https://medicalxpress.com/common-illnesses-prevention-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Common Illnesses & Prevention UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver damage in mice—even while the animals remained on an unhealthy diet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-army-zombie-immune-cells.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:14 EDT news695464057 Korean women with heart disease showed higher awareness and treatment of major risk factors, but lower control rates, pointing to the need for sex-specific strategies to close the gap, according to a study being presented at ACC Asia 2026 Together with KSC Spring Conference taking place in Gyeongju, South Korea, on April 17–18. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-korean-women-cvd-gaps-factor.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:06 EDT news695464733 Scientists have found the strongest evidence to date that a condition known as Barrett's esophagus is the starting point for all cases of esophageal adenocarcinoma—the most common type of esophageal cancer in the developed world—even when telltale signs of this pre-cancerous stage are no longer visible. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, could help improve screening for and early detection of esophageal cancer, the sixth-most deadly cancer, helping improve outcomes for the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-precursor-commonest-esophageal-cancer-opportunities.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:00:04 EDT news695493242 While it was previously thought that keratinocytes (skin cells) were only passive conductors that allow the rabies virus to pass through, novel research reveals that these cells play a much more active role. The findings of a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology (JID), provide direct evidence that keratinocytes can support viral replication and transmit the rabies virus to neurons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-cells-rabies-invade-nerves.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:10:01 EDT news695477521 A routine component of many medical appointments—stepping on the scale to be weighed—may be a stigmatizing experience that raises patients' blood pressure and potentially impacts their health care, according to new research from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher Angela Incollingo Rodriguez. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-weight-stigma-doctor-office.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:40:02 EDT news695475182 A significant number of Brazilians engage in improper food hygiene and handling practices at home. Examples include washing meat in the kitchen sink and failing to properly wash vegetables. These findings were revealed by a nationwide survey that examined food hygiene, handling, and storage habits in 5,000 households of various income levels across all regions of Brazil. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-poor-hygiene-food-bacterial-outbreaks.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:00:03 EDT news695486225 Nine of 10 adults in the United States report having had a source of usual health care in 2024, according to an April data brief published by the National Center for Health Statistics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-adults-source-usual-health.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:40:03 EDT news695463940 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has paused decisions on uses for dozens of "forever chemicals," also known as PFAS. The delay includes proposed changes regarding how several of these chemicals can be used, according to one of two people familiar with the situation who spoke to The Washington Post. The two commented anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the press. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-epa-delays-decisions-chemicals.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:20:04 EDT news695489341 A research team led by the University of California, Irvine's Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health has uncovered a critical biological link explaining why individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, also known as fatty liver disease) face significantly worse outcomes from certain foodborne infections. The study published in Gut Microbes is the first to show how changes in the connection between the gut and liver can make foodborne infections more severe—an illness that is becoming a growing global health concern. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-gut-microbiome-key-driver-bacterial.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:40:07 EDT news695486702 Researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València, the Francesc de Borja University Hospital in Gandia and the La Ribera University Hospital, through the Fisabio Foundation, have found that sunlight passing through windows in homes is neither a safe nor a recommended alternative for preventing or treating neonatal jaundice, a condition affecting more than half of all newborns. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-exposing-newborns-sunlight-windows-jaundice.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:40:02 EDT news695488262 It's an athlete's worst fear. Hearing a loud "pop" and feeling severe pain are usually the first signs you've torn your anterior cruciate ligament, also known as the ACL. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-acl-knee-injury.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news695472661 Doctors recommend getting your flu shot annually, since the specific influenza strain it targets varies from year to year. But what if the shot could be more effective while protecting against more strains? Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine are one step closer to making this happen. When the immune system sees a new strain of a familiar virus, it typically focuses on the parts it "remembers" most, even if those regions have changed. "Epitope-spanning antigenic variation reprograms immunodominance and broadens immunity in sequential influenza vaccination" was recently published in Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-flu-shot-epitope-widen.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:00:03 EDT news695491082 Extending vaccination opportunities, involving community members alongside health care professionals in communicating about vaccines, and providing financial incentives are among the most effective ways to increase vaccine uptake, finds an analysis of international trial evidence published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-vaccination-access-community-outreach-incentives.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:30:06 EDT news695467686 A landmark government policy designed to slash the cost of medicines for millions of Australians is falling well short of its potential because GPs and pharmacists have been slow to adopt it, new research has found. The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, examined uptake of Australia's 60-day dispensing policy for blood pressure medicines in the two years since it launched in September 2023. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-australia-day-prescriptions-millions-patients.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:20:05 EDT news695485382 For years, a central debate in tobacco policy has been whether taxing e-cigarettes might unintentionally drive vapers back to traditional cigarettes. A new study published in Health Economics suggests that those fears may be misplaced for adult vapers. This national analysis was conducted by the Center for Tobacco Research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC–James). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cigarette-taxes-vaping-adult.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:20:09 EDT news695483942 The way in which the body processes cholesterol affects the risk of cardiovascular diseases. LDL cholesterol is obtained from saturated fats in food and from hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Its accumulation in the arterial walls can obstruct blood flow. In a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, long-term monitoring has revealed that high cholesterol absorption predicted myocardial infarctions and cardiac mortality in patients who had previously had an acute coronary artery event. The worst prognosis was seen in patients with the highest cholesterol absorption, while low cholesterol absorption was associated with a better prognosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-effective-cholesterol-absorption-intestine-cardiac.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:20:09 EDT news695482441 Air pollution is associated with increased migraine activity, according to a study published in Neurology. Both short-term and cumulative exposure to air pollution as well as climate factors such as heat and humidity were associated with increased migraine activity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-air-pollution-migraine.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:00:08 EDT news695463751 A new study examines the role of palmitic acid and oleic acid—among the main fatty acids in the diet—in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The research, published in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, is led by teams from the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) at the University of Barcelona. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-quality-quantity-fat-diet-affects.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:20:10 EDT news695481661 If scientists could shrink themselves to microscopic size and take a journey through the human body—like the submarine crew in the 1966 science fiction classic "Fantastic Voyage"—one of their first stops would no doubt be the liver. The unique structure of our largest internal organ comprises small, hexagonal functional units called lobules, each carrying out more than 500 functions simultaneously. Studies from the 1970s and 1980s revealed that liver cells divide these many tasks among themselves according to their location within each subunit; however, the technology available at the time provided only a blurred picture of this division of labor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-genetic-atlas-reveals-human-liver.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:06 EDT news695481601 Syphilis has been rising sharply in the United States, with especially high rates in Southern states. Now, a new study from Tulane University researchers suggests the long-term infection may carry another risk that is often overlooked: serious damage to the heart and blood vessels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-syphilis-cases-links-infection-higher.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:40:05 EDT news695481422 Dozens of unexpected genes are strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) shows. The findings, based on a new genomic atlas of pancreatic cells from non-diabetic, prediabetic, and diabetic people, suggest the disease depends on expression of genes key to cell death and vitamin A metabolism. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-diabetes-reveals-previously-overlooked-genes.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:20:13 EDT news695481361 The growing use of electric bikes and scooters has caused a surge in brain and spine injuries among urban riders and pedestrians, a new study shows. Led by NYU Langone Health researchers, the study found that these injuries now account for nearly 7% of trauma patients admitted into a New York City hospital. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bike-scooter-brain-injuries.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:40:02 EDT news695476622 If you watched the Super Bowl in 2026, you likely saw Serena Williams share her weight loss journey on GLP-1 medications in a commercial. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ads-glp1-drugs-internet-safe.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:20:01 EDT news695476442 A recent move from a leading insurance provider has made it more difficult for AFL and AFLW players to access brain injury insurance. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-concussion-athletes.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:04 EDT news695472541 New Monash University research has found that a free, interactive online tool can help people taking prescription opioids for pain to better understand their risks and adopt safer behaviors, more than doubling requests for naloxone, a medicine that reverses opioid overdose. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-free-online-tool-opioid-safety.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:04 EDT news695470261 Most tools used to assess the risk of fractures and osteoporosis rely on bone density alone, but these may miss a large number of women who still go on to break bones. A technology developed at Ohio University outperformed the current standard bone density test in detecting fracture risk for older women, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fracture-women-bone-density.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news695468118 A natural compound made by Australian bees to seal their hives may help stop scarring in human skin after surgery, injury and burns, according to University of the Sunshine Coast researchers. The scientists say the laboratory finding has "immense potential" for future applications in people with scarring ranging from shallow and cosmetic to deep and debilitating, known as hypertrophic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-australian-bee-scar-compound-scars.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:40:04 EDT news695461023 Health care registry data can show early risk patterns for melanoma skin cancer, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg. Using AI, it is possible to identify small groups within the population that have a significantly higher risk of developing melanoma within five years. The work is published in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-melanoma-patterns-million-adults.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:20:03 EDT news695456273 Adults who reported feeling lonely had a higher risk of developing degenerative heart valve disease, even after accounting for traditional heart disease risk factors and genetics, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-loneliness-linked-degenerative-heart-valve.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:08 EDT news695395141 One in four U.S. adults—the equivalent of over 66 million Americans—report having used artificial intelligence tools or chatbots for physical or mental health care information or advice, according to new research released by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America. Rather than replacing traditional care, more than half say they turn to AI to supplement their health care experiences, using the technology before or after seeing a doctor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-poll-reveals-millions-americans-ai.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:10:01 EDT news695394541