Medical Bulletin 24/July/2026

Here are the top medical news for today:

Women With PCOS Face Fourfold Higher Heart Disease Risk, Lancet Study Finds

PMOS may affect more than your periods—it could also put your heart at risk.

A new study published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health has found that women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), have a four times higher risk of developing heart disease than women without the condition.

PMOS is a common hormonal and metabolic disorder that affects women of reproductive age. It is often linked to irregular periods, acne, excess facial or body hair, weight gain, thinning hair, and difficulty getting pregnant. However, researchers say its effects go far beyond reproductive health.

The study analyzed health records of more than 413,000 women with PMOS and compared them with over 2 million women without the condition. The researchers found that women with PMOS were much more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, even after accounting for other risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

PMOS can increase the risk of heart disease because it is often associated with insulin resistance, high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, and long-term inflammation. These conditions can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke over time.

The risk may be even higher for women who smoke, are physically inactive, have diabetes, high cholesterol, excess weight, or a family history of heart disease.

Experts say the good news is that this risk can be reduced with early diagnosis and healthy lifestyle changes. They recommend maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising for at least 150 minutes a week, avoiding smoking, getting enough sleep, and regularly checking blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.

Researchers say PMOS should be treated as a long-term health condition, not just a fertility or menstrual problem. Looking after heart health early could help women with PMOS stay healthier in the future.

REFERENCE: Alur-Gupta S, DiTosto J, Lewey J et al.; Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome: a nationwide, US, claims-based, retrospective, longitudinal, cohort study; The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, 2026; DOI: 10.1016/S3050-5038(26)00090-7

Spouses May Raise Dementia Risk by Up to 70%: Study

Could your partner's dementia affect your own brain health? A new study suggests it might.

A large new study, published in JAMA Network Open, has found that people whose husband or wife develops dementia may also have a higher risk of developing dementia themselves.

Dementia is not a single disease. It is a group of symptoms that includes memory loss, confusion, poor thinking, and difficulty carrying out everyday activities. These symptoms are caused by brain conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or damage from a stroke.

The study analyzed health records of nearly one million married people in Taiwan using the country's National Health Insurance database. Researchers followed participants from 1998 to 2022 to understand whether a spouse's dementia affected the other partner's risk.

The results showed that women whose spouse developed dementia had a 74% higher risk of developing dementia themselves. Men in the same situation had a 69% higher risk, compared with couples where neither partner had dementia.

The researchers say there could be several reasons for this link. Couples often share similar lifestyles, eating habits, physical activity levels, and environmental exposures, all of which can influence brain health. In addition, caring for a partner with dementia can be physically and emotionally stressful, and long-term stress may also affect memory and thinking.

However, the study does not prove that one spouse's dementia causes the other partner to develop the condition. It only shows an association.

The researchers say more studies are needed to better understand the reasons behind this connection. Future research will examine factors such as caregiving burden, education, lifestyle habits, and other shared experiences that may contribute to the increased risk.

The findings highlight the importance of supporting both people in a couple when one partner is diagnosed with dementia, while also encouraging healthy lifestyle habits that may help protect brain health.

REFERENCE: Wang S, Lin M, Fan CC, Huang W, Hsu C, Wu C. Spousal Dementia Exposure and Risk of Dementia. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(7):e2624175. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.24175

Collagen Supplements May Enhance Bone Health for Runners, Study Suggests

Could a collagen supplement help protect women's bones? A new study suggests it might.

Collagen is a protein that helps build bones, skin, hair, nails, cartilage, and tendons. While the body naturally makes collagen from the food we eat, collagen peptide supplements have become popular for supporting skin, joint, and gut health. Now, researchers say they may also help protect bone health in female runners.

The study, published in Frontiers in Nutrition, was led by researchers at the University of Connecticut.

Female runners are at a higher risk of bone injuries because running places repeated stress on the bones. Normally, the body breaks down old or damaged bone and replaces it with new bone. But if runners do not eat enough calories, their bodies may not have enough energy to rebuild bone properly. Over time, this can increase the risk of stress fractures, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.

This problem is especially common in women because low calorie intake can reduce estrogen levels, which are important for keeping bones strong.

Researchers wanted to see whether collagen peptides could improve bone health because 90–95% of the bone's organic structure is made of collagen.

In this small pilot study, female runners took collagen peptide supplements for four weeks. Blood tests showed that women taking the supplements had higher levels of markers linked to bone formation and lower levels of inflammation compared with before the study.

Researchers say these early findings suggest collagen peptides may help support healthy bone remodeling, allowing the body to build more bone while reducing bone breakdown.

However, this was a small, short-term study, so larger studies are needed to confirm the results and determine whether collagen supplements can reduce the risk of bone injuries in female athletes.

Besides potential bone benefits, collagen peptides have also been linked to improvements in skin, hair, joints, and gut health, making them a supplement with several possible health benefits.

REFERENCE: Kuhlman NM, Jagim AR, Blesso CN, Puglisi MJ, Chun OK, Jones MT and Fields JB (2026) Effects of collagen peptide supplementation on bone turnover, cytokine, and inflammatory markers in female distance runners: a randomized pilot study. Front. Nutr. 13:1825906. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2026.1825906