Medical Bulletin 14/January/2026 - Video

Here are the top medical news for today:

Exercise is Equally Effective as Drugs for Treating Depression, New Study Reveals

Exercise doesn't just lift your mood—it fights depression as effectively as pills or therapy. A major Cochrane review analyzing 73 randomized trials with 5,000 depressed people proves movement belongs in every treatment plan. Published by the world's most trusted evidence network, the findings show exercise matches antidepressants and counseling for symptom relief, even when many participants used medication too.

Doctors have long known exercise helps sadness, but no one had compared it head-to-head with standard treatments across thousands of patients. This massive review pooled data from diverse studies—testing walking, strength training, yoga, cycling, and more—against drugs and talk therapy. Researchers measured depression scores before and after using standardized scales, tracking what works, for whom, and how much movement makes a difference.

How exercise heals the depressed brain: Exercise releases serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins—the same "feel-good" chemicals antidepressants target. Even better, it grows BDNF—"Miracle-Gro for the brain"—boosting neuroplasticity that depression shuts down. Light-to-moderate activity works as well as intense workouts, especially early on.

Key findings:

• Combo power: Aerobic + strength training beats cardio alone

• Quick results: 13-36 sessions (2-3 months) significantly cut symptoms

• Start small: Daily walks create "exponential gains" from zero activity

• Flexible options: Yoga, tai chi, jogging, or childhood sports all help

• Safe & accessible: Minimal side effects, low cost, works for most people

Global guidelines now rank exercise as first-line depression treatment alongside therapy and meds. Yet doctors prescribe pills faster—exercise takes counseling time. Experts recommend combination approach: meds lift mood enough to start moving, then exercise sustains gains.

Even modest movement compounds over time. Long-term studies remain limited, but early evidence suggests regular exercise prevents depression relapse too.

Exercise offers what pills can't: physical resilience, social connection, and brain growth alongside mood lift. No prescription needed—just shoes and a first step. As primary care evolves, expect "exercise first" conversations. The message is simple: move your body to heal your mind.

REFERENCE: Cooney GM, Dwan K, Greig CA, Lawlor DA, Rimer J, Waugh FR, McMurdo M, Mead GE. Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD004366. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004366.pub6. Accessed 13 January 2026.

Menopause Hormone Therapy Shows No Association with Dementia Risk: New Review

Hormone therapy after menopause doesn't raise dementia risk, according to the largest review ever conducted. A comprehensive meta-analysis commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO), published in Healthy Longevity, examined over 1 million women's health records and found no strong evidence linking menopause hormone therapy (MHT, also called HRT) to higher or lower chances of dementia.

What is a meta-analysis? Unlike single studies, meta-analyses combine dozens of research projects using statistical methods to find true patterns and cancel out noise. They start with a clear question, systematically gather all relevant published studies, extract raw data, standardize results for fair comparison, and apply math models to reveal overall effects. This approach minimizes bias better than expert opinion alone while pooling enough data for reliable conclusions.

Why this matters for menopause: MHT replaces hormones like estrogen lost during menopause, dramatically easing hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, low libido, and osteoporosis. Benefits usually outweigh small risks like slight blood clot increases for some women. But conflicting studies created confusion—did it help or hurt brain health long-term?

Researchers reviewed all available evidence, mostly observational studies tracking thousands of women over years. They analyzed different MHT types, doses, start ages, and formulas. Most showed weak, inconsistent links to dementia—some slightly positive, some negative—but all rated "low certainty" due to cause-effect limitations.

Key findings:

• No overall dementia risk increase from MHT

• One trial found estrogen-only MHT after age 65 added just 6.27 dementia cases per 1,000 women—clinically insignificant

• Results match 2024 Lancet Commission conclusions

• FDA recently dropped "black box" dementia warnings from MHT labels

Study limitations persist: most data was observational, MHT timing varied widely, and premature menopause cases (hysterectomy/oophorectomy) need more research.

Takeaway for women: MHT appears cognitively neutral when used properly for symptom relief. Benefits for quality of life—sleep, mood, bone health—remain clear. Discuss timing, personal risks, and delivery method (pills, patches, gels) with doctors.

REFERENCE: Melville, Melissa et al.; Menopause hormone therapy and risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis; The Lancet Healthy Longevity, Volume 6, Issue 12, 100803; DOI: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100803

Chronic Back Pain in Older Men Predicts Long-Term Sleep Problems Over 6 Years: Study

Back pain doesn't just ruin your day—it steals your sleep for years to come. A new study in Innovations in Aging reveals that back pain in older men predicts worsening sleep problems six years later, but poor sleep doesn't cause back pain. Tracking 963 men aged 65+ over six years, researchers discovered back pain drives sleep trouble, not the other way around.

Why this matters: Back pain affects 47% of older adults and ranks as the top cause of disability. Sleep problems plague over 30% of seniors, but few studies explore how these issues interact long-term. Everyone assumed poor sleep worsened pain, but this research flips the script—treating back pain could be the key to better sleep.

Researchers used data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study, following 963 community-dwelling men (average age 74.5, mostly White) through two sleep clinic visits six years apart. Participants wore actigraphs (motion trackers) for 5+ days to objectively measure sleep patterns while completing detailed questionnaires about back pain severity and sleep quality.

Sleep was scored across six dimensions: irregularity, dissatisfaction, daytime sleepiness, duration, timing, and efficiency. Back pain was categorized as any pain, frequent pain, severe pain, or activity-limiting pain. Researchers built a sophisticated autoregressive cross-lagged panel model (CLPM)—a statistical tool perfect for untangling which problem comes first—adjusting for weight, smoking, drinking, exercise, depression, cognition, chronic diseases, and medications.

Shocking results:

• 47% had back pain in the past year; 31% reported severe pain

• Men with any back pain had 12% more sleep problems

• Frequent back pain predicted 17% worse sleep 6 years later

• Severe back pain linked to 19% increased sleep issues

• Activity-limiting pain showed 25% higher sleep problems

Sleep problems like poor timing and dissatisfaction drove the association most. Sleep duration showed no link despite being heavily studied.

Takeaway: Back pain treatment could transform sleep health in older men. Mind-body programs, cognitive behavioral therapy for pain, exercise, and lifestyle changes show promise.

REFERENCE: Lee, S., Muhammed, T., Roseen, E. J., et al. (2025). Back pain precedes sleep problems in older men. Innovation in Aging. DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaf113. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf113.