Epidemiology News and Research

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Loneliness is linked to higher risk of degenerative heart valve disease

Adults who reported feeling lonely had a higher risk of developing degenerative heart valve disease, even after accounting for traditional heart disease risk factors and genetics, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

15 Apr 2026

Ultrasensitive assay uncovers hidden burden of tuberculosis disease

Researchers at Boston University have discovered an unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (TB DNA) in patients hospitalized in Boston, suggesting that tuberculosis disease may be significantly underdiagnosed in the United States.

14 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genes linked to severe pregnancy sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

14 Apr 2026

Study finds higher anxiety and depression in children with brain injuries

A new study, published today in JAMA Network Open, reveals that schoolage children and adolescents with medically diagnosed traumatic brain injury (TBI) have significantly higher rates of anxiety/depression, and strong family support and resilience helps alleviate some of it.

13 Apr 2026

Steroid hormones, BMI and stress influence puberty timing in girls

Higher levels of key steroid hormones-combined with elevated stress and body mass index (BMI)-are associated with earlier onset of puberty in girls, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

13 Apr 2026

Rat hepatitis E virus may be a hidden cause of hepatitis in humans

This Nature Communications review argues that rat hepatitis E virus is an emerging zoonotic cause of hepatitis that is likely underdiagnosed because current tests are limited and awareness remains low. It shows that ratHEV is widespread in urban rodent populations, can infect humans and some other animals, and may spread mainly through indirect environmental exposure rather than direct rodent contact.

12 Apr 2026

Weight gain timing affects long-term health outcomes

When in life we gain weight can have a significant impact on our health many years later. In a study involving over 600,000 people, researchers at Lund University in Sweden have investigated how changes in weight between the ages of 17 and 60 are linked to the risk of dying from various diseases

11 Apr 2026

Large US study finds never-married adults face higher risk for most major cancers

A large US population-based study found that never-married adults had higher cancer incidence than ever-married adults across most cancer types, with the largest disparities seen in older adults and in Black men. The pattern was especially strong for HPV-related, tobacco-related, and several reproductive cancers, suggesting marital status may act as an important social marker of cancer risk.

9 Apr 2026

High prenatal PFAS exposure linked to increased childhood asthma risk

PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of synthetic substances that can be found in many products and foods, including firefighting foam.

9 Apr 2026

Study finds gap in school-based dental care participation

Children who don't go to the dentist are less likely to participate in school-based cavity prevention programs, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.

9 Apr 2026

Tulane study shows team approach improves hypertension treatment success

High blood pressure is treatable through medications and lifestyle changes but remains a leading cause of death in the United States.

9 Apr 2026

Precision medicine tools offer hope for patients with rare blood cancers

Personalized approaches have dramatically improved outcomes for many patients with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas—blood cancers that arise in immune cells called B cells—yet the same is not true for patients with more rare lymphoma types that originate in immune cells called T cells.

9 Apr 2026

Why early-onset cancers are rising and how researchers plan to stop them

Early-onset cancers are rising worldwide, and this Cell Perspective argues that cancer prevention must move beyond static risk-factor snapshots toward life-course exposure mapping, tissue-level biology, and dynamic estimates of preventability. The authors propose three linked frameworks to speed discovery of cancer causes and translate those findings into more precise prevention and interception strategies.

8 Apr 2026

Never married adults face higher risk of developing cancer

Adults who have never been married face a significantly higher risk of developing cancer than those who have been married, according to a large U.S. study of more than 4 million cases.

8 Apr 2026

Losing a parent hits harder with fewer siblings

Findings suggest that having siblings may buffer the mental health impact of parental loss, with fewer siblings associated with increased medication use.

3 Apr 2026

Flu vaccine halves heart attack risk after breakthrough infection

Influenza vaccination could significantly reduce the risk of influenza-associated heart attack and stroke even among people who get infected after getting the vaccine, according to research just published in Eurosurveillance.

2 Apr 2026

New study highlights rising cleaning product injuries in young children

Researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital have found more than an estimated 240,800 visits to U.S. emergency departments (EDs) associated with household cleaning product-related injuries from 2007 through 2022 for children aged five years and younger.

2 Apr 2026

NCCN conference highlights advances in global cancer care strategies

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)-a non-profit alliance of leading cancer centers-brought together more than a thousand oncology professionals at the NCCN 2026 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, with hundreds more joining virtually.

1 Apr 2026

Lack of dental care linked to higher heart and dementia risk

Being unable to afford dental care may increase a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dementia, according to a new study led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH).

1 Apr 2026

Pesticide exposure linked to higher cancer risk in new study

A new scientific study, published in Nature Health, reveals a strong link between exposure to agricultural pesticides in the environment and the risk of developing cancer.

1 Apr 2026