THE MEDICAL NEWS

Researchers created an open-access dataset comparing two wrist-worn heart rate monitors with a chest-strap reference during dry-land exercise and swimming. Both smartwatches performed substantially worse underwater, highlighting the challenges water poses to optical heart rate monitoring and providing a resource for future research on aquatic wearables.

Use of hormone therapy later in life was associated with lower risk of developing dementia, according to a study published August 12, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers and physicians at the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) and other leading cancer centers report an exceptional treatment success in an adolescent with an advanced, therapy-resistant kidney tumor.

Intensive, long-term blood pressure-lowering treatment reduced the risk of recurrent stroke by 38%, without increasing serious adverse events, in people who have survived an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Men are more likely than women to catch tuberculosis (TB), finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

Orthoflaviviruses reshape mitochondrial structure, metabolism, redox signaling, and quality control differently across human and mosquito models, helping explain their contrasting infection outcomes. The review highlights mitochondrial pathways that may support acute cellular damage in vertebrates but persistent, non-lethal infection in mosquitoes, pointing to potential antiviral targets.

Social media can support connection, self-expression, help-seeking, and community among adolescents and young adults, but problematic use is associated with depression, anxiety, loneliness, poor sleep, and body image concerns. The review finds that mental health effects depend less on screen time alone than on how social media is used, what content people encounter, and their individual, developm…

Google researchers developed AMIE, a Gemini-based multi-agent system combining real-time audio-visual perception, clinical reasoning, and low-latency dialogue for simulated video consultations. In a randomized OSCE across 100 clinical scenarios, AMIE Video matched or exceeded primary care physicians across core clinical measures, while patient actors preferred video over text, although real-world…