The Medical News

1. Too little or too much testosterone may matter for heart rhythm

   A review of clinical trials, observational studies, genetic analyses, and mechanistic research suggests that atrial fibrillation risk may follow a U-shaped relationship with testosterone, increasing at both low and high levels. Evidence on testosterone replacement therapy remains mixed, with researchers calling for prospective studies to determine whether mid-physiological testosterone targets and treatment formulation influence AF risk.

2. New optical imaging reveals metabolic activity of individual immune cells

   A routine blood sample contains a diverse collection of immune cells that can reveal important clues about health and disease.

3. Immigrants face longer ICU stays after stroke in Canada

   Among people who have a stroke in Canada, immigrants were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at similar rates as long-term residents or people who were born in Canada, but they were more likely to have longer stays in the ICU, according to a study published September 2, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4. High-dose folic acid appears safe from formaldehyde toxicity

   Folic acid – an essential vitamin added to flour and cereals and prescribed at high doses for cancer patients and people with blood disorders – does not elevate toxic formaldehyde in the body, according to a new Cornell University study on mice and human cancer patients who consumed high doses.

5. New app aims to boost prostate cancer screening among Black men

   A newly funded study at the University of Oklahoma aims to increase prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening among Black men in Oklahoma, who die from prostate cancer at rates two to four times higher than other racial groups.

6. Maternal illness may reshape fetal brain development through epigenetics

   Neurodevelopmental conditions, which include autism spectrum disorders, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and more, impact around ten percent of the American population.

7. Daraxonrasib shows durable responses in RAS-mutant lung cancer

   Daraxonrasib, an oral RAS inhibitor therapy, achieved durable responses in pretreated patients with RAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a Phase 1/2 trial led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

8. Newly diagnosed AML patients benefit from less-intensive combination treatment

   Investigators from the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute have found that adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving a less-intensive combination of azacitidine and venetoclax had more than twice as much time before treatment failed, the leukemia returned or worsened, or they died, compared with patients receiving intensive chemotherapy.