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Young people prefer alcohol over non- and low-alcohol alternatives

Young people aged 16-25 in Great Britain are three times more likely to start drinking alcohol than non- and low-alcohol alternatives (62 per cent vs 17 per cent), while less than one in five (18 per cent) have never tried either, according to new research from the University of Sheffield.

24 Apr 2026

Heatwaves and coldwaves linked to increase in major cardiovascular events

Heatwaves and coldwaves are associated with increases in major cardiovascular events that are exacerbated by air pollution.

24 Apr 2026

Algeria eliminates trachoma as a public health problem after decades of effort

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Algeria as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the 10th country in WHO's African Region and the 29th country globally to achieve this significant milestone.

24 Apr 2026

Teens skip sunscreen because they see it as inconvenient

Adolescents' sun safety practices are influenced by social norms and perceived costs, suggesting a need for innovative approaches in skin cancer prevention.

24 Apr 2026

Study highlights the fragility of measles elimination in the United States

A new study examined measles vaccination coverage following a large postelimination outbreak, primarily affecting unvaccinated children. Findings from the study will be presented during the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2026 Meeting, taking place April 24-27 in Boston.

24 Apr 2026

U.S. dentists still prescribe opioids at higher rates globally

People getting their teeth pulled or drilled by dentists in the United States are still much more likely to get powerful opioid medications than dental patients in other developed countries or even the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, a new study finds.

23 Apr 2026

Washington’s hepatitis C elimination initiative improves treatment access, reduces costs

It took less than 22 years after the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) for a fast-acting, highly effective treatment to become available.

23 Apr 2026

Psilocybin use rises among Americans amid growing clinical interest

The use of psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in "magic mushrooms," is rising in the United States alongside de‑criminalization efforts in several states and local jurisdictions, as well as heightened interest by the general public.

23 Apr 2026

Study highlights gaps in opioid use disorder care during pregnancy

Opioid use disorder during pregnancy remains a critical yet under-addressed public health issue in the U.S., according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

23 Apr 2026

Kenyan bat coronavirus uses human CEACAM6 to enter cells, raising spillover concerns

Researchers screened a phylogenetically diverse panel of alphacoronavirus spike proteins and found that a heart-nosed bat coronavirus from Kenya can use human CEACAM6 to enter cells.

23 Apr 2026

Severe strokes significantly increase the risk of progressive dementia

As stroke severity increases, the risk of progressive cognitive decline and dementia substantially escalates, according to a national study led by Michigan Medicine researchers.

23 Apr 2026

WHO congratulates The Bahamas for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV

In a landmark achievement for Caribbean public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates The Bahamas for becoming the latest Caribbean nation to be certified as having eliminated the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

23 Apr 2026

Yoga may improve cardiometabolic health in overweight adults

Practicing yoga could help people with overweight or obesity improve their cardiometabolic health, according to a study published April 22 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Widya Wasityastuti from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and colleagues.

22 Apr 2026

Paxlovid speeds recovery but does not reduce severe COVID outcomes in vaccinated adults

Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) does not reduce hospital admissions or deaths in vaccinated adults at higher risk of severe COVID-19, despite helping them recover faster, according to results from two national trials published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

22 Apr 2026

Why social supermarkets are gaining attention in the fight against food insecurity

This scoping review found that social supermarkets can offer a more dignified, choice-based way to access lower-cost food while also helping divert some surplus food from waste. However, the evidence suggests they work best as a complement to existing food support, not as a solution to the underlying causes of food insecurity or overproduction across the food system.

22 Apr 2026

COVID-19 virus not retained in placenta after maternal recovery

A new Yale study published in JAMA Network Open finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.

22 Apr 2026

Fitness in midlife extends health span and overall life expectancy

How fit you are in midlife may help determine not just how long you live, but how many of those years are spent in good health, according to a new study published today in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

22 Apr 2026

Availability of HIV treatments contributed to a resurgence in syphilis

A study in Health Economics uncovered an unintended consequence of a major medical breakthrough: while the availability of HIV treatments in the late 1990s dramatically improved survival, they also contributed to a resurgence in syphilis, a sexually transmitted infection.

22 Apr 2026

Prostate cancer overdiagnosis risk increases substantially in older men

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have found that the likelihood of prostate cancer overdiagnosis – the detection of a cancer that would never have been diagnosed during a patient's lifetime but for PSA screening – is low in younger men but rises substantially with old age.

22 Apr 2026

McMaster researchers identify new DNA region linked to frailty

Researchers at McMaster University have identified, for the first time, a novel region of DNA and two associated genes connected to frailty, offering neurological and immune-related insights that might help explain why some older adults are more likely to be frail than others.

22 Apr 2026