Epidemiology News and Research

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Simple blood test improves prediction of heart attack and stroke risk

A simple £5 blood test for the protein troponin could predict a person's risk of heart attacks and strokes with greater accuracy than ever before, research suggests.

7 Apr 2025

Brain health in older adults threatened by prolonged air pollution

Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution may harm the brain health of older adults in England, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

7 Apr 2025

Major cancer prevention report on dietary and lifestyle patterns released today

World Cancer Research Fund International has released a major new report on Dietary and Lifestyle Patterns (DLPs) and their role in cancer prevention, which is out today (2 April 2025).

7 Apr 2025

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey

Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions.

7 Apr 2025

New study reveals hidden spread of C. diff in intensive care units

One of the most common health care-associated infections spreads within intensive care units (ICUs) more than three times more than previously thought, new research has found.

4 Apr 2025

Healthy lifestyle linked to lower mortality in cancer survivors

In 2022, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its nutrition and activity guidelines for cancer survivors, recommending they avoid obesity, stay physically active, eat a healthy diet, and limit alcohol intake.

3 Apr 2025

Machine learning models predict dementia risk among American Indian/Alaska Native adults

Machine learning algorithms utilizing electronic health records can effectively predict two-year dementia risk among American Indian/Alaska Native adults aged 65 years and older, according to a University of California, Irvine-led study.

2 Apr 2025

Phthalate exposure during pregnancy affects newborn metabolism

A newly published study by researchers from Emory University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Columbia University found that a mother's exposure to phthalates during pregnancy can affect their newborn's metabolism and brain development.

2 Apr 2025

Smartwatches provide a more accurate picture of people's daily drinking habits than current methods

Alcohol harm costs NHS England £3.5 billion annually, with 70 people dying every day from alcohol-related causes in the UK.

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

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

Study reveals significant racial and sex disparities in drug overdose mortality rates

A recent study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health reveals significant racial and sex disparities in drug overdose mortality rates.

1 Apr 2025

Defibrillators and CPR cut marathon cardiac deaths in half, study shows

Researchers found that while the rate of cardiac arrests during U.S. marathons and half-marathons remained stable from 2010 to 2023, the likelihood of death from these events dropped by nearly half—thanks to faster emergency response and widespread use of defibrillators.

31 Mar 2025

Interval cancers account for significant breast cancer cases

In a new study, researchers from Karolinska Institutet have shown that so-called interval cancers, which are detected between two screening sessions, account for a significant proportion of breast cancer cases and that certain risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing this type of cancer.

28 Mar 2025

Gender affirming hormone therapy reduces HIV risk for transgender people

Transgender people receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy have a 37% lower chance of acquiring HIV, and for people living with HIV, hormone therapy appears to offer a 44% lower chance of the virus remaining detectable in blood, according to a University of Michigan study.

27 Mar 2025

The impact of ending U.S.-funded global vaccine programs

Abram Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology and global public health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, discusses implications of the U.S. potentially ending global vaccine programs.

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

Light intensity daily physical activities may reduce cancer risk

In a prospective cohort study of more than 85,000 adults in the United Kingdom, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and University of Oxford found that individuals who engaged in light- and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity daily physical activity had a lower risk of cancer than individuals who were more sedentary.

26 Mar 2025