European Medical Journal

WHO Updates Influenza Vaccine Strains for 2026–27 Season WHO announces updated influenza vaccine strains for the 2026–27 northern hemisphere season, reflecting evolving flu virus patterns worldwide.

Flu viruses evolve quickly - and vaccines must keep up.

In response, the WHO has finalised the influenza vaccine composition for the 2026–27 northern hemisphere season.

Discover more: www.emjreviews.com/microbiology...

Vegetarianism Linked to Lower Risk of Five Types of Cancer Read more about how vegetarianism has been linked to a lower risk of five types of cancer in a 2026 pooled analysis. Read more.

Could a vegetarian diet lower cancer risk?

The largest analysis to date spanning 1.8 million people across three continents suggests it might.

Learn more about the research: www.emjreviews.com/oncology/new...

Pipe and Cigar Smoking Linked to Faster Lung Decline Pipe and cigar smoking is linked to faster lung function decline and higher mortality, even among people who have never smoked cigarettes.

Pipe and cigar smoking is often perceived as a safer alternative to cigarettes, but new evidence suggests this assumption may be misplaced.

Learn more: www.emjreviews.com/respiratory/...

MRIs Reveal Brain Structure Changes After Second Pregnancy MRI scans have shown unique changes in brain structure after a second pregnancy. Learn more about this study.

A second pregnancy reshapes the brain.

MRI data show distinct changes in grey matter volume, white matter tracts, and functional networks - with links to maternal mental health.

Explore here: www.emjreviews.com/radiology/ne...

Weight Loss Surgery Healthier for the Heart than GLP-1s Find out more about how metabolic and bariatric surgery offers greater cardiovascular protection than GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Could surgery offer more protection for the heart than the latest weight-loss drugs?

Find out here: www.emjreviews.com/diabetes/new...

Getting Over the AMR Hump with Camel Antimicrobial Peptides Researchers uncover three antimicrobial peptides in dromedary camels that show potent activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Could camels help tackle antimicrobial resistance?

Researchers have identified camel-derived antimicrobial peptides against multidrug-resistant E. coli and MRSA.

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/microbiology...

Asthma Symptoms Linked to Hidden Risks Inside the Home Study finds indoor asthma triggers such as smoking, poor ventilation, and mould are strongly linked to worse symptoms and daily limitations.

The home environment is a primary driver of asthma-related sleep issues and physical limitations, new study finds.

Explore here: www.emjreviews.com/respiratory/...

AI ECG Model Predicts Cardiac Arrest Early Time series electrocardiography combined with AI predicted cardiac arrest with remarkable accuracy. Discover how this approach could improve early detection.

Sudden cardiac arrest often strikes without warning.

AI-driven ECG analysis may help identify subtle pre-arrest signals before clinical deterioration.

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/cardiology/n...

More Than One in Three Say Social Media Harms Their Mental Health More than one in three adults in the UK say social media has negatively affected their mental health, as tech giants come under fire.

With 37% of UK adults reporting that social media has a negative impact on their mental health, is it time to reconsider our relationship with these platforms?

Read more: www.emjreviews.com/general-heal...

New WHO Handbook for Global STI Prevention The WHO releases landmark handbook to strengthen STI prevention, helping countries integrate services and tackle rising infections worldwide. Learn more now.

To address the global surge in STIs, the WHO has launched a new operational handbook designed to standardise prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services across all health systems.

Read more about the new WHO guidelines: www.emjreviews.com/general-heal...

Scientists Are Turning Male Mosquitoes into Dengue Control Releasing male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia cut wild mosquito numbers in Singapore and lowered dengue infection risk.

New evidence from a large-scale Singapore trial suggests that deploying Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is a powerful way to suppress dengue fever.

Uncover more of the findings: www.emjreviews.com/microbiology...

Novel Neonatal Warming Device Reduces Intensive Care Admissions Portable neonatal warming device restores normothermia, reduces neonatal unit admissions, and supports family centred care across UK hospitals.

Reducing neonatal unit admissions starts with better thermal care.

New real-world data shows a portable warming device can restore body temperature quickly - while improving workflows and cutting costs.

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...

Lifestyle and Mental Health Play Key Role in Adult Acne Sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep and mental health may influence adult acne risk, according to a large population study. Learn more about the key findings.

Sedentary behaviour and circadian disruption were independently associated with adult acne in nearly 12,000 adults.

Mental health partially explained the link.

Should lifestyle counselling play a bigger role in acne management?

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/dermatology/...

Maternal Diabetes Associated with Epilepsy in Offspring Find out more about how maternal diabetes is associated with an increased epilepsy risk in offspring, according to a 2026 cohort study.

Did you know that maternal diabetes is associated with an increased epilepsy risk in offspring?

Find out why: www.emjreviews.com/diabetes/new...

Psychotic Experiences Linked to Early Brain Ageing Find out more about how psychotic experiences may influence early brain ageing and what this means for future mental health.

Why does experiencing psychosis cause a 20-year-old’s brain to show a biological "age gap" of several years compared to their actual age?

Find out now: www.emjreviews.com/neurology/ne...

AI Tools Can Improve Accuracy in Chest Radiograph Reporting Learn about how AI tools can improve diagnostic accuracy in chest radiograph reporting, according to a 2026 prospective reader study.

A major 2026 study reveals that AI reporting significantly boosts diagnostic accuracy in chest radiograph analysis.

Explore the findings: www.emjreviews.com/radiology/ne...

Scientists Develop Lab-Grown Heart that Beats Autonomously Discover how a lab-grown heart with sensors tracks beating and force, transforming cardiac research and personalised drug testing.

Scientists have created a lab-grown heart that beats autonomously, offering unprecedented insight into cardiac function.

Learn more: www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...

Benefit of Acupuncture for Migraine Backed by Brain Imaging Find out more about how acupuncture for migraine reduces pain, and how brain scans may predict treatment success.

Could the way hospitals process platelets be causing unnecessary increases in transfusion frequency?

Find out now: www.emjreviews.com/general-heal...

Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-resistant Major Depression Find out how vagus nerve stimulation delivers durable symptom relief and quality of life gains in treatment resistant depression patients.

Progress in hard-to-treat depression:

Long-term follow-up shows sustained benefit from vagus nerve stimulation in patients with highly treatment-resistant major depression.

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/neurology/ne...

Dietary Taurine Shows Promise in Alzheimer’s Disease Dietary taurine supplementation reduced neuroinflammation and pathology in Alzheimer’s disease models. Learn more about its preventative potential.

Could a simple dietary supplement help protect against Alzheimer’s?

New research suggests taurine may reduce inflammation and support brain health, highlighting the potential of nutrition-based prevention.

Discover more of the research: www.emjreviews.com/general-heal...

Psychiatric Disorders Linked to Colorectal Cancer Risk New UK Biobank data link psychiatric disorders with higher colorectal cancer risk. Learn more about the screening and prevention implications.

Did you know?

People with psychiatric disorders face nearly double the risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those without psychiatric diagnoses.

Learn more: www.emjreviews.com/general-heal...

SGLT2 Inhibitors May Delay Prostate Cancer Progression SGLT2 inhibitors linked to lower hormone therapy failure in prostate cancer. Learn more about their potential role in improving treatment outcomes.

Diabetes drugs may slow prostate cancer progression.

In a large cohort, SGLT2 inhibitor use was linked to lower rates of hormone therapy failure.

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/urology/news...

Lipoprotein(a) and Thirty-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Women Find out how lipoprotein(a) screening identifies women at long term cardiovascular risk and supports earlier prevention strategies for heart disease.

❤️ One blood test could flag heart risk decades in advance.

New data show that elevated lipoprotein(a) predicts cardiovascular events up to 30 years prior in otherwise healthy women.

Learn more: www.emjreviews.com/cardiology/n...

Blood Inflammation Ratio Tied to Diabetic Nephropathy Meta-analysis shows neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is associated with higher risk and progression of diabetic nephropathy, supporting its potential use as an inflammatory biomarker in clinical practic...

Could a routine blood test aid early nephropathy risk stratification?

New evidence supports the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a potential biomarker for identifying higher-risk patients with diabetes.

🔗 www.emjreviews.com/nephrology/n...

Asthma Anxiety Reduced with Therapist-Guided Internet CBT Therapist-guided internet CBT safely lowers asthma-related anxiety and boosts quality of life, control, and behaviour in adults with asthma.

Therapist-guided CBT can effectively reduce anxiety and improve asthma-related outcomes, new study finds.

Learn more: www.emjreviews.com/respiratory/...

5/5

Infographic: Digital Twins in Healthcare

Uncover the emerging potential of digital twins in healthcare, highlighting both key benefits and challenges.

Full infographic on page 62: www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...

4/5

Abstract: Scientific Innovations from 2025

Explore some of the most significant, innovative research published across multiple therapeutic areas in medicine in 2025.

Page 50: www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...

3/5

Interview: Tom Coffey, Senior Health Adviser to the Mayor of London.

Page 19: www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...

2/5

Review of the GIANT Health Event 2025

Discover the key innovations, debates, and takeaways shaping the future of the NHS and more.

Page 11: www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...

EMJ’s latest Innovations journal is out now – including all the latest from GIANT Health 2025 and beyond.

Click through to discover our must-reads from the journal.

1/5

🔗: www.emjreviews.com/innovations/...