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Back from COP28, California climate leaders talk health impacts of warming

Wildfire smoke. Drought. Brutal heat. Floods. As Californians increasingly feel the health effects of climate change, state leaders are adopting sweeping policies they hope will fend off the worst impacts — and be replicated by other countries.

5 Feb 2024

Are urban green spaces beneficial to air quality?

Study reveals that urban green space has a limited impact on air pollution control, with street-level vegetation potentially increasing pollution by hindering ventilation.

1 Feb 2024

IU surgeon-scientist investigates the role of sinus microbiome in chronic rhinosinusitis

An Indiana University School of Medicine surgeon-scientist is leading a multi-institutional grant investigating the role of the sinus microbiome in chronic rhinosinusitis, an inflammatory disease that causes the lining of the sinuses to swell.

1 Feb 2024

New research highlights regional variations in COPD prevalence according to diagnostic criteria

The global and regional prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

30 Jan 2024

Salmon's secret sauce: Nutrimetabolomics uncovers heart-healthy compounds in Mediterranean staple

Researchers use nutrimetabolomics to reveal that Salmon, a key component of the Mediterranean diet, contains unique compounds beneficial for cardiometabolic health.

29 Jan 2024

Prenatal air pollution exposure increases the risk of severe respiratory distress in newborns

Prenatal exposure to air pollution increases the risk of severe respiratory distress in newborn babies, according to new research conducted at the Penn State College of Medicine in collaboration with the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study led by Health Canada.

29 Jan 2024

Study sheds light on how serious people find COVID-19 compared to other health problems

A large seven-country study has shed light on how serious people find the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other major public health problems.

27 Jan 2024

Study links heavy metals to depleted ovarian reserves

Middle-aged women with elevated levels of heavy metals are more likely to have depleted ovarian function and egg reserves, which may lead to earlier arrival of menopause and its negative health effects, a new University of Michigan study shows.

25 Jan 2024

Widespread exposure to toxic metals linked with earlier aging of the ovaries in middle-aged women

Middle-aged women who are exposed to toxic metals may have fewer eggs in their ovaries as they approach menopause, according to new research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

25 Jan 2024

Study: Cold water swimming a "lifesaver" for menopausal women

Menopausal women who regularly swim in cold water report significant improvements to their physical and mental symptoms, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

24 Jan 2024

Climate change emerges as major eczema trigger

In an analysis of all relevant published studies that assessed atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema) associated with trends in climate-related hazards due to greenhouse gas emissions, investigators found that impacts include direct effects on eczema, like particulate matter-induced inflammation from wildfires, and indirect effects, such as stress resulting from drought-induced food insecurity.

24 Jan 2024

What’s indoor air quality like in long-term care facilities during wildfires? Worse than you’d think.

Every year, wildfires across the western U.S. and Canada send plumes of smoke into the sky. When that smoke blows into southwestern Idaho’s Treasure Valley, it blankets Boise-area residents in dirty air.

23 Jan 2024

Industrial vegetable oils show dangerous levels of toxic elements, surpassing traditional oils

Evaluation of potentially toxic elements in the vegetable oils traditionally or industrially produced in the Hamadan province of Iran.

22 Jan 2024

Air pollution affects the heart at surprisingly low levels, but diet may offer protection

Exposure to air pollutants, even at very low concentrations, was associated with adverse changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in a recent Finnish study

22 Jan 2024

Associations between mercury exposure and allergic diseases in children

Associations between mercury levels in urine and allergic diseases in children.

19 Jan 2024

Climate change to quadruple air quality alerts, challenging adaptation in vulnerable U.S. communities

Study examines the impact of climate change on air quality alerts in the U.S., revealing a potential four-fold increase by 2100, with significant health and equity implications for adaptation strategies, especially in vulnerable communities.

17 Jan 2024

23% of dementia cases linked to controllable risk factors vary by race and ethnicity

Approximately 23% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another related dementia in their 60s and later have cases that can be explained by controllable risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, physical inactivity, and too little or too much sleep, and that percentage varies depending on race and ethnicity, according to a new study published in the January 17, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Jan 2024

Night-time artificial light exposure linked to increased risk of age-related macular degeneration

A study in South Korea finds that higher exposure to outdoor artificial light at night significantly increases the risk of developing exudative age-related macular degeneration.

16 Jan 2024

Medical community calls for unified action on climate and biodiversity crises as global health emergency

An editorial in BMC Public Health urges the United Nations and health professionals to declare the intertwined climate and biodiversity crisis as a global health emergency, emphasizing the need for integrated solutions to address these interdependent issues.