THE MEDICAL NEWS

Current GLP-1 receptor agonist prescriptions were associated with modestly lower AUDIT-C scores in a large, diverse US cohort. The difference appeared to reflect less frequent drinking rather than fewer drinks per occasion or fewer binge-drinking episodes.

The review shows how gut microbiota may influence appetite, food reward, inflammation, and energy balance through the gut-brain axis. Microbiota-targeted approaches could support future treatments for obesity and eating disorders, but clinical evidence remains limited.

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Zoonotic diseases account for approximately 60% of all known human infectious diseases and nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases.

Treating glioblastoma with a class of drugs known as EGFR inhibitors made this cancer more sensitive to chemotherapy, suggests a study in preclinical models co-led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Gum disease bacteria may spur calcium buildup in the heart's aortic valve, leading to a common and serious heart valve disease, according to preliminary, independent research presented at the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2026.

A major, USC-led study of more than 214,000 older adults across 14 countries and regions finds that the most common controllable risk factors for dementia - such as low education, high blood pressure and smoking - vary widely from country to country, meaning a one-size-fits-all approach to prevention won't work everywhere.

PsyEval is a new benchmark that tests how large language models perform on mental health knowledge, diagnostic assessment, and emotional support tasks. The study found that leading models can show strong factual recall and fluent responses, but still struggle with empathy, clinical nuance, prompt sensitivity, and safe diagnostic behavior.

Maternal cold exposure during early pregnancy improved glucose control and reduced liver fat in male rat offspring, with benefits persisting into late adulthood. The findings implicate a breast milk LCA, gut microbiota, and Th17 immune pathway, while human cohort data showed an observational link between winter conception and lower MASLD risk.

A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health reports that an insurance-supported integrative oncology program resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in cancer-related symptoms like pain, stress, anxiety, depression, nausea, and fatigue.

The 13th Aging Research & Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, the world's largest conference dedicated to longevity biotechnology, will take place from October 1-3, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University.