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Teen Substance Use Prediction: Dynamic ABCD Models Improved AUROC

Editorial card showing adolescent substance-use risk pathways over time, with dynamic prediction outperforming baseline-only models.

A 2026 ABCD Study preprint found that teen substance-use initiation prediction improved more when models included changing risk over time than when they simply switched from logistic regression to multi-task learning.1 Dynamic models raised AUROC by 0.044 to 0.062 in multi-task learning and by 0.050 to 0.084 in logistic regression, which makes timing the main …

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Low CALLY Index Predicted Mortality in Adults With Depression Symptoms

MHD featured image for CALLY index, depressive symptoms, and mortality risk.

A 2026 NHANES mortality analysis found that adults with PHQ-9 depressive symptoms had lower long-term all-cause mortality when their CALLY index was higher: in the fully adjusted model, each 1-unit higher log-CALLY value carried a hazard ratio of 0.59, with a 95% confidence interval from 0.51 to 0.68.1 The useful interpretation is prognostic, not therapeutic: …

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Smoking Linked to 1.75x Higher Sleep Apnea Severity in Pomerania Study

MHD featured image for smoking history and obstructive sleep apnea severity in a population polysomnography study.

A 2026 population-based polysomnography study involving 1,206 adults found current smokers had 1.75x higher odds of worse obstructive sleep apnea severity than non-smokers or occasional smokers after adjustment for age and body mass index. Former smokers showed almost the same overall signal — 1.76x higher odds than never smokers — but that part of the …

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Sancai Acupuncture for Primary Insomnia: 13-Point ISI Drop vs. Sham

MHD featured image for Sancai acupuncture and primary insomnia treatment in a sham-controlled trial.

A 2026 randomized sham-controlled trial in 76 adults with primary insomnia found an 8-week Sancai acupuncture protocol reduced post-treatment Insomnia Severity Index scores to 7.80 vs. 16.45 with sham acupuncture, while total sleep time increased to 366.83 minutes vs. 287.97 minutes.1 Research Highlights Insomnia severity fell far more with real acupuncture: Zhao et al. randomized …

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Treatment-Resistant Depression in Pakistan: 34% TRD, 86% Polypharmacy

MHD featured image for treatment-resistant depression, polypharmacy, and CYP2C19 findings in Pakistan.

A 2026 DIVERGE analysis of 3,677 antidepressant-exposed patients with major depressive disorder in Pakistan classified 34% as treatment resistant, while 86% received psychotropic polypharmacy and only 6% received psychotherapy.1 The CYP2C19 signal is real enough to study prospectively, but the main treatment-system finding is medication stacking in a setting where psychological care was rare. Research …

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