Health News

L'Oreal says weight loss drugs are impacting beauty and skin care sales

The beauty giant's CEO says the use of GLP-1s is "a very important phenomenon for us".

Haze skincare tips: How to protect your skin from dryness, irritation and breakouts

From unexpected breakouts to dry, irritated skin, haze may be affecting your complexion more than you realise. Find out how air pollution impacts your skin and what you can do to protect it.

Johnson & Johnson Deepens its Long-Term Commitment to Hong Kong Through OASES Strategic Enterprise Collaboration

Building on more than five decades in Hong Kong, Johnson & Johnson is committed to advancing better health through science, innovation and collaboration for patients and communities in Hong Kong. The partnership will help strengthen clinical research, develop future healthcare talent and...

20 years of wrong diagnoses — a spinal tap finally revealed the truth about his condition

The autoimmune brain and spinal cord disease shares symptoms with MS, making it difficult to identify.

France reports first human Shamonda virus case, says no health risk

The French health authorities said that the human infection appeared to be "an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient".

Re: Renal outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes with and without albuminuria treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists: target trial emulation

Agreement: I Agree Body: Dear Editor Turchin et al. conducted a prospective study to evaluate the risk of renal deterioration in people with type 2 diabetes, who were prescribed glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists or sodium-glucose contransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors as an additional drug (1). The authors paid special attention to the existence of albuminuria (albumin to creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g). Compared with DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors significantly reduce the risk of deterioration of renal function in people with albuminuria. In contrast, there was no advantage of renal benefit in people without albuminuria. I present my comment. Lee et al. reported the difference in the ability of renal protection and survival in patients with type 2 diabetes, who received SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists (2). They concluded that SGLT-2 inhibitors presented lower risk in the progression to kidney replacement therapy than GLP-1 receptor agonists. This means that the choice from two therapies is important for preventing the risk of renal deterioration in patients with type 2 diabetes. In combination with existence of proteinuria, risk assessment should be conducted by separating SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1 receptor agonists as an additional drug. References 1. Turchin A, Petito LC, Hegermiller E, et al. Renal outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes with and without albuminuria treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists: target trial emulation. BMJ 2026;394:e100574. 2. Lee YC, Wu LC, Wu VC, et al. Comparative Effectiveness of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Sodium/Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in Preventing Chronic Kidney Failure and Mortality in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and CKD. Am J Kidney Dis 2025;86(3):301-313.e1. No competing Interests: Yes The following competing Interests: Electronic Publication Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - 00:08 AI use: No, I have not used AI Highwire Comment Subject: Renal outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes with and without albuminuria treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists: target trial emulation Workflow State: Released Full Title: Re: Renal outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes with and without albuminuria treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists: target trial emulation Highwire Comment Response to: Renal outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes with and without albuminuria treated with SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists: target trial emulation Check this box if you would like your letter to appear anonymously:: Last Name: Kawada First name and middle initial: Tomoyuki Email: kawada@nms.ac.jp Address: 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan Occupation: Proressor Emeritus Affiliation: Nippon Medical School BMJ: Additional Article Info: Rapid response

Women’s health gaps persist. N.J. experts say change starts with research and access

At an Edison forum, physicians, researchers and policymakers examined barriers involving clinical trials, menopause, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and mental health.

Prostate Cancer Foundation Expands Radiopharmaceutical Think Tank as Field Enters Pivotal Growth Phase

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced the expansion of its Radiopharmaceutical Think Tank, adding new members and establishing its 2026-2027 agenda, which is focused on accelerating development and patient access of novel radiopharmaceutical drugs for cancer treatment. PCF is announcing the second year Think Tank program in conjunction with the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Annual Congress, taking place October 17-21 in Vienna, Aust

CDC to send ‘disease detective’ to help tackle Pennsylvania measles outbreak

State has confirmed six measles-related deaths and county at center of outbreak lacks its own health department The county at the center of Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is at a clear disadvantage because, local officials say, it lacks its own health department and it will now get special assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of Wednesday, Pennsylvania had confirmed 1,222 measles cases, up from 86 the week before. Six measles-associated deaths have also been confirmed by the state. Continue reading...

A 26-year-old felt her concerns were being dismissed. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Woman, 26, felt her concerns were being dismissed before cancer diagnosis

Andrea De Armas thought her concerns weren't being taken seriously. Then she received alarming information.

Yale scientists discover how stress changes the brain to make memories stronger

Yale scientists have uncovered how the stress hormone cortisol helps the brain turn emotional experiences into stronger, longer-lasting memories. The discovery reveals that stress can reshape communication between brain networks involved in emotion and memory, potentially explaining why certain moments are so difficult to forget.

Pope's family 'going through a lot' as brother also undergoes cancer treatment, wife says

Louis Prevost has blood cancer, his wife says, as the Pope recovers from successful surgery for lung cancer.

Urgent mental health care depends on community capacity

Agreement: I Agree Body: Dear Editor, Mason and colleagues note that crisis presentations to emergency departments have become a default route to care, partly because of poor access to community services, and that plans to evaluate the new mental health emergency departments are limited.[1] Our experience in a general adult community mental health team (CMHT) in North London supports both points. The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults introduced a "no wrong door" approach to accessing care.[2] In our experience, this has led to a significant increase in the number of patients referred to community mental health teams with no proportionate increase in funding. The Health and Social Care Committee reports that mental health gets "less than 10% of NHS expenditure" against over 20% of the disease burden, and that implementation of the framework has been "uneven and in parts inadequate".[3] In our borough, 1.3% of residents were recorded on GP registers as having a severe mental illness in 2022/23, which is above London and national averages.[4] Our team serves the east of the borough, where deprivation is highest,[5] and covers a large number of GP practices with a high volume of referrals. Our population also includes many refugees, asylum seekers and people affected by trauma, for whom long waits carry particular risk.[3] In a national survey, 78% of patients waiting for mental health treatment said they had used emergency or crisis services while they waited.[6] Some people present to the crisis and home treatment team, A&E and the Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS) whilst they wait for an assessment. We face persistent high demand and increasing complexity, as the active caseload in our team has grown substantially in the past year. In response, since August 2026, consultant psychiatrists, psychologists, managers and resident doctors have screened new referrals at a multidisciplinary meeting at first twice a week and now daily to try to meet demand. In the first two months, the meeting redirected a substantial proportion of the referrals it discussed. Consultants also resolve many referrals through discussion with GPs, and none of this appears in routine data. We have not yet measured whether redirected patients were seen elsewhere or re-referred. The caseload continues to grow, in part because intake still exceeds discharge. There is a four-week benchmark, measured in the Trust and nationally.[3,7,8] Nationally, the median wait for community mental health care is 45 days, and one in ten people wait more than 251 days.[3] In our team, waits are well beyond four weeks for most of the referred patients. The issue is that, despite the benchmark, there is complacency in the system about resolving outliers, as the associated risk and its connection with increased presentations to emergency services are not recognised systemically. New walk-in centres and mental health emergency departments are welcome.[9] But they will not reduce crisis presentations if the community teams behind them cannot redirect or discharge patients in proportion to demand. We urge that their evaluation includes community waiting times and CMHT caseload flow, including the proportion of new referrals redirected or discharged, and that investment in emergency care accounts for the community capacity on which it depends. References 1. Mason S, Marincowitz C, Guthrie E. Urgent care for mental health in the NHS. BMJ 2025;390:r1782. doi:10.1136/bmj.r1782 2. National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. The Community Mental Health Framework for Adults and Older Adults. NHS England and NHS Improvement, 2019. https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/community-mental-h... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 3. House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee. Community mental health services. Fourth report of session 2024–26. HC 566. 2 Dec 2025. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmhealth/566/repor... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 4. Haringey Council. Mental health in Haringey: key insights. Adult social services market position statement. https://haringey.gov.uk/care-support-adults/adult-social-care-policies-d... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 5. Care Quality Commission. London Borough of Haringey: local authority assessment. 7 Feb 2025. https://cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/hari... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 6. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Hidden waits force more than three quarters of mental health patients to seek help from emergency services. 10 Oct 2022. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/news-and-features/latest-news/detail/2022/10/1... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 7. NHS England. Mental health access and waiting time standards. https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/resources/access-waiting-time/ (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 8. NHS England. NHS England proposes new mental health access standards. July 2021. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2021/07/nhs-england-proposes-new-mental-healt... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). 9. Department of Health and Social Care. Major expansion of community mental health support across England. 6 Aug 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-expansion-of-community-mental-h... (accessed 12 Oct 2026). No competing Interests: Yes The following competing Interests: Electronic Publication Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026 - 12:50 AI use: Yes I have used AI Highwire Comment Subject: AI use details: I haved used AI to check spelling and grammar. Workflow State: Released Full Title: Urgent mental health care depends on community capacity Highwire Comment Response to: Check this box if you would like your letter to appear anonymously:: Last Name: Wong First name and middle initial: Michelle Email: hoiying.wong1@nhs.net Address: St Ann's Hospital Occupation: Foundation Year 2 Doctor Other Authors: Priya Bajaj, Consultant Psychiatrist Affiliation: North London Foundation Trust BMJ: Additional Article Info: Rapid response

Alentis and PinotBio Announce Collaboration to Develop Next-Generation ADCs Targeting claudin-1

BASEL, Switzerland & SUWON, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Under the agreement, Alentis and PinotBio will discover and develop next-generation antibody-drug conjugates targeting claudin-1 for oncology.

CATalyst Council Reports Cat Clinical Visits Grow 2.7 Percent as U.S. Veterinary Clinical Visits Fall 1.9 Percent

NORTH CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feline clinical visits at U.S. veterinary practices grew 2.7 percent year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026, while canine clinical visits fell 3.3 percent, according to Vetsource data reported in CATalyst Council Feline Veterinary Market Insights: Volume VII. Feline clinical visits grew in each of the last twelve quarters, and canine clinical visits fell in eleven of them. Clinical visits are defined as a patient receiving medical care, including both w

She pioneered breast care nursing in Singapore and, at 74, still cares for breast cancer patients

After establishing breast care services at Singapore General Hospital in 1992, Nagalingam Saraswathi trained nurses from other hospitals and started a support group for breast cancer patients. More than three decades later, caring for them remains a huge part of her life.

Still have a tummy bulge after pregnancy despite exercising? It could be diastasis recti

Affecting around a third of women after childbirth, diastasis recti isn’t simply a sign of weak abs or not going to the gym enough. The abdominal separation can affect core strength and everyday function – and exercise alone may not always fix it, say doctors