EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 20-Oct-2026 19:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

16-Oct-2026

Social connections alone may not tell the whole story: Loneliness and purpose in life linked to mental health after the Noto Peninsula disasters

Kanazawa University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Large-scale study of more than 16,000 disaster-affected residents highlights the importance of distinguishing social networks, loneliness, and purpose in life during long-term recovery.

Journal: BMC Public Health
Funder: Moonshot Research and Development Program

15-Oct-2026

A smarter way to deploy healthcare workers during disease outbreaks

KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have developed a dynamic approach to improve the deployment of healthcare workers during disease outbreaks. By considering uncertain medical demand, changing healthcare capacity, and infection risks among healthcare staff, the model helps decision-makers allocate medical resources more effectively across regions. The study provides a practical framework for improving healthcare system resilience and supporting timely responses to public health emergencies.

Journal: Journal of Management Science and Engineering
Funder: Major Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, Taishan Scholars Project Special Fund

15-Oct-2026

The pain-sensing receptor behind chili-pepper burn may hold clues to pain treatments

University of California - Davis Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have long known that capsaicin, the ingredient that makes chili peppers feel hot and is used in some pain-relief creams, works by activating a pain-sensing receptor known as TRPV1. New research from the UC Davis School of Medicine reveals that the receptor does not respond to every trigger in the same way. Instead, different stimuli appear to place TRPV1 into distinct functional states. The finding opens new possibilities for more targeted pain treatments.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea, National Research Foundation of Korea

15-Oct-2026

Molecular imaging demonstrates promise for predicting complete pathologic response in HER2-positive breast cancer

Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Molecular imaging with ⁶⁸Ga-HER2 PET/CT may provide an early, targeted measure of how well treatment is working in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. According to new research published in the October issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, ⁶⁸Ga-HER2 PET/CT can detect changes in HER2-positive breast cancer after only two cycles of neoadjuvant treatment, enabling physicians to potentially provide information that could support earlier discussions about subsequent treatment and surgical planning.

Journal: Journal of Nuclear Medicine

15-Oct-2026

Exploring African DNA can transform understanding of human genetics – what does that mean for medicine?

Taylor & Francis Group
Book Announcement

Africa is home to more human genetic diversity than anywhere else on Earth. The average African genome shows nearly a million more genetic variants than the average non-African genome.

15-Oct-2026

Thousands of heart patients could avoid permanent stents

University of East Anglia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Thousands of heart patients could be treated without having a metal stent permanently implanted in their arteries - according to research from the University of East Anglia.

A major analysis of more than 7,800 patients found that a newer treatment using drug-coated balloons performed just as well as conventional stents at preventing heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths.

Journal: EClinicalMedicine

15-Oct-2026

Contact with nature is linked to healthy eating

Anglia Ruskin University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research has provided the first evidence that contact with natural environments can influence people’s relationship with food.

Led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in England and published in the journal Body Image, the study of 500 adults from the United Kingdon found links between exposure to nature and intuitive eating.

Journal: Body Image

15-Oct-2026

Who gets Alzheimer’s drugs? Race, vulnerability and health status shape access

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A Michigan Medicine study found major disparities in access to new Alzheimer’s drugs, with Black and Hispanic patients less likely to receive treatment, though adherence was similar once therapy began.

Journal: Neurology
Funder: American Academy of Neurology

15-Oct-2026

New drug-delivery method offers promise in fight against neurodegenerative diseases

University of Ottawa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases impair cell signalling, with antibodies becoming lost in cell signalling pathways; new process allows body’s cells to reach the brain and deliver the necessary antibodies; and process taps into cells natural recycling mechanism of autophagy to delete useless hitchhiking cells to help healthy ones reach their destination.

Journal: Nature Biomedical Engineering
Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research