A new diagnostic test could improve the prostate cancer experience for millions of men.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) analyzed a tissue-based molecular test called Decipher to determine which men with high-risk prostate cancer were most likely to benefit from stronger treatment — and which might avoid unnecessary medication and side effects.

The analysis focused on abiraterone, a hormone therapy that was shown in the STAMPEDE clinical trial to cut the risk of death in half among men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer.

The findings were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 in Madrid, held Oct. 23–27.

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Not every cancer is alike, and treating someone more aggressively than necessary could have "increased side effects and poorer quality of life," noted a UCL news release.

Because prostate cancers differ at the molecular level, not every patient benefits from adding hormone therapy.

To determine whether Decipher could help guide that decision, researchers examined test scores from more than 27,000 patients in real-world data and 401 men with non-metastatic prostate cancer who had participated in the STAMPEDE abiraterone trial.

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Higher Decipher scores predicted worse outcomes, meaning the cancer is more likely to spread and additional treatment may be valuable. A low Decipher score suggested more intensive treatment may be unnecessary.

Lead researcher Dr. Sarah Howlett of UCL Cancer Institute commented in a statement that for men with very high-risk prostate cancer, preventing spread of the disease is "critical."

"Understanding who benefits most from additional treatment can make a meaningful difference," she added.

The findings suggest that genomic testing could help tailor treatment, according to the researcher.

Men with high-risk prostate cancer and low Decipher scores may face a lower risk of spread and could avoid more intensive therapy, while those with high scores may be the strongest candidates for additional treatment.

Identifying the same pattern in both a large, real-world dataset and a randomized clinical trial strengthens the findings, Howlett noted.

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"But further validation in other datasets is needed before the test is used routinely to make these decisions," she said.

Elai Davicioni, medical director of urology for Decipher test maker Veracyte, also commented, "We believe this growing evidence gives physicians a stronger reason to use Decipher before making decisions that can affect both cancer outcomes and patients’ quality of life."

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the study, also commented on the findings.

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"Prostate cancer varies from person to person," he said. "Medical science is increasingly aware that it is not one size fits all."

Localized prostate cancer, which has not yet spread, may contain mutations that predict how aggressive the disease will be and indicate whether it could respond to targeted therapies, Siegel noted.

Certain targeted therapies are being used more with widespread prostate cancer, according to the doctor, as they include "more powerful anti-androgens, which works not just on the testes, but on the adrenals as well."

Hormone therapies have "significant side effects," including fatigue, and "don’t always help," he added.

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Siegel said the study’s strength was its combination of a randomized treatment group with Decipher testing, which helped identify in advance which patients were most likely to respond to intensive hormone therapy.

"This is the personalized, precise approach of the near future," he said.

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Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death behind lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

About one in eight American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

National Geographic researchers believe they may have discovered a new "blue zone."

A blue zone is a geographic region where residents show unusually high rates of longevity and survival into old age. The newest blue zone candidate is a small village called Bolotana, located on the Italian island of Sardinia.

In a 2024 snapshot, 10 of the village's 2,262 residents were at least 100 years old, according to National Geographic — roughly 10 times the Sardinian average and 11 times the U.S. average.

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A team of researchers, including Dan Buettner — founder of Blue Zones, a company focused on longevity, and a National Geographic Fellow — set out to investigate Bolotana’s exceptional lifespan.

The findings were published in Frontiers in Aging.

Buettner highlighted three lifestyle habits that are common among Bolotana’s long-lived residents.

The study did not establish that these habits directly cause longevity, but researchers are examining how the village’s environment and traditions may contribute to its unusually high survival rates.

"The international team of demographers, their population scientists … were able to examine the birth records, death records and baptismal records and see that this is probably the richest, most complete data on centenarians in the world," Buettner told Fox News Digital.

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"For those of us who want to make it into our 90s and 100s in full health, this place does it better than anyplace else in the world."

The strongest longevity advantage appeared among Bolotana’s women, who ranked second only to Hong Kong for life expectancy at age 70 and survival from age 70 to 100.

The original Sardinian blue zone was identified in the late 1990s and formally described in research published around 2000. Located in the mountainous region roughly 68 miles from Bolotana, it is known for unusually strong male longevity, according to Buettner.

Although Bolotana remains partly pastoral, it is also an agricultural community. Buettner suggested that this may mean men spend more time at home helping with household responsibilities, potentially reducing the burden on women.

"In the original blue zone in the highlands, the [women] worried about the finances and raising children and the leaky roof," he said. "They're all alone. Here, men are participating more, and that could explain why women are doing better, because they're only bearing half the stress load instead of almost all of it."

Buettner believes the village’s strong social connections may be one factor behind the women’s longevity, although the study did not establish a cause.

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"We see women gathering in the library, baking bread together, making sweets together and going to church together," he said. "So, you see a much more socially connected society among the women in Bolotana than in the other blue zones."

As in many parts of Italy, Bolotana has a strong Catholic tradition. Buettner said church attendance may provide residents with faith, social connection and a sense of belonging.

"It’s a sense of community, but it's also people proactively understanding that sitting down with a friend and talking about your troubles and your day with somebody who cares about you is a much more powerful drug than a pharmaceutical," Buettner said.

"The human species has shown this over and over, and Bolotana is a perfect example."

Diet varies among blue zones, but Bolotana’s traditional fare is largely plant-based, with a focus on beans, vegetables, wheat, olives and olive oil, along with some cheese and meat.

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"About 90% of a centenarian's diet has been all plant-based," Buettner said. "Not protein, by the way. These aren't protein loaders. These are complex carbohydrate loaders."

A Bolotanese breakfast might consist of a piece of bread or cheese with local olives and a cup of coffee. Lunch, the biggest meal of the day that starts in the early afternoon, is "almost always" a minestrone soup made with locally grown seasonal vegetables and lots of beans.

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"Beans are the cornerstone of the longevity diet here," Buettner said. "Garbanzo beans, lentil beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans — these are really the all-star of the diet."

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Traditionally, residents ate meat about five times per month, usually as a celebratory food.

In the highlands, people traditionally cooked with lard, Buettner said, while Bolotana residents use olive oil from ancient trees.

Researchers are studying whether the oil’s unusually high levels of odd-chain fatty acids could be relevant to longevity.

Bolotana residents are not deliberately pursuing longer lives, the longevity researcher noted. The region has little emphasis on gym culture or biohacking.

"These are real humans with an average set of genes," Buettner said. "These aren’t superhumans with superhuman discipline or better genes."

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"They’re not chasing longevity," he added. "It is the product of their environment."

Because Bolotana’s streets are steep and residents rarely drive within town, they typically walk to shops, cafés, workplaces and friends’ homes, Buettner said.

"It’s this sort of unconscious walking that’s far more important for longevity than going to the gym."

Buettner said Bolotana is an example of how daily routines and surroundings can encourage movement without requiring residents to schedule formal exercise.

Residents of walkable American communities have a three- to five-year life-expectancy advantage over those in less-walkable areas, he said.

"If we want a healthier America, we have to start thinking about shaping our neighborhoods and our cities so people can unconsciously move and not rely on heaping another obligation on their busy lives to remember to go to the gym," the expert said.

"Most of the things that lead to Bolotana longevity are also pleasant and make the journey a joy," he added.

Brain games, crosswords and math puzzles are often promoted as ways to sharpen memory, but neurologists warn that generic exercises may not address the specific cause of mental fog.

Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, a professor of neurology at UCLA and co-founder of Cleopatra RX in Los Angeles, says brain exercises only work if they target the specific mental function that is slowing down.

"You can’t just do random cognitive exercises," Voskuhl told Fox News Digital at the Livelong Women’s Health Summit in New York City in September. "They’ve got to fit the problem."

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The problem, she said, is verbal memory. "Doing math is not going to help … You need an exercise that will help you with words."

Mental fog — especially the kind triggered by midlife hormone changes during perimenopause and menopause — impacts very specific areas of the brain, according to Voskuhl.

When estrogen levels drop, overall intelligence and basic logic remain completely normal. Instead, the brain takes a hit in two main areas: verbal memory (recalling names and words) and processing speed (thinking quickly under pressure), experts say.

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Games like Sudoku and other number puzzles primarily exercise logic and math skills, so they may not improve word-recall difficulties.

"It’s not a global problem with the brain," Voskuhl said. "It’s not global brain atrophy, but there are some regions on MRIs and research studies that show that the hippocampus, the memory area, will have some atrophies, some functional connection issues."

To understand why word-based exercises may help, it is useful to distinguish between the following two stages of memory, experts say.

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Brain fog typically affects retrieval, not encoding. The word or name is still stored safely in the memory, but the brain's search engine is running slowly.

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To effectively target brain fog, Voskuhl says exercises need to focus on two things: finding words and working quickly.

"It’s basically processing speed," she said. "So you need an exercise that is going to be something that makes you rush, makes you do it quickly."

The following types of exercises target processing speed and active word recall.

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Instead of using generic puzzle apps, Voskuhl recommends paying attention to where you stumble in daily life and picking games that match those challenges.

People "know themselves," she said — "what they are bad at or what they used to be good at and now they’re not as good at ... Once you know those things, you should think about what kind of games [to play]. You can play around with different games. You can see if it pushes you."

When Selena Gomez revealed to her millions of followers that heavy nicotine vaping had noticeably altered her voice, calling the habit "stupid," her confession highlighted a larger issue with the practice.

For the singer and actress, the physical toll manifested in her vocal cords. But medical professionals emphasize that her experience is only a visible symptom of a deeper health crisis affecting millions of Americans who use e-cigarettes every day.

While often marketed as a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes pose significant health risks. Aside from the immediate vocal strain and airway inflammation noted by otolaryngologists, major health institutions warn that regular vaping exposes the body to a cocktail of toxic chemicals, cardiovascular strain and respiratory risks.

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Specialists emphasize that e-cigarettes deliver more concentrated doses of nicotine than traditional cigarettes, rapidly driving chemical dependency in the brain.

"With e-cigarettes and vaping, you can get a very high dose of nicotine, and that directly correlates to addiction and how difficult it can be to break these patterns," Trent Carter, a nurse practitioner and CEO of Renew Health in New Mexico, previously told Fox News Digital.

Carter notes that high nicotine intake without traditional smoke can carry its own health consequences.

"It can lead to sleep disturbances, increased anxiety, and if you have underlying cardiac problems or high blood pressure, it’s going to raise your heart rate and elevate your blood pressure, leading to all sorts of issues."

According to the American Lung Association, the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes contains fine chemical particles, heavy metals such as nickel and lead, and organic compounds. Over time, inhaling these irritants can trigger chronic airway inflammation, irreversible lung tissue scarring, and obstructive pulmonary conditions.

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A major concern among physicians is the chemical composition of e-liquids. Even nicotine-free formulas contain flavorings and solvent agents like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin.

When heated by the device’s coil, these liquids break down into toxic compounds, including formaldehyde and acrolein, both known to damage cellular structures in the respiratory system.

Doctors stress that because modern e-cigarettes have only been widely used for a little over a decade, long-term health consequences are still unclear. While immediate effects may appear as hoarseness, coughing, or reduced athletic endurance, the larger impact poses risks to long-term vital organ function.

For many attempting to quit vaping, traditional tools like nicotine patches or gum can fall short because they don't address the psychological habit.

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"While a patch or gum can help with physical cravings, if you aren't addressing the behavioral aspect, you're missing a huge component," Carter said.

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"Vaping can become constant throughout the day. Subconsciously, you might not even realize how frequently you're doing it, or that you're using it to cope with underlying anxiety or lack of sleep."

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For those inspired by Gomez, health professionals urge people to seek comprehensive support rather than simply switch nicotine delivery methods.

"The goal shouldn't be to find another way to consume nicotine, it should be to treat the dependence itself," said Carter.

A historic shift in American drinking habits shows Catholic alcohol consumption reaching record lows, though scientific experts caution against attributing the drop strictly to religious or cultural changes.

The share of Catholic adults in the United States who report drinking alcohol has fallen to 55%, according to a Gallup report authored by analyst Frank Newport.

That marks a decline from the 2002–2004 period, when 79% of Catholics reported consuming alcoholic beverages. Over that same timeframe, self-reported Protestant drinking rates remained flat at 54%.

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"Drinking has dropped significantly within both the group of those who have no religious identity and, in particular, among Catholics," Newport wrote in the analysis.

However, experts urged caution when drawing sweeping conclusions from subgroup survey data.

Dr. Joshua Gowin, an associate professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus who studies alcohol's effects on the brain, noted that self-reported polling figures can fluctuate based on sampling.

"There's definitely a general pattern of alcohol use decreasing across groups," Gowin told Fox News Digital.

"As far as the subgroups go, it wasn't clear or necessarily compelling to me that one group was showing a broad trend that wasn't reflected in the other groups," he went on. 

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"It seemed like really only one data point showed that effect ... which made me a little skeptical that this is a broader phenomenon versus a single survey sample."

Despite methodological limitations in tracking specific religious subgroups, researchers agree that broader social and health trends are driving a shift in overall drinking habits.

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Gallup findings indicate that a majority of Americans now view moderate drinking — defined as one or two drinks per day — as bad for their health.

In the latest polling, 52% of Catholics said moderate alcohol consumption is bad for health, alongside 56% of adults with no religious affiliation and 48% of Protestants.

Gowin noted that this public shift reflects decades of neuroscience and medical research.

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"Twenty years ago, there was still kind of a push and pull between some benefits of alcohol and then some things that even then we knew were potentially harmful," he said.

"Over time, we've gotten a lot more clarity on the things that are bad for our health ... the balance has just shifted more in favor of the evidence for negative health effects."

Gowin pointed out that large-scale neuroimaging studies now consistently link higher alcohol consumption to reduced brain volume, reinforcing public health warnings.

Researchers also attribute shifting consumption patterns to broader societal changes, including shifts in social behavior and loneliness.

Much of America's alcohol consumption has historically occurred in group settings, and changes in how people gather socially may be influencing drinking habits, they believe.

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At the same time, experts caution that a drop in general social drinking does not mean severe alcohol problems have dissolved.

"One of the things that is a bit of a contradiction ... is that although the overall prevalence among all adults is down for the number of drinkers, there is actually a larger number of alcohol-related deaths in the past few years," Gowin noted.

"It's not like the serious problems have gone away."

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' diagnosis of blood clots in both lungs has put blood thinners in the spotlight.

Hurts is receiving treatment with the medication and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season, according to the NFL.

Even young, physically active people can develop dangerous blood clots, especially when risk factors such as an injury, long travel or recent surgery combine. 

"Being in shape lowers your risk, but it doesn’t make you immune," said Dr. Joseph V. Lombardi, chief physician executive at AtlantiCare.

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Hurts’ case also highlights the precautions patients taking blood thinners may need to follow.

The medication can help prevent dangerous clots from growing or forming but can also make it harder for the body to stop bleeding after an injury, a concern for athletes playing high-contact sports or anyone who falls or gets hurt.

"Taking [blood thinners] consistently, understanding potential interactions and recognizing warning signs can greatly reduce the risk of complications," Dr. Yazan Abou-Ismail, a hematologist and thrombosis expert at the University of Utah, told Fox News Digital.

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Here are five mistakes patients should avoid:

While some patients only need blood thinners for a limited time, others may need them long term. When a clot has a clear cause, such as an injury, treatment often lasts about three months, Lombardi told Fox News Digital.

The duration depends on factors including the reason for treatment and whether a patient has had previous clots, Abou-Ismail added. Stopping too soon can raise the risk of another clot, while continuing longer than prescribed may increase bleeding risk.

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Patients should not stop or extend treatment without speaking with a doctor.

Missing doses repeatedly can weaken a medication's protection against clots, Abou-Ismail said, but what to do after a missed dose depends on the specific drug.

Patients should follow the instructions for the prescription or call a pharmacist or doctor, not automatically take an extra dose to make up for a missed one.

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Aspirin and NSAIDs, including ibuprofen, can increase bleeding risk when taken with blood thinners, Abou-Ismail said. Some prescription drugs and supplements, including fish oil and turmeric, can also affect bleeding or medication levels.

Patients should ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking anything new even if it is sold over the counter.

Some bruising or minor bleeding may occur, but persistent nosebleeds, blood in the urine or unexplained increases in bruising warrant a call to a health care provider, Abou-Ismail said.

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Uncontrolled bleeding, vomiting blood, black or tarry stools, a sudden severe headache or new confusion, vision changes or trouble speaking require urgent care.

After a significant head injury, patients should seek medical evaluation, even if they initially feel fine, experts note.

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A hard hit or fall can lead to serious bleeding in patients taking a blood thinner, which is why Hurts cannot play football during treatment.

Patients should ask a doctor which activities are safe for them. Some may be able to continue exercising, but contact sports and other activities with a high risk of injury warrant extra caution.

Blood thinners do not dissolve an existing clot, Lombardi cautioned. They help prevent it from growing while the body clears it over time. The right treatment and precautions vary, so patients should contact their care team with questions about doses, side effects or activity.

Christina Applegate’s recent revelation that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis is raising questions about how the disease can be confused with other conditions even after years of treatment.

The actress, 54, shared the news during an Oct. 20 episode of her podcast, "MeSsy," alongside co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, saying she was in a complete "state of shock."

Applegate was first diagnosed with MS in 2021 after experiencing debilitating symptoms and undergoing extensive testing, including brain and spinal MRIs and a spinal tap. She said doctors found dozens of lesions on her brain.

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After years of treatment, her doctor decided to stop her regular infusions and monitor her B cells.

"And my B cells didn't change. They didn't go higher. They didn't go lower. They didn't change, and she had never seen that. So, I guess that began kind of a study into my diagnosis," Applegate shared.

After additional brain scans, the doctor entered Applegate’s room and said, "Congratulations, you don't have MS."

The actress did not consider this to be good news, however.

"Because you don't get misdiagnosed and then all of a sudden [you’re] better," she said. "I haven't gotten better. … If anything, I've gotten worse in some ways."

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Applegate noted that she has "every symptom" of someone with MS, adding that there are many conditions that mirror the disease.

She recalled that her MRIs clearly showed around 30 lesions but said her neurologist identified a different feature, which she described as a "string," that led to the conclusion that she did not have MS.

"So, I'm back at square one [and] don't know what's going on with me."

Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, said during a follow-up "MeSsy" podcast episode that misdiagnosis of MS is "fairly common."

In a study of patients referred to MS clinics at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai, Kaisey, who has not treated Applegate, said she found that nearly one in five who arrived with an MS diagnosis ultimately did not have the disease.

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"Some [had been diagnosed] for decades," she said. "And a majority of them were on medication to treat their MS."

The primary challenge, according to the doctor, is that there is no single test for MS. 

"It's not like we have something like a pregnancy test that says, yes, you have it, no, you don't," Kaisey said. 

Instead, Kaisey said, "It's a list of criteria, some of which remain a little bit subjective."

Most misdiagnosed patients did have some type of white matter spots, or lesions, on their MRI scans, Kaisey noted, but they had a different cause that was not MS.

Newer imaging techniques may help doctors distinguish MS lesions from white matter spots caused by other conditions.

Kaisey pointed to the "central vein sign," an MRI finding that looks for small blood vessels running through the center of lesions, which is a characteristic associated with MS. The sign was incorporated into updated MS diagnostic criteria to help doctors determine whether white matter lesions are consistent with the disease.

Richard Ransohoff, M.D., a Boston-based neurologist who sits on the Board of Directors for the American Brain Foundation, called the central vein sign "a real step forward" in distinguishing MS lesions from other abnormalities.

"Things are getting better, and even in the time that Ms. Applegate has been having her symptoms and her evaluation, things have gotten better," said Ransohoff, who also has not treated the actress.

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Many of the symptoms of MS, such as tingling or numbness in the feet, fatigue and brain fog, are common in other conditions, according to both neurologists.

"To distinguish MS from its mimics can be challenging, and doctors, even with the best intentions … can sometimes still get it wrong," Kaisey said. "To diagnose MS, we need a symptom that's kind of very specific to MS, and we also need the MRI that looks like MS."

Kaisey said she has found that being "undiagnosed" with MS can be even harder than receiving the initial diagnosis, particularly when the disease has become intertwined with someone's identity, family and community.

"So, to suddenly take that away, I think it’s earth-shattering. It's life-changing in a huge way."

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The neurologist emphasized that patients should feel comfortable asking questions and getting a second opinion.

"Don't be afraid to do that, especially if something inside is telling you that you need to dig a little deeper," she advised.

Ransohoff reiterated that MS misdiagnoses are common. 

"It’s a tough diagnosis, and there is no single element in the diagnostic process that tells you with 100% certainty that it is MS," he told Fox News Digital.

The neurologist said even after a diagnosis, doctors should "keep an open mind" and be willing to reconsider.

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"If things start going differently from your expectations, if the person begins to have symptoms that really don't fit in with MS or they don't respond to treatment, then you really start to put on your thinking cap and say, ‘What else could this be?’

"It requires the ultimate in humility as a physician. You simply have to say there are certain things we know and certain things we don't know."

Classic early MS symptoms tend to appear relatively quickly, persist for weeks and then recede, according to Ransohoff.

Anything producing a similar pattern can potentially mimic the disease. Some of those conditions may include certain strokes in younger people, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (a rare autoimmune disease of the central nervous system), MOG antibody disease (a rare autoimmune inflammatory disorder), lupus and migraine, he said.

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A migraine is one of the most common alternative diagnoses, both neurologists agreed.

Kaisey noted a migraine can also produce MRI abnormalities in the form of white spots, although they are usually smaller and in a different shape and location.

"If you're not looking closely at the MRI or you don't know exactly what to look for, you can confuse the two," she said.

In some cases, reversing an MS diagnosis can actually provide a concrete alternative diagnosis and better targeted treatment, but that did not happen in Applegate’s case, Ransohoff noted.

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"You have to have tremendous sympathy for her suffering in that context, because even when treatment is not going as well as you would like, it's better to know what you're dealing with," he said.

"Facing the unknown when you feel crappy is a very tough road to go."

To prevent misdiagnosis, Ransohoff recommends that everyone who receives a multiple sclerosis diagnosis is seen by a specialist at a specialty MS center who has developed pattern recognition after many occurrences of seeing the disease.

The neurologist noted that MS treatment has advanced dramatically over the course of his career, growing from virtually no options to more than 20 medications today.

"You want to work with someone who has experience with all those medicines, with all the various patterns that MS can show, because every person's MS is different," he said.

If a treatment isn’t helping or is causing significant side effects, an MS specialist can reassess the approach and help identify a more appropriate medication, Ransohoff added.

The doctor emphasized that the outlook for people who do have MS has improved dramatically.

"The person who's diagnosed with MS today is totally different from 40 years ago when I got started," the neurologist said. "If the diagnosis is correct and the treatment is correct, then they should do pretty well with their MS."

A non-surgical procedure that temporarily blocks extra blood vessels in the knee is offering lasting pain relief for people with knee osteoarthritis.

In a clinical study of 194 patients, 80% of them reported significant reductions in knee pain that lasted for at least a full year after receiving the treatment.

The findings highlight a potential alternative for millions of adults with chronic joint pain who have outgrown pain medications or steroid injections — but who want to avoid total knee replacement.

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Osteoarthritis wears down joint cartilage and causes the body to grow unnecessary new blood vessels around the knee, according to Mayo Clinic. 

These extra vessels increase inflammation and irritate surrounding nerves, making daily movement painful.

The procedure, known as genicular artery embolization (GAE), addresses this directly. 

By temporarily clogging excess blood vessels, doctors can reduce inflammation and quiet pain-sensing nerves without major surgery or permanent implants.

Because the treatment uses microscopic gelatin particles that dissolve over time, it leaves no foreign material behind. If widely adopted, GAE could provide a repeatable, low-risk way for patients to stay active and preserve joint function longer, researchers say.

"For many patients with knee osteoarthritis, there is a real treatment gap today," said Florian Nima Fleckenstein, M.D., deputy head of Interventional Radiology Campus Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, in a press release.

"Our study demonstrates that GAE using rapidly resorbable gelatin-based microspheres is a safe, minimally invasive therapy that provides meaningful pain relief and functional improvement in participants with osteoarthritis-related knee symptoms for at least 12 months."

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During GAE, doctors use real-time X-ray guidance to steer a thin, flexible tube into the blood vessels surrounding the knee joint. 

Then they release tiny, dissolvable gelatin particles into specific vessels to slow excess blood flow to the inflamed areas.

Across 239 total procedures performed on 194 study participants, none experienced severe complications. 

Only 6.7% reported mild side effects, such as brief skin discoloration or minor bruising, issues that resolved on their own.

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"In our cohort, we saw a significant drop in pain and a significant increase in function, including sports and recreation and daily activity," Fleckenstein said.

"Most importantly, their quality of life significantly increased."

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In addition to feeling less pain, participants experienced gains in daily mobility. Patients reported easier walking, climbing stairs and bending, while overall quality-of-life scores more than doubled over the 12-month follow-up period.

While the results are promising, researchers note several important limitations.

First, the study did not include a control group receiving a mock or placebo procedure. 

Without a comparison group, it is difficult to isolate the physical benefits of the dissolvable particles from potential placebo effects, the researchers said. 

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Second, the study tracked patients for only one year. 

Further research is needed to determine how long the pain relief typically lasts and how often repeat treatments might be required.

Finally, while GAE effectively reduces inflammation and pain, the researchers said it is not a cure.

The procedure does not rebuild lost cartilage or reverse structural joint damage. Larger, randomized trials are currently underway to confirm these early findings.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for further comment. 

Taking melatonin or Ambien (zolpidem) before surgery may be associated with less pain and a smoother recovery afterward, according to new research.

Research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2026 annual meeting in San Diego on Oct. 18 found that improving sleep before surgery with one of these two sleep aids could ease anxiety while reducing postsurgical pain and opioid use.

The researchers analyzed 16 studies of patients who underwent abdominal, gynecologic, orthopedic, urologic, dental and other surgical procedures between 2000 and 2025.

THIS ONE QUESTION MAY REVEAL WHETHER YOUR BODY IS GETTING THE REST IT NEEDS, STUDY FINDS

This amounted to more than 1,100 patients, according to a press release from the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Melatonin was typically taken the night before surgery and/or 20 to 90 minutes before anesthesia, with dosages ranging from 1 mg to 20 mg.

Ambien, consistently dosed at 10 mg, was taken at bedtime either the night before surgery or for multiple nights up to two days before the procedure.

SLEEP APNEA MAY BE QUIETLY CHANGING YOUR BODY IN AN UNEXPECTED WAY, STUDY FINDS

Although both are used as sleep aids, melatonin and Ambien work differently.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, according to the National Institutes of Health. Ambien, or zolpidem, acts on GABA-A receptors in the central nervous system to produce a sedative effect, states FDA prescribing information.

Across all studies, melatonin was associated with less anxiety, pain and inflammation, in addition to a more than 30% reduction in opioid use among some abdominal surgery patients.

The analysis suggested melatonin could offer advantages over traditional sedatives for older adults, who may be more susceptible to confusion after surgery. Studies that used activity monitors also found that patients who took melatonin showed improvements in recovery and sleep patterns.

Ambien reportedly helped patients with pre-existing sleep problems sleep better before surgery and was also associated with less pain afterward.

Patients who underwent colorectal surgery and took Ambien required less opioid medication during and in the first 24 hours after the procedure. They also had lower inflammation levels.

CANCER SURVIVORS SAW MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SLEEP AND WELL-BEING WITH ONE WEEKLY PRACTICE

Those who had hip replacement reportedly experienced less anxiety and depression and were more satisfied with the recovery process.

Because this was a scoping review, which summarizes existing research rather than testing a treatment directly, the researchers could not make clinical recommendations or fully assess the risk of bias. They noted that more research is needed.

Dr. Sebastian Amaya, senior study author and senior anesthesiology resident at Yale School of Medicine, said he was not surprised that improving sleep was associated with positive outcomes.

He noted that sleep is "extremely important" for maintaining overall health and controlling the immune system, cognitive function and emotional well-being.

In the studies reviewed, use of melatonin and Ambien was associated with less pain and lower opioid use, the doctor reiterated.

ONE TYPE OF SLEEP LINKED TO DRAMATICALLY LOWER RISK OF DEMENTIA, PARKINSON'S AND 81 OTHER DISEASES

"Pain is ultimately an experience," Amaya said, noting that a person’s environment and other individual factors can influence pain levels.

Sleep also plays an important role in brain function, including the processes involved in how pain is experienced, he added.

"A lot of the hormones that are involved in pain are also involved in sleep," he said. "If you have insomnia, if you have other chronic sleep issues, all these different biological pathways can be disrupted, and that could lead to increased pain after surgery."

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"So, by having somebody with optimized sleep preoperatively, we decrease the risk of increased pain after surgery."

Opioids are commonly prescribed to manage pain after surgery, and research has linked greater postsurgical opioid exposure with an increased risk of persistent use. Although the possibility that better sleep could reduce opioid use after surgery is promising, Amaya cautioned that the findings are not conclusive.

"A lot of these studies did show that the patients had decreased pain levels and decreased opioid consumption in the immediate postoperative period," he said. "Unfortunately, they didn't get followed up for the next couple of days. That would be another study that should be done."

Amaya said the goal is to get patients out of the hospital as soon as possible while keeping pain under control. Improving sleep before surgery may be "low-hanging fruit," particularly as modern lifestyle factors such as blue light and noise can interfere with sleep quality.

"There are probably a lot of people who actually have poor sleep quality, and that can play a role when they come to surgery and have postoperative problems, like a lot of pain," he said. "Maybe their sleep could have been optimized with better sleep hygiene, or maybe they could have talked to their primary care physician."

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Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Utah-based licensed clinical psychologist and senior behavioral scientist at RAND, who was not involved in the study, said the findings "make sense" from a sleep perspective.

"We know how important sleep is for healing and recovery, and it’s very normal to feel anxious and sleep poorly before a major medical procedure," she told Fox News Digital. "For some patients, a short-term sleep aid around the time of surgery may help."

Troxel suggested the concern would be that sleep medications generally are not recommended as a long-term solution for insomnia.

"I’m a little surprised that melatonin showed benefits, since the overall evidence suggests it has limited effects as a sleep aid for most people," she noted. "It may be that placebo, or expectancy effects, could also contribute, particularly in such a stressful context."

Despite the limitations, Troxel concluded that the findings are "interesting and could positively impact patient care for surgical procedures."

For patients who are anticipating an upcoming surgery, Troxel noted that pre-procedure anxiety and disjointed sleep are "normal," and there may be short-term solutions.

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"Anyone considering melatonin or a prescription sleep medication should check with their surgical and anesthesia team about what is appropriate for them," she advised.

Fox News Digital reached out to manufacturers of Ambien and melatonin requesting comment.

Frequent daytime napping among older adults has been linked to a higher risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tracked nearly 1,000 adults age 65 and older who showed no signs of memory or thinking problems when the study began in 2013.

A decade later, the researchers found that daily rest habits — like how often people nap, how long they sleep and whether they fall asleep by accident — are linked to long-term brain health.

ONE TYPE OF SLEEP LINKED TO DRAMATICALLY LOWER RISK OF DEMENTIA, PARKINSON'S AND 81 OTHER DISEASES

The study found that participants who napped frequently, defined as most days or every day, had a 48% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those who rarely or never napped.

Whether the naps were intentional also appeared to play a role. Seniors who fell asleep unintentionally had a 39% higher risk, while shorter naps were also linked to poorer outcomes.

Napping for 30 minutes or less was linked to a 40% increased risk of dementia, even after researchers adjusted for other health factors. For naps longer than 30 minutes, the association was less pronounced after researchers accounted for nighttime sleep patterns.

The research team stressed that looking at daytime napping habits gives a much clearer picture of overall health than looking at nighttime sleep alone.

THIS ONE QUESTION MAY REVEAL WHETHER YOUR BODY IS GETTING THE REST IT NEEDS, STUDY FINDS

"Our study highlights the importance of looking beyond just how long people nap and considering other napping characteristics, such as how frequently they nap and whether their naps are intentional," study authors Adam Spira, Ph.D., a professor at the Bloomberg School, and postdoctoral fellow Kening Jiang, Ph.D., told Fox News Digital.

"This study provides important longitudinal evidence that frequent and unintentional daytime napping were associated with a higher risk of developing dementia among older adults."

The findings held true even after accounting for nighttime sleep length, daytime drowsiness and indicators of sleep apnea.

"Nighttime sleep and daytime napping are closely related," Spira and Jiang went on. "Daytime napping may compensate for poor nighttime sleep, but it may also reduce the drive to sleep at night, potentially contributing to nighttime sleep disturbances, another important potential risk factor for dementia."

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Researchers pointed out that daytime resting does not necessarily cause brain changes. Rather, changing nap habits could be an early warning sign of underlying changes in the brain.

Brain regions that help regulate wakefulness can start to break down in the early stages of dementia, leading to more frequent daytime fatigue, they noted.

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To double-check this, the team re-analyzed the data after removing anyone who developed dementia during the first five years.

The link between frequent, accidental naps and dementia remained just as strong, suggesting that changes in napping habits can show up years before a formal diagnosis.

The researchers emphasized that this was an observational study with limitations.

"We did not directly intervene on participants’ napping behaviors to examine whether changing these behaviors would affect their dementia risk," Spira and Jiang told Fox News Digital.

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"Although we don’t know whether napping causes dementia, our study findings suggest that daytime napping patterns may be useful indicators of future dementia risk," they added.

The findings suggest that daytime napping patterns in older adults may be worth monitoring, particularly when naps become frequent or happen unintentionally, according to the researchers.

A growing number of American parents are using cannabis, prompting questions about potential child exposure and safety, according to a new study.

Cannabis use increased substantially among parents between 2012 and 2024, with researchers estimating that at least 5.9 million U.S. children were living with a parent who used marijuana on most days in 2024.

By 2024, 8% of parents used cannabis on most days, 5.2% used it daily and 6.7% met the criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD).

IS DRINKING EVERY DAY ALCOHOLISM? EXPERTS EXPLAIN WHERE CULTURE AND ADDICTION COLLIDE

Daily cannabis use among parents was about four times as common as daily alcohol use, the study found.

While increases occurred across nearly all demographic groups, some of the largest were seen among younger and unmarried parents, those in lower-income households and those without a four-year college degree.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), involving nearly 482,000 U.S. individuals ages 12 and older.

The findings were published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

MARIJUANA USERS MAY FACE HIDDEN DRIVING DANGER THAT STANDARD TESTS CAN MISS

"Marijuana has become so socially acceptable that people are starting to overlook the risks," Dr. Jarid Pachter, who specializes in family medicine and addiction medicine at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, told Fox News Digital.

"Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's harmless," added Pachter, who was not involved in the study.

The physician also expressed concern about the example parents are setting for their children.

"If marijuana use is a regular part of life at home, children may start to see it as something that's normal and relatively harmless," he said, pointing to studies that show children whose parents use marijuana are more likely to use it themselves as they get older.

"That doesn't necessarily mean the parent's marijuana use is causing the child to use, but there's clearly an association."

The doctor also cautioned that THC, the main psychoactive chemical in the marijuana plant, is known to affect attention, memory, coordination and reaction time.

NIGHTLY GLASS OF WINE MAY NOT BE AS HARMLESS AS MANY PEOPLE THINK, STUDY SUGGESTS

"When you have young children, you need to be alert and able to respond to their needs," he said. "I'm not suggesting that someone who uses marijuana can't be a good parent. My concern is about being impaired when you're responsible for a child's safety."

"I also think we need to be careful about normalizing daily marijuana use," he went on. "We wouldn't automatically consider daily alcohol use harmless, and we shouldn't look at marijuana that way, either."

Pachter emphasized that accidental ingestion is another concern, especially with edibles like marijuana gummies or chocolate, which can look like regular candy to a young child.

"We've seen significant increases in emergency room visits involving children who accidentally consume marijuana," he told Fox News Digital.

CANNABIS COMPOUNDS COULD REVERSE DISEASE AFFECTING ONE-THIRD OF ADULTS

"Some develop severe sedation, confusion and difficulty walking. In more serious cases, children can have breathing problems and require hospitalization."

The more frequently someone uses marijuana, the greater risk of developing cannabis use disorder, the doctor cautioned.

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"We also know THC can affect memory, attention and coordination. Frequent use, particularly of high-potency products, is associated with an increased risk of certain psychiatric problems in susceptible individuals."

Smoking marijuana around children can also pose a risk of secondhand exposure.

"Marijuana smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke," the physician said. "We know children can be exposed to THC through secondhand smoke, although we're still learning about the long-term health effects."

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For those who use marijuana every day, Pachter suggests they ask themselves whether they can go without it, and whether it is affecting work, relationships or responsibilities.

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"And if you're a parent, you need to consider whether your marijuana use is affecting your ability to care for your children."

The study had some limitations. The researchers did not assess parenting quality or children’s health, and the findings do not establish that parental cannabis use causes adverse child outcomes.

Additionally, the data relied on self-reported substance use, which could be subject to recall or reporting bias.

The researchers called for further studies examining whether the frequency of parental cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, household exposure and storage practices are associated with children's health or developmental outcomes.

The researchers reported funding support from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Supplements are a daily wellness habit for many Americans — but experts warn more isn’t always better.

Some common nutritional supplements include zinc for immune function, ashwagandha for stress relief, fish oil for improving heart health and magnesium for better sleep, among others that have gained popularity on social media.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Jim LaValle, a clinical pharmacist and metabolic medicine expert based in Texas, said that supplements should be balanced with other medications and medical conditions.

AMERICANS ARE GIVING UP MULTIVITAMINS FOR A DIFFERENT DAILY HEALTH HABIT, STUDY FINDS

"I've never met a supplement I didn't like under the right circumstances," he said. "There's some evidence around what it's doing in the body."

While supplementing certain nutrients can be beneficial, the health expert warned that overdoing it can be "problematic."

"A lot of people take one of everything and then stack peptides on top of it — and then they're going and doing 18 different things," he said.

It's important to first assess what the body needs from an individualized approach, according to LaValle.

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For example, low magnesium has been associated with the development of metabolic syndrome. In that case, he said, taking a magnesium supplement could help to balance out levels.

"We assume that if you eat healthy, you're going to get those nutrients. But are the foods we're selecting actually rich in those nutrients?" he questioned.

LaValle recommends using supplements to address specific needs, starting with a blood test to pinpoint any deficiencies, rather than blindly treating symptoms.

Low iron and ferritin are common among people complaining of fatigue, LaValle said, yet some may instead turn to supplements like ashwagandha or rhodiola in an effort to boost their energy.

TAKING DAILY SUPPLEMENT MAY HELP PRESERVE MUSCLE AS YOU AGE — EVEN WITHOUT EXERCISE

"They’re buying some kind of stimulant adaptogen to try to get their energy up," he said. "That’s pretty basic — you’re low in iron, and you never got a blood test."

LaValle noted that the number of biomarkers measured is less important than how well the results are interpreted.

After appropriate blood testing, the results can be used to identify "functional highs and lows" and help establish specific health goals, he said.

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"If you're somebody who has a goal to get out there and get after it and do a Hyrox or an LT Games or a Tough Mudder, there could be supplements that would help improve your performance [or] reduce your risk of injury," LaValle said.

"It doesn't mean you [have to] take them all the time."

The expert reiterated that it’s easy to "overdo it," particularly with the influence of online health and wellness advice.

"When people are getting barraged with marketing between social media and friends telling them, 'I did this and it worked,' they'll lean in and go, 'Hey, if two is good, four is better, and why not do 10?'"

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In one example, having low levels of certain nutrients, such as zinc, can disrupt key functions in the body, as zinc plays an important role in immune health, cell growth and metabolism.

But supplementing with too much zinc can cause digestive distress and even copper deficiency, which can lead to anemia and other neurological problems, according to the NIH.

"So having low zinc is not good, but you can overdo zinc," LaValle said. "You can overdo vitamin A. You can overdo vitamin D easily, and that could be potentially toxic if you're taking too much of it."

People should talk with a doctor or pharmacist before starting or combining supplements, particularly if they take prescription medications or have underlying health conditions. Blood testing may also be appropriate before supplementing certain nutrients, experts advise.

People diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face a roughly 71% higher overall risk of early death compared to those without the condition, according to a new review published in JAMA Network Open.

However, taking prescription ADHD medication may offer a protective benefit, lowering overall risk of death, the review found.

Researchers analyzed data from 19 observational studies involving nearly 16 million people across three continents to evaluate the long-term effects associated with the condition.

DEMENTIA RISK MORE THAN QUADRUPLES AMONG ADULTS WITH COMMON DISORDER

The review considered both unnatural causes of death, such as injuries and suicide, and natural causes, including physical health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Across all categories, individuals with ADHD experienced elevated mortality rates compared to those without the diagnosis.

"We found that people with ADHD face an increased risk not only of death by suicide and injury, but also of deaths by natural causes, adding to evidence that health inequalities faced by people with ADHD are broad and wide-ranging," senior author Joshua Stott, professor of aging and clinical psychology at University College London (UCL), said in a press release.

The risk of death from suicide was nearly doubled, showing an 89% increase, while the risk of dying from intentional or unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle accidents, was 55% higher, the study found.

HEAVY DRINKING SURGES AMONG AMERICANS IN ONE AGE GROUP AS OTHER GENERATIONS CUT BACK

There was also a 27% higher risk of death from natural causes among people with ADHD.

The increased risk of death from natural causes was often tied to long-term health risks like smoking and substance use, as well as executive function challenges that can make it harder to manage chronic conditions, attend doctor’s appointments and follow treatment plans.

In one analysis, researchers checked whether medical treatment changed overall mortality rates.

Among people with ADHD, those taking prescribed ADHD medication had a 25% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those not taking medication, suggesting that effective treatment may lower some of the behavioral effects and health risks associated with the condition.

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"ADHD is not by definition a life-limiting condition, as the right support and treatment can help people live long and healthy lives," Stott said.

"Our findings underscore the importance of ensuring that everyone who may have ADHD has access to accurate diagnosis and treatment."

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Despite these findings, the researchers emphasized several key limitations.

All included studies were observational, meaning the results show associations rather than direct cause-and-effect relationships.

The findings on ADHD medication came from just three of the 19 studies, so those results are still preliminary and based on a much smaller group of people.

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Results also varied widely across individual studies due to differences in diagnostic criteria, healthcare access and tracking methods, while underlying factors such as socioeconomic status and other mental health conditions were not controlled across data sets.

"Our findings provide early evidence to suggest that medication may play an important role in supporting the health of people with ADHD, but this is based on a small number of studies and further research is needed to clarify this link," first author Lucy Corrigan, a research assistant in the University of Liverpool’s Department of Psychology, said in the same press release.

"Medication is just part of the story; many people with ADHD benefit from comprehensive, long-term treatment and support."

Kyle Kennedy, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, has died at the age of 42.

Kennedy, the daughter of Michael Kennedy and Victoria Gifford Kennedy, died Sept. 21 at her Massachusetts home, according to an obituary published by Burke Funeral Homes.

Her cause of death remains pending, People reported.

TATIANA SCHLOSSBERG, JFK'S GRANDDAUGHTER, DIES AT 35 AFTER YEAR-AND-A-HALF LEUKEMIA BATTLE

Born in Washington, D.C., on July 6, 1984, Kennedy spent much of her upbringing in Cohasset, Massachusetts. She attended Milton Academy before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Georgetown University.

She went on to pursue advanced degrees in education, earning a master of science in early education from Pace University and a master of education in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Kennedy began her professional life with Teach for America, teaching for two years in New York City public schools. That experience sparked a lifelong commitment to early childhood education and reform, according to her obituary.

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Over the course of her career, Kennedy worked as an advocate for equitable elementary education and charter schools, collaborated with education technology companies on curriculum improvement, and served as an instructional coach for primary school educators.

An avid athlete and long-distance runner, Kennedy completed the 2019 Boston Marathon.

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In 2020, Kennedy suffered a severe spinal cord injury that caused long-term paralysis and significant health obstacles.

Following her injury, Kennedy focused on disability rights advocacy, including testifying at the Massachusetts State House on healthcare discrimination against individuals living with disabilities.

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Kennedy was preceded in death by her father, Michael, in 1997, and her infant daughter, Josie.

Kennedy is survived by her sons, Conor, 12, and Declan, 10; her ex-husband, Liam; her mother, Victoria (the daughter of Frank Gifford and Maxine Avis Ewart and Kathie Lee Gifford’s stepdaughter); her brother, Michael, and his family; and her sister, Rory, and her family.

Funeral services were held privately.

A powerful new synthetic opioid said to be more potent than fentanyl has been linked to dozens of recent deaths in the U.S., prompting warnings from health officials.

Tennessee was an early hotspot, with the state’s health department announcing in March that more than 30 fatal overdoses had been associated with cychlorphine since October 2025.

An April 2026 notice from the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy cited at least 41 Tennessee deaths between July 2025 and February 2026 and at least 55 deaths nationally.

KRATOM INDUSTRY WARNS SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS SHOULD NOT BE CALLED 'KRATOM'

Fatal overdoses have also been reported in Illinois, California and Oklahoma, according to public health and law enforcement records.

"Cychlorphine is particularly dangerous due to its strength, where a very small amount can cause someone to stop breathing," the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in its advisory.

Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D., CEO and chief clinical officer of the New York Center for Living in Manhattan and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine’s School of Social Welfare, called cychlorphine "the new fentanyl on steroids."

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Cychlorphine is a novel, unregulated synthetic opioid that activates the same receptors as fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It can cause profound sedation, slowed or stopped breathing, or death.

The drug is not approved for medical use and has been detected in illicit drugs and counterfeit pills.

Kardaras called cychlorphine "one of the most potent synthetic opioids" now appearing in the illicit drug supply.

"Fentanyl is about 50 times more potent than morphine or heroin," he told Fox News Digital. "Cychlorphine is reportedly up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl — so theoretically, about 500 times more potent than morphine or heroin."

"This new synthetic drug is making fentanyl look like yesterday's candy."

DR DREW PINSKY REVEALS RED FLAG IN PRESLEY GERBER ADDICTION TREATMENT BEFORE MODEL'S DEATH

Cychlorphine is taken in various forms — people can ingest it as a pill, snort it in powder form or crush it and administer it intravenously, according to Kardaras.

"The problem has been, in addition to its potency, it's often put in other designer drugs and in counterfeit pills," he cautioned.

While some people seek out cychlorphine for its potency, others may ingest it unknowingly when it is mixed into other substances.

"Sometimes, by talking about how potent some of these substances are, we increase the allure of them for some addicts, unfortunately," Kardaras said.

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While cychlorphine is primarily a street drug, it can also be purchased online or via "boutique designer-drug markets," according to the expert.

Cychlorphine can cause a fatal overdose in anyone, regardless of age. Kardaras said younger people may face greater exposure because some are more likely to experiment with drugs or purchase counterfeit pills.

"They’re buying something online … and all of a sudden, without knowing it, they’re ingesting fentanyl or another synthetic opioid," he said.

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Naloxone, commonly sold under the brand name Narcan, can reverse cychlorphine’s opioid effects, but multiple or prolonged doses may be needed.

"What used to take one or two doses of Narcan to reverse an overdose may now require five or six doses, based on anecdotal evidence," Kardaras said.

The DEA advises people to administer naloxone immediately, call 911 and be prepared to give additional doses.

Another major concern with cychlorphine is that standard fentanyl test strips and routine hospital opioid urine screens do not detect it.

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"Most drug tests have very specific chemical structures that they detect in any kind of synthetic or non-synthetic drug, and this new one hasn't quite been baked into the current testing strips," Kardaras noted.

The takeaway, he said, is that cychlorphine may be up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, is not detected by standard fentanyl test strips or routine hospital opioid urine screens, and may require multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.

"So it's a triple whammy," he said. "It's a constant battle of keeping up with the latest iterations of new drugs."

Cancer can strike at any age, often without symptoms. For many cancers, routine screening remains the best way to detect the disease early and reduce the risk of death.

For lung cancer, screening guidelines can vary, as the disease doesn’t always show obvious signals and can occur in both smokers and never-smokers.

Daniel J. Boffa, M.D., chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and a thoracic surgeon at Yale University, noted that lung cancer screening is "one of the most powerful ways" to boost survival.

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"It reduces the chance of people dying of lung cancer by 20%," he told Fox News Digital.

The share of Americans who are eligible for screening but don’t comply translates to "tens of thousands of preventable deaths every year," according to Boffa.

"I'm hoping that within four or five years, a screening CT scan will only be confirmatory after they have a positive blood test done at your doctor's office," he added.

That approach could make screening easier and potentially help detect more lung cancers, according to the doctor.

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Lary Robinson, M.D., an oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, noted that in most cases, early-stage lung cancer will not come with any symptoms.

In those who do have symptoms, however, the most common are related to the lungs, including a persistent cough, shortness of breath or coughing up blood.

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Unexplained weight loss can result from any form of cancer, according to the oncologist. Neurological symptoms, like persistent headaches, may also warrant seeing a doctor.

Current lung cancer screening guidelines recommend an annual low-dose CT scan for people between the ages of 50 and 80 who currently smoke or have a history of smoking or have at least a 20 pack-year history of smoking, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Before making the decision to get screened, individuals should speak with their healthcare providers about the purpose of the screening and how it’s done, as well as the benefits, limits and possible harms, ACS advised.

Those who still smoke should be counseled about quitting and offered interventions and resources to help.

Individuals with serious health problems that will "likely limit" their lifespan should not be screened, according to ACS, as well as those who won’t be able to get treatment if lung cancer is detected.

NEVER SMOKED A CIGARETTE? YOU COULD STILL BE AT HIGHER RISK FOR LUNG CANCER

Although one out of seven lung cancers will affect someone who has never smoked, there is currently not a set screening guideline for never-smokers.

Finding individuals who would benefit from screening is an "intense area of research," according to Boffa. For now, people with a direct family history of lung cancer without smoking should consider annual screenings, as should higher-risk demographics like Asian women.

"I would anticipate that in the next year or two, we will have better guidance for people who are at risk for lung cancer, but never smoked," Boffa predicted.

Boffa noted that advances in lung cancer treatment have improved survival, even at advanced stages, so screening should not be viewed as a pathway to a terminal diagnosis.

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"People are really reluctant to be diagnosed with lung cancer because it does carry a stigma," Boffa said. "For years, there was a reputation that it was a terminal diagnosis. It's just been amazing what research has done for lung cancer."

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Most screenings detect a lung nodule or other abnormality, which is more often an infection, scar or inflammation than a tumor, he said.

In about one-third of patients, lung cancer screenings also detect unrelated health issues, including the hardening of heart arteries or a nodule in another part of the body.

"The reality is over 99% of nodules are actually benign," Boffa said. "And so, you need to have a conversation about what you are going to do with that information."

"I think having that conversation ahead of time is really important so that expectations are set – it's not uncommon to find something. Most of the time, it's not something that's going to affect how long you live."

The doctor noted that the CT scan only takes a couple of minutes to perform and does not take place in an enclosed space like an MRI.

"People who get claustrophobic usually don't have a hard time with lung cancer screening," Boffa said. "And it usually takes a few days to get a report back."

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For those who are over 50 with a history of smoking, Boffa reiterated that getting screened is "one of the most powerful things you can do to reduce your chances of having your life shortened by lung cancer."

Amid a reported surge in parent-child estrangements, some have questioned whether therapy could play a role in the family fracture trend.

Nearly four in 10 Americans are currently estranged from at least one close family member, according to a 2025 YouGov poll of 4,395 U.S. adults, including 24% from a sibling, 16% from a parent and 10% from a child.

While therapy can be helpful in facilitating communication and mending relationships, some believe it could contribute to "cutoff culture."

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In two recent large-scale surveys of over 5,200 U.S. parents who were estranged from adult children, 1,014 parents reported that their children began therapy within the year before the estrangement.

Meanwhile, 515 parents reported that their adult children had indicated therapy influenced their decision about the relationship, and 1,254 said their child had received a mental health diagnosis.

(The surveys were not peer-reviewed or nationally representative and relied on parents' accounts of their adult children’s experiences, limiting what can be concluded about therapy’s role in estrangement.)

Richard Blake, Ph.D., a Texas-based psychology researcher with a focus on anxiety and family estrangement, refers to the trend as an "overcorrection" happening in today’s society.

"There is a lot of debate online about whether it's happening or not," Blake, who was a researcher in the surveys referenced above and has written a book about how therapy could be fueling family estrangement, told Fox News Digital.

"I hear it from both sides. I hear from parents who say, ‘My child said my therapist should cut you off,’ and people who've told me, ‘My therapist told me I should cut my parents off.’ How much it's happening and when it's appropriate and inappropriate is where the nuance comes in."

Laura Wellington, a Connecticut mother who has been estranged from her adult daughter since 2024, also weighed in on the potential role therapists play in the growing divide.

"Do therapists, in my opinion, play a role in the estrangement epidemic? 100%," she told Fox News Digital. "But that doesn't mean there aren't some really good therapists out there."

Wellington, known on social media as "Doormat Mom," said she believes some therapists have contributed to family fractures by focusing too narrowly on one person's experience, when it’s actually a "multi-pronged situation."

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She said some therapists have even contacted her to reconsider their approach to estrangement cases.

"I've had them come to me and ask me, ‘What did we miss?’" she said.

Wellington added that she has seen parents encouraged to apologize to their adult children — something she supports when the parent has done something wrong — but believes therapists should consider the broader circumstances surrounding the estrangement.

Differences in values can contribute to family fractures, even in the absence of severe behavior such as violence or abuse, according to Blake.

"People are cutting people off because of divergence in values," he said.

As one example, Blake pointed to a recent online comment in which someone wrote, "I cut my parents off because they didn't condemn ICE enough."

At the same time, he emphasized that there are legitimate circumstances in which ending contact with a parent may be warranted, including physical or sexual abuse.

"Then you get into the sort of very murky area of emotional abuse, and this is where therapy culture comes in," Blake added.

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The researcher said he believes the term "emotional abuse" is sometimes applied more broadly in therapy and online spaces, particularly in conflicts over politics, religion and language.

"Emotional abuse can be [about] differing political values, a little difference in religious beliefs," he said. "It can be about the words people use."

What a parent views as legitimate criticism can sometimes be interpreted as emotional abuse by an adult child, according to Blake.

"Therapy has sort of raised the bar of what is good enough parenting," he added. "There's just a massive sort of overselling in therapy of how much your parents affected you."

In some cases, Blake said, he will hear from parents that their children never told them the issue that led to them being cut off.

"They’ll say, ‘We were best friends. And then I got a letter saying, ‘never contact me ever again.’"

Blake emphasized, however, that it’s important for parents to listen if the adult child makes an attempt to communicate.

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"A frequent complaint that most adult children make is, ‘My parents just don't listen. I cannot get through to them. It's like talking to a brick wall,’" he said. "And that is a genuine frustration."

"If you don't listen to your child, then don't be surprised if you have conflict with them."

Blake recommended active listening techniques, such as allowing the other person to speak without interruption, repeating their concerns back to show understanding, and asking whether they have more to share before offering a response.

Blake emphasized that his concerns do not apply to all therapists, saying only a "small subset" may view cutting off family members as an appropriate response to conflict.

In situations involving ordinary family conflict rather than abuse, he cautioned that ending contact can have longer-term repercussions even if it initially brings relief.

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"It makes you feel good, but there are consequences afterwards — very serious consequences," Blake said.

He also challenged the idea that the sole act of cutting off a parent will necessarily resolve underlying mental health struggles.

"This is the sort of myth that pervades in cutoff cultures, like, ‘I needed to cut my parents off to protect my mental health,’" he said. The assumption, he added, is: "My parents were the cause of my mental health issues, therefore cutting them out resolves that issue."

Other experts have emphasized that people's experiences with therapy during family estrangement can vary.

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Lucy Blake, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist in the U.K. who studies family estrangement, told the American Psychological Association that therapy can be "very helpful" in some cases.

"I think people can find therapy very helpful if their therapist has an understanding of estrangement, so some appreciation that it’s rarely one relationship that’s affected when there’s an estrangement," she said.

Therapy can also be beneficial when therapists understand underlying factors that can contribute to family estrangement, such as abuse or mental health challenges, the psychologist noted.

Blake has also heard from people who found therapy "very unhelpful," particularly when they felt their therapist lacked warmth and validation or did not understand the "enormous impact" of estrangement and the grief and loss that can accompany it.

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Overall, Blake said therapy can be a "really helpful avenue of support" for some, while noting that researchers are "still really learning" what is helpful or unhelpful for people experiencing estrangement.

For families experiencing conflict, bringing in a neutral third party may be a better option when both sides are willing to participate, experts agree.

"Communication with a mediator, whether it’s a therapist or a professional mediator, can be really productive," said Richard Blake.

Once a family member has already ended communication and asked not to be contacted, however, getting both sides into therapy may no longer be an option.

"I certainly think it’s worth a try," he said of mediation. "I know a lot of very good mediators out there who can help people."

Wellington agreed that bringing parents and adult children into therapy together could be helpful, although both sides need to be willing to repair the relationship.

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She also added that differing beliefs do not necessarily have to end a relationship.

"You can have a different opinion," she said. "You can also have a relationship with your parent who has the other opinion, and that's OK."

A recent study conducted by Canadian researchers found a correlation between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of stroke and future memory problems in healthy adults.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to examine the brains of about 9,000 participants, the researchers discovered small areas of brain damage more commonly in people who ate large amounts of ultra-processed foods, such as soft drinks, packaged snacks and sugary breakfast cereals.

Those with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods were 40% more likely to show these changes in the brain, which can go undetected because they don’t produce obvious symptoms, Medical Xpress reported.

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These brain changes can, however, be early warning signs in the years before the onset of a stroke or memory problems.

These findings were unexpected, according to Russel J. de Souza, first author of the study and an associate scientist at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.

"Usually, this kind of damage is associated with conditions we hear about and treat at a much older age," de Souza told Medical Xpress. He noted that the study focused on "middle-aged Canadians who had no heart problems and reported no other health concerns."

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The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, included participants between the ages of 35 and 69.

Participants who ate the most ultra-processed foods held more body fat and visceral fat, which is linked to various health concerns including heart disease.

The study found an overall stronger connection between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and brain damage among female participants.

Women in the highest consumption group had nearly twice the likelihood of exhibiting signs of brain damage as opposed to those in the lowest consumption group.

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"Our findings suggest that the link between diet and brain health may be detectable before people experience noticeable problems with memory or thinking," said Sonia Anand, senior author of the study and senior scientist at PHRI.

Ultra-processed foods are usually tasty, but they frequently lack important nutrients such as fiber, vitamins and minerals, while containing high amounts of sodium, saturated fats and added sugars, according to the CDC.

The average percentage of total daily calories consumed from ultra-processed foods was 55% among Americans ages one year and older between August 2021 and August 2023, according to data published by the CDC in August 2025.

Ultra-processed foods are convenient and widely available, which could contribute to high consumption, Anand said. However, she noted that "diets high in these foods may be linked to brain changes that may lead to memory loss and stroke" in the future.

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For participants in this study, ultra-processed foods accounted for an average of about 25% of their daily food intake.

The researchers noticed that, as consumption of ultra-processed food increased, consumption of nutrient-dense foods decreased.

Whole foods like fruits, vegetables and grains made up 41% of the daily food intake for participants who ate the most ultra-processed food and 68% for those who ate the least.

The study’s findings suggest a connection between consumption of ultra-processed foods and indicators of changes in the brain.

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Despite this, because participants were only evaluated once and not followed up with in the future, the researchers could not determine that the direct cause of the changes in the brain was consumption of ultra-processed foods.

"We need longer-term studies that track people over time with repeated MRI scans to find out whether reducing ultra-processed food intake can slow or prevent these brain changes," de Souza said, adding that follow-up research is in the works.

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, recently shared that she is cancer-free after a diagnosis of an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Wiles, 69, who became the first woman to hold the chief of staff role in January 2025, was diagnosed in March 2026 and underwent six months of treatment, according to public reports.

On Sept. 16, she shared on X that her pathology results from Mayo Clinic had come back clear, stating, "I am cancer-free."

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Wiles recently shared some additional details of her cancer journey with Fox News Digital.

Wiles’ diagnosis came as a complete surprise, as she had no symptoms and no indications that anything was wrong, she said.

"I felt fine. I was working every day in one of the most demanding jobs imaginable. There was nothing telling me that I had cancer," she told Fox News Digital.

Wiles had gone in for her annual checkup. She wasn’t due for her annual mammogram until several months later, but the machine happened to be available that day.

"My doctor asked if I wanted to get it out of the way," she said. "I told him I wasn’t due for another few months and I’d come back."

Wiles’ doctor insisted that she proceed with the scan, as he knew that her job’s busy schedule would make scheduling a challenge.

"He said, essentially, ‘You’re here. The machine is available. Let’s do it now.’ Thank God he insisted."

The mammogram detected Wiles’ aggressive breast cancer at an early stage.

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"Had he not encouraged me to do it that day, I would have gone back to work and probably not thought about it again until July," she said.

"We would be having a very different conversation in that case. Four months may not sound like a long time, but with cancer, early detection matters. I will always be grateful to my doctor for knowing me well enough to insist."

While the physical effects of cancer treatment are well-known, Wiles emphasized that there is also a mental and emotional toll.

"There were hard days. I don’t want to minimize that or make cancer sound anything less than it is — brutal and unrelenting," she said.

"You wake up thinking about it. Sometimes you go to sleep thinking about it. There is always another appointment or test result somewhere on the horizon."

Wiles credits her "exceptional" doctors and nurses, as well as her family, friends and colleagues, for supporting her through the process. Her faith also sustained her, she added.

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"One of the things I have shared is how cancer can consume both your conscious and subconscious mind," she said. "Even when you’re doing something else, it’s there — treatment, side effects, test results."

"Having people around you who can carry some of that weight matters enormously."

Everyone finds strength in different places when going through hard times, Wiles noted.

"For me, my family, my faith, and continuing to work and serve the president and the country gave me purpose," she said. "Those were the things that reminded me there was so much in my life beyond cancer."

"I was surrounded by people who loved me, prayed for me and supported me. And I had faith that whatever happened, God was with me."

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The disease can make the world seem "very small" for someone who receives a diagnosis, Wiles pointed out.

She opted to continue working during treatment, noting that she was "surprised" by how much it helped.

"Work gave me somewhere else to put my mind," she said. "It reminded me that I was still myself and that cancer was something I was going through, not the entirety of who I was."

Now that she is cancer-free, Wiles said she places a higher priority on healthy habits.

"I am far more conscious of the need for a clean and healthy diet, how important sleep is to your body, and the importance of exercise — even something as simple as getting up, moving and walking outside," she said.

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"Between reading everything I can get my hands on, hearing often from Secretary Kennedy about healthy living and following my doctors’ recommendations, I have recommitted myself to doing the things we know are good for us and that will put me in the best possible position to avoid a recurrence."

After her close call and "fortunate" discovery, Wiles is now encouraging others to stay on top of their routine medical appointments and screenings, urging them to "please make the appointment."

"I understand how easy it is to put yourself last. We do it all the time," she said. "We take care of our families, our jobs and everyone who depends on us, and we convince ourselves that our own appointment can wait another week or another month."

"We all have reasons to put things off … but you cannot be too busy to take care of your health. I learned that in a very personal way."

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To others who are in the midst of a cancer journey, Wiles emphasized the importance of letting other people step in to help.

"My advice would be to let them. Accept the help. Lean on the people you love. Trust your doctors," she advised. "And for me, most importantly, trust God."

There is no single right way to fight cancer, Wiles said.

"Some days, you will feel strong, and some days simply getting through the day is an accomplishment," she said.

"I hope people going through it know that they are not alone, and that there can be life, joy and purpose not only on the other side, but also in the midst of the fight."

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Wiles says her cancer experience has given her a fresh perspective and greater appreciation for the "ordinary days" that many take for granted — but she also noted that the disease has not made her an entirely different person.

"I love my work. I love my family. I am enormously grateful to be cancer-free, and I intend to live my life fully," she said.

"There isn’t a day that I don’t understand what a blessing that is."

The dinner party may be dying in America.

Hosting at home is far less common than it was in past decades, a new analysis found.

Only 67% of Americans said they entertained people in their homes at least once in the past year, down from 88% in 1995, according to an analysis by Data for Progress. 

The think tank compared its own 2026 survey with a similar survey from 1995, noting that the two used different methods and, therefore, offer an indication of a trend rather than a precise measure of change.

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The share of Americans who host friends or family at home at least once a month, meanwhile, plummeted from 42% in 1975 to 12% in 2026, The Atlantic reported.

Experts point to busier schedules, parenting demands, shrinking friendship networks and the appeal of at-home entertainment as some possible reasons for the decline.

After a long day of work and family responsibilities, hosting can feel like yet another demand. 

And with more women working, the social schedules they traditionally maintained, from parties to potlucks, have frayed, The Atlantic noted.

Working multiple jobs to make ends meet leaves people feeling burned out and without the same level of "social battery," Florida-based psychotherapist John Puls told Fox News Digital.

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"When you’ve spent the day working and taking care of your kids, hosting people can seem like just another task to complete, even though you’d love to see them," added Shebna N. Osanmoh I, a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner in California.

In an era when every moment might be shared on social media, many feel the need to make their gatherings picture-perfect.

"High expectations may clash with what people can realistically manage, making hosting feel stressful rather than enjoyable," said Wildaliz Caro, a licensed clinical psychologist in Puerto Rico. "Trying to plan the perfect gathering can fuel pressure to impress others."

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Accommodating preferences and dietary needs can also feed that pressure, The Atlantic noted.

Experts agree that hosting takes more than just time. It takes money. With grocery prices still climbing, feeding a crowd can make even a casual get-together feel like a luxury.

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"Housing costs and smaller living spaces make hosting feel financially and practically harder," Daniel Schatz, a political scientist and former visiting scholar at Harvard, Stanford and Georgetown, told Fox News Digital.

The share of Americans with five or more close friends dropped from 63% in 1990 to 38% in 2021, according to Data for Progress.

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"Americans spend more time alone, report fewer close friendships and participate less in the kinds of local institutions that once created regular social contact," Schatz said. 

He warns that younger adults, people living alone, lower-income households and those without strong social networks are most affected.

The U.S. surgeon general’s 2023 advisory described loneliness and social isolation in America as an epidemic.

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Declining friendships can contribute to depression, anxiety and social isolation, Puls added, and he sees the trend most often among younger generations, while Gen Xers and baby boomers still commonly gather in person.

Puls said that adults are more inclined to stay home and stream movies and TV shows instead of hosting friends and family or going out.

"A dinner party requires planning, cleaning, coordination and a degree of social energy," Schatz added. "Streaming or scrolling requires none of those things."

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But experts say bringing back casual get-togethers, even in small ways, can help people stay connected.

"The remedy need not be elaborate," Schatz said. "The most realistic response is to lower the threshold for gathering: a simple coffee, takeaway meal, walk or recurring 'come as you are' evening.

"The point is not to revive the perfect dinner party. It is to rebuild the ordinary habits of seeing one another."