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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Jun-2026 20:15 ET (19-Jun-2026 00:15 GMT/UTC)

Ancient DNA reveals 12,000-year-old case of rare genetic disease

University of Vienna
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers led by the University of Vienna and Liège University Hospital Centre have identified genetic variants associated with a rare inherited growth disorder in two prehistoric individuals who lived more than 12,000 years ago. Using ancient DNA analysis and modern clinical genetics, they diagnosed the condition in a mother and daughter buried together in southern Italy. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study shows that paleogenomics can now reconstruct ancient population history and diagnose rare genetic diseases in prehistoric individuals.

Journal: New England Journal of Medicine

Women with stroke history twice as likely to have another during or soon after pregnancy

American Heart Association
Reports and Proceedings

Female stroke survivors were more than twice as likely as their stroke-free counterparts to have another stroke while pregnant and in the six weeks after childbirth, according to an analysis of a large national database of electronic health records.

Meeting: ASA International Stroke Conference 2026

Older adults’ driving habits offer window into brain health, cognitive decline

American Heart Association
Reports and Proceedings

A study of over 200 adults followed for five years found that greater white matter damage in the brain was linked to decreased driving, fewer trips, repetitive routes and having more driving errors, especially in those who later developed dementia.

Meeting: ASA International Stroke Conference 2026

Stroke survivors may be less lonely, have better recovery if they can share their feelings

American Heart Association
Reports and Proceedings

Stroke survivors who felt they could not talk about their feelings or fears about their health with close friends or family reported feeling lonelier and had worse physical and mental recovery when assessed one year after the stroke.

Meeting: ASA International Stroke Conference 2026

Protein buildup in brain blood vessels linked with increased 5-year risk of dementia

American Heart Association
Reports and Proceedings

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a condition caused by the buildup of amyloid (proteins) in brain blood vessels, was associated with increased risk of developing dementia within 5 years, in a study of nearly 2 million adults in the U.S. with health insurance coverage through Medicare.

There was a strong association between blood vessel protein buildup and increased dementia risk for all study participants with or without a history of stroke.

Meeting: ASA International Stroke Conference 2026

Immunotherapy before surgery helps shrink tumors in patients with desmoplastic melanoma

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New results from a clinical trial co-led by UCLA investigators demonstrate how treating desmoplastic melanoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, with immunotherapy before surgery can dramatically shrink or even eliminate tumors, sparing patients from more aggressive surgeries and preserving their quality of life.

Journal: Nature Cancer
Funder: SWOG

Self-powered composite material detects its own crack

Tohoku University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new nanocomposite material made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers and piezoelectric materials can use vibrations to self-detect tiny cracks. This material could be used in the aerospace, automative, and construction industries to monitor structural health without the need of an external power source.

Journal: International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials

Worrying rise in self-harm among adolescents, with trans, gender diverse and early school leavers most at risk

RCSI
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research has found that while rates of poor mental health and suicide attempts among Irish adolescents have largely recovered from the peaks seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, repeated self-harm is increasing, particularly among females. The study led by researchers in RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and King’s College London, highlights that trans and gender-diverse young people and early school leavers are particularly vulnerable to mental distress.

Journal: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Atomically engineered nanozymes for immunotherapy and disease treatment

KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Atomically engineered nanozymes (AENs) combine precise nanotechnology with catalytic functions to enhance immune regulation through atomic-level control. AENs represent a promising frontier for personalized medicine and immune engineering

Journal: Nano Biomedicine and Engineering
Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation High-Level Talent Project, HNMU-Research Start-up Funding, National Key Research Development Program of China, Science and Technology special fund of Hainan Province