Background: The effect of long-term exposure to air pollution on the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is still controversial, and the role of the interactions of air pollution with genetic risk and lifestyle in COPD risk is unclear. Methods: We included 452762 participants derived from the UK Biobank. Annual concentrations of air pollutions, including particle matter (PM2.5, PM10), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), were assessed using land-use regression model.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite increased screening options and state-of-art treatments offered in clinics, racial differences remain in CRC. African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately affected by the disease; the incidence and mortality are higher in AAs than Caucasian Americans (CAs). At the time of diagnosis, AAs more often present with advanced stages and aggressive CRCs, primarily accounting for the racial differences in therapeutic outcomes and mortality.
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has pushed the medical system to its breaking point. While the virus does not discriminate, the elderly and those with comorbidities, including hypertension severe obesity, diabetes mellitus, coronary disease, pneumonia and dementia, are at a greater risk for adverse outcomes due to COVID-19. While many people navigate their new normal, the question of what the long-lasting effects of the pandemic may be, lingers.
This Comment supports SDGs 3 and 10 by discussing the UK's reliance on digital technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although a digital-first policy aims to reduce health inequalities, challenges such as low usage of the internet and low uptake of digital COVID-19 technologies among older, minority ethnic groups, could mean that the strategy instead reinforces the unequal effects of COVID-19.
Background: Women are under-represented in surgery and leave training in higher proportions than men. Studies in this area are without a feminist lens and predominantly use quantitative methods not well suited to the complexity of the problem. Methods: In this qualitative study, a researcher interviewed women who had chosen to leave surgical training.
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather conditions and patterns of extreme weather events. It may lead to changes in health threat to human beings, multiplying existing health problems. This review examines the scientific evidences on the impact of climate change on human infectious diseases. It identifies research progress and gaps on how human society may respond to, adapt to, and prepare for the related changes.
