Public Health News and Research

RSS

New study tests vitamin D analog against pancreatic cancer

A small clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers put a Salk Institute idea to the test in patients: that activating the vitamin D receptor can help reshape the protective environment surrounding pancreatic tumors in ways that could make the notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer more vulnerable to therapeutic treatments.

26 May 2026

New AI tools identify potential drugs for rare Ebola virus

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to identify nearly two dozen antiviral compounds that could potentially treat a rare species of Ebola virus (Bundibugyo virus) currently affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo.

26 May 2026

Dog daycare outbreak exposes gaps in puppy leptospirosis vaccinations

A 2021 outbreak of leptospirosis that sickened more than 200 dogs in Los Angeles County reveals critical gaps in vaccination practices and raises broader concerns about the spread of the disease between animals and people, according to new research led by the University of California, Davis.

26 May 2026

New analysis shows obesity rates plateauing in many countries

An international large-scale study involving the University of Granada (UGR) examines obesity trends since the 1980s and reveals that the increase has slowed, stabilized, and even reversed in many countries, though it is still rising in developing nations.

26 May 2026

How heat-smart cities can protect outdoor recreation in a warming world

This review shows how rising humid heat threatens the health benefits of nature-based recreation in tropical cities. The authors call for heat-smart urban planning, targeted advisories, and inclusive strategies that keep outdoor activity safe, accessible, and beneficial.

26 May 2026

Why Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, and the US stand out in global distance running

This global analysis of 152,943 endurance runners found that nationality, gender, age, and race distance were significantly associated with running performance from 1999 to 2024. Men were faster across all distances, women were generally older in longer races, and runners from Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, and the United States showed distinct participation and performance patterns.

26 May 2026

Chronic liver disease threatens millions across Europe, report finds

Europe is facing a growing chronic liver disease threat, according to a new Series published today in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, that engaged more than 75 co-authors from 30 countries and was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

25 May 2026

Experts urge specialized heart centers for women across European healthcare

Women are more likely to face delays in diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and, as a result, they are more likely to die or develop more serious illness. To address this in inequality, Europe needs dedicated women's heart centers, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal today (Tuesday).

25 May 2026

Changing landscapes in Southeast Asia cause thousands of excess deaths

Changes in land-use across Southeast Asia over the past 15 years are worsening air quality and contributing to thousands of excess deaths each year, according to a study led by researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).

25 May 2026

Food insecurity links to poorer mental and physical health in Tasmania

Food insecurity among adults in Tasmania was strongly associated with lower diet satisfaction and poorer self-rated mental and physical health, with diet dissatisfaction showing the strongest link. The findings suggest that food insecurity limits not only nutrition, but also food choice, agency, wellbeing, and equitable access to acceptable, affordable, and culturally appropriate diets.

24 May 2026

New computational pipeline improves effectiveness of pan-Ebola neutralizing antibodies

A team led by Professor Wei Yang at the National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, has developed a computational-experimental pipeline that synergistically optimizes antibody framework regions (FR) and complementarity-determining regions (CDR).

24 May 2026

Internal mutations and microbes may drive a distinct subtype of oral cancer

A new study reveals that many oral cancers are no longer driven by traditional risk factors like smoking or Human papillomavirus infection.

22 May 2026

Scientists urge advocacy to protect vital global vaccine research

Scientists and physicians should advocate to protect the vaccine research infrastructure that has saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years, according to a new commentary by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Washington.

22 May 2026

Private health insurance expansion leads to poorer overall public health

People with private health insurance can jump the public healthcare queue by using private health services instead. Is there really anything wrong with that?

22 May 2026

How screen time, stress, and nicotine trap young adults in poor sleep

Among the younger part of the population, sleep problems, anxiety, and depression are widespread and growing issues.

22 May 2026

Weight loss helps older AF patients slim down, but does not ease symptoms

An 8-month low-calorie diet plus behavioral support helped older adults with overweight or obesity and persistent atrial fibrillation lose weight safely, with no intervention-related serious adverse events. However, the LOSE-AF trial found no meaningful improvement in AF symptoms, rhythm control, AF burden, cardiac remodeling, or further AF procedure rates compared with usual care.

22 May 2026

Study finds widespread hantavirus exposure among Pacific Northwest rodent populations

The Sin Nombre virus – a hantavirus that can cause a deadly respiratory disease in humans – may be more widespread among rodent populations in parts of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized.

21 May 2026

Extreme heat increasingly threatens vulnerable people in the United Kingdom

Older people, care home residents and those living in poor-quality housing are facing growing danger from extreme heat, as new research warns that the UK is failing to protect those most at risk.

21 May 2026

Smartphone overdependence may signal higher alcohol and smoking risk in teens

Higher smartphone overdependence was significantly associated with greater odds of self-reported lifetime alcohol and tobacco use among more than 100,000 Korean adolescents. The study found graded dose-response patterns, with earlier initiation and heavier alcohol or smoking behaviors linked to a higher adjusted probability of high-risk smartphone overdependence.

21 May 2026

High-dose vitamin D3 in pregnancy may boost children’s memory by age 10

High-dose vitamin D3 supplementation from mid-pregnancy to early postpartum was associated with better verbal and visual memory in children at age 10. The post hoc analysis suggests prenatal vitamin D3 exposure may support selected cognitive functions, although findings require cautious interpretation.

21 May 2026