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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Jun-2026 00:15 ET (19-Jun-2026 04:15 GMT/UTC)

Tufts University School of Medicine expands Doctor of Physical Therapy Program to Atlanta

Tufts University
Business Announcement

Tufts University School of Medicine is expanding its Doctor of Physical Therapy programs with the launch of a new location in Atlanta, joining programs in Boston, Phoenix, and Seattle.

Focus on food safety: Researchers develop standardized testing procedure for hunting rifle bullets

BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
Reports and Proceedings

For many years, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been researching the food safety of game meat, investigating possible health risks posed by microbial contaminations or environmental contaminants in game meat. From 2019 onwards, the focus of the research has been the development of a standardised testing procedure for hunting rifle bullets. The aim is to ensure that hunting bullets kill game in a manner consistent with animal welfare while minimising the entry of metallic fragments into the game meat. The project, which was carried out in collaboration with an international panel of scientific experts, has now been completed, and the method has been tested for practical suitability in a round robin test. "The new, standardised test procedure makes the examination of rifle bullets comparable and reproducible," says BfR President Professor Andreas Hensel. "Ultimately, this helps to minimise health risks from the entry of metallic fragments and maximise the food safety of game meat."

The findings from the project and the results of the round robin test form the thematic focus of the symposium "Wild Game – Researched!". The symposium will take place on 4 and 5 February 2026 at the BfR site in Marienfelde.

Revenues from drugs subject to price reduction under Inflation Reduction Act are not essential for R&D or normal returns on investment

Bentley University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from the Center for Integration of Science and Industry at Bentley University shows that public companies with products subject to price negotiations in the first two years of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) were more profitable than comparable companies in the S&P 500 and that revenues from these drugs were not essential for corporate operations or R&D. This research also shows the estimated margins from sales of these drugs exceeded the average cost of product development, including normal returns, before beginning IRA price negotiations.

Journal: Drug Discovery Today

57.5% of commercially insured patients had at least one chronic condition in 2024, according to Fair Health report

FAIR Health
Reports and Proceedings

57.5 Percent of Commercially Insured Patients Had at Least One Chronic Condition in 2024, According to FAIR Health Report - The Cost for a Patient with One Chronic Condition Was Nearly Double That for a Patient with No Chronic Conditions

Why visceral pain makes us more empathetic

Ruhr-University Bochum
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The type of pain influences how unpleasantly we perceive it: Visceral pain from inside the body, such as stomach ache, feels worse than somatic pain, like when we burn our finger. A medical study at Ruhr University Bochum has shown that this is not only the case when we are personally in pain, but it also influences empathy for pain when others are affected. We empathize more strongly with persons experiencing visceral pain, especially if we know them well. The team working with Dr. Milena Pertz from the Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology reports its findings in the Journal of Pain from December 5, 2025.

Journal: Journal of Pain
Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Why some broken bones fail to heal: scientists reveal a critical molecular trigger

Editorial Office of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bone fractures usually heal efficiently, but in some patients this process fails, causing nonunion. A recent study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair. Using genetic mouse models, researchers show Apex1 controls early Bmp2 activation and later chondrocyte maturation, coordinating callus formation, vascularization, and cartilage-to-bone transition. These findings highlight oxidative stress regulation as a promising therapeutic strategy to improve bone healing and reduce the risk of fracture nonunion.

Journal: Bone Research

Randomized trial finds drug therapy reduces hot flashes during prostate cancer treatment

Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A national clinical trial led by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has found that oxybutynin, a drug often used to treat overactive bladder symptoms, reduces hot flashes compared to the placebo in men receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer. This primary analysis of Alliance A222001 is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology

Global burden of elderly patients with pancreatitis increases

Journal of Intensive Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Older people are at a higher risk of pancreatitis. Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study show that incidence rates and deaths associated with pancreatitis are falling among the elderly, according to researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. These trends are not uniform and vary greatly by region and countries’ sociodemographic levels. Public health systems must prepare for more pancreatitis cases as the proportion of older people continues to increase.

Journal: Journal of Intensive Medicine

Tracker to help manage Long COVID energy levels created by researchers

Lancaster University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The first study to test a digital tool designed to help people with Long COVID manage their energy levels has been developed by a team of researchers.

The paper published in Nature Communications is entitled “A Digital Platform with Activity Tracking for Energy Management Support in Long COVID: A Randomised Controlled Trial”.

In this study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), people with Long COVID tried out a new app called “Pace Me” to help manage their energy levels.

Journal: Nature Communications