Today's Healthcare News

February 20, 2026

Top Headlines

Doctors Implant Dopamine-producing Stem Cells in Parkinson’s Patients

Feb. 20, 2026 A groundbreaking clinical trial is testing whether specially engineered stem cells can help the brain restore its own dopamine production in people with Parkinson’s disease. Because the condition is driven by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing ...

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 ...

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 cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive harm, and ...

Scientists Discover the Body’s Hidden “Off Switch” for Inflammation

Feb. 19, 2026 A new human study has uncovered how the body naturally turns off inflammation. Researchers found that fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins rein in immune cells that can otherwise drive chronic disease. Using a drug to boost these molecules ...

Scientists Finally Explain Why Chronic Constipation Treatments Often Fail

Feb. 19, 2026 A newly discovered bacterial duo may be the hidden cause of chronic constipation. The two microbes break down the colon’s protective mucus layer, leaving stool dry and hard — a problem traditional laxatives don’t fix. Parkinson’s patients, ...

Intermittent Fasting Fails to Beat Standard Dieting for Weight Loss

Feb. 18, 2026 Intermittent fasting has become one of the most talked-about weight loss trends in recent years, promising dramatic results with simple changes to when you eat. But a major Cochrane review suggests the reality may be far less exciting. After ...

Viagra and Shingles Vaccine Show Surprising Promise Against Alzheimer’s

Feb. 18, 2026 A major new study has spotlighted three familiar medicines that could take on an unexpected new role in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease — with a shingles vaccine emerging as the front-runner. After reviewing 80 existing drugs, an ...

Breakthrough CRISPR System Could Reverse Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

Feb. 18, 2026 Antibiotic resistance is racing toward a global crisis, with “superbugs” projected to cause over 10 million deaths annually by 2050. Now, scientists at UC San Diego have unveiled a powerful new CRISPR-based tool that doesn’t just fight ...

One Stem Cell Generates 14 Million Tumor-killing NK Cells in Major Cancer Breakthrough

Feb. 17, 2026 Scientists in China have unveiled a breakthrough way to mass-produce powerful cancer-fighting immune cells in the lab. By engineering early-stage stem cells from cord blood—rather than trying to ...

Giving People Cash Didn’t Cause More Injuries or Deaths

Feb. 16, 2026 As cash transfer programs expand across the United States, critics often warn that giving people money could spark reckless behavior, leading to injuries or even deaths. But a sweeping 11-year analysis of Alaska’s long-running Permanent Fund ...

Lab Grown Human Spinal Cord Heals After Injury in Major Breakthrough

Feb. 16, 2026 Researchers have built a realistic human mini spinal cord in the lab and used it to simulate traumatic injury. The model reproduced key damage seen in real spinal cord injuries, including inflammation and scar formation. After treatment with fast ...

Massive Study Finds Most Statin Side Effects Aren’t Caused by the Drugs

Feb. 15, 2026 A massive review of 23 randomized trials found that statins do not cause the vast majority of side effects listed on their labels. Memory problems, depression, sleep issues, weight gain, and many other symptoms appeared just as often in people ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:47am EST

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 ...

Scientists Discover Hidden Brain Cells That Help Heal Spinal Cord Injuries

Feb. 13, 2026 Scientists at Cedars-Sinai have uncovered a surprising repair system in the spinal cord that could open new doors for treating paralysis, stroke, and diseases like multiple sclerosis. They found that ...

The Exact Speed That Makes an AI Prosthetic Arm Feel Like Your Own

Feb. 13, 2026 A robotic arm that moves too quickly can feel creepy. One that moves too slowly feels awkward and unhelpful. In a VR study, researchers found that AI-powered prosthetic arms were best accepted when ...

Scientists Discover Hidden Trigger Behind Achilles Pain and Tennis Elbow

Feb. 12, 2026 A protein called HIF1 may be the missing link behind painful tendon injuries like jumper’s knee and tennis elbow. Researchers showed that high levels of HIF1 actually cause harmful changes that ...

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to 47% Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

Feb. 10, 2026 Ultra-processed foods are everywhere in the American diet, and researchers are finding alarming consequences. Using national health data, scientists found that adults with the highest intake of these ...

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 Secret Cell Alliance May Explain Why Ovarian Cancer Is So Deadly

Feb. 9, 2026 Scientists have discovered why ovarian cancer spreads so rapidly through the abdomen. Cancer cells enlist normally protective abdominal cells, forming mixed groups that work together to invade new ...

Scientists May Have Found the Brain Network Behind Parkinson’s

Feb. 8, 2026 A new international study points to a specific brain network as the core driver of Parkinson’s disease. Scientists found that this network becomes overly connected, disrupting not just movement but ...

A Hidden Aloe Vera Compound Takes Aim at Alzheimer’s

Feb. 8, 2026 Scientists have uncovered promising clues that compounds found in Aloe vera could play a role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Using advanced computer modeling, researchers discovered that ...

Scientists Found a Gut Compound That Helps Protect the Liver

Feb. 8, 2026 What a mother eats during pregnancy may quietly shape her child’s liver health years down the road—but new research suggests there may be a way to tip the odds back in a healthier direction. ...

Scientists Find a Missing Link Between Epstein-Barr Virus and Multiple Sclerosis

Feb. 6, 2026 New research suggests that Epstein-Barr virus may actively provoke the immune system in people with multiple sclerosis. Scientists found large buildups of virus-targeting immune cells in the nervous ...

Doctors Test Brain Cell Implants to Restore Movement in Parkinson’s

Feb. 6, 2026 Scientists at Keck Medicine of USC are testing an experimental stem cell therapy that aims to restore the brain’s ability to produce dopamine, the chemical whose loss drives Parkinson’s disease. ...

Scientists Found a Sugar That Could Defeat Deadly Superbugs

Feb. 6, 2026 Scientists in Australia have uncovered a clever new way to fight some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria by targeting a sugar that exists only on bacterial cells. By designing antibodies ...

Air Ambulance Teams Are Changing Who Survives Critical Injuries

Feb. 5, 2026 Advanced care provided by air ambulance teams was linked to higher survival rates in major trauma patients. Researchers found that more people survived than predicted by standard models, including ...

A Silent Brain Disease Can Quadruple Dementia Risk

Feb. 1, 2026 Researchers studying nearly 2 million older adults found that cerebral amyloid angiopathy sharply raises the risk of developing dementia. Within five years, people with the condition were far more ...

Why Long COVID Brain Fog Seems So Much Worse in the U.S.

Jan. 28, 2026 A massive international study of more than 3,100 long COVID patients uncovered a striking divide in how brain-related symptoms are reported around the world. In the U.S., the vast majority of ...

The Fat You Can’t See Could Be Shrinking Your Brain

Jan. 28, 2026 Where your body stores fat may matter just as much as how much you carry—especially for your brain. Using advanced MRI scans and data from nearly 26,000 people, researchers identified two ...

New Review Finds Wild Blueberries Support Heart and Gut Health

Jan. 27, 2026 A sweeping scientific review highlights wild blueberries as a standout food for cardiometabolic health. The strongest evidence shows improvements in blood vessel function, with encouraging signs for ...

Menopause Linked to Grey Matter Loss in Key Brain Regions

Feb. 7, 2026 A major study suggests menopause is linked to changes in brain structure, mental health, and sleep. Brain scans revealed grey matter loss in areas tied to memory and emotional regulation, while many ...

A Quiet Change in Everyday Foods Could Save Thousands of Lives

Jan. 31, 2026 Lowering salt in everyday foods could quietly save lives. Researchers found that modest sodium reductions in bread, packaged foods, and takeout meals could significantly reduce heart disease and ...

A New Scan Lets Scientists See Inside the Human Body in 3D Color

Feb. 6, 2026 A new imaging breakthrough combines ultrasound and light-based techniques to generate vivid 3D images that show both tissue structure and blood vessel activity. Developed by researchers at Caltech ...

New Scan Spots Heart Disease Years Before Symptoms

Jan. 30, 2026 A new imaging technology called fast-RSOM lets researchers see the smallest blood vessels in the body without invasive procedures. It can detect early dysfunction in these vessels — a quiet warning ...

Obesity and High Blood Pressure May Directly Cause Dementia

Jan. 26, 2026 A new genetic study suggests that obesity and high blood pressure may play a direct role in causing dementia, not just increasing the risk. By analyzing data from large populations in Denmark and the ...

This Simple Diet Shift Cut 330 Calories a Day Without Smaller Meals

Feb. 5, 2026 People who switch to a fully unprocessed diet don’t just eat differently—they eat smarter. Research from the University of Bristol shows that when people avoid ultra-processed foods, they ...

Brain Waves Could Help Paralyzed Patients Move Again

Jan. 24, 2026 People with spinal cord injuries often lose movement even though their brains still send the right signals. Researchers tested whether EEG brain scans could capture those signals and reroute them to ...

Finally Explained: Why Kidney Disease Is So Deadly for the Heart

Jan. 20, 2026 Scientists have uncovered why people with chronic kidney disease so often die from heart problems: damaged kidneys release tiny particles into the bloodstream that actively poison the heart. These ...

Scientists Are Building Viruses from Scratch to Fight Superbugs

Jan. 21, 2026 Researchers from New England Biolabs (NEB®) and Yale University describe the first fully synthetic bacteriophage engineering system for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium of ...

Scientists Discover Why Some Wounds Refuse to Heal

Jan. 20, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising reason why some chronic wounds refuse to heal, even when treated with antibiotics. A common bacterium found in long-lasting wounds does not just resist drugs. ...

Scientists Find Hidden Pathways Pancreatic Cancer Uses to Spread

Jan. 30, 2026 Researchers have discovered how pancreatic cancer reprograms its surroundings to spread quickly and stealthily. By using a protein called periostin, the tumor remodels nearby tissue and invades ...

An Endocrinologist Tried a New Weight Loss Approach and It Worked

Jan. 17, 2026 A simple change in how primary care clinics approach weight management is delivering big public health wins. PATHWEIGH lets patients openly request help and gives doctors the tools to focus entire ...