February 18, 2026

Millions are unaware of heart risks that don’t start in the heart

February 18, 2026 / Patient education / InnovateMed Author / heart risk

This American Heart Month, consider checking on health factors beyond the heart, including blood sugar and kidney health Business AnnouncementAmerican Heart Association Highlights: Heart health and heart disease risk go beyond the heart. Diabetes and kidney disease are major risk factors for heart disease, yet many cases are undiagnosed. Regular screening of connected health factors […]

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Taking the next shot: GLP-1 research and the new era of weight loss

February 18, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / Weight loss

by Noelle Toumey Reetz, Georgia State University edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Eric Krause, a professor of neuroscience and Georgia Research Alliance distinguished investigator, studies how GLP-1 therapies affect brain pathways, weight loss and muscle mass. Credit: Georgia State University Soaring in popularity, GLP-1 medications—from weekly injections

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Over 40% of musicians experience tinnitus; hearing loss and hyperacusis also significantly elevated

February 18, 2026 / Clinical Practice / InnovateMed Author / Tinnitus

by American Academy of Otolaryngology edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Andrew Zinin Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), reveals that musicians face substantially higher rates of tinnitus, hearing

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Myopia is driven by how we use our eyes indoors, new research suggests

February 18, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / myopia

by SUNY College of Optometry edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain For years, rising rates of myopia—or nearsightedness—have been widely attributed to increased screen time, especially among children and young adults. But new research from scientists at the SUNY College of Optometry suggests

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‎The good side of a side effect: Brain swelling during Alzheimer’s treatment may signal strong response

February 18, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / alzheimer treatment

by Houston Methodist edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source MRI and Aβ PET findings in patients 1 and 4. In both patients, the regions of ARIA-E on MRI correspond to the regions of greatest decrease in Aβ-PET signal after lecanemab therapy (arrows). Credit: American Journal of Neuroradiology (2025). DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a9111

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RCSI researchers develop RNA-activated implant to stimulate nerve regrowth after spinal cord injury

February 18, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / spinal cord injury

Peer-Reviewed PublicationRCSI 18 February 2026: Researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed a novel implant that delivers tiny growth-promoting particles directly to injured nerve cells, helping them to regrow after spinal cord injury. The study, published in the journal Bioactive Materials, shows how a 3D implant designed to mimic the structure and stiffness of

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A genetic brake that forms our muscles

February 18, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / genetic brakes

Peer-Reviewed PublicationLund University image: Kristoffer Ström, researcher at Lund University view more Credit: Åsa Hansdotter In an international study, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a gene variant that controls the body’s capability to form new blood vessels in muscles – a mechanism that affects physical performance, health and recovery. The favourable gene variant is

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Polyploidy-induced senescence may drive aging, tissue repair, and cancer risk

February 18, 2026 / Clinical Practice / InnovateMed Author / Polyploidy-induced senescence

Our work highlights the need to study polyploidy and senescence in concert to understand their roles in aging, cancer, and therapeutic resistance.” Peer-Reviewed PublicationImpact Journals LLC image: Figure 1. Polyploidy-induced senescence and its potential role in bladder dysfunction and carcinogenesis. (A) Polyploid bladder superficial uroepithelial cells (“Umbrella Cells”) at the bladder-urine interface exhibit markers of cellular senescence

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Debilitating tropical virus can spread in cool weather, posing a greater health risk than previously thought

February 18, 2026 / Clinical Practice / InnovateMed Author / tropical virus

by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Map of predicted temperature suitability for CHIKV transmission by Ae. albopictus in Europe. Credit: Journal of the Royal Society Interface (2026). DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2025.0707 Chikungunya virus, a debilitating tropical disease caused by infected mosquito bites, poses a greater

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What if we could catch disease earlier—Before symptoms start?

February 18, 2026 / Clinical Practice / InnovateMed Author / symptoms

Buck Institute perspective calls for a new approach to detecting disease risk by listening to early biological changes Peer-Reviewed PublicationBuck Institute for Research on Aging Most chronic diseases don’t begin with obvious symptoms or dramatic warning signs. Instead, they develop quietly over many years, as small changes accumulate in the body. A new perspective from

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