When four states between 2015 and 2021 stopped allowing parents to opt their children out of receiving routine vaccines without a medical reason, vaccination rates among kindergartners increased substantially. That’s…
Tag: New research
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could unlock the next revolution in cancer treatment – new research
The COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines that saved 2.5 million lives globally during the pandemic could help spark the immune system to fight cancer. This is the surprising takeaway of a new…
Seasonal allergies may increase suicide risk – new research
Seasonal allergies – triggered by pollen – appear to make deaths by suicide more likely. Our findings, published in the Journal of Health Economics, show that minor physical health conditions…
1 gene, 1 disease no more – acknowledging the full complexity of genetics could improve and personalize medicine
Genetic inheritance may sound straightforward: One gene causes one trait or a specific illness. When doctors use genetics, it’s usually to try to identify a disease-causing gene to help guide…
Most air cleaning devices have not been tested on people − and little is known about their potential harms, new study finds
Portable air cleaners aimed at curbing indoor spread of infections are rarely tested for how well they protect people – and very few studies evaluate their potentially harmful effects. That’s…
Shingles vaccination rates rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, but major gaps remain for underserved groups
Vaccination against shingles increased among adults age 50 and older in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not equally across all population groups. That’s the key finding from a…
About a third of pregnant women in the US lack sufficient vitamin D to support healthy pregnancies − new research
Children whose mothers had higher vitamin D levels during pregnancy scored better on tests of memory, attention and problem-solving skills at ages 7 to 12 compared with those whose mothers…
Muscle weakness in cancer survivors may be caused by treatable weakness in blood vessels – new research
Tumors can destroy the blood vessels of muscles even when the muscles are nowhere close to the tumor. That is the key finding of a new study that my colleagues…
More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them – new research
Programs delivering fluoride varnish in schools significantly reduce cavities in children. That is a key finding of our recently published study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Fluoride varnish…
When developing countries band together, lifesaving drugs become cheaper and easier to buy − with trade-offs
Procuring lifesaving drugs is a daunting challenge in many low- and middle-income countries. Essential treatments are often neither available nor affordable in these nations, even decades after the drugs entered…
