Preventive medicine https://medicalxpress.com/preventive-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Preventive medicine Climate change is redrawing the malaria map in Africa, study finds Malaria is the deadliest climate-sensitive infectious disease. Yet researchers and public health officials have long argued over how climate change has shaped its spread. A new Nature study resolves this debate, providing the most comprehensive assessment to date. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-climate-redrawing-malaria-africa.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:40:04 EDT news704545321 Less sugar early in life may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Sugar restriction during the first 1,000 days after conception may significantly reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's by up to 46%. Those are the findings of a new study published in the journal npj Aging that examined the long-term effects of early-life nutrition on brain aging and lifelong mental health. The findings also suggest that some benefits may begin before birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-sugar-early-life-alzheimer.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:40:08 EDT news704539618 Mass ivermectin program drastically reduces scabies in Pacific Islands A world's first scabies control program has drastically reduced cases of the highly contagious parasitic skin disease in the Solomon Islands and Fiji, according to a new study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mass-ivermectin-drastically-scabies-pacific.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 05:00:06 EDT news704455621 Targeted school closures can improve pandemic response New research led by UMC Utrecht shows that school closures during a pandemic outbreak are most effective when carefully targeted. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that the right strategy depends on which age groups are driving transmission at different stages of an outbreak. This study provides guidance for authorities, allowing them to make informed decisions regarding school closures in the event of a pandemic outbreak. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-school-closures-pandemic-response.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:40:01 EDT news704463542 Portable air filters don't cut infection rates in care homes, study finds Portable air filters made no difference to rates of respiratory and other infections in older people's long-term care facilities, a University of Bristol–led trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found. The study's authors advise long-term care facilities to continue with standard infection-control measures, including vaccines. A related paper is published in PLOS One. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-portable-air-filters-dont-infection.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news704451531