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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

Structured assessment framework aims to ensure safe, ethical deployment of clinical LLMs

A new expert consensus made available online on 10 October 2025 and published in Volume 5, Issue 4 of the journal Intelligent Medicine on 1 November 2025, sets out a structured framework to assess large language models (LLMs) before they are introduced into clinical workflows.

23 Jan 2026

Evidence of African lineage Zika virus circulation in neotropical primates in Southern Brazil

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Mosquito-borne orthoflaviviruses are maintained in cycles involving mosquito and vertebrate hosts.

23 Jan 2026

Why medication abortion is the top target for anti-abortion groups in 2026

This week would have marked the 53rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide — that is, until 2022, when the court overturned it. Since then, abortion has been banned in 13 states and severely limited in 10 others.

23 Jan 2026

Genetic study establishes causal link between obesity and cognitive decline

People with obesity and high blood pressure may face a higher risk of dementia, according to a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

23 Jan 2026

Wildfire smoke in late pregnancy may raise autism risk

Prenatal exposure to wildfire smoke in late pregnancy may modestly raise autism risk in children, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding pregnant women.

23 Jan 2026

Is fluoridated water safe during pregnancy? Studies say yes

Research analyzing 11.5 million births finds no association between community water fluoridation and reduced birth weight, ensuring prenatal safety.

23 Jan 2026

Study traces deep origins of syphilis to prehistoric Americas

A newly sequenced genome of the bacterium that causes syphilis, Treponema pallidum, highlights the deep antiquity of treponemal diseases in the Americas.

22 Jan 2026

Early interventions help nonspeaking autistic children achieve speech gains

After receiving evidence-based early interventions, roughly two-thirds of non-speaking kids with autism speak single words, and approximately half develop more complex language, according to a new study led by researchers at Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.

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

WHO and Novartis extend partnership to eliminate leprosy for another 5 years

Access to treatment for leprosy is essential to global efforts to eliminate leprosy, says the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of World Leprosy Day, to be observed on 25 January.

22 Jan 2026

Understanding tumor growth patterns helps guide treatment after lung cancer

When lung cancer treatment stops working, what happens next? New research reveals the answer may depend on how the cancer grows.

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

Study shows DHPS enzyme controls macrophage maturation across multiple organs

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that an enzyme involved in protein translation is essential for circulating immune cells, called monocytes, to mature into tissue-resident macrophages, a specialized population of immune cells that maintain organ health by clearing dead cells and debris.

21 Jan 2026

Social connections and exercise together boost health in aging adults

Experts long have known that strong social networks and physical activity help older adults stay healthier. Until now, however, little has been known about how these two factors interact to affect the health and well-being of this group.

21 Jan 2026

Survey shows growing public familiarity with RSV vaccines and antibody injections

Amid a surprisingly severe flu season and a Covid-19 resurgence, those highly contagious respiratory illnesses are drawing the largest share of media coverage and public attention.

21 Jan 2026

More urban trees associated with fewer heart disease cases

A multi-institutional study led by the University of California, Davis, finds that living in urban areas with a higher percentage of visible trees is associated with a 4% decrease in cardiovascular disease.

21 Jan 2026

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs show early promise for treating addiction

This systematic review evaluates preclinical and clinical evidence on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists as potential treatments for substance use disorders. Findings show consistent reductions in drug- and alcohol-seeking behaviors in animal models, while human evidence remains limited, heterogeneous, and preliminary.

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

Study finds late-career physician screening programs often lack fairness

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. physicians with an active license is over age 65. This has spurred a small minority of hospitals to enact policies to assess these caregivers' cognitive and physical health, with the aim of reducing lapses that harm patients.

21 Jan 2026