Medical research using billing codes risks misdiagnosis in up to 66% of cases

Older adults who have serious illness before undergoing elective surgery had hospital stays twice as long as similarly aged counterparts; were twice as likely to return to the hospital or the emergency department; and had almost double the yearly costs of health care, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

As artificial intelligence is rapidly developing and becoming a growing presence in health care communication, a new study addresses a concern that large language models (LLMs) can reinforce harmful stereotypes by using stigmatizing language. The study from researchers at Mass General Brigham found that more than 35% of responses in answers related to alcohol- and substance use-related conditions contained stigmatizing language. But the researchers also highlight that targeted prompts can be used to substantially reduce stigmatizing language in the LLMs' answers. Results are published in The Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects thoughts, moods, perceptions, and behaviors. Affected individuals experience positive symptoms like delusions and hallucinations, and negative symptoms like social withdrawal, cognitive deficits, disorganized thoughts and speech, and a decreased experience of pleasure. While schizophrenia is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, precise mechanisms remain elusive.

New research from investigators at Mass General Brigham suggests that a commonly used type 2 diabetes medication is linked to a higher rate of heart-related conditions compared to medications that hit other targets. The study examined nationwide data from nearly 50,000 patients treated with different sulfonylureas and found that glipizide—the most widely used drug in the U.S. within this category—was linked to higher incidence of heart failure, related hospitalization and death compared to dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. Results are published in JAMA Network Open.

Cancer cells and tumors do not exist in a vacuum. Far from the isolation and self-sufficiency of the fictional Wakanda, tumors develop in and alter the nearby milieu of immune cells, connective tissue, blood vessels and a sea of proteins and carbohydrates that provide structure and other supportive functions.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are among the most distressing side effects of anti-cancer treatment, particularly for those receiving highly emetogenic regimens such as anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide combinations. This major side effect compromises a patient's quality of life and willingness to continue therapy. Therefore, there is a crucial need to devise an effective antiemetic management approach for optimizing cancer care and patient well-being.

More women at higher risk of breast cancer should be offered a mastectomy, according to researchers at Queen Mary and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Oxidative stress is considered to contribute to the development of cancer. However, a recent study in Japan showed that oxidative stress may suppress rather than cause cancer development in individuals with variants of the BRCA2 gene. This finding was published in Redox Biology.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), a powerful form of immunotherapy, have revolutionized cancer treatment by unleashing the body's own immune system to fight tumors. These compounds target the programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), a surface protein typically found on tumor cells, which enables the tumors to avoid recognition by immune T cells.

Eight essential nutrients make up the suite of B vitamins also known as the B complex. Research at Tufts and elsewhere has revealed that these B vitamins influence a vast spectrum of human health and disease, including cognitive function, cardiovascular health, gastric bypass recovery, neural tube defects, and even cancer.

Nearly half of Virginia's neighborhoods don't have enough nearby primary care physicians for their residents, with rural communities being hit hardest by workforce shortages, according to a new study led by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University.

University of Utah Health researchers have documented an association between air pollution exposure and a rare type of bleeding within the brain. An aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, or aSAH, can damage brain tissue enough to leave patients paralyzed or in a coma or cause death.

Endometrial cancer—in which tumors develop in the inner lining of the uterus—is the most prevalent gynecological cancer in American women, affecting more than 66,000 women a year. Black women are particularly at risk, with an 80% higher mortality rate than other demographic groups and a greater chance of contracting more aggressive cancer subtypes.

Your fitness tracker might be lying to you. That 10,000-step target flashing on your wrist? It didn't come from decades of careful research. It came from a Japanese walking club and a marketing campaign in the 1960s.

A new report has revealed that the North of England has some of the poorest diets in the country, putting the population at risk of conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure and other preventable diseases.

In elite sport, the phrase "past your prime" is rapidly being redefined.

A new study shows that while decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) are making research more accessible, they also bring challenges for research staff that can increase clinical staff workload, negatively impact the patient experience, and impact trial delivery.

We're constantly being reminded by news articles and social media posts that we should be getting more sleep. You probably don't need to hear it again—not sleeping enough is bad for your brain, heart and overall health, not to mention your skin and sex drive.