Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Jan. 19, 2026–Jan. 23, 2026.
Review finds no evidence acetaminophen use in pregnancy increases risk of autism, other neurodevelopmental disorders
The New York Times (1/16, Ghorayshi) reports that a “scientific review of...studies on acetaminophen use during pregnancy concluded that there was no evidence that the painkiller increased the risk of autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders.”
The AP (1/16, Ungar) reported that investigators “looked at 43 studies and concluded that the most rigorous ones, such as those that compare siblings, provide strong evidence that taking the drug...does not cause autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities.” The review was published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health.
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich diets may slow biological aging, reduce risk of skin cancer
The American Journal of Managed Care (1/18, McCormick) reported a study suggests that “eating more anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich foods may slow biological aging and help reduce the risk of skin cancer.” After adjusting for all covariates, investigators observed that “adherence to a proinflammatory and pro-oxidation diet was associated with a significantly higher skin cancer risk compared with adherence to an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich diet (OR, 2.19).” The researchers noted that PhenoAge, “a measure mechanistically aligned with both dietary assessment tool,” partially mediated this relationship, “accounting for 28.06% of the association between DII/DOBS and skin cancer risk.” The study was published in Cancers.
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about healthy aging.
American Red Cross declares emergency blood shortage
ABC News (1/20, Kekatos) reports, “The American Red Cross declared a severe emergency blood shortage on Monday” and has called on people to donate. “The humanitarian organization, which says it's the largest supplier of blood products for hospitals and for patient need in the U.S., said the demand from hospitals has outpaced the available supply of blood,” ABC News reports. “Dr. Courtney Lawrence, divisional chief medical officer at American Red Cross, told ABC News that almost one-third of the organization's blood stores across the country have been depleted due to hospital need.”
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about donating blood.
Cardiovascular disease continues to be leading cause of death in U.S., report says
The New York Times (1/21, Agrawal) reports, “Despite gains in treatment, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly three in 10 fatalities—916,000—in 2023, according to a report published Wednesday by the American Heart Association.” This “report examined numbers from 2023, the latest year for which data were available.” The data indicated that “deaths from cardiovascular diseases totaled 916,000, including about 680,000 deaths from heart disease and 180,000 from stroke. Together, these two causes account for more than a quarter of all U.S. deaths.”
Colorectal cancer has become leading cause of cancer deaths among people under 50 in the U.S., research finds
CNN (1/22, Howard) reports, “Colorectal cancer has surpassed other cancer types to become the leading cause of cancer deaths among people under 50 in the United States, as of 2023, according to new research.” The data indicated that “deaths from colon and rectal cancers in the under-50 age group rose by 1.1% annually since 2005,” which means that “colorectal cancer went from being the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths among people younger than 50 in the early 1990s to becoming the top cause in 2023.” The findings were published in JAMA.
You may also be interested in: FIT test or colonoscopy? Catching colon cancer earlier.
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