228 papers
Epidemiology is the study of how diseases spread through populations and what factors influence their patterns. Rather than focusing on individual patients, this field examines broader trends to identify outbreaks, track transmission, and guide public health decisions. By analyzing data on infection rates and risk factors, researchers work to prevent future health crises and protect communities worldwide.
On Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from medRxiv to make these critical findings instantly accessible. For each study, we provide both a plain-language explanation for general readers and a detailed technical summary for specialists. This dual approach ensures that vital insights into disease dynamics are understood clearly and quickly by everyone who needs them.
Explore the latest research below to see how scientists are currently mapping disease trends and developing strategies to safeguard global health.
Using UK Biobank data, this study found that while exposure to high levels of PM2.5, NOx, and NO2 is associated with increased dementia risk, the majority of this association is driven by direct effects or unmeasured pathways rather than the four investigated mediators of cardiovascular conditions, mental health treatment, insufficient exercise, and social isolation.
Integrated serosurveillance of children in coastal Ecuador confirmed the elimination of onchocerciasis and yaws but revealed ongoing transmission of trachoma in rural villages, highlighting the utility of multiplex antibody testing for monitoring disease status.
This study presents the first Herpes simplex virus genomes from Namibia, collected via a novel FTA card-based method from a remote pastoralist population, revealing previously undocumented genetic diversity and highlighting the need to include under-sampled regions in global viral surveillance.
This study evaluates the need for public health action against trachoma in Esmeraldas province, Ecuador, by using serology to reveal a high probability of intervention being required in rural villages compared to urban areas.
This study of older adults reveals a bidirectional relationship where severe infections, particularly lower respiratory tract infections and sepsis, are associated with poorer executive function and general cognition, while cognitive deficits—especially in executive function—in turn increase the risk of future hospital-treated infections, including viral ones like COVID-19.
Simulations of a hypothetical Nipah-X outbreak demonstrate that high levels of pathogen super-spreading significantly undermine the statistical power of cluster-randomised ring-trials compared to individual-randomisation designs, highlighting the critical need to account for transmission dynamics when planning vaccine efficacy studies for Disease X.
This paper proposes a stakeholder-inclusive conceptual framework that aligns the diverse priorities of clinicians, industry, patients, and statisticians with methodological requirements for modeling routine health data, utilizing multistate models to generate robust, transparent, and clinically meaningful real-world evidence for therapeutic decision-making.
This study analyzes US data from 2019–2022 to demonstrate a strong, immediate causal link between mass media coverage and public search interest in alleged COVID-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and remdesivir, highlighting the media's critical role in shaping health-seeking behaviors during public health emergencies.
This longitudinal study in South Africa reveals that despite frequent health system contact, people living with HIV experience significantly lower hypertension diagnosis rates and higher rates of treatment regression and loss of blood pressure control compared to those without HIV, highlighting critical gaps in integrated chronic disease management.
This study of Medicaid beneficiaries from 2001 to 2021 found that while people with HIV undergoing cancer surgery experience higher healthcare utilization and longer hospital stays compared to those without HIV, they have similar short-term complications but face significantly elevated long-term mortality risks, particularly beyond 90 days post-surgery.