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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 3-Jun-2026 06:16 ET (3-Jun-2026 10:16 GMT/UTC)

New study uncovers surprises in urban Peruvians

University of Maryland School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

To better understand the fine-scale ancestry of Peruvians, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), along with colleagues from the Peru Institute of National Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud), undertook the largest study to date to examine the genetic makeup of individuals from urban areas throughout Peru.

Journal: Communications Biology

MIT researchers measure traffic emissions, to the block, in real-time

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Technologies in use on city streets can be used to generate a real-time, high-resolution picture of auto emissions, which could be used to develop local health policies, according to new MIT research.

Journal: Nature Sustainability
Funder: MIT Senseable City Consortium

Deputy editor-in-chief of Translational Exercise Biomedicine co-edit the 4th edition of FIMS Sports Physician Handbook

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center
Business Announcement

Recently, Professor Yannis Pitsiladis, deputy editor-in-chief of Translational Exercise Biomedicine (TEB, eISSN: 2942-6812), an official partner journal of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), and director of the IOC Scientific Committee, joined hands with Professor Fabio Pigozzi, editorial board member of TEB and president of FIMS, to co-edit the 4^th edition of Sports Physician Handbook of FIMS.

Journal: Translational Exercise Biomedicine

BfR Head of Department Professor Dr Gaby-Fleur Böl becomes President of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety

BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
Business Announcement

Professor Dr Gaby-Fleur Böl, Head of the Risk Communication Department at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) since April 2006, has become President of the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) on 1 April 2026. She was previously seconded to the BVL in July 2025 and entrusted with its interim management. “As a statutory task of the BfR, risk communication plays a crucial role in consumer protection,” says BfR President Professor Dr Dr Dr h. c. Andreas Hensel. “Professor Böl has continuously developed the department into a modern, versatile team with a strategic vision and determination – we would like to thank her and look forward to working with her in her new role at the BVL.”

Older men most likely to reach for saltshakers, while women’s salt-adding behavior more nuanced, study suggests

Frontiers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Modern foods, many of them ultra-processed, are full of salt and if even more is added, the health risks this behavior poses are heightened. In 2021, 1.8 million deaths were attributed to salt-overuse worldwide. However, it is not always clear who is most likely to add extra salt. Investigating the habit of adding salt to food at the table, researchers found that men who are not on diets to manage high blood pressure are most likely to salt food after preparation. They also found that living arrangements and diet choices can significantly influence people’s discretionary salt use – but don’t do so in equal measure for men and women. The team highlighted the need to spread the word about alternative ways of enhancing flavor without adding salt.

Journal: Frontiers in Public Health

Dying aquatic plants present a double-edged sword for lakes: fueling pollution while locking away carbon

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in Carbon Research has uncovered the complex and contradictory role that dying aquatic plants play in the health of shallow lakes. Using controlled mesocosm experiments, a team of scientists tracked the full life cycle of the floating-leaved macrophyte Trapa bispinosa, revealing that its decline simultaneously poses a risk of eutrophication while enhancing the lake’s ability to sequester carbon through a process known as the microbial carbon pump (MCP).

The research demonstrates that as these plants decay, they release substantial amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus into the water. This nutrient pulse can fuel algal blooms and create hypoxic (low-oxygen) "dead zones," posing a significant threat to water quality. However, this decay process also releases a flood of dissolved organic matter (DOM), the primary food source for aquatic microbes. The study found this isn't just a release of waste; it’s a fundamental shift in the lake’s carbon chemistry.

Journal: Carbon Research
Funder: National Key Research and Development Program of China

Observation of nonrandom patterns of spike D614 reversions in SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron BA. 2

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from University of Tsukuba and Institute of Science Tokyo have identified nonrandom patterns in the emergence of spike D614 reversions in publicly available SARS-CoV-2 genomic data. Analysis of publicly available sequences revealed numerous instances in which the spike D614G substitution, previously associated with increased transmissibility, reverted from G614 to the ancestral D614 residue, with these events predominantly occurring in the Delta and Omicron BA.2 lineages. The detected reversions also exhibited nonrandom patterns in temporal occurrence and geographic distribution.

Journal: Microbiology Research

Longer weekly home-visit rehabilitations linked to improved activities of daily living in older adults

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at University of Tsukuba analyzed data from home-visit nursing stations across Japan and found that older adults who received longer weekly minutes of home-visit rehabilitation—physical, occupational, or speech therapy delivered in the participants' home—showed greater improvements in activities of daily living (ADL) after six months. These results emphasize the need for sufficient rehabilitation time for older adults in long-term care.

Journal: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Unraveling the neural circuitry that makes mice attack

University of Tsukuba
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When defending their territory, male mice typically appear threatening before launching an attack, ensuring that aggression does not unnecessarily escalate. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba found that increased activity in the neural pathway going from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) boosts attack behavior without affecting threat displays.

Journal: iScience