Health - Friday, March 20, 2026

His method of locating genes in human DNA allowed researchers to find disease-causing genes, and later to map the entire, sprawling human genome.

The idea could be a major win for the health insurance industry, which has seen a crackdown on Medicare Advantage in recent years.

The escalating war in the Middle East so far has not appreciably disrupted global pharmaceutical supply chains, but it could eventually — affecting prices.

In Massachusetts, sepsis cases has more than tripled since 2010. Some blame hospitals' use of AI tools for medical coding and billing.

The largest review of medicinal cannabis to date found it doesn’t effectively treat anxiety, depression, or PTSD—despite millions using it for those reasons. Researchers warn it could even make mental health worse, raising risks like psychosis and addiction while delaying proven treatments. Some limited benefits were seen for conditions like insomnia and autism, but the evidence is weak. The findings are fueling calls for stricter oversight as cannabis use continues to rise.

At #STATBreakthrough, top HHS official Chris Klomp talked to STAT about the delicate, high-stakes search for a new CDC director.

The Trump administration is weighing how to respond to a court ruling on vaccine policymaking, a decision that could come with political risks.

A shingles vaccine might double as a powerful heart protector. In people already at high risk, it cut major cardiac events by 46% and deaths by an impressive 66% within a year. Scientists think preventing shingles may also stop clot-related complications that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The effect is so strong, it rivals the benefits of quitting smoking.

Scientists have found a way to make one of the most aggressive brain tumors vulnerable to the immune system. A single injection of a modified virus can invade glioblastoma, kill cancer cells, and summon immune fighters deep into the tumor. These immune cells persist and attack, which was linked to longer survival in patients.

An editor on the limits of shyness in the face of serious disease.