Research
Plain-language summaries of health and wellness research, studies, and
scientific findings. These pieces explain what studies show and what
they do not — written for general understanding, not as a substitute
for professional medical guidance.
Why Bloodletting Lasted So Long in Medicine
For centuries, one of the most common medical treatments performed by physicians involved deliberately cutting open a patient's veins or…
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Microplastic-Binding Bacteria Research Is Still Preclinical
Laboratory research on bacterial material that binds microplastics is intriguing, but it does not yet support a supplement for removing…
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How Stanford Helped Establish Modern Sleep Medicine
Stanford played an important role in the emergence of clinical sleep medicine, but the field…
Research Examines Hospital Care for Children With Complex Care Needs
Researchers are examining how hospital systems can better respond to children with complex care needs…
Online ACT Programme Reduced Anxiety in Dementia Family Carers in a UK Trial
A UK randomised trial tested internet-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for family carers of people…
How the Placebo Effect Became a Clinical Research Problem
Henry Beecher's 1955 paper was influential, but later research showed that improvement in placebo groups…
How REM Sleep Changed the Scientific Study of Dreaming
REM sleep gave researchers a measurable physiological state strongly associated with vivid dream reports, but…