Research published in the journal Hypertension has found an association between frequent naps and an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

Today the World Health Organisation declared smallpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The move was announced at a press conference by its director general, Tedros Adhanom, despite a lack of consensus in the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee.

Climate change is causing a mass extinction of species, but for birds, this loss of biodiversity has wider implications. In research published in the journal Current Biology, researchers use statistical models to predict that this extinction will decrease morphological diversity among the remaining birds at a faster rate than species loss alone.

US researchers have designed an intranasal vaccination device that is capable of delivering immunising proteins through the mucosal surface. The research, published in Science Translational Medicine, shows that strong antibody responses against viruses such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2 have been achieved in mice and non-human primates.

The WHO's Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System recorded outliers for influenza illness in 16 countries, including Spain, in early 2020. This would mean an average of 13 weeks before the first reported covid-19 peak, according to research published in PLoS Medicine.

Reducing salt intake is recommended to prevent heart failure, but restricting it too much could worsen a common type of heart failure, research published in the journal Heart suggests.

Coinciding with the heat wave, numerous wildfires have started and spread in the Iberian Peninsula, with two fatalities in the province of Zamora.

Results from a survey of more than 39,000 menstruating individuals reveal that 42% experienced heavier bleeding after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Among the most likely groups were pre-menopausal women, Hispanic or Latina women, those who had been pregnant, and those with conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Según datos de la OMS y UNICEF, 25 millones de niños no han recibido sus vacunas contra la difteria, el tétanos y la tosferina (DTP) a nivel global. Se trata de la mayor caída continuada en cobertura vacunal en casi treinta años.

A study published today in The Lancet claims that there are no benefits to alcohol consumption for young people between the ages of 15 and 39. However, the authors claim that in adults over the age of 40 consuming a small amount may confer some health benefits.