EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health - News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Dec-2025 14:11 ET (15-Dec-2025 19:11 GMT/UTC)

New jab protects babies from serious lung infection, study shows

University of Edinburgh
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Vaccination of pregnant women int he UK has been linked to a drop in newborns being admitted to hospital with a serious lung infection, research suggests.

Journal: The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health

July Tip Sheet from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Reports and Proceedings

New research shows patients needing stem cell transplants can achieve good outcomes with partially matched donors, taking skin cancer precautions this summer, and lifestyle medicine now plays a pivotal role in cancer treatment. These story ideas and more are included in this month’s tip sheet from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Taking the sting out of ulcerative colitis

Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) - Osaka University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team from The University of Osaka found that the intestinal flora works together with the OTUD3 and STING genes to aggravate ulcerative colitis, a disease with no cure that causes major intestinal pain and bloody diarrhea. When the OTUD3 gene is mutated, microbes in the intestinal flora trigger STING signalingOTUD, leading to inflammation in the colon. The intestinal flora and STING signaling may be important new targets for ulcerative colitis treatment.

Journal: Science Immunology
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Foundation of Kinoshita Memorial Enterprise

Study finds link between hypertension and breastfeeding outcomes

Yale University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New Haven, Conn. — Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) — like chronic or gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia — are among the leading causes of maternal and infant death in the United States.

Between 2017 to 2019, 16% of all U.S. pregnancies were complicated by an HDP diagnosis, with much higher rates seen among non-Hispanic Black/African Americanand American Indian/Alaskan Native women. But HDPs don’t just affect women in the short term; these disorders can increase their long-term risk for heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

But there could be an opportunity to mitigate these longer-term health risks through breastfeeding, Yale researchers have found. In a new study, they discovered that an HDP diagnosis before or during pregnancy related to higher odds of never breastfeeding, or for those who initiated breastfeeding, higher probability of stopping. The findings suggest women with HDPs may benefit from targeted interventions that promote their exposure to the cardioprotective benefits of breastfeeding.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Inhaled agricultural dust disrupts gut health

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Inhaling agricultural dust may pose significant risks to gut health for workers in animal agriculture, a University of California, Riverside, study has found.

Journal: Journal of Applied Toxicology
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

Heart-healthy habits also prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, COPD, other diseases, Emory study finds

Emory Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from Emory University reveals that even seemingly small lifestyle improvements decreased one’s risk of developing heart disease, and these decreases also translate to lower risk of subsequent conditions, such as cancer, dementia, type 2 diabetes, and eye, liver, and kidney diseases. The study also links heart health to vision, hearing, and dental health. The study analyzed more than 450 peer-reviewed studies, assessing the overall impact of implementing the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7™ metrics, a series of preventative measures, which include: not smoking, healthy eating, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Even a 1-point improvement on Life’s Simple 7™ scale, which ranges from 0-14 points, translates to critical health gains for the heart and other organs.

Journal: Journal of the American Heart Association
Funder: American Heart Association, NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Trends in physician exit from fee-for-service Medicare

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: Over time, physician exit from traditional Medicare has increased. This result is consistent with earlier findings, but exits remained high even after the pandemic, which likely accelerated some physicians’ exit. The findings may reflect multiple factors, including the greater burden of new communication methods (e.g., portal messages) and demands for clinical documentation.

Journal: JAMA Health Forum