EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Jun-2026 22:16 ET (19-Jun-2026 02:16 GMT/UTC)

13-Jan-2026

Higher maternal blood pressure increases the risk of pregnancy complications, study concludes

University of Bristol
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Helping women to keep their blood pressure at normal levels could reduce their risk of experiencing pregnancy complications, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Bristol.

Journal: BMC Medicine
Funder: Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, British Heart Foundation, European Union, Research Council of Norway

13-Jan-2026

AI model identifies how every country can improve its cancer outcomes

European Society for Medical Oncology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For the first time, researchers have used machine learning – a type of artificial intelligence (AI) – to identify the most important drivers of cancer survival in nearly all the countries in the world. The study, which is published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology, provides information on which improvements or policy changes can be made in each country that would have the greatest impact on improving cancer survival. By going to the online tool created by the researchers, anyone can find their country and scroll down to see which factors, such as national wealth, access to radiotherapy and universal health coverage, are most associated with cancer outcomes.

Journal: Annals of Oncology
Funder: Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award, Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Cancer Institute

13-Jan-2026

Phone apps nearly 3 times as good as no/basic support for quitting smoking long term

BMJ Group
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Smartphone apps—particularly those based on psychological theories—are three times as effective as no/minimal support at helping people who smoke stub out their tobacco use long term, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.

Journal: BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine
Funder: China Association on Tobacco Control for Health

13-Jan-2026

Female sex and higher education linked to escalating prevalence of obesity and overweight in Africa

BMJ Group
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Female sex and higher education are significantly linked to the escalating prevalence of obesity and overweight in Africa, finds one of the largest and most detailed analyses of body weight trends in the region, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Journal: BMJ Global Health

13-Jan-2026

THE LANCET + eCLINICALMEDICINE: Two studies on reductions in mortality from small changes lifestyle changes

The Lancet
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Below, please find two summaries related to studies publishing in The Lancet and eClinicalMedicine (part of The Lancet Discovery Science suite of journals) sharing new research on how small increases in physical activity and other lifestyle changes can improve mortality rates.

Journal: The Lancet

13-Jan-2026

Guide to managing youth concussions aims to educate coaches and parents

Colorado State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international group of researchers has put together an easy-to-follow guide for parents and coaches to recognize concussions in young athletes and respond appropriately.

Journal: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

13-Jan-2026

Autologous T cell therapy targeting multiple antigens shows promise treating pancreatic cancer

Baylor College of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A novel immunotherapy targeting pancreatic cancer that has shown promising results in a first in-human phase 1/2 trial.

Journal: Nature Medicine

13-Jan-2026

Implant provides lasting relief for treatment-resistant depression

WashU Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new study, WashU Medicine researchers show that vagus nerve stimulation from a small, implanted device provides substantial, long-lasting improvements for some participants with the most severe treatment-resistant depression.

Funder: LivaNova, PLC

13-Jan-2026

Birding enthusiasts can help songbirds avoid salmonella epidemics

University of California - Los Angeles
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In years when pine cone production is very low, forest songbirds sometimes migrate in large numbers into cities, where they congregate around bird feeders. In these crowded conditions, salmonellosis, the illness caused by the Salmonella bacterium, can spread through their population and even sicken people, pets and poultry. UCLA researchers are developing a tool that can predict when these outbreaks are likely to happen so people can take down their feeders to prevent the epidemic from starting.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences