Key Findings Women living in neighborhoods with high vulnerability had a higher risk of earlier natural menopause onset, primarily due to socioeconomic status and household conditions. No significant association was found between neighborhood disadvantage and the severity of menopause symptoms. Boston, MA – A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute highlights the significant impact of living in disadvantaged neighborhoods on the onset of menopause. The research followed 691 women from pregnancy to midlife and found that those residing in highly vulnerable neighborhoods, particularly within 10 years of perimenopause onset, experienced menopause approximately two ...

About The Study: In this cross-sectional study, 1 in 10 patients hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) had a concurrent acute cardiovascular event. Odds of cardiac events were significantly higher in RSV vs COVID-19 hospitalizations in both vaccine-boosted and unboosted individuals. In contemporaneous hospitalizations for RSV or influenza after the pandemic (2023-2024), odds of heart failure were significantly higher in RSV hospitalizations vs vaccine-breakthrough influenza hospitalizations. These findings suggest that patients with preexisting cardiovascular risk should consider vaccination ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of children in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort, analyses identified children on the path to obesity as early as age 3.5 years. Modifiable factors could be targeted for early prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing childhood obesity. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Chang Liu, PhD, email c.liu@wsu.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.11835) Editor’s ...

Radboudumc researchers Kirsten van Abeelen, Edwin Ardiansyah, Sofiati Dian, Vinod Kumar, Reinout van Crevel and Arjan van Laarhoven used metabolomics to study cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from tuberculous meningitis patients in Vietnam and Indonesia, with long-standing collaborators from Bandung and Jakarta (Indonesia), the Broad Institute (Boston) and the Oxford University Research Unit in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).   Meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis. Damaging inflammation contributes to its poor prognosis. Corticosteroids reduce mortality, but ...

Not all children grow the same way. A new study from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program suggests that body weight changes in early childhood may be associated with later obesity risk. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study tracked children’s body mass index (BMI) from infancy through age 9 and found two distinct growth patterns. Most children followed a typical curve, with BMI decreasing in early childhood before gradually rising again. But a smaller group followed a trajectory marked by a sharp rise in BMI, ...

Key Takeaways  Helmet laws work (when they’re universal): Motorcycle riders in North Carolina (with a universal helmet law) wore a helmet 94% of the time compared with 47% of riders in South Carolina (partial law).   Helmets mean less severe injuries: Motorcyclists who wore helmets were less likely to die or require intensive care after an accident.  Lost progress: Helmet laws have been rolled back in many states resulting in only 19 states now having universal helmet laws.  CHICAGO — New ...

A potentially lifesaving new smartphone app can help people determine if they are suffering heart attacks or strokes and should seek medical attention, a clinical study suggests. The ECHAS app (Emergency Call for Heart Attack and Stroke) is being developed by experts at UVA Health, Harvard, Northeastern and other leading institutions. It is designed to help people recognize the signs of cardiac and neurological emergencies so that they get care as quickly as possible, for the best possible outcomes. Put to the test in an initial clinical study with more than 200 real-life emergency-room ...

“Although Brazilian plant species show promising potential as therapeutic agents in SC, the available studies are still scarce.” BUFFALO, NY — May 22, 2025 — A new review was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on May 8, 2025, titled “The chemopreventive effects of native Brazilian plants on stomach cancer: A review of the last 25 years.” The study led by first author Iara Lopes Lemos and corresponding author Mario Roberto Marostica Junior from the University of Campinas reviewed scientific studies published over the past 25 ...

Infections from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children requiring primary care led to significant societal economic costs from outpatient treatment and parental work absences in Europe, according to a study just published on Eurosurveillance. The study sought to provide insights for public health policy and support costs and benefits analyses for RSV immunisation strategies. RSV infections are a leading cause of acute respiratory infections in children, with nearly all children experiencing at least one RSV infection by the age of 2. While some children develop a severe form of RSV disease that might require hospitalisation, ...

Machine learning at the core ‘Aurora uses state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to deliver superior forecasts for key environmental systems—air quality, weather, ocean waves, and tropical cyclones,’ explains Max Welling, machine learning expert at the University of Amsterdam and one of the researchers behind the model. Unlike conventional methods, Aurora requires far less computational power, making high-quality forecasting more accessible and scalable—especially in regions that lack expensive infrastructure. Trained on a million hours of earth data Aurora is built on a 1.3 billion ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – If you’ve ever regretted ordering a spicy meal, take note: A new study identifying molecules that suppress the heat of chili peppers hints at the possibility of adapting these compounds into an “anti-spice” condiment for food that’s too fiery to eat. The research helps explain differences in chili pepper pungency, or spiciness, by identifying three compounds in a range of pepper samples that chemical analysis predicted, and study participants on a tasting panel confirmed, are linked to lower heat intensity. The findings have multiple potential applications: customized chili pepper breeding, ...

The universe is full of cosmic radiation that can be measured here on Earth. This cosmic radiation consists of –- produced by black holes, gigantic supernovae, or rotating neutron stars – a type of dead star. These particles contain energy. Sometimes, however, cosmic rays have a much higher energy than usual. We have known about this since 1962, but we still don’t know why. We also don’t know where this ultra-high-energy cosmic radiation comes from. Or do we? Supermassive ...

When deciding whom to trust, people are more likely to choose individuals who grew up with less money over those who went to private schools or vacationed in Europe, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. "Trust is essential for healthy relationships. Without it, romantic partnerships can fail, workplaces can suffer and social divisions can grow,” said lead researcher Kristin Laurin, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia. “But what makes people trust someone in the first place?” To find out, researchers ran a series of experiments with more than 1,900 participants. They explored whether someone's ...

WASHINGTON—Sriram Gubbi, M.D., won the Endocrine Society’s 2025 Endocrine Images Art Competition with his microphotograph of follicular thyroid carcinoma cells titled “The Cosmic Bubble”. The art competition celebrates the beauty of endocrine science as seen through the lens of a microscope. More than 30 entries were judged by a panel of Society members who based their assessments on the aesthetic value of the images and their significance to endocrine research. Gubbi is a physician-scientist studying thyroid tumors and other thyroid conditions at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive ...

When a physician says a procedure is “rarely risky,” what does that really mean?  Although terms like “common” and “unlikely” may sound descriptive enough, experts in medical decision-making suggest that leaving out numbers may be misleading for patients.    In a paper published on April 29 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, a team of researchers and clinicians explained that patients often overestimate risk estimates, like possible side effects or medical conditions, when given only verbal descriptions. They encourage doctors not to shy away from including numbers, offering a list of five science-backed tricks on how to make those ...

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Global warming will likely hinder our future ability to control ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant that is a primary component of smog, according to a new MIT study. The results could help scientists and policymakers develop more effective strategies for improving both air quality and human health. Ground-level ozone causes a host of detrimental health impacts, from asthma to heart disease, and contributes to thousands of premature deaths each year. The researchers’ modeling ...

The risk of heavy rainfall and severe flooding increases with climate change. But property owners – regardless of size – often underestimate their own responsibility and are unaware of what preventive measures they can take themselves. In a new scientific article, researchers from Linköping University, Sweden, show how to go about preventive work. Many property owners believe that it is the municipality’s responsibility to ensure that their houses do not get flooded in heavy rain. However, in many countries, including Sweden, owner-responsibility is a cornerstone of the adaption governance, and property owners ...

Mongolia, the world’s second-largest landlocked country, presents a unique healthcare landscape owing to its distinctive geography and historical influences. Nearly half of its population is concentrated in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, and the remainder is scattered across vast semi-desert areas known as the Gobi Desert. Because of this, Mongolia faces significant challenges in delivering equitable healthcare. On top of this geographical divide, the lingering impact of Soviet and Chinese healthcare models has created a system of stark contrasts—modern facilities abound in ...

They may look good in the landscape, but are they, in fact, useful? This is a subject of frequent debate. In recent years, flower strips along fields and ditches have become popular both in Denmark and abroad. One of the purposes of the strips is to attract more predatory insects that can naturally control pests in the fields, rather than relying on pesticides. The EU aims to reduce pesticide use by 50 percent by 2030. A meta-analysis from the University of Copenhagen shows that flower strips are effective. At least if they have two or more flower species. ...

Birth rates are declining worldwide, while dog parenting practices are gaining popularity. What does this growing “furry children” trend reveal about our societies? Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University suggest that, while dogs do not actually replace children, they may, in some cases, offer an opportunity to fulfil a nurturing drive similar to parenting, but with fewer demands than raising biological offspring. Their review, published in European Psychologist, also examines how the shifting roles of dogs within modern family structures are influenced by individual circumstances, but also by cultural norms. Many wealthy and developed countries—including ...

Ammonia is a chemical essential to many agricultural and industrial processes, but it’s mode of production comes with an incredibly high energy cost. Various attempts have, and are, being made to produce ammonia more efficiently. For the first time, a group including researchers from the University of Tokyo combined atmospheric nitrogen, water and sunlight, and using two catalysts, produced sizable quantities of ammonia without a high energy cost. Their processes mirror natural processes found in plants utilizing ...

When we think of cholera, most of us picture contaminated water and tragic outbreaks in vulnerable regions. But behind the scenes, cholera bacteria are locked in a fierce, microscopic war—one that could shape the course of pandemics. Cholera bacteria aren’t just battling antibiotics and public health measures—they are also constantly under attack from bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect and kill bacteria. These viruses don’t just influence individual infections; they can make or break entire epidemics. In fact, certain bacteriophages ...

Scientists have developed a method for analysing the structure of lipid nanoparticles that could be used to improve vaccine and drug delivery, targeting a wide range of health issues. A team led by scientists at the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy demonstrated a new cryogenic mass spectrometry approach for depth profiling frozen tiny lipid nanoparticles to reveal the layers and orientation of the constituent molecules. The findings have been published today in Nature’s Mass Spectrometry Method Development collection. Lipid nanoparticles (LNP’s) came to ...

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University scientists are using microwave technology to extend the shelf life of hummus while eliminating the need for chemical preservatives, as demonstrated in a recent Journal of Food Process Engineering paper. The Middle Eastern dip, which is growing in popularity around the world, was associated with 20 illness outbreaks in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018 that resulted in 65 hospitalizations and five deaths. Because of those outbreaks, many commercial hummus makers use chemical preservatives ...

The European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EPND) is proud to announce the release of the ATN dataset from its first biomarker case study, now accessible via the EPND Hub. This marks a major step forward in collaborative, cross-disease research tackling neurodegenerative conditions that affect millions across Europe. The release underlines EPND’s mission to foster data and biosample sharing to accelerate breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease research.  A multi-cohort dataset to study shared disease mechanisms  The biomarker case study builds on the invaluable contributions of cohort investigators and research teams who provided biosamples ...