Health

For pregnant women, exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with altered immune responses that can lead to adverse birth outcomes, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study is the first to examine the relationship between PM2.5 and maternal... Read more

By taking data prior to birth into account, a study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) used a novel way to analyze the physical and mental effects that unintended pregnancies have on mothers... Read more

Between 1945, when the second world war ended, and the start of the 2010s, average life expectancy and mortality rates in high-income countries improved continuously. But from around 2012, in the UK and in several other countries like the US, Germany and the Netherlands, the rate of improvement slowed, stopped,... Read more

Around 5%–10% of people with COVID infections go on to experience long COVID, with symptoms lasting three months or more.... Read more

Moderate alcohol intake and eating more fruit, oily fish and cereals are linked to lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis, while tea and coffee may be linked to increased risk, new research shows.... Read more

Research from Karolinska Institutet shows that long-term sex hormone treatment in transgender individuals can lead to significant changes in body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly in transgender men. The study is published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.... Read more

Seven out of 10 homes in Europe are smoke-free, according to a major survey published in ERJ Open Research. However, some countries have come further than others in protecting children and adults from second-hand tobacco smoke in the home.... Read more

When University of Pennsylvania researcher Christina Roberto set out to study Philadelphia's soda tax, she wasn't convinced she would find much health impact.... Read more

Spices bring up feelings of comfort, cultural belonging and holidays. They can make our homes smell amazing and our food taste delicious. They can satisfy our cravings, expand our culinary horizons and help us eat things that we might normally dislike. Spices have health-enhancing properties and, in medicine, have been... Read more

The World Health Organization on Thursday urged countries to step up surveillance for bird flu after the first case was detected in a child in the United States.... Read more

People in England and Wales are not allowed assistance to die, even when they are terminally ill and wish to end their lives. Those wishing to access assisted death sometimes choose to travel to countries where it is legal, but this can lead to legal problems if others help them... Read more

Writing in a letter to his friend Lucilius around AD62, the Roman philosopher Seneca outlined two arguments for vegetarianism. The first argument came from a Roman philosopher called Sextius whom Seneca particularly admired, who had lived in the first century BC and had been known for his simple lifestyle.... Read more

Standing desks became popular thanks to phrases like "sitting is the new smoking," which highlighted the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.... Read more

Most senior citizens get around in their daily lives by driving, walking or using public buses and subways. But many people in their 60s and 70s could potentially be interested in other options, such as cycling. At a time when cycling is growing in the U.S. and the overall population... Read more

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a program of physical and mental rehabilitation probably improve symptoms of long COVID, but the effects are modest, finds a review of the latest evidence published in The BMJ.... Read more