The health headlines move fast and most coverage gets the science wrong. Every day, Dr. Ravi Kumar, MD, a board-certified neurosurgeon, cuts through the noise: what a new study or story actually says, what it doesn’t, and what it means for you. Researched, sourced, and reviewed before it’s published.
Across 372 routine lab tests in 101,148 adults, how long people had fasted made a real difference for only a handful, mainly blood sugar and triglycerides, so it is worth asking your doctor whether your next draw needs a fast at all.
In Medicare records of 265,639 older adults with cancer, those with depression who started talk therapy within four weeks of diagnosis had a 21% lower risk of dying from their cancer, so if you or a family member feels low after a diagnosis, ask the cancer team for a counseling referral early.
In 313,145 overweight adults, many who fall just under the weight cutoff for semaglutide and tirzepatide carried a similar risk of coronary heart disease, and two blood markers told them apart, but no one has yet tested whether the drugs help this group.
A UC San Diego study of national survey data found that 11.4% of Americans 65 and older who used cannabis in the past year met criteria for cannabis use disorder, so if you or a parent uses it most days, craving and hours spent on it are the signs worth checking, and your other medications are worth raising with a doctor.
In 56,964 UK adults, brisk activity and less ultra-processed food were tied to lower type 2 diabetes risk even when genes loaded the dice, so a family history is no reason to skip moving more and cutting sugary drinks, though the study cannot prove those changes cause the drop.
If you have chronic low back pain, a review of 239 exercise trials suggests three or four 25 to 30 minute sessions a week for two to three months helps about as much as doing more, but pain that runs down your leg was almost never studied and needs its own plan with your doctor.
A Maryland state lab found high lead in Lior Cinnamon Ground Seasoning sold in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Illinois; if lot GAP11304 is in your cabinet, stop using it and throw it out or return it.
A Cornell analysis of nearly 150,000 new US foods and drinks found that claims like "low sodium" and "no trans fat" can sit on products that make up for it with more sugar, salt or saturated fat, so the Nutrition Facts panel on the back is the part to read.
If you have type 2 diabetes and are offered a few days of steroid pills for back pain, a rash or a cough, a new Taiwan study is a reason to ask whether you need them and to watch for black stools, fever or shortness of breath over the next month.
No dementia vaccine exists yet, but 72% of Americans over 50 say they would take one, and the shingles shot, already linked to lower dementia risk, is something you can ask your doctor about today.
An FDA panel votes today on GRAIL's Galleri blood test, and FDA's own review found it caught only about 1 in 3 cancers diagnosed within a year, so a negative result is not a reason to skip your colonoscopy, mammogram, Pap test or lung scan.
A chart review of 687 women found those with very large breasts carried more chronic migraine, neck pain, pinched neck nerves and sleep apnea, which matters most for women whose headaches were written off as tension headaches.