ScienceDaily reported on 21 October that a Penn State study found that older adults who completed approximately four minutes of daily strength training for 12 weeks experienced meaningful gains in balance, leg strength and mobility.

Contemporary Pediatrics reported on 22 October that treatment for paediatric mental-health conditions had risen above pre-pandemic levels, with antidepressant initiation increasing sharply among girls after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The University of Michigan announced on 20 October that a consortium led by its medical school had received approval for up to $52 million in federal funding for a study of viral lower respiratory tract infections in children aged 0–24 months. Researchers will investigate why some children recover fully while others develop persistent respiratory problems.

Reuters reported on 21 October that researchers identified antibodies that neutralise IL-1RA, a protein that normally helps restrain inflammation, in some pregnancies that ended before 37 weeks. Experiments in mice showed increased inflammation and placental damage after exposure to these antibodies.

Medical Xpress reported on 19 October that researchers identified Miro1 as a possible contributor to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. In experimental models, removing the protein improved insulin responsiveness, while exercise was associated with lower muscle Miro1 levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

ScienceDaily reported on 21 October that a large study involving more than 460,000 Americans found no overall association between ultra-processed food intake and colorectal cancer. The result challenges a broad assumption but does not establish that ultra-processed foods are healthy or harmless.