Spanish Society of Epidemiology

A study has used geospatial data and satellite imagery to analyze the number of MK 84 bombs dropped by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip between October 7 and November 17, 2023 that detonated near hospital infrastructure. Of the 36 existing hospitals, 30 of them had suffered at least one explosion within 800 meters. According to the authors of the paper, which is published in PLOS Global Public Health, the research “reveals concerns about indiscriminate shelling near hospital infrastructure, which enjoys special protection under international humanitarian law.”

Eating a vegan diet for eight weeks is associated with reductions in biological age estimates based on levels of DNA methylation, a type of chemical modification of DNA that alters the expression of genes, but not the DNA itself. This is the main conclusion of a study published in BMC Medicine in which 21 pairs of twins participated in a clinical trial. Of each pair, one person followed an omnivorous diet and the other a vegan - and lower calorie - diet during that period.

The use of faecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for colorectal cancer screening is associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of death from colorectal cancer, a study claims. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analysed data from more than 10,000 people aged 52-85 in the US.

People who take multivitamins daily do not have a lower risk of mortality than people who do not use these products, according to a meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open. The study pooled data from more than 390,000 people, followed for about 20 years in three different cohorts in the United States.  

Research led by ISGlobal has analysed more than 11 million hospital admissions in 48 Spanish provinces during the months of June to September between 2006 and 2019. The results, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, show that high temperatures increase admissions for obesity-related issues and renal and urinary insufficiency, among other causes. 

A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives has analysed hospital admissions in 48 Spanish provinces during the months of June to September between 2006 and 2019. Its results, discussed at a briefing organised by Science Media Centre Spain, show that high temperatures increase admissions for issues related to obesity and renal and urinary insufficiency, among other causes. 

People who eat more ultra-processed foods have a "slightly higher" mortality rate, according to an analysis published in The BMJ. The study analysed data from more than 110,000 people followed up for over 30 years in the United States. The correlation between ultra-processed food intake and all-cause mortality was strongest for the meat, poultry and seafood group. 

A machine learning model can use data on people's age, duration of smoking addiction and number of cigarettes smoked per day to predict lung cancer risk and identify who needs to be screened, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine.

On the occasion of World Cancer Research Day on 24 September, the Science Media Centre Spain organised an information session on mass screening. At the meeting, researchers Adrian Aginagalde, Isabel Portillo and Juan Carlos Trujillo explained how mass screening is studied, analysed its advantages and disadvantages, explained how its implementation is decided and what new developments we can expect.

From May to August 2022, 157,580 deaths were recorded, 20.5% more than in the same months of 2019, before covid. This increase in mortality was mainly among people aged 75 years and older. Of the causes of death directly related to the heat, heat stroke and dehydration stood out. These are some of the provisional data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE) in relation to deaths in 2022. Covid-19 was the most frequent cause of death, with 31,559 people dying, 20% less than in 2021.