Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

A German palliative care doctor has been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing 15 of his patients.A court in Berlin on Wednesday found the 41-year-old man, named only as Johannes M. in line with German privacy rules, guilty of murdering 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024.The authorities believe these killings could be just the tip of the iceberg. Prosecutors are currently investigating dozens of other incidents involving the doctor.His victims were between the ages of 25 and 94. The court heard how they were all critically ill, but that their deaths were not imminent.Prosecutors said…

Andrew Griffiths, chief executive of the Federation for Informatics Professionals Andrew Griffiths, chief executive of the Federation for Informatics Professionals (FEDIP), is a man on a mission.  He is determined to persuade everyone working in the NHS digital workforce that it is their “responsibility” to join FEDIP’s register and take advantage of the continuing professional development opportunities now opening to them. For Griffiths, professionalising the workforce is essential to realise the benefits of technology and minimise its risks. Ahead of his appearance at Digital Health Summer Schools 2026, Griffiths explains why NHS England’s new “expectation” of registration is a turning…

Lowering sodium levels in packaged and prepared foods could lead to major improvements in heart health and prevent large numbers of heart attacks, strokes, and premature deaths in France and the United Kingdom. That is the conclusion of two new studies published in Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association. In France, researchers found that cutting salt in baguettes and other widely eaten breads could lower daily sodium intake by about 0.35 grams per person. Over time, this small shift could help prevent more than 1,000 deaths nationwide, highlighting how modest changes in staple foods can have powerful health…

Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, has issued a stark warning to staff that they face the sack or even prison if they access patient records without a legitimate reason. The head of the NHS today said that staff looking at medical records for personal reasons or out of curiosity was “wholly unacceptable, a disgraceful breach of patients’ trust and against the law” and would not be tolerated by the NHS. His warning comes as the NHS launches a new campaign to remind staff what constitutes unlawful access, the potential impact on patients and what the consequences could…

Researchers from University of Utah Health have published new findings in Science Advances that examine the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet. The results raise fresh questions about whether the diet is safe or effective for improving metabolic health over extended periods. Although the ketogenic diet was first developed as a treatment for epilepsy, it has become widely popular in recent years for weight loss and for managing conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. In this study, scientists used mice to explore how the diet affects metabolism over time, with results pointing to potentially harmful changes in how…

A new type of daily pill has proven more effective for weight loss and blood sugar control than its currently available counterparts, according to a recent trial. The drug, known as orforglipron, could be a game-changer in the rapidly expanding oral weight-loss drug market. The advent of the injectable weight-loss drug semaglutide (known better by its brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) marked a distinct shift in the weight-loss drugs market when it became available just a few years ago. Semaglutide is a class of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication. These drugs mimic the gut hormone GLP-1, which is released soon after…

People who repeatedly lose weight only to regain it may find intermittent fasting easier to maintain than traditional calorie counting, according to new research from the University of Adelaide. The study examined not only how much weight people lost, but also how different dieting approaches affected eating habits, mood, sleep, and overall quality of life. Researchers found that intermittent fasting and continuous calorie restriction produced similar weight loss. However, participants following the fasting plan did not feel they had to constantly monitor their eating, avoid overeating, or count calories to achieve those results. Different Mental Approach to Weight Loss That…

Women who follow a Mediterranean-style eating pattern may face a lower risk of stroke, according to research published on February 4, 2026, in Neurology Open Access, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found a strong relationship between this diet and reduced stroke risk, though it does not show that the diet directly prevents strokes. Instead, it identifies an association between dietary habits and long-term health outcomes. Researchers observed lower rates of stroke overall among women who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet. This included both ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes. Ischemic strokes occur when blood flow…

Creatine is widely known as a supplement used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve strength and performance. Now, new research from UCLA suggests it may have another surprising role: helping the immune system mount a stronger attack against cancer. The study, published in iScience, found that creatine boosts the activity of dendritic cells, specialized immune cells that detect tumors and activate the killer T cells responsible for destroying cancer. The findings, based on experiments in mice and human cells, build on previous research from the same laboratory showing that creatine also enhances the function of cancer-fighting T cells. Creatine May…

How obesity affects the brain may depend on more than overall body weight. New research published on January 27 in Radiology, the flagship journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), suggests that the location of fat in the body plays a major role in brain health and cognitive outcomes. The study was led by researchers at The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University in Xuzhou, China. Using MRI scans, the team identified two previously unrecognized patterns of fat distribution that showed the strongest links to negative brain and cognitive changes. One pattern, called “pancreatic predominant,” is marked by…