With the global aging trend intensifying, cancer presents a significant health challenge for the elderly. This study aims to assess the prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) burden of cancer among individuals aged 60–94 worldwide from 1990 to 2021. Data on the prevalence, mortality, and DALY for 35 cancer types in the elderly were derived from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) spanning 1990 to 2021. The analysis was performed at four stratified levels: global, 21 GBD regions, 204 countries, and five sociodemographic index (SDI) categories. Age-standardized rates for prevalence, mortality, and DALYs were computed. In 2021, the global elderly population (60–94 years) reported 691.13 × 10⁵ [627.13 × 10⁵, 773.82 × 10⁵] cancer cases and 71.86 × 10⁵ [65.07 × 10⁵, 77.31 × 10⁵] cancer deaths, with a DALY total of approximately 1394.17 × 10⁵ [1281.20 × 10⁵, 1495.54 × 10⁵]. Trends indicate a gradual increase in cancer cases and mortality over time, with DALY rates escalating with aging. Notably, high-income North America exhibited the highest age-standardized prevalence. High SDI regions faced the most substantial elderly cancer burden. The burden of cancer among the elderly exhibits considerable variability globally, with developed socioeconomic areas experiencing a greater prevalence than those in underdeveloped regions, necessitating urgent attention from health professionals.

Among adults with hypertension, modifiable risk factors differed substantially in their contributions to cardiovascular disease burden. More favorable cardiovascular health profiles were consistently associated with lower risks across eight cardiovascular outcomes. Nicotine exposure showed the largest population-attributable fractions across several diseases, followed by body mass index, highlighting the potential importance of risk factors beyond blood pressure control. Multi-omics analyses further identified proteins and metabolites that partially accounted for these associations and implicated inflammation-related pathways, including cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, as potential biological correlates.

A new review in Med Research synthesizes current evidence on white adipose tissue browning, a process in which energy-storing white fat adopts heat-producing beige fat features. The authors show that this plasticity can support healthier metabolism in obesity and insulin resistance, but may become harmful in some tumor microenvironments and in cancer-associated cachexia. The review calls for precise, context-aware strategies that consider energy status, fat depot location, tumor type and disease stage before translating browning-based interventions to the clinic.

The Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has developed SUPPORT+, Hong Kong’s first integrated cancer health management application (app). Designed for patients with advanced cancer, the app enables continuous symptom monitoring at home and provides timely nurse-led support to help reduce the need for emergency visits and unplanned hospital admissions. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of SUPPORT+, a HKUMed-led research team collaborated with six public hospitals to conduct a large-scale randomised controlled trial between 2023 and 2025. The study found that the digital platform effectively helped patients maintain their quality of life, improved self-management confidence, and significantly reduced unplanned hospitalisations. The findings were verbally presented at ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Annual Meeting 2026 and were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

In a yearlong NIH-funded clinical trial, bone mineral content in girls ages 9 to 14 who took a soluble corn fiber supplement rose 18.8%, compared with 12.9% for girls on a placebo. Boys did not see the same benefit. 

Data show that Canadian adolescents have faced serious mental health challenges in recent years. Now, a new national study suggests migrant girls may be among those most in need of support. 

A review published in Genes & Diseases highlights lipophagy, the cellular process that selectively breaks down lipid droplets, as a potentially important therapeutic target for conditions driven by disrupted lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. The article brings together current understanding of how this cellular recycling mechanism maintains metabolic balance and how its disruption may contribute to a broad range of diseases.