Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

Childhood obesity has been increasing in recent years. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, about one in five children and teenagers in the United States met the clinical definition of obesity in 2024. Preventing obesity in children is not simple. For many years, the main approaches have focused on encouraging healthy eating and regular physical activity. Researchers at Yale now suggest that another important factor should be added to that list: reducing stress in parents. A research team led by Yale psychologist Rajita Sinha found evidence that lowering parental stress may help reduce the risk of obesity in…

The feds are set to pay out at least $13.4 billion in Medicare quality bonus payments this year, up slightly year over year and reflecting a rapid escalation in spending over the past decade, a new report shows. Spending on quality payments was $12.7 billion in 2025, according to a new analysis from KFF. The 2026 estimate, however, is more than four times the $3 billion paid out in 2015, the researchers said. About two-thirds (68%) of MA enrollees are in a plan that qualifies for a bonus payment, according to the report. That’s down from 75% in 2025, and…

There’s a long-held belief in diabetes prevention that weight loss is the main way to lower disease risk. Our new study challenges this. For decades, people diagnosed with prediabetes – a condition affecting up to one in three adults depending on age – have been told the same thing by their doctors: eat healthily and lose weight to avoid developing diabetes. This approach hasn’t been working for all. Despite unchanged medical recommendations for more than 20 years, diabetes prevalence continues rising globally. Most people with prediabetes find weight-loss goals hard to reach, leaving them discouraged and still at high risk…

The best carbon plate running shoes do not come cheap, so when Decathlon announced the original Kiprun KD900X—a carbon racing shoe for £130—I was excited. However, the Kiprun KD900X was a firm shoe that lacked the feel and performance of top super-shoes, and while still a fast and durable option for training, it didn’t really rival the likes of the Nike Vaporfly.Decathlon has come back stronger with the Kiprun KD900X LD. It’s more expensive than the KD900X, but still relatively cheap, and offers a higher level of performance thanks to the updated midsole foam. If you want the best racer…

New research presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions 2026 suggests that fat stored around the waist (central obesity or visceral fat) may raise the risk of heart failure, largely due to inflammation. The conference, held in Boston from March 17 to 20, highlights the latest findings in prevention, lifestyle, and cardiometabolic health. The study found that higher levels of visceral fat were more closely tied to heart failure risk than overall body weight. Larger waist measurements were linked to increased risk even in people whose body mass index (BMI) fell within a normal range. These results suggest…

A new policy paper argues that a future NASA base on the moon should include a specialized biocontainment facility designed to keep Earth safe from any potentially hazardous biological material brought back from space. The proposal comes as scientists and space agencies prepare for more ambitious missions that could return samples from the moon, Mars, and other destinations across the solar system. “Humanity is entering a new era of space exploration, but our planetary protection strategies have not kept pace with the risks associated with returning extraterrestrial samples to Earth,” said paper co-author Frederick I. Moxley, Director of Strategic Threat…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ annual outpatient hospital pay increase proposal has come with a potential major change to 340B drug payment rates and a continued push toward lower cost care outside of the hospital.  The agency shared Thursday its proposed 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment Systems rule.  It outlines a net 2.4% rate increase for outpatient services and ASCs, reflecting a 3.2% projected hospital market basket increase and a 0.8 percentage point productivity adjustment. Combining the proposed rate with other policies being floated by the agency would bring an overall…

Effective strength workouts don’t have to be complicated, especially if you’re relatively new to resistance training. Incorporating a few compound exercises that target a range of muscles with a weight that challenges you is one of the best ways to increase your muscle mass, particularly if you follow the progressive overload method by making one variable harder each time you repeat the workout.Health and fitness coach Chris Hover recently shared a workout in that mold. It’s made up of four kettlebell exercises but targets the quads and glutes in your legs, the lats in your back, and your shoulders.It’s an…

Keeping meals similar from day to day and maintaining a steady calorie intake could help people lose more weight, according to research from the American Psychological Association. The study, published in Health Psychology, showed that adults who followed structured eating patterns during a 12-week behavioral weight loss program achieved better results than those who frequently changed their food choices. Participants who repeated meals and kept calorie intake stable over time lost more weight than those with more varied diets. “Maintaining a healthy diet in today’s food environment requires constant effort and self-control,” said lead author Charlotte Hagerman, PhD, of the…

Nearly 30 years ago, researchers discovered two unusual molecules in rye pollen that appeared to slow tumor growth in animal studies. Despite the promising findings, the research reached a dead end because scientists could not determine the molecules’ exact three dimensional structures. Now, chemists at Northwestern University have solved that long standing mystery. By constructing the molecules from scratch in the laboratory, they confirmed the precise structures of secalosides A and B for the first time. With an accurate molecular blueprint available, researchers can now investigate how these compounds from rye pollen, which comes from a cereal crop widely grown…