More than a decade after removal of an adenoma—a precancerous mass—from the colon, alterations to the gut microbiome and metabolites remain and may drive heightened risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study also found that diet and physical activity were more closely tied to the abundance of these CRC-associated gut microbes in people with a history of adenoma than in adenoma-free individuals, suggesting lifestyle may play a particularly important role in shaping these microbes in this high-risk group.

A new Mass General Brigham-led study using AI to analyze electronic health records found that long COVID may be twice as common as current estimates, affecting more than 18 million Americans. The findings reveal major gaps in diagnostic coding-based surveillance, with more than 10 million cases likely uncounted and prevalence continuing to grow over time.