Health Policy News

October 2, 2025

Top Headlines

Fruit Might Be the Surprising Key to Healthier Lungs

Sep. 28, 2025 — Eating more fruit could help protect lungs from air pollution damage, particularly in women. Researchers point to antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in fruit as possible defenses against harmful airborne ...

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Too Many Ultra-processed Foods

Sep. 27, 2025 — Ultra-processed foods make up the bulk of U.S. diets, and new research links high intake to inflammation, a predictor of heart disease. People consuming the most UPFs were far more likely to show elevated hs-CRP levels, especially older adults, ...

Childhood Plastic Exposure Could Be Fueling Obesity, Infertility, and Asthma

Sep. 22, 2025 — A sweeping review from NYU Langone Health reveals that everyday exposure to plastics—especially during childhood—poses lasting risks for heart disease, infertility, asthma, and even brain ...

Scientists Reveal the Everyday Habits That May Shield You from Dementia

Sep. 21, 2025 — New studies reveal that lifestyle changes—such as exercise, healthy eating, and social engagement—can help slow or prevent cognitive decline. Experts say this low-cost, powerful approach could transform dementia care and reduce its crushing toll ...

Hardly Anyone Uses This Surprisingly Simple Fix for High Blood Pressure

Sep. 20, 2025 — Despite strong evidence that salt substitutes can safely lower sodium intake and reduce high blood pressure, very few Americans use them. A new analysis of nearly 20 years of national health data found that usage peaked at just over 5% and then ...

Wildfire Smoke Could Kill 70,000 Americans a Year by 2050

Sep. 19, 2025 — Wildfires are no longer a seasonal nuisance but a deadly, nationwide health crisis. Fueled by climate change, smoke is spreading farther and lingering longer, with new research warning of tens of thousands of additional deaths annually by ...

Stanford Scientists Reveal Simple Shift That Could Prevent Strokes and Obesity Nationwide

Sep. 16, 2025 — Switching clocks twice a year disrupts circadian rhythms in ways that harm health. Stanford scientists found permanent standard time would reduce obesity and stroke rates nationwide, making it the ...

Why so Many Young Kids with ADHD Are Getting the Wrong Treatment

Sep. 16, 2025 — Preschoolers with ADHD are often given medication right after diagnosis, against medical guidelines that recommend starting with behavioral therapy. Limited access to therapy and physician pressures drive early prescribing, despite risks and reduced ...

Daily Eye Drops Could Make Reading Glasses Obsolete

Sep. 15, 2025 — Eye drops combining pilocarpine and diclofenac helped patients read extra lines on vision charts, with effects lasting up to two years. The treatment could revolutionize presbyopia care as a safe, non-surgical alternative to ...

Half of Adults Suffer from Dry Eyes, but Most Never Get Help

Sep. 15, 2025 — Dry eyes are far more common than previously believed, with over half of adults in the US and Europe experiencing symptoms, yet most remain undiagnosed for years. The large-scale NESTS study reveals that sufferers often endure daily discomfort that ...

Cannabis Use May Quadruple Diabetes Risk

Sep. 14, 2025 — A massive study of over 4 million adults has revealed that cannabis use may nearly quadruple the risk of developing diabetes. Despite some earlier suggestions that cannabis might have metabolic benefits, this large analysis found significantly ...

Blood Test Spots Hidden Mesothelioma That Scans Can’t See

Sep. 11, 2025 — New research suggests that immunotherapy given before and after surgery could help patients with diffuse pleural mesothelioma, one of the most challenging cancers to treat. A phase II clinical trial tested immunotherapy in resectable cases, with ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:11am EDT

Why Gen X Women Can’t Stop Eating Ultra-Processed Foods

Sep. 29, 2025 — Researchers found that middle-aged adults, especially women, are far more likely to be addicted to ultra-processed foods than older generations. Marketing of diet-focused processed foods in the 1980s ...

Experts Warn: Smartphones Before 13 Could Harm Mental Health for Life

Sep. 6, 2025 — Getting a smartphone before age 13 may drastically increase the risk of poor mental health later in life, according to data from more than 100,000 people. Early use is linked to suicidal thoughts, ...

Scientists Found 3 Simple Tweaks That Cut Diabetes Risk by 31%

Aug. 29, 2025 — A Mediterranean diet alone is healthy, but when combined with calorie control, exercise, and support, it cuts type 2 diabetes risk by 31%. The PREDIMED-Plus study followed almost 5,000 participants ...

More Likely to Be Struck by Lightning Than Get Tetanus. So Why the Boosters?

Aug. 27, 2025 — Researchers propose that the U.S. could safely drop adult tetanus and diphtheria boosters, saving $1 billion annually, since childhood vaccinations ...

The Surprising Reason X-Rays Can Push Arthritis Patients Toward Surgery

Aug. 26, 2025 — Knee osteoarthritis is a major cause of pain and disability, but routine X-rays often do more harm than good. New research shows that being shown an X-ray can increase anxiety, make people fear ...

How Low Should Blood Pressure Go? New Study Has the Answer

Aug. 20, 2025 — An aggressive blood pressure target of under 120 mm Hg can significantly reduce heart disease risk, researchers found. Despite more side effects and higher costs, the approach proved cost-effective ...

How Much Damage Are Ultraprocessed Foods Really Doing to Your Health?

Aug. 10, 2025 — Many foods we consume today are ultraprocessed, packed with unhealthy ingredients, and linked to major health risks. As consumption of these foods rises, so do chronic health issues, especially among ...

The Hidden Ways Light at Night Damages Your Brain, Mood, and Metabolism

Aug. 8, 2025 — Neuroscientist Dr. Randy J. Nelson explores how artificial light at night disrupts our bodies, from immune health to mood. His work bridges lab research, clinical trials, and everyday solutions while ...

This Diet Helped People Lose Twice as Much Weight, Without Eating Less

Aug. 5, 2025 — People eating minimally processed foods lost twice as much weight as those on ultra-processed diets, even though both diets were nutritionally balanced and participants could eat freely. This ...

Researchers Discover Key Social Factors That Triple Long COVID Risk

Aug. 4, 2025 — New research led by Mass General Brigham reveals that people facing social challenges—like food insecurity, financial strain, and limited healthcare access—are two to three times more likely to ...

Fatigue, Anxiety, Pain? They Might Be MS in Disguise

Aug. 2, 2025 — New research suggests that multiple sclerosis (MS) may quietly begin affecting the body up to 15 years before the first obvious neurological symptoms appear. Researchers found a steady increase in ...

Can AI Predict Cancer? New Model Uses Genomics to Simulate Tumors

July 27, 2025 — A team of scientists has developed a remarkable new approach to modeling how cells behave over time—using a digital "forecast" much like predicting the weather. By combining patient ...

7000 Steps a Day Cuts Death Risk by 47%—and That Might Be All You Need

July 27, 2025 — Walking 7000 steps a day may be just as powerful as hitting the much-hyped 10,000-step goal when it comes to reducing the risk of early death and disease. A sweeping global review of 57 studies shows ...

Ivermectin: The Mosquito-Killing Pill That Dropped Malaria by 26%

July 26, 2025 — A groundbreaking study has revealed that the mass administration of ivermectin—a drug once known for treating river blindness and scabies—can significantly reduce malaria transmission when used ...

A Simple Twist Fooled AI—and Revealed a Dangerous Flaw in Medical Ethics

July 24, 2025 — Even the most powerful AI models, including ChatGPT, can make surprisingly basic errors when navigating ethical medical decisions, a new study reveals. Researchers tweaked familiar ethical dilemmas ...

Cognitive Collapse and the Nuclear Codes: When Leaders Lose Control

July 17, 2025 — A shocking study reveals that many leaders of nuclear-armed nations—including US presidents and Israeli prime ministers—were afflicted by serious health problems while in office, sometimes with ...

New Study Cracks the “tissue Code” — Just Five Rules Shape Organs

July 16, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered a surprisingly simple “tissue code”: five rules that choreograph when, where, and how cells divide, move, and die, allowing organs like the colon to remain flawlessly ...

Candy Colors, THC Inside: How Cannabis Edibles Are Tricking Teen Brains

June 28, 2025 — Teens are being misled by cannabis edibles dressed up like health foods. Bright colors, fruit imagery, and words like vegan make these products look fun, natural, and safe even when they re not. A ...

The Molecule That Might Save Your Sight—and Your Heart

June 25, 2025 — Washington University researchers found that raising a molecule called ApoM helps eye cells sweep away harmful cholesterol deposits linked to age-related macular degeneration, potentially preventing ...

The Invisible Killer: PM 1 Pollution Uncovered Across America

June 16, 2025 — A groundbreaking 25-year analysis using satellite technology has now mapped PM 1 levels across the U.S., uncovering how wildfires, vehicle emissions, and industrial byproducts have shaped the air we ...

Johns Hopkins Blood Test Detects Tumor Dna Three Years Early

June 13, 2025 — Researchers at Johns Hopkins found that fragments of tumor DNA can appear in the bloodstream up to three years before a cancer diagnosis, offering a potentially revolutionary window for early ...

Clinical Research on Psychedelics Gets a Boost from New Study

June 3, 2025 — As psychedelics gain traction as potential treatments for mental health disorders, an international study stands to improve the rigor and reliability of clinical ...

Tea, Berries, Dark Chocolate and Apples Could Lead to a Longer Life Span, Study Shows

June 3, 2025 — Eating a colorful variety of flavonoid-rich foods like tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples may significantly lower your risk of chronic diseases and even help you live longer. A major study ...

Earlier Measles Vaccine Could Help Curb Global Outbreak

May 29, 2025 — The global measles outbreak must trigger an urgent debate into whether a vaccine should be recommended earlier to better protect against the highly contagious disease during infancy, a new review ...

When Climate Disasters Hit, They Often Leave Long-Term Health Care Access Shortages

May 29, 2025 — Immediate recovery efforts receive the most attention after severe natural disasters, yet new data from researchers at Drexel University and the University of Maryland suggests these climate events ...

Understanding Cultural Differences in Salt Usage May Help Lower Consumption

May 28, 2025 — An analysis of data from a national health survey conducted before the pandemic found that pizza, soup and chicken are some of the main sources of sodium (salt) intake for people in all racial and ...

Significant Declines in Maternal Mental Health Across US

May 27, 2025 — A new study reveals a concerning decline in self-reported mental health among mothers in the United States between 2016 and 2023. The study also found modest but measurable declines in self-reported ...

Social Connection Is Still Underappreciated as a Medically Relevant Health Factor

May 22, 2025 — New studies reveal that both the public and healthcare providers often overlook social connection as a key factor in physical health, even though loneliness rivals smoking and obesity in health ...

Exercise and Eat Your Veggies: Privileged Prescriptions Like These Don't Always Reduce Risk of Heart Disease

May 22, 2025 — A leading cardiovascular disease researcher is ringing the alarm on universal recommendations intended to improve heart health around the globe. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of ...

PREVENT Equation Accurately Estimated 10-Year CVD Risk and Those With Calcium Buildup

May 21, 2025 — A new risk calculator accurately identified participants who had calcium buildup in their heart arteries and those who had a higher future heart attack risk, in an analysis of about 7,000 adults in ...