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Childhood obesity linked to lower employment and education rates in early adulthood

Individuals who lived with obesity as children are less likely to be in work or studying in their mid-20s than their peers, new research being presented at year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) has found.

11 May 2025

Most of today’s children could endure historic heatwaves as planet warms

A Nature study projects that millions born after 1960 will face unprecedented lifetime exposure (ULE) to climate extremes, such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods. The risks grow with global warming and disproportionately impact socioeconomically vulnerable populations.

8 May 2025

Study reveals regional risk factors driving heart disease in Asia and Oceania

A new study puts the spotlight on the rising burden of ischemic heart disease across Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania, and calls for localized, equity-focused interventions in these regions.

8 May 2025

Why your baby’s first steps may be written in their DNA

Researchers identified 11 genetic loci linked to the age at which infants start walking, revealing that this milestone is influenced by thousands of common genetic variants. These genetic factors also correlate with brain development, cognitive traits, and neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD.

8 May 2025

UC engineers develop saliva test to detect depression and anxiety

University of Cincinnati engineers created a new device to help doctors diagnose depression and anxiety.

8 May 2025

Talking therapy by GPs eases PTSD symptoms after critical illness

A brief spell of talking therapy with a general practitioner reduces symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for survivors of critical illness, finds a trial from Germany published by The BMJ today.

8 May 2025

Trump policies at odds with ‘make America healthy again’ push

In his March address to Congress, President Donald Trump honored a Texas boy diagnosed with brain cancer. Amid bipartisan applause, he vowed to drive down childhood cancer rates through his "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.

7 May 2025

New tool uses eight health metrics to track biological aging

A novel health-assessment tool uses eight metrics derived from a person's physical exam and routine lab tests to characterize biological age.

6 May 2025

At Social Security, these are the days of the living dead

Rennie Glasgow, who has served 15 years at the Social Security Administration, is seeing something new on the job: dead people.

6 May 2025

Ultra-processed foods increase risk of anxiety and depression, study shows

A large UK Biobank study linked ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption to increased risks of anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and other mental health outcomes. A metabolomic signature associated with UPF intake partially mediated these relationships, especially in adults under 60.

5 May 2025

Growing up poor leaves lasting health scars, researchers find

A large cross-national study across 29 high-income countries found that childhood poverty significantly increases the risk of frailty in older age. The association persists even after accounting for education, wealth, and other life-course factors.

5 May 2025

Where and why men die younger: global data breaks it down

A global study published in PLOS Medicine examined sex-disaggregated data on hypertension, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS across 204 countries. It revealed significant but context-dependent differences in disease burden, care access, and outcomes between males and females.

4 May 2025

Children born with congenital syphilis face higher risk of hospitalization

Children born with syphilis are six times more likely to be admitted to hospital in their first five years of life compared to children not exposed to syphilis from their mother before birth, according to new research.

1 May 2025

As a diversity grant dies, young scientists fear it will haunt their careers

Adelaide Tovar, a University of Michigan scientist who researches genes related to diabetes, used to feel like an impostor in a laboratory. Tovar, 32, grew up poor and was the first in her family to graduate from high school. During her first year in college, she realized she didn't know how to study.

29 Apr 2025

Trump administration retreats from 100% withholding on Social Security clawbacks

The Social Security Administration is backing off a plan it announced in March to withhold 100% of many beneficiaries' monthly payments to claw back money the government had allegedly overpaid them.

28 Apr 2025

Largest study identifies new genetic targets for osteoarthritis treatment

Researchers have uncovered multiple new genes and genetic pathways that could lead to repurposing hundreds of existing drugs for osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis.

28 Apr 2025

Erythropoietin fails to improve outcomes for newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

Erythropoietin, a treatment for newborns with critically low levels of oxygen or blood supply to the brain at birth, does not prevent death or disability, according to a new multinational study.

25 Apr 2025

Rethinking stroke prevention for patients with mild carotid narrowing

Ischemic stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide, with narrowing of the carotid artery due to atherosclerosis contributing to up to 30% of all cases.

24 Apr 2025

Only 13% of French adults have optimal heart health, study finds

Researchers assessed the Life’s Essential 8 cardiovascular health (CVH) scores in over 190,000 French adults, revealing that only 13% had optimal CVH. Higher scores were associated with being younger, female, well-educated, and having healthier lifestyle factors.

21 Apr 2025

Medical debt linked to increased likelihood of forgoing mental health care

People with medical debt in 2023 were about five times more likely to forgo mental health care treatment in the following year due to cost, compared to those without medical debt, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

18 Apr 2025