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Reducing alcohol consumption could ease Australia’s cancer burden

National data indicates that lowering alcohol consumption could prevent thousands of cancer deaths, emphasizing the importance of public health interventions.

27 Jan 2026

Urate-lowering gout treatment can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke

A groundbreaking new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that medicines used to treat gout can also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with gout.

27 Jan 2026

Reducing sodium in common foods could prevent heart disease and stroke

Lowering sodium in packaged and prepared foods could significantly improve cardiovascular health and prevent many cases of heart disease, stroke and deaths in the general population in France and the U.K., according to two new research studies published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jan 2026

New role for GLP-1 drugs: Improving survival in people with severe psychiatric disorders

This editorial argues that GLP-1 receptor agonists could substantially improve healthspan and reduce premature mortality in people with serious mental illnesses by targeting cardiometabolic risk rather than psychiatric symptoms alone. It highlights emerging evidence, safety considerations, and equity challenges that position GLP-1 RAs as a promising public health strategy for this high-risk population.

25 Jan 2026

Why the age you start smoking matters as much as how much you smoke

Starting smoking at a younger age is associated with substantially higher risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, and death, even after accounting for cumulative smoking exposure. Early initiation also amplifies the cardiovascular harm of heavier smoking, indicating increased vulnerability when smoking begins in adolescence.

25 Jan 2026

Diagnostic prognostic and therapeutic relevance of PIVKA-II in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, particularly in regions with high hepatitis B virus prevalence.

24 Jan 2026

Colorblindness linked to delayed bladder cancer detection and higher mortality

Recognizing the sight of blood in urine, the most common first sign of bladder cancer, is often the impetus that leads people to a diagnosis.

24 Jan 2026

Bacterial infections in patients with liver cirrhosis show rising prevalence and high mortality

Bacterial infections (BIs) are common and severe complications in patients with liver cirrhosis, but global data are limited. Here, we aimed to evaluate the global prevalence, temporal changes, and associated mortality risk of BIs in liver cirrhosis.

23 Jan 2026

New study identifies the optimal exercise dose for reducing hepatic steatosis

Hepatic steatosis is a core pathological feature of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). It not only drives disease progression to intrahepatic conditions such as cirrhosis but also elevates the incidence and mortality risk of cardiovascular diseases and extrahepatic malignancies.

23 Jan 2026

Nearly half of adults now live with heart disease as obesity and diabetes surge

The 2026 American Heart Association Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics report shows that nearly half of adults are living with cardiovascular disease, with cardiometabolic risk factors projected to rise substantially by 2050. Despite progress in smoking reduction and cholesterol control, worsening obesity, diabetes, hypertension, sleep health, and persistent inequities threaten future cardiovascular health.

22 Jan 2026

Exercise variety, not just volume, is tied to longer life

Researchers analysed nearly three decades of data from more than 111,000 adults to examine whether the variety of physical activities people perform is linked to long-term survival. They found that engaging in a broader range of activity types was associated with lower all-cause mortality, independent of total exercise volume.

22 Jan 2026

When you eat matters: early time-restricted eating improves metabolic health

Time-restricted eating improves several metabolic outcomes compared with usual diets, with benefits observed for body weight, adiposity, blood pressure, insulin, glucose, and triglycerides. Early eating windows consistently outperform late eating, while the optimal duration of food intake remains uncertain.

22 Jan 2026

Myosteatosis: An emerging predictor of outcomes in chronic liver disease

Myosteatosis, the pathological infiltration of fat into skeletal muscle, is increasingly recognized as a key predictor of poor clinical outcomes across a spectrum of liver diseases.

22 Jan 2026

High-dose inhaled nitric oxide could fight multidrug-resistant infections

Overuse of antibiotics has accelerated the development of bacterial resistance to conventional drugs, a global health crisis projected to result in more than 10 million deaths annually by 2050.

21 Jan 2026

Reducing alcohol consumption could significantly lower cancer deaths

Reducing annual alcohol consumption in Australia by one litre a person could significantly lower deaths from several major cancers, particularly among older Australians, a new study led by La Trobe University has found.

21 Jan 2026

Natural ovulation matches hormone therapy success in frozen embryo transfer

Natural ovulation before frozen embryo transfer is as effective as hormone treatment for achieving a healthy baby by vitro fertilization (IVF), finds a clinical trial from China published by The BMJ today.

21 Jan 2026

Higher vitamin D levels tied to fewer hospitalization for respiratory tract infections

Severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey.

21 Jan 2026

Long-term air pollution exposure raises motor neuron disease risk

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing motor neuron disease and poorer prognosis after diagnosis in a large nationwide Swedish study. Higher particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure were also linked to faster functional decline and increased likelihood of invasive ventilation.

21 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

Study finds no safety or efficacy gap between paracetamol and ibuprofen for neonatal PDA

In a UK pilot randomized trial, intravenous paracetamol and ibuprofen showed no statistically significant differences in short-term efficacy or safety when used as rescue therapy for hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus in very preterm infants. The study demonstrated high feasibility but was not powered to determine clinical superiority or equivalence between treatments.

21 Jan 2026