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Genetic factors influence obesity risk in children exposed to gestational diabetes

Children exposed to gestational diabetes in utero with a specific variation of a common gene are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese during childhood, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

30 May 2025

Genetic evolution of plague bacterium may have prolonged historic pandemics

Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and McMaster University have discovered that the evolution of a gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, may have prolonged the duration of two major pandemics.

29 May 2025

Self-employed women show fewer heart disease risk factors

New research finds that self-employed women have fewer risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to non-self-employed women, suggesting that the work environment may play a role in the development of risk factors that can lead to heart attacks.

29 May 2025

Depression may increase dementia risk in both midlife and late life

A new study has found that depression is linked to an increased risk of dementia in both mid and later life.

29 May 2025

Study finds high rates of functional difficulty among US smokers

Around 1 in 7 of US adults who currently smoke may have some degree of disability, suggests the first study of its kind published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

29 May 2025

Researchers urge mental health inclusion in extreme heat planning

As climate change fuels more frequent and severe heat waves, governments worldwide have adopted Heat-Health Action Plans (HHAPs) to prevent illness and death from heat stroke, heart attacks, and other unwanted physical and mental health outcomes.

29 May 2025

New global study links red meat to rising breast cancer burden

A global analysis using 30+ years of data reveals a sharp rise in breast cancer deaths and disability among women aged 25–45 linked to high unprocessed red meat consumption. The study highlights striking disparities by region and socioeconomic status, calling for urgent dietary and public health action.

29 May 2025

Climate disasters leave lasting impact on health care infrastructure and access

Immediate recovery efforts receive the most attention after severe natural disasters, yet new data from researchers at Drexel University and the University of Maryland suggests these climate events often also leave a critical long-term - and often unaddressed - problem in declines in access to health care.

29 May 2025

WHO and partners announce next phase of African disease monitoring initiative

The World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom announced today the expansion of the successful Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Africa (HSPA) to seven countries on the continent.

29 May 2025

Early measles vaccination gains urgency amid global outbreak

The global measles outbreak must trigger an urgent debate into whether a vaccine should be recommended earlier to better protect against the highly contagious disease during infancy, a new review states.

29 May 2025

New analytical method enhances safety evaluation of metal-based nanomedicines

Nanomedicines, especially those based on nanoparticles, are revolutionizing healthcare in terms of both diagnostics and therapeutics.

29 May 2025

Language service cutbacks raise fear of medical errors, misdiagnoses, deaths

Health nonprofits and medical interpreters warn that federal cuts have eliminated dozens of positions in California for community workers who help non-English speakers sign up for insurance coverage and navigate the health care system.

29 May 2025

Feds chop enforcement staff and halt rules meant to curb black lung in coal miners

In early April, President Donald Trump gathered dozens of hard-hat-clad coal miners around him in the White House East Room.

29 May 2025

Coastal living adds years to your life while inland waters may cut them short

Proximity to coastal waters is linked to longer life expectancy in the US, while living near large inland water bodies often reduces it, except in rural settings, where the effect is positive. Environmental quality, income, and context drive these differences.

29 May 2025

Rethinking global health through ruinous solidarity

In order to truly decolonize the field of global health, it may be necessary for institutions from the Global North to practice "ruinous solidarity," according to a study published May 21, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Daniel Krugman from Brown University, United States, and Alice Bayingana from the University of Sydney, Australia.

28 May 2025

Global study maps the spread of IBD in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, has long been considered a modern condition of the industrialized West, with cases steadily increasing in North America and Europe throughout the 20th century.

28 May 2025

Transforming the narrative on ultraprocessed foods by mirroring anti-tobacco strategies

Researchers have proposed transforming the narrative on ultraprocessed foods by mirroring the strategies that have successfully reshaped public perceptions of tobacco.

28 May 2025

Tree cover helps keep dengue-carrying mosquitoes at bay

Protecting trees might not seem like a public health strategy, but new research suggests it could be-especially in the tropics.

28 May 2025

Study highlights barriers to Alzheimer’s care in rural Georgia

Rural Georgians may find it difficult to access medication that could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

28 May 2025

Ultrasonic cigarettes may pose significant health risks, study shows

A study by scientists at the University of California, Riverside shows ultrasonic cigarettes, or u-cigarettes, marketed as a less harmful alternative to traditional e-cigarettes, may pose significant health risks due to the presence of harmful metals in their liquids and aerosols.

28 May 2025