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

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 14-Aug-2025 17:11 ET (14-Aug-2025 21:11 GMT/UTC)

Small device, big impact: Improving safety of life-saving treatments for children with leukemia

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Houston, in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, are developing new devices for treating children with hyperleukocytosis, a condition that develops when the body has an extremely high number of white blood cells, often due to leukemia.

Journal: Nature Communications

New study identifies potential predictive biomarker for sarcopenia in midlife women

The Menopause Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 19, 2025)—Menopause is associated with a decline in estrogen, which increases visceral fat mass and decreases bone density, muscle mass, and muscle strength. This can lead to immobility and related health problems. A new study suggests there may be an easy way to predict which women are most at risk—low creatinine-to-cystatin C ratios. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Journal: Menopause

Study finds universality in moving cells – a discovery that could impact health and robotics

Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study involving the Department of Physics and the Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon was recently published in Nature Physics. The discovery could have an impact in various fields, with applications in areas from healthcare—by improving the understanding of oncological diseases—to robotics, enabling more precise robot navigation.

Journal: Nature Physics

Community-based participatory research study with Osage Nation emphasizes value of braiding cultural food values with nutrition education to promote healthy eating

Elsevier
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier, accentuates the value of integrating Indigenous knowledge and community perspectives into health interventions. The research addresses challenges in defining healthy eating in a culturally specific context. The study emphasizes the importance of involving local voices to develop sustainable health solutions rooted in community worldviews and values. By tailoring health education to the Osage community's specific cultural food values and context, this initiative aims to strengthen food sovereignty while promoting well-being.

Journal: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

Breakthrough Dravet syndrome gene therapy in mice brings new hope to families

Allen Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a groundbreaking advancement for families grappling with the challenges of Dravet syndrome, a rare and life-altering form of epilepsy, scientists have developed a new gene replacement therapy in mice that could lead to more effective treatments in humans. The findings were published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The new therapy, a collaboration between researchers at the Allen Institute and Seattle Children’s Research Institute, alleviated symptoms and led to long-term recovery without toxicity, side effects, and death.

Journal: Science Translational Medicine
Funder: National Institutes of Health

New study challenges assumptions about SEP-1 bundle compliance and sepsis outcomes

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study led by the Center for Sepsis Epidemiology and Prevention Studies (SEPSIS) at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute raises critical questions about the effectiveness of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) sepsis quality measure, known as the Severe Sepsis/Septic Shock Management Bundle (SEP-1).

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Prescription stimulant use, misuse, and use disorder among US adults ages 18 to 64

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: Although access to prescription stimulants is essential to addressing important clinical needs of patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), this study found that among U.S. adults ages 18 to 64 using prescription stimulants, one-fourth reported misuse, and nearly one-tenth had prescription stimulant use disorder. The findings may suggest potential progress in addressing the mental health care gap for middle-aged women and the need for evidence-based clinical guidance and training on benefits and risks of prescription stimulants for adults.

Journal: JAMA Psychiatry