Health Policy News

September 23, 2026

Top Headlines

The U.S. Eradicated This Flesh-eating Parasite. Now It’s Back

Sep. 15, 2026 The flesh eating New World screwworm has returned to the United States, threatening livestock, wildlife, pets and potentially people as it spreads north. A new UC San Diego tracking system aims to predict where the parasite could strike next while ...

Early Statin Use Linked to 15% Lower Dementia Risk

Sep. 8, 2026 Starting statins soon after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis may do more than protect the heart. In a nationwide Danish study of more than 132,000 people, those who began statin treatment within a year of diagnosis had a 15% lower relative risk of ...

Cancer Cases Could Surge 67% Worldwide by 2050

Sep. 7, 2026 Cancer is becoming an even larger global health threat, with nearly 21 million people diagnosed and 9.8 million dying from the disease in 2024. New estimates suggest about 1 in 5 people worldwide will develop cancer during their lifetime, while ...

Heart Disease and Kidney Disease Can Fuel Each Other. New Guidelines Aim to Break the Cycle

Sep. 5, 2026 Heart disease and chronic kidney disease can accelerate one another, but new guidelines say simple screening and early treatment could substantially reduce the risks. Blood and urine tests, combined ...

Your Waist Size May Reveal Health Risks BMI Misses

Aug. 31, 2026 A simple waist measurement may be nearly as effective as more complicated methods for detecting unhealthy levels of body fat. Researchers also found that BMI alone missed many people with obesity, suggesting waist size could provide an important ...

Long-term Melatonin Use Linked to 90% Higher Heart Failure Risk

Aug. 29, 2026 People with chronic insomnia who used melatonin long term had a roughly 90% higher risk of developing heart failure over five years, according to a large preliminary study. The findings do not prove melatonin causes heart problems, but they raise ...

Eating More Ultra-processed Foods May Raise Prostate Cancer Risk by 30%

Aug. 27, 2026 Ultra-processed foods make up a huge share of the American diet, and new research suggests they may carry another serious health risk for men. In a nationally representative study of more than 17,000 U.S. men, those who ate more ultra-processed ...

Shingles Vaccine Linked to 24% Lower Dementia Risk

Aug. 25, 2026 Older adults who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over four years in a study of more than 500,000 people. Researchers estimate the difference could amount to roughly one dementia case ...

Kratom Poison Center Cases Have Surged 6,500% in the U.S.

Aug. 18, 2026 Kratom use and serious health problems linked to it have risen dramatically across the United States over the past decade. Poison center reports jumped from just 19 cases in 2010 to more than 1,200 in 2023, while severe outcomes—including ...

This 10-cent Heart Drug Cuts Hospitalizations by 25%

Aug. 16, 2026 A centuries-old heart drug costing less than ten cents a day could help keep heart-failure patients out of the hospital. New research suggests low-dose digoxin can reduce heart-failure hospitalizations by about 25%, potentially paving the way for ...

A Little Movement in Midlife Could Pay Off for Your Brain Years Later

Aug. 16, 2026 Exercise and healthy blood sugar levels in midlife may help slow cognitive decline decades later. Physical activity appeared especially beneficial for Mexican American adults, suggesting that some brain-protective factors may differ across ...

Marine Heatwaves Are Harming Human Health in Surprising Ways

Aug. 11, 2026 Marine heatwaves are emerging as a threat not just to coral reefs and fisheries, but to human health and well-being. Researchers warn that unusually hot oceans can fuel stronger storms, trigger harmful algal blooms, reduce seafood supplies, disrupt ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:07am EDT

The Billion-Dollar Problem Keeping Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound from Patients

July 24, 2026 Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar drugs may deliver excellent health value, but covering them for millions of eligible patients could overwhelm insurance ...

Alzheimer’s Breakthrough: Scientists Restore Two Hours of Sleep Without Clearing Brain Plaques

July 20, 2026 Researchers have uncovered a surprising culprit behind sleep loss in Alzheimer’s disease: the brain’s own immune cells. In mice with amyloid ...

More Than 400 Sick as CDC Searches for the Source of a Mystery Outbreak

July 16, 2026 A growing Cyclospora outbreak has sickened more than 400 people in four states, and investigators are still searching for the contaminated food responsible. The CDC warns the actual number of cases ...

Where You Live Could Shape Your Dementia Risk, Massive Study Finds

July 13, 2026 Researchers analyzing data from more than 214,000 people found that dementia risk factors differ widely across countries, challenging the idea of a one-size-fits-all prevention strategy. At the same ...

Scientists Discover a Hidden Heart Valve Risk Linked to Gum Disease

July 13, 2026 Researchers found that bacteria linked to gum disease may help drive the development of calcific aortic valve stenosis by triggering inflammation and calcium buildup in the heart valve. The early ...

Scientists Just Debunked a Dangerous Baby Rattlesnake Myth

July 9, 2026 A new study debunks the long-standing claim that baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adults. Researchers found that young rattlesnakes can control their venom just like adults, while adult ...

Millions May Be Getting the Wrong Cholesterol Test

July 6, 2026 A new study suggests that apoB, a blood test that measures harmful cholesterol particles, is better than standard LDL cholesterol testing for deciding who needs more intensive treatment. Researchers ...

Massive Study Links Teen Marijuana Use to Double the Risk of Serious Mental Illness

June 27, 2026 Teens who use cannabis may face a substantially greater risk of developing serious mental health conditions, including psychotic and bipolar ...

Osteopenia Is Silently Weakening Bones in Millions of People

June 25, 2026 Osteopenia is a common but often overlooked condition that causes bones to become less dense and more fragile. Because it develops silently, many people only discover they have it after a fracture or ...

Study Challenges a Common Belief About Vitamin D and Sunlight

June 24, 2026 A study of nearly 300 people across northern Britain found that vitamin D levels often stay low all year in groups most at risk. Surprisingly, summer sunshine did not significantly boost vitamin D ...

Ebola and Hantavirus Can Start Like the Flu but Turn Deadly Fast

June 22, 2026 Two dangerous viruses are back in the spotlight, reminding health officials how quickly infectious diseases can become serious threats. Hantavirus, often linked to rodents, can cause severe heart and ...

Most People Who Stop GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic Eventually Return

June 16, 2026 Many people prescribed GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes (such as Victoza, Ozempic, or tirzepatide) stop taking them, but a surprising number later return to treatment. Researchers found that newer ...

Researchers Found 8 Common Food Additives Linked to High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease

June 18, 2026 A major study of more than 112,000 people found that eating foods containing common preservatives may be linked to a higher risk of high blood pressure and heart-related diseases. Researchers tracked ...

Scientists Say Just 30 Minutes of Exercise a Week Could Transform Your Health

May 15, 2026 You may not need hours at the gym to boost your health after all. Researchers say just 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week — broken into tiny bursts of effort that leave you out of ...

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Disease and Early Death

May 10, 2026 Ultra-processed foods may be doing far more damage than many people realize. A major new European cardiology report warns that people who eat the most ultra-processed foods face significantly higher ...

Eating Eggs Could Cut Alzheimer’s Risk by 27%

May 7, 2026 Eating eggs might do more than just start your day—it could help protect your brain. Researchers found that people 65 and older who eat eggs regularly have a significantly lower risk of developing ...

A Simple Blood Test Could Reveal Alzheimer’s Risk Years Early

Apr. 22, 2026 A routine blood marker tied to inflammation may reveal Alzheimer’s risk years in advance. Scientists found that higher neutrophil levels—part of the body’s first immune response—were linked ...

Men and Women With Obesity Face Very Different Hidden Health Risks

Apr. 13, 2026 New research reveals that obesity affects men and women in surprisingly different ways. Men are more likely to develop harmful abdominal fat and signs of liver stress, while women show higher ...

Your Brain Could Help Solve Autism and Most People Don’t Know It

Apr. 8, 2026 A new survey reveals a striking disconnect in how Americans think about autism research. While nearly everyone agrees that studying the autistic brain is essential, most people are unaware that brain ...

Scientists Say BMI Gets It Wrong for Over One Third of Adults

Apr. 3, 2026 A new study suggests that one of the most widely used health metrics, BMI, may be getting it wrong for a large portion of the population. By comparing BMI classifications with precise body fat ...

Parents’ Stress May Be Quietly Driving Childhood Obesity, Yale Study Finds

Mar. 8, 2026 A Yale study found that lowering parent stress can help protect young children from obesity. When parents practiced mindfulness and stress-management skills, their kids showed healthier eating ...

American Heart Association Warns 60% of US Women Will Have Cardiovascular Disease by 2050

Feb. 27, 2026 Heart disease is on track to tighten its grip on American women. New projections from the American Heart Association warn that over the next 25 years, cardiovascular disease will rise sharply, driven ...

Massive US Study Finds Higher Cancer Death Rates Near Nuclear Power Plants

Feb. 24, 2026 A sweeping nationwide study has found that U.S. counties located closer to operating nuclear power plants have higher cancer death rates than those farther away. Researchers analyzed data from every ...

Air Pollution Linked to Higher Alzheimer’s Risk in 28 Million Older Americans

Feb. 20, 2026 Breathing polluted air may do more than harm your lungs — it could also increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In a sweeping study of nearly 28 million older Americans, researchers found that ...

The Human Exposome Could Change Everything We Know About Disease

Feb. 14, 2026 Scientists are launching an ambitious global effort to map the “human exposome” — the lifelong mix of environmental and chemical exposures that drive most diseases. Backed by new partnerships ...

Pecans Found to Improve Cholesterol and Boost Heart Health

Feb. 22, 2026 A sweeping new scientific review suggests that pecans — America’s native nut — may pack more heart power than many people realize. After analyzing over 20 years of research, scientists found ...

Scientists Find Cancer-Linked Chemicals in Popular Hair Extensions

Feb. 19, 2026 A sweeping new study has uncovered a troubling mix of hazardous chemicals in popular hair extensions, including products made from human hair. Researchers detected dozens of substances linked to ...

Nearly 200,000 People Reveal the Real Key to Heart Health

Feb. 17, 2026 A decades-long study of nearly 200,000 adults challenges the low-carb versus low-fat debate. Both eating patterns were tied to lower heart disease risk when they emphasized whole grains, plant-based ...

AI Reads Brain MRIs in Seconds and Flags Emergencies

Feb. 10, 2026 Researchers at the University of Michigan have created an AI system that can interpret brain MRI scans in just seconds, accurately identifying a wide range of neurological conditions and determining ...

A Century of Hair Shows How Lead Exposure Collapsed

Feb. 7, 2026 For decades, Americans were surrounded by lead from car exhaust, factories, paint, and even drinking water, often without realizing the damage it caused. By analyzing hair samples preserved across ...