Public Health News and Research

RSS

AI predicts bacterial resistance to antibiotics with high accuracy

An AI model trained on large amounts of genetic data can predict whether bacteria will become antibiotic-resistant.

2 Apr 2025

Weekend exercise can offer the same health benefits as daily workouts

Being physically active for one to two days a week, often called a "weekend warrior," may provide comparable health and life-prolonging benefits as smaller doses of daily physical activity if the physical effort is moderate to vigorous and totals 150 minutes a week in line with recommended guidelines for weekly physical activity, 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.

2 Apr 2025

WHO releases first reports on shortages in fungal disease treatments and diagnostics

The World Health Organization (WHO) today published its first-ever reports addressing the critical lack of medicines and diagnostic tools for invasive fungal diseases, showing the urgent need for innovative research and development (R&D) to close these gaps.

2 Apr 2025

New AI system enhances nurse-driven patient monitoring and saves lives

An AI tool that analyzes nurses' data and notes detected when patients in the hospital were deteriorating nearly two days earlier than traditional methods and reduced the risk of death by over 35%, found a year-long clinical trial of more than 60,000 patients led by researchers at Columbia University.

2 Apr 2025

Hit hard by opioid crisis, Black patients further hurt by barriers to care

Purple flags, representing the nearly 300 Mecklenburg County residents who died of opioid overdose in 2023, fluttered in the humid breeze last August in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on the city’s predominantly Black west side.

2 Apr 2025

Pandemic disruptions linked to lower TB diagnoses in prisons worldwide

A new study found that reported diagnoses for tuberculosis were consistently lower than expected throughout the pandemic, even though incarceration rates remained largely consistent and TB detection among the general population managed to reverse after an early-pandemic decline.

1 Apr 2025

Annual COVID-19 boosters crucial for immunocompromised individuals

New research findings provide solid evidence that annual COVID-19 vaccine booster doses continue to be advisable for certain immunocompromised people, researchers at McGill University say.

1 Apr 2025

Rural communities face higher rates of heart disease and risk factors

A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) uncovered higher rates of heart disease and worse heart health affecting adults living in rural communities compared to urban areas and the factors that likely drive these differences.

1 Apr 2025

New antibiotic-resistant superbug discovered in Malaysian hospital

A virulent strain of antibiotic-resistant 'superbug' that causes severe disease has been found circulating in a Malaysian hospital - posing significant challenges to global public health, a new study reveals.

1 Apr 2025

Virtual diabetes self-management interventions improve blood sugar levels

Relatively inexpensive and accessible self-management interventions to help people manage Type 2 diabetes have been found to significantly reduce the blood sugar marker used to diagnose and manage the disease.

1 Apr 2025

Survey shows increased awareness of alcohol’s cancer risks

Public awareness of the link between drinking alcohol and an elevated risk of cancer has grown since last fall, with more than half of Americans now saying that regularly consuming alcohol increases your chances of later developing cancer, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

1 Apr 2025

Weight training shields the brain from dementia in older adults

The benefits of weight training are many: it promotes gains in strength and muscle mass, reduces body fat, and contributes to well-being and mental health.

1 Apr 2025

Common medicines contain hidden gluten and soy, study finds

A Portuguese study found that over half of paracetamol-based painkillers and a quarter of ibuprofen liquids contain gluten or soy-derived excipients, posing risks for allergy-sensitive individuals.

1 Apr 2025

Only 13% of French adults have optimal heart health—here’s what’s driving the gap

Only 13% of French adults aged 18–69 have optimal cardiovascular health, according to a national study using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score. The findings highlight missed prevention opportunities and suggest that modest lifestyle changes could prevent up to 81% of cardiovascular events.

1 Apr 2025

Compound heatwaves linked to increased cardiac deaths

Cardiac deaths increase significantly during compound heatwaves-heatwaves where temperatures are elevated both during the day and overnight-according to a new study in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

1 Apr 2025

Pregnancy may provide some protection against Long COVID

Pregnancy may offer some protection from developing Long COVID, found a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Utah Health and Louisiana Public Health Institute.

1 Apr 2025

NYC and Baltimore scientists awarded grants for cardiovascular and diabetes research

A New York City-based physician scientist who explores ways to improve health by looking at the ways in which cells and molecules impact disease and an epidemiologist from Baltimore who has devoted her career to identifying ways to improve screening, diagnosis and patient care for people with diabetes are the most recent American Heart Association Merit Award recipients.

1 Apr 2025