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Global study shows air pollution could triple heart disease cases by 2045

The study highlights air pollution's role in escalating heart disease, showing increased mortality and disability rates, especially among women and older adults.

28 May 2025

Fact: You could be inhaling nearly 70,000 plastic particles annually, here's what it means for your health

Airborne microplastics and nanoplastics are increasingly detected in urban environments, with evidence linking inhalation exposure to inflammation, cardiovascular risks, and other health concerns. Researchers highlight urgent needs for improved detection, targeted mitigation strategies, and coordinated global policies to address this emerging threat.

28 May 2025

Global warming contributes to higher cancer mortality in women

Scientists have found that global warming in the Middle East and North Africa is making breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer more common and more deadly.

27 May 2025

Air pollution’s chemical punch alters immune markers in pregnant women, study finds

Personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide and the oxidative potential of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but not PM2.5 mass, influenced immune biomarker levels in pregnant women. These findings suggest that the chemical reactivity of air pollutants may play a key role in maternal and fetal immune health.

22 May 2025

Exercise and diet advice misses the mark in improving heart health around the globe

A leading cardiovascular disease researcher from Simon Fraser University is ringing the alarm on universal recommendations intended to improve heart health around the globe.

22 May 2025

Blood filtration may offer new hope for removing microplastics from the body

Researchers report the first evidence that therapeutic apheresis, a blood-filtration technique, can remove microplastic- and nanoplastic-like particles from humans with ME/CFS. While promising, further studies are needed to quantify removal and assess clinical benefits.

21 May 2025

BMI changes in adolescence mediate the effect of air pollution on metabolic health

Changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) during adolescence play an important role in the association between air pollution exposure and insulin resistance, according to a new study led by investigators from the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

20 May 2025

Air pollution exposure in pregnancy may increase asthma risk for the next generation

A mother's exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can increase asthma risk in her adult offspring, according to a new mouse study published at the ATS 2025 International Conference.

20 May 2025

Air pollution fuels artery damage and accelerates heart disease, review finds

Researchers reviewed how air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), drives the development and worsening of atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Their findings highlight robust links between air pollution exposure, early artery changes, and underlying biological mechanisms fueling cardiovascular risk.

19 May 2025

Study links air pollution, urban development and lack of green spaces to asthma

The combination of air pollution, dense urban development and limited green spaces increases the risk of asthma in both children and adults.

16 May 2025

New WHO report reveals the deeper health impacts caused by COVID-19 pandemic

WHO published its World health statistics report 2025, revealing the deeper health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being.

15 May 2025

Trump’s fast-tracked deal for a copper mine heightens existential fight for Apache

Carrying eagle feathers and chanting prayers, Western Apache runners hit the road on a roughly 80-mile journey this month to try to save their sacred land from being fast-tracked by President Donald Trump into a copper mine.

14 May 2025

Using gas stoves at home significantly increases cancer risk

A new study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials modeled benzene emissions from the top 5% of gas stoves in U.S. homes, finding elevated cancer risks, especially for children, in poorly ventilated spaces. Using validated simulations, the researchers estimated up to 69 additional leukemia cases annually under high-use, unventilated scenarios.

10 May 2025

Study reveals regional risk factors driving heart disease in Asia and Oceania

A new study puts the spotlight on the rising burden of ischemic heart disease across Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania, and calls for localized, equity-focused interventions in these regions.

8 May 2025

Maternal health during pregnancy linked to higher blood pressure in children

Children born to mothers with obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus or a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than children born to mothers without these risk factors, according to a new USC study.

8 May 2025

Study shows no connection between PM2.5 spikes and major cardiovascular events

A Danish cohort study investigated whether long-term exposure to repeated monthly peaks of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) raises the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Despite higher PM2.5 peak exposure among affected individuals, no significant association with cardiovascular risk was found.

7 May 2025

Air pollution reshapes children’s nasal microbiome and reduces diversity in winter

A new study from Milan reveals that short-term exposure to air pollutants like black carbon and VOCs significantly alters the nasal microbiota of school-aged children. These changes vary by season, with winter exposure reducing microbial diversity and favoring potentially pathogenic bacteria.

7 May 2025

Asthma-related emergency visits increase during wildfire smoke events in Ontario

New research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241506 found an increase in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits across Ontario following heavy smoke in early June 2023.

5 May 2025

Phthalates in plastics linked to over 350,000 heart deaths worldwide

A global modeling study in eBioMedicine links phthalate exposure from plastics, especially DEHP metabolites, to over 356,000 cardiovascular deaths in 2018. Exposure was highest in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, disproportionately affecting lower-income countries.

4 May 2025

Study pinpoints vast 'air quality deserts' across nearly 60% of US counties

Over half of U.S. counties lack air quality monitoring stations, exposing 50.7 million people, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas, to invisible pollution risks. The study links monitoring gaps to systemic inequities and urges equitable infrastructure expansion.

24 Apr 2025