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Study links better midlife vascular health to nearly 13 more dementia-free years

A long-term study of 12,409 adults found that a greater burden of diabetes, hypertension, and current smoking in midlife was associated with substantially fewer years lived free of dementia. Adults with none of these risk factors had about 30.1 dementia-free years from age 55, compared with 17.5 years among those with all three, a difference of nearly 13 years.

10 Aug 2026

Study finds more than half of mapped US parks lie near toxic chemical-reporting facilities

A nationwide geospatial analysis of 151,366 publicly accessible parks found that 52.6% lay within two miles of at least one industrial facility reporting toxic chemical management to the EPA, while 17.7% had parkland within two miles of a current or former Superfund site. The study mapped proximity rather than contamination or exposure, highlighting locations where targeted environmental assessment and healthier urban planning may be warranted.

9 Aug 2026

Study identifies barriers to equitable pediatric cancer trial participation

While Black and Hispanic families are enthusiastic about research participation, other provider- and systems-focused factors may influence their involvement in pediatric oncology clinical trials, a UT Southwestern Medical Center-led study has found.

9 Aug 2026

New vaccine strategy targets overlooked regions of malaria parasite

Malaria kills more than half a million people a year, most of them young children in Africa. Two vaccines are now recommended by the World Health Organization, RTS,S and R21.

7 Aug 2026

Human skin chemistry shapes species-specific mosquito attraction patterns

There is no such thing as a universal mosquito magnet. In a new study published in iScience, Florida International University (FIU) researchers pitted 119 human volunteers against three of the world's most dangerous mosquito species and found that not one person was attractive to all three.

7 Aug 2026

Rising wildfire smoke in the US offsets improvements in prenatal health

Wildfires are well-known health risks. Now, in a new Frontiers in Environmental Health study, researchers in the US have – for the first time – evaluated how prenatal PM2.5 exposure has changed over space and time on a national scale, and what role wildfires play in shaping these trends.

7 Aug 2026

Fine particle pollution raises rheumatoid arthritis flare risk and disease activity

Higher ambient PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and a greater likelihood of flares in a four-year South Korean cohort of 1,070 patients. The association appeared stronger with sustained exposure over approximately two weeks or longer, while women and nonsmokers showed more pronounced links between PM2.5 and DAS28-CRP.

7 Aug 2026

Air pollution in pregnancy raises birth risks differently across trimesters

A population-based study of 26,582 live singleton births in Madrid found that associations between NO₂ exposure and adverse birth outcomes varied by pregnancy stage, with key patterns emerging in the first and third trimesters.

6 Aug 2026

Nicotine gum may make smokeless tobacco withdrawal easier to manage

A randomized trial found that 2 mg nicotine gum controlled craving, anxiety, and sleep problems more effectively than behavioral counselling during smokeless tobacco cessation. Although abstinence rates were numerically higher with nicotine gum, the differences were not statistically significant, highlighting the need for larger studies.

6 Aug 2026

Firearm injury patients face measurable risk of bacterial infections

A new study from researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) found that bacterial infections develop in approximately 5 percent of adults hospitalized with firearm injuries, with most infections occurring during the initial hospitalization rather than after patients return home.

6 Aug 2026

Omega-3 and ASA combination shows promise for severe periodontitis

A combination of omega-3 and low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) produced results comparable to antibiotics in treating severe periodontitis.

6 Aug 2026

New review links obesity with accelerated biological aging mechanisms

The global rise in obesity and population aging represents a major public health challenge, with growing evidence suggesting that excess body fat not only increases the risk of chronic disease but may also accelerate the biological aging process.

6 Aug 2026

Swiss flagship project harnesses AI and sensors for diabetes prevention

Type 2 diabetes generates high healthcare costs in Switzerland and causes significant suffering for those affected.

6 Aug 2026

Advances in DNA technology are reshaping preventive healthcare

A new review highlights how advances in DNA technology are reshaping the future of healthcare by shifting the focus from treatment to prevention.

6 Aug 2026

First-trimester protein intake linked to lower odds of small-for-gestational-age birth

A secondary analysis of 7,067 nulliparous participants found that first-trimester protein intake of 0.8 to less than 1.1 g/kg/day was associated with 22% lower adjusted odds of delivering an SGA infant than intake of at least 1.1 g/kg/day. The association was exploratory, with no dose-response pattern and no confirmation in sensitivity analyses.

6 Aug 2026

NEWS2 score may improve antibiotic decisions in suspected sepsis

A study of nearly 100,000 adults treated for suspected infection suggests that the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2), a score based on routinely collected vital signs that is widely used to identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration, may help clinicians identify which patients are most likely to benefit from immediate antibiotic treatment and which may safely undergo further evaluation before receiving antibiotics.

6 Aug 2026

Galápagos wastewater is creating new reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Portable field surveillance reveals how untreated sewage is reshaping coastal microbial communities and spreading diverse resistance genes across one of the world’s most protected marine environments.

6 Aug 2026

Healthy midlife habits linked to longer dementia-free years

Having normal blood pressure, no diabetes, and not smoking from age 48 to 68, are associated with nearly 13 additional years on average of dementia-free life, a new study shows.

6 Aug 2026

NIH funds Boston University center for Alzheimer's prevention studies

Maria Glymour, Andrew Stokes, and Deborah Carr will lead the Boston University-Quantitative Population Science and Healthy Cognitive Aging Research Program (BU-SHARP) to foster national research collaboration on preventing and ameliorating the consequences of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in disproportionately affected populations.

5 Aug 2026

Long-acting HIV prevention tools could help close the gap before a vaccine arrives

A review of non-vaccine HIV interventions highlights the strong preventive effects of long-acting PrEP, sustained ART, U=U, vertical transmission programs, and voluntary medical male circumcision. Gene editing and multispecific antibodies may expand future options, but safety, cost, access, adherence, and implementation barriers remain.

5 Aug 2026