Medicine

A large U.S. study has found that 27 percent of patients with resistant hypertension have hypercortisolism, an excess of the stress hormone cortisol. The MOMENTUM study, involving 1,086 participants across 50 centers, showed this condition is far more common than previously thought in those whose blood pressure remains high despite multiple medications. The discovery suggests screening for elevated cortisol could help explain treatment failures.

March 30, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI An Binciki Gaskiya

Just a few minutes of activity that leaves people out of breath each day was associated with substantially lower risks of developing eight major diseases and of dying over about seven years in a study of roughly 96,000 UK Biobank participants who wore wrist accelerometers for a week. The research, published March 30, 2026 in the European Heart Journal, suggests that how intensely people move may matter alongside how much they move.

Researchers at Shandong University have modified the probiotic bacterium Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 to produce the anticancer drug Romidepsin directly in tumors. In mouse models of breast cancer, the engineered bacteria accumulated in tumors and released the drug. The findings were published on March 17 in PLOS Biology.

March 21, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

An experimental oral pill called enlicitide lowered LDL cholesterol by about 60% in a large phase three clinical trial, according to results published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The trial, led by Dr. Ann Marie Navar at UT Southwestern Medical Center and sponsored by Merck, involved 2,909 participants mostly already on statins. If approved, the daily pill could improve access to effective cholesterol treatment.

Researchers have found that repeated head impacts in contact sports damage the blood-brain barrier, potentially driving chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former athletes. The discovery, based on MRI scans of retired footballers, rugby players and boxers, suggests new diagnostic and preventive approaches. Drugs to strengthen the barrier may help avert the condition.

March 18, 2026 An Ruwaito ta hanyar AI

A new review of clinical trials suggests that psychedelics like psilocybin are effective for treating depression but offer no advantage over traditional antidepressants. Researchers accounted for the challenge of blinding in psychedelic studies, where participants can often tell if they received the drug. The findings indicate similar outcomes when compared to unblinded antidepressant trials.