News for Healthier Living

Benzodiazepine Use Fell Before the Pandemic Then Stalled Among Older Adults

A national analysis of prescription data found that benzodiazepine use among older U.S. adults declined in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic but has since leveled off.

July 6, 2026

July 6 2026

• New California Law Replaces 'Sell By' Labels On Food Packaging
• Modest Sleep Loss Linked to Weight Gain in Adults with High Cardiometabolic Risk
• Telemedicine May Reduce Interhospital Transfers Without Increasing Mortality Risk
• Benzodiazepine Use Fell Before the Pandemic Then Stalled Among Older Adults
• Study Supports Patient-Centered Prescription Opioid Tapering Methods
• Carvedilol Associated with Lower Risk of Cirrhosis Complications Than Other Beta-Blockers
• Study Raises New Questions About Artificial Sweeteners
• Calling Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Something Else Might Save More Lives, Researchers Argue
• Taking Small Breaks From Sitting Around Can Lower Your Cancer Risk
• Learning Languages Could Net You A Younger Brain, Study Says
• New Disease Threats Follow Trump Administration's Health Program Cuts
• Former Local Soccer Player Has Returned to Her Active Life Thanks to the Same Therapy that Put Brazilian Soccer Superstar Neymar Back on the Pitch for the FIFA World Cup 2026(tm)

July 3 2026

• JMIR Report: APA Labs Digital Badge Program Helps Developers Improve Mental Health Apps
• UTHealth Houston Neurologist Helps Develop Global Certification to Improve Rehabilitation for Stroke Survivors
• What Are Peptides? A Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Buzz
• Bone-Grafting Biomaterial That Selectively Destroys Bone Cancer Cells and Bacteria
• Beyond High-Dose IL-2: A novelTIL Expansion Platform Improves Safety and Efficacyof TIL Therapyina Preclinical Study
• AI Tool Improves Prediction of Who Will Respond to Cancer Immunotherapy Drugs

July 2 2026

• PNNL Designs Extrusion Retrofit System to Help Manufacturers Get into ShAPE
• 'Polypill' Improves Heart Failure Outcomes in UTSW-Led Trial
• Smartwatch Study Finds Older Adults Can Accurately Judge Their Mental Sharpness in Daily Life
• 7 Things to Know About Medicare's New GLP-1 Coverage
• Landmark New England Journal of Medicine Paper Reveals Facts: Latinos in U.S. Indispensable to Nation's Prosperity, Health, Future
• Genetic Testing Changes Care for Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients
• After the Fire: How to Protect Your Lungs
• FDA Lets 20 ZYN Nicotine Pouches Claim Lower Risk Than Cigarettes; Critics Warn Of Danger
• Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Brain Differences In Young Children
• The Circuit that Lets Your Brain Think and See
• Rehab Program Helps Lift Long COVID 'Brain Fog'
• Why Are You Right- Or Left-Handed? Experiments Suggest Surprisingly Simple Explanation
• Prompt Responses From Mom Might Lower A Baby's Risk Of Childhood Mental Health Problems
• Rural Americans More Likely To View Cancer As A Death Sentence, Poll Finds
• He Dreamed Of Becoming A Physician Assistant. New Loan Rules May Thwart Him.
• Decoding the Cancer-Immunity Cycle: A New Roadmap for Breast Cancer Immunotherapy
• Circular Genomics Unveils Its CircPATH(tm) Platform Following Landmark Nature Medicine Study Demonstrating Breakthrough Performance in Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease

July 1 2026

• Study Finds Little to No Cortical Lewy Pathology in Living Parkinson's Disease Patients Undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation
• Program Dramatically Improves Safety of Surgery for Children
• Common Brain Cancer Mutation Changes DNA Shape to Drive Progression, Exposing Therapeutic Target
• Mayo Clinic Study Identifies New Brain Targets for Individualized Epilepsy Treatment
• ADLM Publishes First Comprehensive U.S. Guidance to Help Laboratory Medicine Professionals Meet the Needs of Gender Diverse Patients
• Study: New Biological Clues Behind Coffee's Benefit to Liver Health
• FDA Scientists Warn Against Expanded Peptide Access As Kennedy Reshapes Advisory Panel
• Powering an Automated Pipeline for Drug Discovery
• SNAP Changes are Reshaping America's Food Safety Net, Threatening Food Access for Millions
• Exertion Tests Offer Insight Into Recovery From Youth Concussions
• Move to Quit: Exercise Boosts Smoking Quit Rates
• Can A Popular Muscle Supplement Help Treat Depression?
• Heat Dome Coming: Tips To Stay Safe During Extreme Temps
• Diets That Lower Inflammation Might Cut Dementia Risk, Study Indicates
• Melatonin Shows Promise As Safe, Cheap Painkiller, Review Concludes
• Vitamins Might Be Key To Asthma Control In Children, Adults
• Would Hunters Take A Lyme Disease Vaccine? We Asked
• Neurobiologists Improve Symptoms of Huntington's Disease with Targeted Brain Stimulation in Mice
• McMaster-Developed Immunotherapy Strategy Targets Aggressive Brain Tumours and Their Fuel
• UC San Diego Researchers Uncover Precision Medicine Strategy for Rare Inherited Muscle Disorders
• FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Researchers Improve Analysis of Molecules Linked to Alzheimer's Disease
• Should Lowest-Risk Prostate 'Cancer' Still Be Called Cancer? Study Suggests Changing the Name Could Save Lives
• Whether Children Receive Opioids After Surgery Varies by Hospital and Procedure Type
• JMIR News: AI Innovations, Digital Health Transformations, and New Medicare Models
• Tip Sheet: New Therapy Shows Promise for Pancreatic Cancer, Experts Redefine Survivorship -- and New Strategies for Preventing Skin Cancer
• Thawing Ground, Future Questions: Decoding Arctic Climate in a Pennsylvania Lab

June 30 2026

• A 40-Year-Old Law Requires ERs To Treat Everyone — Unless They Opt Out
• From Caffeine To 'Healthy' Labeling, FDA Sets Year-End Agenda For US Food Supply
• Major Study Supports Same-Day COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination
• Even Mild Weather Changes Impact Mental Health
• Women With Parkinson's More Likely To Have Brain Changes Related To Alzheimer's
• Breastfeeding Might Lower ADHD Risk, Study Finds
• She Struggled To Get A Lifesaving Drug Even After Insurers Vowed To Help
• Trouble Getting Weight Loss Drugs Covered By Insurance? Here's What To Know

June 29 2026

• Cases Of Rare But Dangerous Powassan Tick Virus Rising In U.S.
• Nearly 3 in 10 Young Adults Don't Have a Regular Doctor, Survey Finds
• Fertility Preservation Often Overlooked In Women's Cancer Care, Review Finds
• Sedatives Pose Fall Hazard For Recently Hospitalized Seniors
• Fourth Of July Poses Burn Hazards — Here's How To Protect Kids
• A Dog's Stride Could Be An Early Sign Of Dementia, Study Says
• Efforts To End School Vaccine Mandates Hit A Wall In Florida

June 26 2026

• Cancer Drug Shortage Renews Calls For Federal Action
• Next-Generation Blood Test Improves Detection Of Aggressive Prostate Cancer
• Most Patients Want Docs To Break Cancer News Directly, Not Through Portal Messaging
• Statins Rarely Cause Severe Muscle Problems, Researchers Say
• Even In Blue States, Hospitals Continue To Drop Gender-Affirming Care For Youths
• Younger U.S. Generations Increasingly Fear Adulthood, Study Says
• Opioid Settlement Money Pays For Services To Battle Addiction In Rural Kentucky

June 25 2026

• Air Force Outbreak Grows As Military Reinstates Flu-Shot Rule For Recruits
• GLP-1 Weight-Loss Boom Linked To Surge In Poison Control Calls
• Very Few Men Discuss Prostate Cancer Screening With Their Doctor
• Brain Scans Improve Targeting Of Magnetic Stimulation For Depression
• Estrogen Birth Control May Protect Women’s Brains As They Age
• Severe Pregnancy Nausea Tied To Higher Risk Of Complications
• A Ban Won't Stop Abortion Pill Access, Telehealth Providers Say

June 24 2026

• UnitedHealth, Humana And CVS Denied Post-Hospital Care At Some Of The Highest Rates
• Even 5-Minute Movement Breaks Can Boost Your Mood And Fight Fatigue
• Accelerated Aging May Explain Rising Cancer Risk In Young Adults
• Mom's Good Heart Health Lowers Risk Of Baby's Developmental Delays
• Belly Laughs Spring From The Primitive Brain, Researchers Say
• Racial Gaps Narrow For U.S. Cancer Deaths, Report Finds
• Medicare's AI Push Snarls Patients And Doctors In Errors And Delays

June 23 2026

• Testosterone Therapy Labels And Limits May Change Under FDA Proposal
• Midlife Strength Training Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk
• Link Between Parents' and Children's Weight Is Mostly Genetic, Study Finds
• Sunscreen Misinformation Popular On TikTok, Study Finds
• Patient Portal Messages Double, Doctors Face Rising Workload
• Most Americans Unaware Of Link Between Alcohol And Cancer — And Aren't Interested In Spreading The Word, Either
• Kids’ Juice And Soda Intake Linked To Higher Blood Pressure Risk As Young Adults
• Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals By Capping Prices They Charge Employers
• JMIR News: Digital Tools, Misinformation, Equitable AI, and Longevity Ethics in the Modern Health Landscape
• Scientists uncover a genetic "shield" that lowers the risk of colorectal cancer
• The Ross Procedure Is Associated With Excellent Outcomes, Durability, and Efficacy in a Wide Range of Adults With Aortic Valve Disease
• Cement Production Linked to Elevated Microplastic Levels in Boreholes
• 11 New Kidney Research Findings on Diet, Exercise and Stress
• Contact Lenses That Repair Themselves with UV Light
• Heavy Drinking Can Accelerate a Decline in Brain White Matter in Young Adults
• Why Alcohol May Hit Harder After Weight-Loss Surgery
• Young Adults with a Family History of Alcohol Use Disorder Report Greater Anxiety Sensitivity, Linked to Mistreatment During Childhood
• New Button Battery Technology Shows Promise, but Swallowing Remains an Emergency
• How "Lianquan" Helps Stroke Survivors Swallow Again: Tracing the Brain's Hidden Wiring
• A Skin Signal Warns Before Flap Failure
• From Pixels to Prognosis: Imaging Redefines Liver Donor Assessment
• Meniere's Disease May Begin Early in Inner Ear Development
• First patient receives neural stem cell therapy in groundbreaking UCI Health Huntington's disease clinical trial REGEN4HD
• Can Scientists Learn Cells' Language? UCLA-Led Team Aims to Decode Cellular Conversations
• Pancreatic Cancer Discovery Advances Toward First-of-Its-Kind Clinical Trial
• UVA Researchers Warn Unvalidated AI Tools Could Undermine Athlete Health, Military Readiness
• Children's Hospital Los Angeles to Offer First Casgevy Gene Therapy for Patient With Severe Sickle Cell Disease
• Mapping a Hidden Communication Network Between Organs
• Faster Aging in Younger Generations Linked to Rise in Early-Onset Cancer

June 22 2026

• New AI-Powered Platform Helps Researchers Find Promising Cancer Therapies Faster
• Clover Hill Dairy Recalls All Cheese in Deadly Listeria Outbreak
• Immediate Treatment of Moderate Pre-Cancerous Cervical Cells May Be Safely Delayed Without Raising Cancer Risk
• Multivariable Screening Tool Outperforms PSA Alone in Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer
• Telehealth Program Shows Limited Added Benefit for Diabetes Control in Fee-for-Service Setting
• Antibiotic Use for Uncomplicated Diverticulitis Remains Widespread Despite Guideline Shifts
• Middle-Aged Women Drink More, Know Less About Breast Cancer Risk
• High Hurdles Thwart Kidney Patients' Pursuit Of Life-Saving Transplants
• Rising Healthcare Costs Leave Many Americans Less Secure
• Short Videos Help First-Time Dads Learn Newborn Safety Basics
• Federal Push To Increase U.S. Primary Care Docs Has Fizzled, Study Says
• They're Uninsured After Obamacare Became Too Costly. And They're Far From Alone.
• Study Finds Social Determinants of Health Can Match or Exceed Genetic Risk in Predicting Common Diseases
• A Two-Pronged Vaccine Approach to Prevent Genital Herpes
• YSM Research Areas Ranked Among Best in the World
• Study Links Physical and Mental Capacity to Disability Before Death
• Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorders Often Have an Unhealthy Relationship with Their Diet
• Older Adults Are at Risk of Dangerously Using and Co-using Alcohol and Other Substances
• In Time for Father's Day, the Journey of Lanay and Rene Lopez and a Reunion with a Doctor