EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 10:16 ET (30-Oct-2026 14:16 GMT/UTC)

20-Jul-2026

Prevalence of LDL-C above 2026 dyslipidemia guideline goals among US adults

About The Study: In this nationally representative analysis, applying low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals from the 2026 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association dyslipidemia guideline to 2021 to 2023 U.S. population data revealed substantial gaps in LDL-C control, with an increasing gradient across primary prevention categories and high proportions among adults with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These gaps were accompanied by substantial underuse of lipid-lowering therapy. These findings provide a contemporary population-level benchmark for the updated guideline framework.

Journal: JAMA

20-Jul-2026

Single-cell atlases of the human body may not fairly represent global populations, Mount Sinai study finds

The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An analysis of more than 13,500 samples from three major single-cell atlas resources found that European ancestry was overrepresented, while Asian and Latino populations were underrepresented and many samples lacked ancestry information. The findings highlight the importance of improving representation as these datasets are increasingly used in AI models, biomarker discovery, and precision medicine.

Journal: Cell Genomics

20-Jul-2026

Newly Identified MRI biomarkers reveal physical brain changes from cognitive training, study finds

Center for BrainHealth
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior and co-authored by scientists from Kansas University Medical Center, UC Berkeley, and Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas, this new neuroimaging study identifies specific, sex-informed MRI biomarkers that track along with changes in an individual's brain health trajectory over time.

Journal: Brain Imaging and Behavior

20-Jul-2026

Excessive sweating may start in nervous system, new study finds

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have identified a genetic driver of primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis, a chronic condition that causes excessive sweating, providing some of the strongest evidence to date that the disorder can originate in the nervous system and may be treatable with targeted therapies.

Journal: Science Advances
Funder: American Heart Association, Dysautonomia International, Research Foundation Flanders

20-Jul-2026

Mapping human bone marrow yields new tool, insights on blood cancer

Weill Cornell Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have developed a new AI-based method to assess patients with a form of blood cancer called myelodysplastic neoplasms. The method, published June 30 in Leukemia, compares the physical locations and morphometric (size and shape) characteristics of every hematopoietic cell in the patient’s bone marrow sample with those in healthy bone marrow, to generate a score that reflects disease severity.

Journal: Leukemia

20-Jul-2026

Newly discovered protein conformation offers a potential target for cancer drugs

Paul Scherrer Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Several types of cancer are triggered by mutations in a protein called BRAF. Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have resolved a previously unknown conformation adopted by this protein during cell proliferation. Their study, which has now been published in the journal Molecular Cell, opens new avenues for cancer treatment.

Journal: Molecular Cell

20-Jul-2026

Tumor organoid tech advances toward a sci-fi future

Weill Cornell Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Significant advances have been made in the development of patient-derived tumor “organoids” for preclinical research, in two new studies led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The advances represent progress in precision medicine and point to the more routine use of tumor organoids as models for evaluating and optimizing cancer treatments.

Journal: Science Advances

20-Jul-2026

$2.8M NIH grant to study effect of PFAS on the gut microbiome

Penn State
Grant and Award Announcement

Researchers from Penn State received a $2.8M NIH grant to study how PFAS impact the microorganisms living in the gut microbiome. By examining the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions, the team said they hope to understand how environmental chemicals affect the dynamic community of microorganisms in the gut and how those changes might influence health and contribute to disease.

20-Jul-2026

New machine-learning tool improves accuracy of genomics research

University of Virginia Health System
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Dubbed PATTY, the tool corrects hidden bias in a widely used genomics method, helping scientists distinguish true biological discoveries from false leads.