Research in older adults linked daytime napping patterns—in the morning or longer and more frequent naps—to a higher risk of mortality. Meanwhile, Madison Warner, the daughter of Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), died at age 36 after battling with juvenile diabetes and other health problems for decades.
Mental Health and Public Health Updates
The rate of depression in U.S. adults remains high at 19.1% in the first quarter of 2026, according to a Gallup poll. An Oregon judge officially struck down an order from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that aimed to restrict federal funding for gender-affirming care in minors, with the judge ruling “Unserious leaders are unsafe.” The U.S. reported 38 new measles cases in the past week, according to the Yale School of Public Health.
Treatment Advances
First-line physical therapy for chronic low back pain may hold slight advantages after 10 weeks for function—but not pain—compared with cognitive behavioral therapy, according to a randomized study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. A phase III trial of the investigational interleukin-33 inhibitor tozorakimab met its primary endpoint of reducing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations in former smokers, AstraZeneca announced. In another randomized trial, a purpose-driven video game for emergency department physicians working in triage decreased the proportion of severely injured patients who were undertriaged, according to JAMA.
Other Health News
A Pennsylvania court said the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs. The FDA warned Purolea Cosmetics Lab, a company that makes homeopathic products, over its excessive use of artificial intelligence in its drug manufacturing. The agency said it achieved its first-year goals in reducing animal testing in drug development.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.medpagetoday.com/geriatrics/generalgeriatrics/120872