Reframe Daily
Posts
Reframe Daily: Heart pressure tests may prevent emergency repeat stents—and fortified breast milk helps tiny preemies grow

Reframe Daily: Heart pressure tests may prevent emergency repeat stents—and fortified breast milk helps tiny preemies grow

Two hospital-ready studies could change care fast: using an artery “pressure check” to guide stents lowered urgent repeat procedures long-term, and a simple boost to breast milk helped preterm babies hit protein goals more often; plus early signs that a pregnancy rehab method didn’t trigger labor, a sleep-apnea trial showed broader risk improvements, and a mouse brain-circuit finding may point to future relapse-blocking treatments.

Christin Chong, PhD
January 15, 2026

Reframe Daily—curated by Christin Chong (neuroscience PhD, Buddhist chaplain, healthtech strategy consultant)—delivers optimistic and credible health research updates you won’t find in most popular news outlets, from sources scientists and healthcare providers read and trust.

Today in one sentence: A long-term heart trial suggests a quick artery pressure test can help doctors avoid unnecessary stents and reduce urgent repeat procedures later; a NICU nutrition study found an easy way to fortify human milk so premature babies reach protein targets more often; a sleep-apnea drug trial showed health-risk improvements beyond weight; a small pregnancy study found a rehab method didn’t spark labor; and a mouse study mapped a brain circuit tied to drug-cue memories that could guide future anti-relapse therapies.

Good news: A long-term heart study found that using a pressure test (FFR) to decide who really needs a stent can cut down on urgent “rush back” heart procedures later.

Fractional flow reserve-guided percutaneous coronary intervention versus medical therapy for stable coronary artery disease: long-term results of the FAME 2 trial

Market readiness: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 (FFR testing and stents are already used in US hospitals; this adds stronger long-term evidence that can affect care now.)

Good news: This study found a simple “boosted” way to fortify breast milk helps premature babies reach protein goals much more often, especially when donor milk is used.

Enhanced fortification of human milk to meet preterm infant nutritional targets

Market readiness: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 (Uses existing milk fortifiers and standard NICU mixing methods; a protocol change could be adopted quickly.)

Good news: In people with obesity and sleep apnea, tirzepatide improved several heart-and-diabetes risk markers, not just weight. That could lower future health risks.

Tirzepatide on obstructive sleep apnea-related cardiometabolic risk: secondary outcomes of the SURMOUNT-OSA randomized trial

Market readiness: 🙂🙂🙂🙂 (This is phase 3 trial evidence, and the drug already exists in the US, but these benefits are for a newer sleep-apnea-related use.)

Good news: A rehab method called Vojta is often avoided in pregnancy. In a small randomized study of full-term pregnancies, it did not trigger labor, suggesting it may be safer than people feared.

Safety of Vojta’s reflex locomotion in term pregnancy: a randomized controlled pilot study of uterine activity and labor onset

Market readiness: 🙂🙂🙂🙂 (The therapy already exists, but this was a small pilot study, so bigger studies are still needed before it becomes routine.)

Good news: Scientists found a brain pathway in mice that helps drug reminders bring back meth-seeking behavior. This could point to new ways to reduce relapse in the future.

A midbrain–cortical circuit mediated by claustrum neuronal ensemble orchestrates drug-paired context memory processing

Market readiness: 🙂 (Early lab research in mice; not close to a ready-to-use treatment yet.)

Thank you for taking the time to take care of yourself and your loved ones.