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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Jun-2026 09:16 ET (7-Jun-2026 13:16 GMT/UTC)

Research alert: Understanding substance use across the full spectrum of sexual identity

University of California - San Diego
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An analysis of the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reveals higher rates of substance use among all non‑heterosexual groups, including people who describe their sexual identity using non‑traditional terms or who are not sure of their sexual identity.

Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry

Pekingese, Shih Tzu and Staffordshire Bull Terrier among twelve dog breeds at risk of serious breathing condition

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have identified a further twelve dog breeds as being at risk of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome – a condition that can cause serious breathing problems – including the Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Boston Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua and Boxer.

Journal: PLOS One

Selected dog breeds with most breathing trouble identified in new study

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In short-skulled (brachycephalic) dogs, a very flat face, collapsing nostrils, and a plump physique are associated with difficulty breathing, with Pekingeses and Japanese Chins at especially high risk, according to a study published February 18, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Francesca Tomlinson from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

Journal: PLOS One

Scientists find a mechanism for how exercise protects the brain

University of California - San Francisco
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at UC San Francisco have discovered a mechanism that could explain how exercise improves cognition by shoring up the brain’s protective barrier.

Journal: Cell
Funder: Simons Foundation, Bakar Family Foundation, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, Hillblom Foundation, JSPS, Japanese Biochemistry Postdoctoral Fellowship, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Frontiers in Medical Research, American Federation for Aging Research, Bakar Aging Research Institute, Marc and Lynne Benioff

Families, peers biggest predictors of early substance use in children with pain, mental health symptoms

University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Children with co-occurring persistent pain and mental health symptoms face higher risk for early substance use, but the strongest predictors of whether a child starts using alcohol, tobacco or cannabis by age 14 are family environment and peer influence, a new University of Michigan study found.

Journal: Journal of Adolescent Health
Funder: National Institutes of Health, National Institutes on Drug Abuse

GoMo Health launches Employee Resiliency: The Brain Gym program during BrainHealth Week 2026, in partnership with Center for BrainHealth

Center for BrainHealth
Business Announcement

Center for BrainHealth is combining their extensive expertise in developing science-backed brain health strategies and tools with GoMo Health's BehavioralRx® proprietary science of cognitive human engagement to deliver short, adaptive learning moments that fit naturally into daily life.

Exercise and nutritional drinks can reduce the need for care in dementia

Karolinska Institutet
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A simple combination of daily physical exercise and protein-rich nutritional drinks appears to offer significant health benefits for people with dementia. In a new study from Karolinska Institutet, not only did the participants' physical ability improve, but after three months the researchers also saw signs that they were able to manage more everyday tasks themselves. The study is published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.

Journal: Alzheimer’s & Dementia

Mindfulness practices found to significantly reduce depression symptoms, especially for those with early-life adversity

Brown University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study reveals that mindfulness practices may significantly reduce depression symptoms, particularly in people who have experienced early-life adversity, such as childhood abuse and neglect.

Journal: Health Psychology

Global scientific paper establishes first consensus definition of gut health

International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A global group of 13 scientists and clinicians published a consensus definition of gut health in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In the paper, the experts define gut health as “a state of normal gastrointestinal function without active gastrointestinal disease and gut-related symptoms that affect quality of life.” The definition encompasses both physiological function and an individual’s experience of their symptoms.

Journal: Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology