Occupational medicine https://medicalxpress.com/occupational-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Occupational medicine Physical activity improves work ability: Study shows lifelong influence from childhood to the end of career A study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä shows that regular leisure-time physical activity started at a young age prevents a decrease in work ability at the end of a career. The result is societally significant, as productivity losses due to reduced work ability cost billions of euros annually. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-physical-ability-lifelong-childhood-career.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:03 EDT news693144841 Obstructive sleep apnea may cost UK and US economies billions in lost productivity Untreated obstructive sleep apnea may be costing the UK and US economies billions of pounds/dollars in lost productivity every year, with a considerable proportion of working-age adults experiencing symptoms indicative of the breathing disorder, suggests an analysis published online in the journal Thorax. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-obstructive-apnea-uk-economies-billions.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:30:01 EST news691058942 Agent Orange exposure identified as a risk factor for rare skin cancer A study of U.S. veterans led by investigators at Mass General Brigham has identified a possible link between exposure to the Agent Orange herbicide and a rare melanoma subtype less likely to be related to sun exposure. The authors of the study, published in JAMA Dermatology, say this link warrants further examination to inform diagnostic strategies for people who may be at a greater risk for acral melanoma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-agent-orange-exposure-factor-rare.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:43:32 EST news689445781 Health care workers in war zones: How the built environment actively reshapes trauma I have spent much of my professional life thinking about buildings—how they are designed, how they are constructed and how they shape daily life. But some structures matter far more than we usually admit. In places affected by war, the built environment does not simply fail; it actively reshapes trauma. Homes disappear. Hospitals fracture. Streets turn into obstacles instead of connections. And inside those damaged spaces, human beings are expected to keep functioning. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-health-workers-war-zones-built.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 17:50:03 EST news688741358 Policies to screen doctors' fitness seen as lacking in fairness Nearly one in four U.S. physicians with an active license is over the age of 65. This has spurred a small minority of hospitals to enact policies to assess these caregivers' cognitive and physical health, with the aim of reducing lapses that harm patients. Doctors whose assessments show deficits could be asked to change their clinical schedule or to shift to administrative or teaching duties. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-policies-screen-doctors-lacking-fairness.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:02:29 EST news688305722 Study links burn pit smoke exposure to increased lung particle burden in post-9/11 veterans A new study led by researchers at National Jewish Health provides quantitative evidence linking burn pit smoke exposure during military deployment to increases in harmful carbon-based particles in the lungs of post-9/11 veterans with distal lung disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-links-pit-exposure-lung-particle.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:50:01 EST news687540538 Widely used pesticide linked to more than doubled Parkinson's risk A new study from UCLA Health has found that long-term residential exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos is associated with more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-widely-pesticide-linked-parkinson.html Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:54:27 EST news687084841