Physical activity, particularly walking, is a common recommendation for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, carrying out this activity in polluted areas may increase exposure to airborne contaminants. A study published in the journal Thorax and conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by ”la Caixa” Foundation, links black carbon (soot) to an increase in certain respiratory symptoms in people with COPD.

Ensuring the research that we all rely on – whether for our health, environment or economy – is trustworthy is important for universities, governments and business. A new study sheds light on the key factors that drive research misconduct in universities, offering crucial insights for strengthening research integrity worldwide.

Debates about whether teenagers’ phone use is healthy are constant — but much less attention has been paid to the impact of others’ device use on adolescents. Now a study looking at the impact of parental figures’ device behaviors on teenagers suggests an unexpected hazard for their future wellbeing. Of the teens surveyed, those who perceived that their parental figures were often distracted by their phones were much more likely to demonstrate an insecure attachment style, which makes it harder to form healthy relationships and is associated with poorer mental and physical health. 

A major global analysis led by the University of Bath in the UK finds policy reform that removes criminal penalties for cannabis possession, or introduces tightly controlled legalisation, is not associated with increased levels of use. However, legalisation that allows cannabis to be sold for profit is followed by increases in use, addiction and psychiatric hospital admissions.

By developing a powerful new tool to decode how the foods we crave may shape our health, scientists discovered that a genetic variant linked to onion preference is associated with lower blood pressure and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

International team uses cerebral organoids to better understand virus biology