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"Blue zones" longevity claims validated by new research

A new peer-reviewed paper published in The Gerontologist provides the most comprehensive scientific response to date addressing recent critiques of the so-called "blue zones," regions of the world known for unusually high concentrations of people living long, healthy lives.

5 Jan 2026

Study compares H1N1 and COVID-19 spread across metropolitan areas in the U.S.

Public health researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health used computer modeling to reconstruct how the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in the U.S.

5 Jan 2026

Economic instability linked to higher risk of long COVID in children

New research led by Mass General Brigham investigators suggests that long COVID is more prevalent in school-aged children and adolescents who experience economic instability and adverse social conditions.

5 Jan 2026

COVID-19 immunity stays specific and barely boosts protection against common cold coronaviruses

This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination generate strong, highly specific spike-binding immune responses with only modest effects on immunity to endemic common cold coronaviruses. Pre-existing coronavirus immunity patterns remain largely intact, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 has integrated into the human viral landscape without broadly reshaping cross-reactive protection.

5 Jan 2026

Why intuition matters more than facts in flu vaccination decisions

Flu infections are rising sharply across the United States, contributing to at least 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths so far this season, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5 Jan 2026

Bat-borne virus linked to unexplained illnesses in Bangladesh

Infectious disease researchers have identified Pteropine orthoreoviruses (PRVs), a group of newly emergent bat-borne viruses, as the culprit for previously unexplained illness in five Bangladeshi patients, one of whom eventually died with unexplained illness.

5 Jan 2026

RSV prevention: A new era for infant protection

Globally, RSV causes millions of respiratory infections each year and is responsible for a large proportion of hospitalizations and deaths among children under five years, with the highest risk concentrated in infants under six months.

5 Jan 2026

To knock down health-system hurdles between you and HIV prevention, try these 6 things

A couple of years ago, Matthew Hurley got the kind of text people fear.

5 Jan 2026

Weaker and fragmented circadian rhythms linked to higher dementia risk

Circadian rhythms that are weaker and more fragmented are linked to an increased risk of dementia, according to a new study published on December 29, 2025, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Jan 2026

Plasmid-borne resistance drives global expansion of dangerous Klebsiella strains

A recent study published in Engineering has shed light on the transmission and epidemiological trends of tmexCD1-toprJ1-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae across various ecological niches, highlighting the potential threat this antibiotic-resistant bacterium poses to global public health.

31 Dec 2025

Viruses on plastic waste pose new antibiotic resistance risks

Plastic pollution does more than litter landscapes and oceans. According to a new perspective article published in Biocontaminant, viruses living on plastic surfaces may play an underrecognized role in spreading antibiotic resistance, raising concerns for environmental and public health worldwide.

31 Dec 2025

New insights into the global expansion of Candida auris

The fungal species Candida auris is spreading across the globe, and gaining in virulence, according to a new review by a Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) scientist and colleagues.

30 Dec 2025

Simple reminder emails increase clinicians' use of database for safe opioid prescribing

A new randomized clinical trial finds that simple reminder emails substantially increase clinicians' use of a database that supports safe prescribing of opioids and other drugs, even though opioid prescribing patterns themselves did not meaningfully change during the study period.

30 Dec 2025

Minimal residual disease monitoring can transform breast cancer care

Despite major therapeutic advances, breast cancer remains prone to recurrence, particularly in patients with early-stage disease who appear disease-free after treatment.

30 Dec 2025

Rising gestational diabetes rates raise alarms for maternal and child health

Gestational diabetes rose every single year in the U.S. from 2016 through 2024, according to a new Northwestern Medicine analysis of more than 12 million U.S. births. The condition, which raises health risks for both mother and baby, shot up 36 % over the nine-year period (from 58 to 79 cases per 1,000 births) and increased across every racial and ethnic group.

30 Dec 2025

Persuading people to get vaccinated may intensify social polarization

Encouraging people to get vaccinated is often seen as a public health success story. However, understanding how persuading people to roll up their sleeves to receive vaccines creates social division is crucial.

26 Dec 2025

Researchers develop mild mitochondrial uncouplers for obesity treatment

Researchers have developed experimental drugs that encourage the mitochondria in our cells to work a little harder and burn more calories. The findings could open the door to new treatments for obesity and improve metabolic health.

24 Dec 2025

Alcohol consumption plays a major role in India’s mouth cancer burden

Even a low daily intake of alcohol--just 9 g or around one standard drink-is linked to a 50% heightened risk of mouth (buccal mucosa) cancer in India, with the greatest risk associated with locally brewed alcohol, finds a large comparative study, published online in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

23 Dec 2025

High-fat cheese and cream consumption links to lower dementia risk over 25 years

Higher intake of high-fat cheese and cream was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia over 25 years in a large Swedish cohort, while low-fat dairy showed no association. Associations were strongest for vascular dementia and among APOE ε4 non-carriers, with findings remaining observational.

23 Dec 2025

How GLP‑1 agonists are shaping the future of obesity treatment with Dr Bryony Henderson

GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.

23 Dec 2025