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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Jun-2026 11:16 ET (22-Jun-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)

China’s 2024 Gastroenterology Report: marked progress in endoscopy quality and disease management

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The 2024 report on China’s gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy, based on national databases, highlights increased early cancer detection, optimized care for priority diseases, and enhanced endoscopy quality, with mixed cost trends for inflammatory bowel disease.

Journal: Chinese Medical Journal

New study uncovers the lingering, evolving threat of "thirdhand smoke" in our homes

Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

While the dangers of secondhand smoke are widely recognized, a new study reveals a more persistent and stealthier hazard hiding in our indoor spaces: "Thirdhand Smoke." This residue, which lingers on surfaces long after a cigarette is put out, is not just a stale smell but a dynamic source of continuous air pollution.

Journal: Building and Environment

For teens, any cannabis use may have impact on emotional health, academic performance

Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Even occasional cannabis use is linked to worse school performance and emotional distress for teens, finds a new study led by Columbia University.

Journal: PEDIATRICS

Functional adaptations of the brachial artery in college baseball players

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at University of Tsukuba conducted a detailed investigation of changes in the arterial structure and function associated with athletic characteristics, focusing on the various functions of vascular endothelial cells in maintaining vascular health. The study was conducted on college baseball players, who were divided into pitchers and fielders. The results revealed a trend toward poorer vascular endothelial function depending on athletic specialization, particularly in the dominant-arm brachial artery of pitchers.

Journal: The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

Biochar and beneficial microbes team up to protect crops and restore cadmium contaminated soils

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Soil contamination by cadmium is a growing global challenge that threatens food safety, agricultural productivity, and environmental health. Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal that accumulates easily in soils and crops, entering the food chain and posing long term risks to humans and ecosystems. A new study shows that a simple combination of biochar and beneficial microorganisms can significantly reduce cadmium stress in crops while restoring soil health.

Journal: Biochar

Invisible but deadly: Scientists warn of a growing global threat from amoebae in water and the environment

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A group of environmental and public health scientists is sounding the alarm on a largely overlooked but increasingly dangerous group of pathogens: free living amoebae. In a new perspective article published in Biocontaminant, the researchers highlight how these microscopic organisms are becoming a growing global public health threat, fueled by climate change, aging water infrastructure, and gaps in monitoring and detection.

School meals could unlock major gains for human and planetary health

University College London
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Healthy, sustainable school meals could cut undernourishment, reduce diet-related deaths and significantly lower environmental impacts, according to a new modelling study led by a UCL (University College London) researcher.

Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health

New ALS drug stabilizes decline with improved strength, mobility for some

WashU Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborators report that long-term use of tofersen, a new drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a genetic form of this deadly illness, delays symptom progression and death and in about one-quarter of participants leads to stabilization or improvement.

Journal: JAMA Neurology
Funder: Biogen

New species are now being discovered faster than ever before, study suggests

University of Arizona
Peer-Reviewed Publication

According to a team of researchers from the University of Arizona, new species are being discovered at a faster rate than ever before, one that far exceeds extinction. These newly discovered species could be key in advancements within medicine and technology.

Journal: Science Advances
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science Foundation of Fairy Lake Botanical Garden