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A simple salt swap could prevent nearly 3 million deaths a year, researchers estimate

A global modelling study covering 193 countries and territories estimated that replacing regular salt with a potassium-enriched substitute containing 25% potassium chloride could prevent 2.96 million deaths, 10.17 million new cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease cases, and 69.43 million disability-adjusted life years annually. Although the researchers projected an increased risk of hyperkalemia-related deaths among people with impaired kidney function, the estimated cardiovascular benefits substantially outweighed these potential harms.

5 Nov 2026

Medical societies unify to endorse evidence-based respiratory vaccine guidance

Hoping to provide much-needed guidance to clinicians treating patients with lung disease and to promote respiratory health, the Vaccine Guidance Review Panel, a multi-medical society effort, announced its endorsement of influenza, RSV and COVID-19 recommendations for adults and children.

5 Nov 2026

ASH establishes new blood reference ranges for Duffy-null individuals

ASH has developed new reference ranges for children and adults with Duffy-null status, a common genetic trait associated with naturally lower circulating white blood cell counts that affects more than 66% of people with African or Mediterranean ancestry in the US.

5 Nov 2026

Temporary ultrasonic sensor provides continuous feedback during spinal cord healing

Following a $13.48 million dollar award from the defense department, a team of engineers and surgeons from Johns Hopkins Medicine have published their first proof-of-concept study that shows temporarily implanting a tiny ultrasonic device into the location of a spinal cord injury can be feasible, safe and potentially useful.

5 Nov 2026

Switching to potassium-enriched salt could prevent millions of global deaths

Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health assessed the health benefits of switching the salt supply to potassium-enriched salt across 193 countries.

4 Nov 2026

Compounds that give citrus fruits their scent may affect gut health

A review published in Food & Function found that dietary terpenoids, naturally occurring compounds in fruits, herbs, and vegetables, can suppress inflammatory signalling and improve intestinal barrier function in laboratory and animal studies. However, human evidence remains limited to two small studies of geraniol-based interventions for irritable bowel syndrome, with further research needed to establish clinical efficacy, appropriate dosing, and long-term safety.

3 Nov 2026

Nurses need more visible roles in the modern 'One Health' governance

Nurses may be one of the most important parts of the health care workforce – yet their contribution is overlooked, according to a new paper examining the profession's place in the growing 'One Health' movement to connect human, animal and environmental health.

3 Nov 2026

New dementia risk tool designed for the countries that need it most

An international team led by Northumbria University has developed and validated a simple five-factor risk score to identify older people at elevated risk of dementia in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) - where around 60% of the world's dementia cases now occur.

3 Nov 2026

A hotter world could have cleaner air, but deadlier heatwaves

Using the extreme heat conditions of 2018–2019, researchers modelled how global warming of 2°C and 2.75°C could affect heatwaves, air pollution and associated mortality across six world regions. The simulations showed increased heatwave-related deaths in every region, particularly South America, while ozone and fine particulate pollution declined in many areas under the higher warming scenario, highlighting contrasting health risks under fixed present-day conditions.

2 Nov 2026

Simple conversational tool identifies dementia risk in developing countries

2 Nov 2026

Unraveling the mystery behind lower cancer risks in type 1 diabetes patients

New research in The Journal of Immunology uncovers how high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) may protect against certain cancers like melanoma, breast and colon cancer. T1D has been associated with a decreased risk of certain cancers, but the exact reasons why have remained a mystery. New data from studies in mice, now shows that it could be due to changes in immune cells, called T cells, caused by hyperglycemia.

29 Oct 2026

Climate change intensifies global health risks, Lancet Countdown report warns

The 2026 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change finds that many of the health risks and harms of climate change grew faster in the decade since the Paris Agreement was introduced (2016–2025) than in the decade before it (2006–2015).

27 Oct 2026

Non-drug and non-surgical low back pain treatments are highly cost-effective options

Non-drug and non-surgical treatments for low back pain, including psychological support, exercise and self-management strategies are cost-effective interventions, according to a study published October 27th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Manuela Loureiro Ferreira from the George Institute for Global Health, Australia, and colleagues.

27 Oct 2026

African health experts urge immediate action over new Ebola cases

African health experts have called for an immediate and coordinated response from pan-African authorities after new cases of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus emerged in Kenya and Nigeria.

26 Oct 2026

Mount Sinai wins NIH grant to test community-based hypertension care model in rural Ghana

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have received a $3.3 million, five-year grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to test an innovative community-based primary care model for high blood pressure in rural Ghana.

15 Oct 2026

Scientists expand global climate scenarios to include public health

About a decade ago, a group of climate scientists described five scenarios for the future. Called the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), these scenarios suggest how socioeconomic development could evolve in worlds with differing challenges to climate adaptation and mitigation.

15 Oct 2026

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Healthcare sustainability data can identify emissions hotspots and improve operational decision-making across healthcare and life sciences.

From Nocomed 14 Oct 2026

Nature-based activities may offer lasting relief from loneliness

About one in three Americans and one in six people worldwide feel lonely on a regular basis, a troubling reality that has prompted some public health officials to declare an "epidemic of loneliness."

13 Oct 2026

Topical peptide spray outperforms placebo in healing burn wounds

Burn wound infections remain a major global health burden, often requiring hospitalization and delaying tissue repair.

13 Oct 2026

Nearly 400,000 adults, six body measurements, and a surprising result for heart attack risk

A UK Biobank study involving 395,831 adults found that a higher body roundness index (BRI) was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction over a median follow-up of 13.3 years. BRI showed slightly better predictive performance than BMI and four other anthropometric measures, although the improvements were modest and require independent validation before clinical adoption.

13 Oct 2026