Medical Bulletin 19/September/2026 - Video

Here are the top medical news for today:

Chronic Stress Could Drive Hidden Inflammation Linked to Heart Damage: Study

Chronic inflammation may be quietly reshaping the heart according to a large UK study published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Chronic inflammation is a long-term, low-level immune response linked with disease. Combining inflammation blood tests with genetic risk scores could eventually help identify people who may benefit from earlier prevention.

Researchers from the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences and Imperial College London analysed data from 480,000 UK Biobank participants. They combined glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), a blood marker of inflammation, with heart imaging and genetic data.

The highest inflammation group had a 43% higher risk of heart attack and stroke than the lowest group. They also showed structural changes in the heart, including thicker heart walls, smaller chambers and poorer filling. These changes may develop silently.

Inflammation levels were linked with socioeconomic disadvantage, psychological distress and established cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, inactivity and excess body fat. This suggests inflammation may link social conditions, mental health and lifestyle factors with cardiovascular risk.

Researchers identified inflammatory proteins from the interleukin-1 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) families that may contribute to heart changes. Some of these proteins are already being targeted in clinical trials, suggesting anti-inflammatory treatments could help prevent cardiovascular disease.

They also found genetic differences in susceptibility to inflammation-related damage. However, genetic risk does not mean heart disease is inevitable.

As an observational study, it cannot prove that inflammation causes heart damage or cardiovascular events. Further research must determine whether reducing inflammation or targeting specific inflammatory pathways can prevent disease.

The findings highlight inflammation as a potential early cardiovascular risk marker and support efforts to address smoking, obesity, mental health and social factors. Researchers described it as the largest study of its kind. Higher inflammation was associated with cardiovascular risk, suggesting changes may begin before symptoms.

REFERENCE: Mattia Corianò, et al.; Gene–environment interactions shape cytokine-mediated inflammation and cardiovascular risk, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2026;, zwag435, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwag435

Study Identifies Bile Acid That May Reduce Excess Fat Accumulation in Liver

A bile acid may help reduce liver fat, according to a preclinical study from Chiba University, Japan and published in Cell Reports.

Researchers investigated hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA), a bile acid, in mice fed a high-fat diet. They found that treatment with 0.25% HDCA reduced blood glucose, lowered triglyceride accumulation in the liver and improved liver function without changing body weight.

The researchers then examined how HDCA produced these effects. They found that it increased activity of PPARα, a protein that controls genes involved in fatty-acid breakdown. When mice lacked PPARα, HDCA could no longer prevent fat from accumulating in the liver, suggesting that this protein is central to its effects.

The study identified two pathways through which HDCA activated PPARα. First, HDCA increased invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells in the liver. These immune cells produced more interferon-γ (IFN-γ), a signalling molecule that activated PPARα in liver cells and promoted fatty-acid breakdown.

Second, HDCA increased levels of GLP-1, a gut hormone involved in metabolism. GLP-1 signalling was necessary for HDCA to reduce liver fat. When mice lacked the GLP-1 receptor, HDCA no longer prevented fat accumulation.

Researchers also tested liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist used for type 2 diabetes. It reduced liver fat in normal mice and mice lacking iNKT cells, but not in mice lacking PPARα. This indicated GLP-1 acts through PPARα without requiring iNKT cells.

Overall, the findings suggest HDCA may reduce hepatic steatosis through two distinct pathways—an immune pathway involving iNKT cells and IFN-γ, and a metabolic pathway involving GLP-1—with both ultimately activating PPARα.

However, the study was conducted in mice, so its findings cannot yet establish that HDCA is safe or effective for treating MASLD in humans. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether this pathway can lead to future treatment.

REFERENCE: Lee, E., et al. (2026). Hyodeoxycholic acid suppresses hepatic steatosis in a PPARα-dependent manner via distinct GLP-1- and iNKT cell-mediated pathways. Cell Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117822.

Large Trial Tests Whether Maternal Egg and Peanut Intake Prevents Infant Allergies

Eating more eggs and peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding did not significantly lower food-allergy risk in infants, a large randomised trial has found.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the PrEggNut trial included 2,137 pregnant women whose babies had a strong family history of allergy. Women were randomly assigned to either a high-intake diet or a standard diet.

The high-intake group was asked to consume six eggs and 60 peanuts weekly from 23 weeks of pregnancy until four months after delivery, or until breastfeeding ended. The standard group was asked to consume no more than three eggs and 30 peanuts weekly.

Researchers assessed infants at about one year of age for IgE-mediated egg or peanut allergy using skin-prick testing and supervised oral food challenges when necessary.

Egg or peanut allergy occurred in 83 of 1,066 infants (7.8%) in the high-intake group, compared with 89 of 1,064 (8.4%) in the standard group. The difference was not significant. Similar results were seen for individual egg allergies, sensitisation and eczema.

The findings challenge the idea that higher maternal allergen exposure prevents allergies in babies. Researchers had proposed that exposure through the placenta and breast milk might establish immune tolerance before solid foods.

However, the study does not suggest that mothers should avoid eggs or peanuts. Current guidance does not recommend routine avoidance during pregnancy or lactation.

The trial had limitations. Allergy prevalence was about 8%, lower than the expected 16%, potentially limiting detection of a preventive effect. Adherence to the assigned diets was also moderate in this population.

The researchers concluded that higher maternal egg and peanut intake did not reduce or increase allergy risk. Evidence supporting timely introduction of egg and peanut directly into the infant diet remains important and relevant.

REFERENCE: Palmer DJ, Campbell DE, Nanan R, et al. Trial of a Maternal Diet Rich in Eggs and Peanuts to Reduce Infant Allergy. New England Journal of Medicine 2026;395(11):1090-1099. DOI:10.1056/nejmoa2605659

Study Links This Popular Fermented Food to Lower Nanoplastic Levels in the Body

A bacterium found in kimchi may offer a new way to help the body remove nanoplastics, according to a laboratory and animal study published in Bioresource Technology.

Researchers at the World Institute of Kimchi in South Korea studied Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, a lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi. They investigated whether the bacterium could bind to polystyrene nanoplastics in the intestine and help increase their removal from the body.

Nanoplastics are extremely small plastic particles measuring less than one micrometre. They can enter the body through food and drinking water. Because of their small size, researchers are investigating whether they can cross the intestinal barrier and accumulate in tissues and organs.

Under standard laboratory conditions, CBA3656 bound to about 87% of nanoplastics. More importantly, it retained a 57% binding rate under simulated intestinal conditions. By comparison, another bacterial strain tested in the study showed only 3% binding under the same intestinal conditions.

The researchers also tested CBA3656 in germ-free mice. Both male and female mice given the bacterium had more than twice as much nanoplastic detected in their faeces compared with untreated mice. This suggests the bacterium may bind to nanoplastics in the intestine and help carry them out of the body.

The findings provide early evidence that bacteria from fermented foods could interact with environmental pollutants in the digestive tract. However, the study was conducted under laboratory conditions and in mice, so it does not establish that eating kimchi or taking this bacterium as a probiotic can remove nanoplastics from humans.

Further research is needed to determine whether the bacterium works similarly in the human digestive system, whether it can reduce nanoplastic absorption, and whether removing these particles produces meaningful health benefits.

The researchers said kimchi-derived microorganisms could potentially become a biological approach for addressing concerns surrounding plastic exposure.

REFERENCE: Jisu Lee, et al.; Efficient biosorption of nanoplastics by food-derived lactic acid bacterium. Bioresource Technology, 2026; 447: 134234 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134234

Ultra-Processed Foods May Promote Muscle Fat and Raise Knee Osteoarthritis Risk: Study

Ultra-processed foods may be linked to higher levels of fat inside thigh muscles, potentially affecting knee health, according to new research, raising questions about whether diet quality may affect joint health through changes in muscle tissue.

Published in Radiology, the study analysed 615 people from the Osteoarthritis Initiative who had no imaging evidence of knee osteoarthritis. Participants had an average age of 60 years, and about 41% of the food they consumed was classified as ultra-processed.

Researchers examined dietary information and used MRI scans to assess thigh muscle composition. They found that people who reported eating more ultra-processed foods tended to have more intramuscular fat, regardless of their total calorie intake, physical activity and sociodemographic factors.

Intramuscular fat refers to fat stored within muscle tissue. On MRI scans, it can appear as fatty streaks replacing some of the normal muscle fibres. Changes in muscle composition may be relevant to knee osteoarthritis because thigh muscles help support and stabilise the knee.

The findings suggest diet quality may influence muscle health beyond body weight and calorie intake. Reducing ultra-processed foods could potentially help preserve muscle quality.

However, the study found an association and cannot prove that ultra-processed foods cause fat to accumulate inside muscles or directly increase osteoarthritis risk. Dietary intake was based on participants’ reports, which may also introduce measurement errors. Further research is needed to determine whether these muscle changes predict future disease.

The researchers said non-enhanced MRI could offer a practical way to study muscle composition because it does not require advanced imaging technology.

Overall, the findings suggest that diet quality may be an important factor in muscle health and knee osteoarthritis research, alongside healthy weight management, balanced nutrition and regular physical activity, rather than calorie restriction alone only.

REFERENCE: Zehra Akkaya, et al.; Ultra-processed Foods and Muscle Fat Infiltration at Thigh MRI: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Radiology, 2026; 319 (1) DOI: 10.1148/radiol.251129