both strong and sensitive. Besides calcium and phosphate, teeth contain trace elements such as zinc. Using complementary microscopy imaging techniques, a team from Charité Berlin, TU Berlin and HZB has quantified the distribution of natural zinc along and across teeth in 3 dimensions. The team found that, as porosity in dentine increases towards the pulp, zinc concentration increases 5~10 fold. These results help to understand the influence of widely-used zinc-containing biomaterials (e.g. filling) and could inspire improvements in dental medicine.

Journal: View

Stronger scents and healthier crops: unlocking plants’ hidden potential through precision gene editing

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers used a virus-based CRISPR system to precisely edit the gatekeeper enzyme HMGR in petunias and lettuce, effectively unlocking a natural metabolic “brake” that restricts scent and nutrient production. By fine-tuning this regulatory control rather than disabling the gene entirely, they enabled plants to channel more energy into producing aromatic compounds and health-promoting antioxidants. The result was more vigorous growth, stronger floral fragrance, and enhanced nutritional value. Importantly, because no foreign DNA was introduced, this transgene-free approach offers a powerful new framework for developing higher-quality, nutrient-enriched crops through precision gene editing.

Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Houston Methodist research reveals how the eyes may be a window into early Alzheimer’s detection

Houston Methodist
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The eyes – specifically, the outer area of the retina – may provide a window into early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) long before irreversible brain damage has occurred, according to new research from Houston Methodist. This discovery could dramatically change how the disease is diagnosed, monitored and treated.

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease

Over 43% of healthcare professionals suffered insomnia during and after COVID-19, study reveals

University of Alicante
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The article, published in the journal Current Psychology by the international publisher Springer Nature, is based on a joint analysis of 34 studies conducted in 14 countries, with a sample of 32,930 healthcare professionals.

Journal: Current Psychology

ESE and ESPE launch joint transition of care guidance to improve outcomes for young people moving from child to adult endocrine care

European Society of Endocrinology
Business Announcement

The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) and the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) today launch a landmark Joint Guidance for Healthcare Transition from Paediatric to Adult Endocrine Care, aimed at supporting structured and effective transition of young people with endocrine conditions transferring from paediatric to adult health services.