Illustration: Camille MacMillin/STAT; Photos: Courtesy

9 influencers shaping health information online, for better or worse

A look at three categories of wellness influencers — experts, entertainers, and MAHA mobilizers — and how their health content is shaping public opinion.

By Alexa Lee

STAT+ | Newborn screening can save lives, but worries about potential harm slow adoption in the U.K.

U.K. government pressured to expand the list of screened diseases from 10 to closer to the dozens used in other countries. Advocates say lives are at stake.

By Andrew Joseph

STAT+ | UnitedHealth limps into 2026 with a smaller business and fresh challenges

UnitedHealth execs are aiming to cut unprofitable businesses to boost profits, but changes to Medicare policies are a new hurdle.

By Bob Herman and Tara Bannow

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Opinion: Alex Pretti was a nurse to the end

Alex Pretti’s final moments in Minneapolis reflect the instinctive application of nursing’s ethical principles.

By Patrick Smith

STAT+ | HCA expects $1 billion hit from loss of ACA tax credits, Medicaid changes

HCA Healthcare is facing down changes to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid that could cut into profits.

By Tara Bannow

STAT+ | Roche moves obesity drug to pivotal trials after mid-stage success

The company plans to start the Phase 3 studies this quarter after the drug, CT-388, led to substantial weight loss in a Phase 2 trial.

By Andrew Joseph

JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images

Opinion: I was an undocumented immigrant. Now I’m a doctor watching the immigration crackdown keep my patients from seeking care

When immigration enforcement enters exam rooms, labor units, and postpartum clinics, the health system itself becomes collateral damage.

By Jesus Ruiz

Opinion: Sidelining Black women in clinical trials is not just a moral failure. It’s bad science

Evidence for universally adopted cancer treatment guidelines is incomplete when trial participants aren't representative.

By Yehoda Martei