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Published March 22, 2026

Morning Report — Not Your Typical Medical Newsletter

We get it, you see a lot of medical newsletters, so hear us out. Once a month, we’ll highlight important medical news sprinkled with witty commentary, fun facts, giveaways, and more… because learning should be fun! Subscribe to receive the Morning Report directly.

Good morning! For Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we revisit a curious footnote in colonoscopy history. In 2006, gastroenterologist Akira Horiuchi, MD, exploring ways to simplify the procedure, turned the camera on himself. In the first documented self-colonoscopy experiment, Dr. Horiuchi sat on the edge of a chair, inserted a pediatric colonoscope with one hand, and steered with the other. (See illustration.)

Dr. Horiuchi reported the procedure was feasible and efficient, completing a full exam in four minutes. He proposed DIY colonoscopy as a potential research tool—but nearly two decades later, it remains, to our knowledge, a novelty.

The research earned Dr. Horiuchi an Ig Nobel Prize, an annual award at the intersection of peer-reviewed science and hilarity. Sadly, we never heard his full acceptance speech. He exceeded the 60-second limit and was gently removed from the podium by the ceremony’s enforcement mechanism: an 8-year-old girl chanting, “Please stop. I’m bored.”

 

The Stubborn Aspirin Question: Does It Prevent CRC? 

CANCER CONCLUSIONS

“As scientists, we must follow the evidence where it leads,” says Dr. Bo Zhang as his team tackles the question that refuses to go away: Does daily aspirin do more good than harm in preventing colorectal cancer [CRC]? According to a new Cochrane systematic review, the answer is familiar, if somewhat unsatisfying:Maybe.

A very delayed “maybe”

To assess the preventive role in CRC incidence or mortality, the Cochrane review pooled data from 10 randomized controlled trials involving 124,837 participants. Moderate-certainty evidence showed little to no difference in CRC incidence among adults taking aspirin for 5 to 15 years. After 15 years, certainty dropped and the language grew noticeably more cautious—introducing more hedge words than a weather forecast—as researchers concluded aspirin may slightly reduce cancer risk. Mortality results were similarly murky: With low certainty, aspirin taken for 5 to 10 years may be associated with increased CRC deaths, while 10 to 15 years of use appeared to make little to no difference. After 15 years, deaths may drop, but evidence is thin.

The harms don’t wait

While aspirin’s potential cancer benefits remain a long-term “maybe,” its risks are more definitive. Across the trials, aspirin increased the risk of serious extracranial bleeding and likely raised the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, even at low doses.

Key takeaways 
 

“Our rigorous analysis of the highest-quality trials reveals that the ‘aspirin for cancer prevention’ story is more complex than a simple ‘yes or no,’” says Dr. Zhang. The finding adds nuance to the evidence but offers little clarity for the conflicting guidelines—or the millions already taking aspirin. Rather than endorse routine aspirin use for CRC prevention, the authors point to individualized risk assessment, arriving at medicine’s most time-honored recommendation: It depends. One thingis surehas agreement for now: The most reliable way to prevent CRC remains the same unglamorous solution—screening. 

For more education on CRC, check out this CME activity: Gut Check: Updates in IBS, CRC Screening, and GERD

Opening the Lid on Longevity in Older Women   

WOMEN’S HEALTH

As people age, stairs grow steeper, font sizes shrink, and pickle jar lids get tighter. The lead investigator of a new large study says that last one may be particularly telling for older women. Among this group, muscular strength—independent of overall activity levels—may be a key predictor of longevity.

Strength in numbers

In the largest study of its kind, researchers tracked >5,000 women aged 63 to 99 and uncovered a striking link between muscular strength and survival. Investigators measured dominant hand grip strength and the time required to complete five sit-to-stand chair rises. Stronger participants consistently outlived their weaker peers. Every additional 15 pounds of grip strength cut death risk by 12%, and finishing the chair-stand test six seconds faster reduced risk by another 4%. Notably, the association persisted even after researchers accounted for physical activity, inflammation, cardiovascular fitness, and body size.

The estrogen effect

Postmenopausal women face a particularly raw deal from biology: Declining estrogen accelerates muscle loss and expands waistlines. This shift weakens physical function and disrupts signaling between skeletal muscle and other organs, including the heart. Maintaining strength protects mobility, independence, and cardiometabolic health.

Key takeaways

The authors suggest a quick functional check for older women: the “pickle jar test.” If the lid suddenly feels tighter, either grip strength has slipped or the folks at Claussen have quietly launched an aggressive new torque initiative. Assuming the former, the study adds compelling evidence that declining muscular strength may signal elevated mortality risk and that resistance training can help. That doesn’t mean older women need to start googling “gyms near me.” The authors point to simpler options: soup cans or books as weights, plus wall push-ups and knee bends. Claussen, when reached for comment, denied any recent escalation in pickle-jar torque.

For more education on longevity, check out this CME podcast episode: Physical Activity for Healthy Aging: How Much Is Enough?

Shrooms for Smoking Cessation? 
SMOKING CESSATION


Smoking remains a major cause of preventable death in the US—what author Bill Bryson calls “suicide by lifestyle.” Most people who smoke want to quit, but six-month quit rates often disappoint. That leaves clinicians with a familiar problem and researchers with a less familiar idea: Could psilocybin—basically “magic mushrooms” in a blazer and carrying clinical trial paperwork—succeed where weeks of nicotine patches and human determination fizzle out?

The patch vs the psychedelic

In a randomized pilot trial at Johns Hopkins, researchers assigned 82 adults who smoke to either a single high dose of psilocybin or an 8- to 10-week course of nicotine patches; both groups completed a 13-week cognitive behavioral therapy program. At six months, prolonged abstinence reached 40.5% with psilocybin vs 10.0% with nicotine patches. No serious adverse events were linked to either treatment.

Comedown

Before clinicians start prescribing shrooms, a few caveats: This small, unblinded pilot involved a highly motivated, mostly White, well-educated sample—many with psychedelic experience—and the psilocybin group spent more time with staff.

Key takeaways

While psilocybin is better known for inspiring earnest conversations with a houseplant than for smoking-cessation algorithms, this trial nudges the compound into addiction science. The signal is strong: Participants receiving psilocybin had more than sixfold greater odds of sustained abstinence at six months than those using nicotine patches. The finding adds to growing evidence that psychedelic therapies may have broader anti-addiction potential. Still, psilocybin won’t replace nicotine patches anytime soon—questions about dosing, cost, and scalability persist. For now, researchers continue mapping the trail.

For more education on smoking cessation, check out this CME activity: Never Too Late to Quit: Years Gained with Tobacco Cessation at Any Age

Interested in more healthcare news? Here are some other articles we don’t want you to miss:

Morning Report is written by:

  • Alissa Scott, Author
  • Aylin Madore, MD, MEd, Editor
  • Margaret Oliverio, MD, Editor
  • Ariel Reinish, MD, MEd, Editor
  • Emily Ruge, Editor

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Please note that the summaries in Morning Report are intended to provide clinicians with a brief overview of an article, and while we do our best to select the most salient points, we ask that you please read the full article linked in each summary for clarification before making any practice-changing decisions.

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