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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Jun-2026 08:16 ET (23-Jun-2026 12:16 GMT/UTC)

Daylight saving time does not affect peoples’ daily step count

Duke University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Data from Fitbits show that changing time twice a year does not affect people’s overall step counts but does impact when they are getting their steps in.

Journal: Nature Health

Voting is linked to living longer

University of Pennsylvania
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Studies have shown that some types of civic engagement, such as volunteering, are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease and better mental health. A new study co-authored by social policy researcher Femida Handy of the University of Pennsylvania shows that voting is associated with a reduced mortality risk in older adults. “The potential long-lasting benefits of voting as individuals age make this information crucial for promoting voter turnout,” says Handy.

Journal: The Journals of Gerontology Series B

Worcester Polytechnic Institute researchers seek to uncover the path to heart valve failure

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Grant and Award Announcement

Kristen Billiar, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, will try to determine what turns those risk factors into disease as part of a $15 million multi-center initiative that is funded by the American Heart Association [LE1] and focused on early detection and prevention of heart valve disorders.

Funder: American Heart Association

Multipronged approach distinguishes gene function changes that promote Parkinson’s disease from those that confer protection

Baylor College of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A novel strategy that combines computational and experimental approaches has allowed researchers to distinguish alterations in gene function that contribute to Parkinson’s disease from those that protect from the condition. The study revealed novel risk factors and previously unrecognized therapeutic targets, offering hope for a future in which effective therapies will be available to prevent, slow down or stop this devastating disease.

Journal: Neurobiology of Disease

New conversational AI tool uses trusted medical protocols to help people decide when to seek care

University of California - San Diego
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new type of chatbot could reliably help people decide what to do about their symptoms — and do so based on guidance that is both medically sound and easy to understand. Designed to improve self-triage, the chatbot could help reduce unnecessary hospital visits and ensure that those who need care seek it sooner.

Journal: Nature Health

New targeted therapy shows promise against aggressive childhood and adult cancers

University of British Columbia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the UBC Faculty of Medicine have developed a new targeted cancer therapy that can precisely seek out and destroy tumour cells—showing strong results in preclinical studies that bring the breakthrough closer to human clinical trials. The therapy targets a protein called IL1RAP, found on the surface of certain cancer cells but largely absent from normal tissues. By linking a cancer-killing drug to an antibody that recognizes this protein, the team created an antibody-drug conjugate that delivers treatment directly to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissues. In multiple models of Ewing sarcoma—a rare and aggressive cancer affecting children and young adults—the treatment eliminated established tumours and dramatically reduced the spread of cancer. Similar effects were seen in other cancers.

Journal: Cancer Discovery
Funder: St. Baldrick's Foundation, The Dalton Fox Foundation, BC Cancer Foundation, Rutledge Cancer Foundation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, Rally Foundation

AGS celebrates 24 new fellows for their outstanding dedication to geriatrics at #AGS26

American Geriatrics Society
Grant and Award Announcement

@AmerGeriatrics welcomes its newest class of fellows — a select group of experts recognized for their deep commitment to the AGS and to advancing high-quality, person-centered care for us all as we age. https://bit.ly/3QipD25

How do astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome?

Salk Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Salk neuroscientists found how specialized brain cells called astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome symptoms: through a protein pathway that, when suppressed, can alleviate some symptoms in a mouse model of the syndrome. The study demonstrates the value of studying astrocytes in disorders and points to the future potential of astrocyte-based therapeutics for fragile X syndrome and other conditions like Down or Rett syndromes.

Journal: Nature Communications

New global consensus establishes blueprint for holistic cardiovascular implantable electronic device lead management and lifelong patient safety

Elsevier
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New evidence on cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIED) lead management and the burgeoning development of new CIED technologies have contributed to the field's rapid evolution in the last decade. The new “2026 HRS/AHA/APHRS/EHRA/IDSA/LAHRS/PACES/STS Expert Consensus Statement Update on Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Lead Management and Extraction” in Heart Rhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society, and the Pediatric & Congenital Electrophysiology Society, published by Elsevier, details the latest recommendations aimed at guiding clinicians and patients in choosing the right device and managing it over time to reduce complications and support better quality of life.

Journal: Heart Rhythm