EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 11-Jun-2026 12:16 ET (11-Jun-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)

9-Feb-2026

Single provision of non‑alcoholic beverages reduces short-term alcohol consumption

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Providing non-alcoholic beverages has been identified as a potential strategy for reducing alcohol consumption. A study by University of Tsukuba confirmed that even a single provision of one case of non-alcoholic beverages can result in a short-term reduction in alcohol intake. This low-cost, easily implemented approach may support reduced alcohol intake in workplace settings.

Journal: Heliyon

9-Feb-2026

A newly identified link between purine metabolism and microglial morphology during brain development

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that an immunosuppressive drug affects microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain. In mouse models, the drug reduced levels of guanosine nucleotides, which are essential for cell signaling and morphology. This reduction weakened the activity of small G proteins, leading to changes in microglial shape and function.

Journal: Molecular Brain

9-Feb-2026

Brief, intensive exercise helps patients with panic disorder more than standard care

Frontiers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A key technique of cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder is interoceptive exposure, where patients learn to tolerate the physical effects of panic attacks through repeated simulated exposure. Now, scientists have shown in a randomized controlled trial that brief intermittent intensive exercise is more effective at reducing the severity of panic disorder than relaxation therapy.

Journal: Frontiers in Psychiatry
Funder: São Paulo State Foundation for the Development of Science

8-Feb-2026

Discovery of new lymph node architecture reshapes understanding of lymphatic physiology

Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Tohoku University discovered an intranodal lympho-venous shunt (a sort of bypass route) that could help us unravel the complicated, intertwined network of our body’s lymphatic system.

Journal: The Journal of Pathology

8-Feb-2026

Unveiling the pulmonary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics: a hierarchical oxidative stress mechanism driving acute–subacute lung injury

Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The research team employed an integrated experimental approach by using human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B), mouse macrophages (RAW 264.7), and Balb/c mouse models to systematically reveal a "hierarchical oxidative stress" pathway responsible for PS NP-induced pulmonary toxicity.

Journal: Research
Funder: Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Province Higher Education “Billion Project” Science and Technology Guidance Project, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST

8-Feb-2026

UK’s growing synthetic opioid problem: Nitazene deaths could be underestimated by a third

King's College London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Deaths due to synthetic opioids nitazenes have likely been underestimated by up to a third.

Journal: Clinical Toxicology

8-Feb-2026

Psychological buffer against wartime exhaustion for teachers revealed in new research

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study conducted during the Israel-Hamas war reveals that a teacher's subjective sense of stress and helplessness is a far stronger predictor of burnout than their actual physical exposure to war-related events. By surveying 329 Jewish and Arab educators, the research identified "cognitive reappraisal," the ability to mentally reframe difficult situations, as a vital protective factor that lessens the impact of war exposure on professional exhaustion. These findings suggest that personal resilience can be strengthened through targeted workshops, helping teachers maintain their mental health and efficacy during chronic national crises.

Journal: Psychiatry Research

6-Feb-2026

Therapeutic drug monitoring of biologics in inflammatory bowel disease: An evidence-based multidisciplinary guidelines

Compuscript Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2025.11.025

This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, discusses therapeutic drug monitoring of biologics in inflammatory bowel disease.

6-Feb-2026

Structure-guided design of picomolar-level macrocyclic TRPC5 channel inhibitors with antidepressant activity

Compuscript Ltd
Peer-Reviewed Publication

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2025.10.028

This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, discusses how structure-guided design of picomolar-level macrocyclic TRPC5 channel inhibitors with antidepressant activity.