EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-Jun-2026 06:15 ET (28-Jun-2026 10:15 GMT/UTC)

23-Mar-2026

Eco-friendly hair repair adds to more natural personal care product pipeline

Flinders University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Flinders University are experimenting with plant-based oils to develop a promising new structural keratin-type repair application to reduce breakage and improve hair health.

The latest study, published in ACS Applied Bio Materials (American Chemical Society), demonstrates the potential for a sustainable biopolymer mixture made from a rich tung oil acid emulsion to seal cuticles and increase elasticity and reinforce hair damaged by chemicals or heat.

Journal: ACS Applied Bio Materials

23-Mar-2026

HKU innovations achieve recognition at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions at Geneva

The University of Hong Kong
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) achieved recognition at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, held from 11 to 15 March 2026. Demonstrating its strong research and innovation excellence on the global stage, HKU secured total of 46 awards.

23-Mar-2026

Ultra-processed foods are linked to reduced fertility and embryonic development

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Eating large amounts of ultra-processed food (UPF) is linked not only to reduced fertility in men, but also to slower growth in early embryos, and smaller yolk sacs, which are essential for early embryonic development, according to new research published in Human Reproduction.

Journal: Human Reproduction
Funder: Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, Dutch Diabetes Foundation, European Union, European Research Council Consolidator Grant, EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme

23-Mar-2026

Combining small changes to sleep, diet, and exercise could be key to reducing heart attack and stroke risk

European Society of Cardiology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research shows that small improvements to sleep, diet quality, and physical activity, made in combination, are associated with a significantly reduced risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attacks, and heart failure. The study followed more than 53,000 adults from UK Biobank over an eight‑year period and found that making even modest improvements across three behaviours had clinically meaningful benefits.

Journal: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology

23-Mar-2026

Tiny sensors with the power to detect cancer

Adelaide University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Microscopic sensors that are as thin as a strand of hair but capable of taking multiple measurements simultaneously could revolutionise the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases like cancer.

Journal: Advanced Optical Materials

23-Mar-2026

Joint display method for patient surveys reveals deeper insights into patient satisfaction

American Academy of Family Physicians
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Many patient surveys include both numerical ratings and written comments, responses that are frequently analyzed separately, which can limit what researchers learn from the data. This report demonstrates a method for analyzing survey ratings and open-text comments together. Researchers used survey data from Alberta, Canada’s Long COVID Interprofessional Outpatient Program (IPOP), which provided multidisciplinary care for adults with COVID-19 infection and symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks.

Journal: The Annals of Family Medicine

23-Mar-2026

Chaplain support at primary care buprenorphine clinic addresses mental health needs of patients

American Academy of Family Physicians
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Medication treatment with buprenorphine is widely used for opioid use disorder. Yet many people early in recovery experience emotional distress, social isolation, and difficulty finding meaning or rebuilding relationships. This report describes a team-based buprenorphine clinic within an academic family medicine residency practice that incorporated a clinically trained chaplain into patient care.

Journal: The Annals of Family Medicine

23-Mar-2026

Family medicine practice redesigns patient dismissal process

American Academy of Family Physicians
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Clinicians at an academic family medicine practice in upstate New York serving more than 25,000 patients revised their patient dismissal process after a review found that all immediate dismissals during a six-month period involved Black patients, who represent about 36% of the practice population. The clinic replaced the expedited dismissal approach with a structured review process led by an interdisciplinary Practice Concerns Review Committee.

Journal: The Annals of Family Medicine

23-Mar-2026

Bleeding events largely outnumber thromboembolic events in patients with cancer during the last phase of life, most patients continue antithrombotic therapy

American Academy of Family Physicians
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers in the Netherlands examined blood thinner use and related events in people with cancer during this period using routine general practitioner (GP) records from 2018 to 2022. They analyzed data from 2,860 adults starting when the GP first registered palliative care and reviewed records until death or their last GP visit (median follow up period was about six weeks).

Journal: The Annals of Family Medicine