Preventive medicine https://medicalxpress.com/preventive-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Preventive medicine A self-disinfecting fabric eliminates bacteria, fungi and viruses in hospital settings A team has developed a new self-disinfecting cotton fabric capable of eliminating bacteria, fungi and viruses in hospital settings using visible light. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-disinfecting-fabric-bacteria-fungi-viruses.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 18:00:19 EDT news710696761 Long-running women's health studies reveal lasting lessons for disease prevention and healthy aging Andrea Romanos-Nanclares, Ph.D., of the Channing Division of Network Medicine within the Department of Medicine at Mass General Brigham, is the lead author of a paper published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health titled "The Nurses' Health Studies: a half-century of discovery in women's health." A. Heather Eliassen, ScD, of Mass General Brigham and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is the senior author. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-women-health-reveal-lessons-disease.html Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:40:18 EDT news710673663 HPV vaccination before pregnancy linked to lower risk of preterm birth and other major complications Receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine before pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of major pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, with a greater reduction in risk seen among women vaccinated at an earlier age, according to a large Swedish study published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-hpv-vaccination-pregnancy-linked-preterm.html Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:30:07 EDT news710588281 Do you really need to fast before every blood test? New study suggests not Even a routine blood test may come with an overnight fasting requirement. Many medical practices still ask patients to go without food for 8–12 hours before blood is drawn. While the protocol was originally recommended for glucose and lipid testing, over time, it became the default requirement for almost all routine blood panels. Why it is still followed for such a broad range of routine lab tests is a question that researchers from South Korea asked in a recent study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-fast-blood.html Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:00:21 EDT news710499137 Sardinian village may be a new longevity hotspot A terracotta-tiled village in the mountains of Sardinia may offer researchers a rare opportunity to uncover the secrets of exceptional longevity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-sardinian-village-longevity-hotspot.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:40:01 EDT news710438402 Children facing multiple adversities growing up are more likely to die at a younger age Imagine a child who has been hospitalized numerous times. Perhaps they were also diagnosed with a mental health condition as a teenager. At the same time, they grew up in a family affected by unemployment, poverty or alcohol abuse. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-children-multiple-adversities-die-younger.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:20:01 EDT news710430241 Even modest post-infection complications can make expanded vaccine coverage cost-effective, modeling suggests New modeling led by interdisciplinary scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) could help public health officials better factor in the long-term impacts of infectious disease when determining optimal vaccine coverage rates. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-modest-infection-complications-vaccine-coverage.html Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:00:05 EDT news710162101 Florida's dengue outbreak is now the largest in the continental US in decades Florida's current dengue outbreak appears to be the largest in several decades in the continental United States. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-florida-dengue-outbreak-largest-continental.html Sat, 03 Oct 2026 05:17:03 EDT news710223354 Addressing mosquito-borne disease trends as climate change bites Prevention measures, including vector control, vaccine deployment and cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming, are critical to counter the growing burden of mosquito-borne diseases in a changing climate, according to a new paper by Monash University researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-mosquito-borne-disease-trends-climate.html Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:08 EDT news710161381