What TV gets wrong about CPR—and why it matters for saving lives
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 29-May-2026 21:16 ET (30-May-2026 01:16 GMT/UTC)
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 12, 2026—Scripted television often shows outdated CPR techniques for lay people, potentially fueling misconceptions that could delay bystanders’ lifesaving interventions in the crucial moments after a real-life cardiac arrest. That’s according to University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and School of Medicine researchers in the first analysis of TV depictions of bystander CPR, published today in Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes.
Shedding pounds almost invariably brings health benefits. But until now, it has been unclear to what extent weight loss also restores the health of the fat tissue itself. A new study from University of Southern Denmark offers insights into the profound changes in fat tissue in response to weight loss.
Japanese researchers have developed a living sensor display that turns engineered skin into a biological monitor, visually indicating internal inflammation without requiring blood sampling.
A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals how rhythmic brain waves known as alpha oscillations help us distinguish between our own body and the external world. The findings offer new insights into how the brain integrates sensory signals to create a coherent sense of bodily self.
Childhood exposure to air pollution linked to poorer cognitive performance in later life. A new study shows that childhood exposure to indoor air pollution may have long-term effects on brain health, with possible cognitive impairment appearing decades later.
People across the globe, especially in low-income countries, continue to use solid fuels like coal, wood and plant waste for cooking and heating. The resulting indoor air pollution exposes children to smoke and particles at key stages of brain development.
“Nearly 30% of the global population, roughly 2.4 billion people, still cook without clean fuels. Our findings indicate that growing up in a smoke-filled household may impair brain health and cognitive abilities throughout life,” says University of Helsinki researcher Xu Zong.
Published in Social Science & Medicine, a leading international journal on health and social medicine, the study is the first to investigate how early-childhood exposure to indoor air pollution affects cognitive performance in adulthood. It analysed nationally representative data from over 7,000 Chinese adults aged 45 and above , using advanced machine learning techniques.
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK are proposing thresholds for safe – or at least safer – cannabis use and hope their findings will help people monitor consumption and keep it within recommended limits – similar to how alcohol units guide safer drinking.
A new interdisciplinary study led by researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), with collaborators from the City University of Hong Kong, has found that El Niño events significantly reduce life expectancy across high-income Pacific Rim countries, resulting in economic losses of up to US$35 trillion by the end of the 21st century.
Using over six decades of mortality records from 10 high-income Pacific Rim countries, the research team shows that El Niño is a persistent driver of health and economic loss, not just a short-term weather anomaly. El Niño-driven climate extremes, such as heatwaves and air pollution, disrupt healthcare systems and raise long-term mortality risks, particularly among vulnerable populations.
The research, published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change and part of NTU’s Climate Transformation Programme, shows that El Niño events not only cause immediate health impacts but also persistently slow long-term improvements in mortality rates, leading to enduring reductions in life expectancy.