Public Health News and Research

RSS

New peptide antibiotic stops bacteria by binding where no drug has before

Researchers discovered lariocidin, a lasso peptide antibiotic that kills multidrug-resistant bacteria by binding a novel ribosomal site.

27 Mar 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The ax falls at HHS

As had been rumored for weeks, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan to reorganize the department. It involves the downsizing of its workforce, which formerly was roughly 80,000 people, by a quarter and consolidating dozens of agencies that were created and authorized by Congress.

27 Mar 2025

With few dentists and fluoride under siege, rural America risks new surge of tooth decay

In the wooded highlands of northern Arkansas, where small towns have few dentists, water officials who serve more than 20,000 people have for more than a decade openly defied state law by refusing to add fluoride to the drinking water.

27 Mar 2025

Trump turns homelessness response away from housing, toward forced treatment

President Donald Trump is vowing a new approach to getting homeless people off the streets by forcibly moving those living outside into large camps while mandating mental health and addiction treatment — an aggressive departure from the nation's leading homelessness policy, which for decades has prioritized housing as the most effective way to combat the crisis.

27 Mar 2025

Diagnostic colonoscopy follow-up unaffected by COVID-19 surge, despite screening delays

Two recent studies by researchers from Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine explore the effect of the pandemic on colorectal cancer screening tests and diagnostic colonoscopies in Central Indiana. The findings of temporary disruption to the former and minimal impact on the latter are similar to findings across the U.S., contributing to the compendium of knowledge on preventive health uptake and subsequent treatment in various populations during the pandemic.

27 Mar 2025

Breakthrough discovery could lead to new class of antibiotics

The last time a new class of antibiotics reached the market was nearly three decades ago - but that could soon change, thanks to a discovery by researchers at McMaster University.

26 Mar 2025

Study links multimorbidity to increased fall risk and mortality in older adults

A new study by researchers at Peking University and the Chinese PLA General Hospital has found that multimorbidity-living with multiple chronic diseases-is closely associated with worsening fall conditions and mortality among middle-aged and older adults in China.

26 Mar 2025

Colorectal cancer burden climbs in countries with low milk intake

A global study finds that low milk intake is linked to increased colorectal cancer burden, especially in older adults. Prostate cancer rates showed negative trends, though the findings may reflect model limitations rather than protective effects.

26 Mar 2025

Maternal obesity and smoking influence children’s obesity risk as teenagers or adults

A study finds that factors beyond a person's control, like socioeconomic status and whether their mom smoked or was obese, can influence whether they are overweight or obese as teenagers or adults.

26 Mar 2025

Tick-borne viral diseases threaten public health in Northeastern China

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Northeastern China has a high incidence of tick-borne diseases.

26 Mar 2025

City of Hope researchers uncover the two-step process of tumor formation

Researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. with its National Medical Center named top 5 in the nation for cancer by U.S. News & World Report, have found that cell mutations are necessary but not always sufficient for tumors to form.

26 Mar 2025

Addressing cardiovascular risk factors in emerging adulthood

Many teenagers enter adulthood with significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a key time to address these risk factors and reduce the risk of developing future cardiovascular disease, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Mar 2025

Exercise of any kind boosts brainpower at any age

Whether it’s an early morning jog, or a touch of Tai Chi, groundbreaking research from the University of South Australia shows that any form of exercise can significantly boost brain function and memory across children, adults, and older adults.

26 Mar 2025

Study develops fused neural organoids with leptomeninges

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development describes the development of a co-culture system of neural organoids generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) fused with fetal leptomeninges from mice with fluorescently labeled meninges, called leptomeningeal neural organoid (LMNO) fusions.

26 Mar 2025

Report shows alarming measles resurgence in Europe and US

A recent report shows cases of measles across the World Health Organization's European Region, which includes the UK, are the highest they've been for more than 25 years. At the same time, large outbreaks of measles in the US have led to the first measles deaths there since 2015.

26 Mar 2025

Global analysis of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. The zoonotic pathogen Campylobacter is a major foodborne bacterial species worldwide. The distribution and drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in global Campylobacter strains remain largely unknown. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of longitudinal trends and driving factors of AMR in Campylobacter is necessary at a global level.

26 Mar 2025

New study challenges assumptions about youth and digital media

A groundbreaking new study of young people's digital media use has revealed surprising results, including evidence that smartphone ownership may actually benefit children.

26 Mar 2025

Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia affects millions worldwide, yet its causes remain one of the greatest medical mysteries. In an exclusive Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Consuelo Walss-Bass, a pioneering researcher in psychiatric genetics, shares how both genetic predisposition and environmental factors contribute to severe mental health disorders.

26 Mar 2025

Study shows red wine biomarkers in urine can predict inflammation levels

Researchers found that specific metabolites of resveratrol in urine accurately reflect red wine consumption. These biomarkers were linked to reduced inflammation in older adults at cardiovascular risk, unlike traditional food surveys.

25 Mar 2025

Epigenetic scores offer new insights into cardiometabolic disease prevention

A new study explores how epigenetic markers-chemical modifications that influence gene activity-can help predict the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases and guide personalized prevention strategies.

25 Mar 2025