Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Why smoking may raise dementia risk: Lung exosomes could disrupt brain iron balance

The correlation between smoking and neurodegeneration is well-documented, with one study from 2011 finding that heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in risk of dementia, Alzheimer's and ...

18 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Little-used cholesterol test could prevent more heart attacks and strokes

A routine blood test taken by millions in the U.S. each year to measure "bad" cholesterol is not the best measure to guide treatment and prevent heart attacks and strokes, suggests a new Northwestern Medicine study published ...

23 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Mapping mutations at scale in a single gene reveals new neurodevelopmental condition

The ability of different genetic variants—changes to one or more building blocks of DNA—to cause disease, and to what extent, has historically been opaque. Geneticist and Crick group leader Greg Findlay has pioneered a new ...

22 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Extra chromosomes may seed childhood leukemia years before disease, study suggests

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer. In this type of cancer, which affects blood cells, one of the most common abnormalities is the presence of cells with an excess of chromosomes ...

21 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Long-term excess weight, not one-time BMI, can better predict cardiovascular risk

Obesity is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but people's weights can shift over time, and little is known about the cumulative impact of excess weight. New research from investigators at Mass General Brigham ...

22 hours ago
Medical Xpress / A urine test that could change the course of bladder cancer care

Bladder cancer arises from the lining of the bladder, the organ that stores urine, and is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Most patients are diagnosed at an early stage called non-muscle invasive bladder ...

Apr 8, 2026
Medical Xpress / A regulatory framework for AI that balances innovation with patient safety

As generative AI rapidly expands into mental health care, Utah has emerged as a national leader in developing a pragmatic, forward-looking regulatory framework that balances innovation with patient safety. In an npj Digital ...

17 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Gut inflammation may rewire the 'second brain,' triggering lasting motility problems

Research by Milena Bogunovic, MD, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, sheds light on how inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as that associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can lead to long-lasting ...

18 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Healthier plant-based diet associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's, other dementias

Eating a higher quality plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias compared to eating a lower quality plant-based diet, according to a study published in Neurology. ...

20 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Gene-edited stem cells help five blood disorder patients stop transfusions in clinical trial

Stem cell transplantation could be a rapid and effective way to restore hemoglobin production in individuals with the blood disorder β-thalassaemia. The treatment, presented in a phase 1 clinical trial, could reduce dependence ...

19 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Antibody drugs with strong immune cell binding linked to allergic reactions

Antibody therapeutics are laboratory-made proteins designed to work like the body's natural antibodies. They are widely used to treat diseases such as cancer by binding to specific targets, including cancer cells or inflammatory ...

20 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Researchers use earbuds to monitor heart health

Carnegie Mellon researchers have proven that widely available earbuds can double as heart-monitoring devices, capturing subtle cardiac activity with near-clinical accuracy and potentially expanding access to long-term, at-home ...

19 hours ago