Medical Xpress
Study links real-time prescription monitoring to drop in high risk medication prescribing
Real-time prescription monitoring programs are showing measurable results, with new research linking their use to a reduction in high-risk medication prescribing. The study highlights the dangers facing patients who obtain prescriptions from multiple providers, including elevated risks of dependence, overdose, and death. The findings strengthen the case for widespread adoption of monitoring tools as a frontline defense against prescription drug misuse.
Read article →NPR Health
A blood test that screens for multiple types of cancer? It could be a reality soon
The FDA is nearing approval of the first blood test capable of screening for multiple types of cancer simultaneously, a landmark moment in diagnostic medicine. Unlike traditional screenings that target a single cancer type, this test could detect a range of malignancies early — when they are most treatable. If approved, the technology has the potential to significantly boost survival rates and reshape standard preventive care.
Read article →Medical Xpress
Two patients with severe autoimmune disease remain relapse-free for over 15 years after stem cell transplant
Stem cell transplantation may offer a lasting cure for a devastating autoimmune condition that attacks the eyes and spinal cord. Two patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder have remained relapse-free for more than 15 years following the procedure — an extraordinary outcome for a disease that typically requires lifelong treatment. The findings raise serious questions about whether the transplant approach should be considered earlier and more widely in severe cases.
Read article →Guardian Health
I disagree with Andy Burnham’s politics. But as former health secretaries, we both know the NHS needs to be fixed | Jeremy Hunt
Andy Burnham's potential path to No. 10 would make him the first prime minister with hands-on NHS experience as health secretary — a distinction Jeremy Hunt argues carries real weight. Hunt, his political opposite, contends that insider knowledge of the health service's structural failures creates a rare opportunity to drive meaningful reform rather than simply inject more funding. With Treasury constraints likely to dominate any future government, the pressure to innovate rather than spend will define whether that experience translates into results.
Read article →Medical Xpress
Weight‑loss drugs like Ozempic could work for addiction too—and we finally know how
Semaglutide and similar GLP-1 receptor agonists appear to dampen the brain's cue-driven cravings, weakening the mental imagery that connects desire to compulsive behavior. Researchers now have a clearer picture of the neurological mechanism behind this effect, which extends well beyond appetite to addictive substances like alcohol. The finding opens a credible pathway toward repurposing these drugs as treatments for addiction disorders.
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