Latest Epidemiology research
New epidemiology studies from Q1 journals, graded on the Oxford CEBM evidence hierarchy. Each paper links to a short summary and the original on PubMed. Updated 7 November 2026.
Paper of the day, last two weeks
Interventions to improve vaccination coverage among children aged 12-23 months in urban slum areas of Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Global health research and policy · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 12 August 2026
In two randomized trials, children in intervention groups had about 2.7 times the odds of receiving the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine. Across nine studies involving 37,405 children, strategies also improved other coverage measures, but bias, inconsistent results and questions about long-term sustainability limit confidence in their real-world impact.
Indoor Radon and Incident Heart Failure Among Postmenopausal Women
JAMA network open · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 2 November 2026
Prospective cohort tests environmental exposure association with chronic disease
Net Clinical Benefit of Continuing vs Discontinuing Anticoagulation After Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Results from a 280,000-Patient Meta-Analysis
Thrombosis and haemostasis · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 2 November 2026
In a meta-analysis of 280,415 patients, continued anticoagulation after ablation was linked to nearly three times the odds of major bleeding and more than three times the odds of brain bleeding, with no clear reduction in ischemic stroke. The overall balance favored stopping, but randomized trials showed no difference and the findings may not apply to patients at highest stroke risk.
Retention of second-generation participants in intergenerational longitudinal cohort studies: a systematic mapping review
International journal of epidemiology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 14 October 2026
Systematic mapping review quantifies cohort retention and associated factors
Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Markers of Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review of Biological and Functional Outcomes
Nutrition reviews · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 2 November 2026
Across 11 studies, stronger adherence was associated in some studies with better cognitive performance and slower memory decline, alongside favorable findings for biological aging and inflammation markers. Improvements in frailty and physical performance mainly came from programs that also included exercise. Varied diets, measures, and interventions mean the review cannot establish whether diet itself causes these benefits.
Verapamil versus other calcium channel blockers and risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: emerging evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis
Diabetes research and clinical practice · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 30 October 2026
Two observational cohorts suggested verapamil users had about 22% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than users of other calcium channel blockers, but the estimate was too imprecise to rule out no difference or a modest increase. Serious risk of bias and very low certainty mean the evidence cannot guide drug choice; a randomized comparison is needed.
Meta-analysis and network meta-analysis of time-to-event outcomes with non-proportional hazards: a Bayesian time-varying hazard ratio approach
BMC medical research methodology · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 4 August 2026
A Bayesian time-varying analysis of trial data found nivolumab plus ipilimumab's estimated hazard of death, relative to other treatments in the network, declined from 0.37 at one year to 0.24 at five years. The method also suggested gastric cancer chemotherapy's progression benefit waned over time, showing why a single hazard ratio can mislead; findings come from two applications of the approach.
Short and long-term outcomes after gestational diabetes diagnosis using different glycemic criteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 30 October 2026
Across studies involving 81,528 women, lower glucose thresholds doubled gestational diabetes diagnoses and medication use, but had little effect on most short-term outcomes. They were linked to 18 more cases of neonatal hypoglycemia per 1,000 births; possible longer-term benefits come from just one trial, so whether lower thresholds improve health overall remains uncertain.
Reporting Gaps and Challenges in Randomized Trials of Generative AI for Medical Use: Insights From a Systematic Review
Journal of medical Internet research · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 28 October 2026
A review of 74 reports from 73 randomized trials found major gaps in reporting how generative AI systems received and processed inputs: only 4% described input data eligibility, and none reported input quality handling. Some checklist items may not fit generative AI, and the review used nonvalidated assessment questions, but missing technical details make trial findings harder to reproduce and assess.
Age- and sex-specific smoking trends by birth cohort in Norway, 1978-2024: an analysis of cross-sectional survey data
The Lancet regional health. Europe · Q1 journal · Cross-sectional · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 15 October 2026
Survey data from 78,282 people suggest daily smoking peaked in the 1950 birth cohort, reaching 70% of men and 66% of women, while later generations were less likely to start, more likely to quit and smoked fewer cigarettes per day. These modeled trends can inform lung cancer prevention planning, but do not directly measure future disease or screening outcomes.
Head and neck cancer incidence and two-year mortality in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2009-2020: a national population-based cohort study
Cancer epidemiology · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 23 October 2026
Among 6,980 people diagnosed with head and neck cancer from 2009 to 2020, oropharyngeal cancer incidence rose from 3.4 to 4.9 per 100,000 people, while oral cavity cancer rates were more stable. One in four patients died within two years, with higher early mortality among Maori, Pacific Peoples and people in the most deprived areas, underscoring persistent inequities.
Accidental overdose admissions and premature death: A large population-based data-linkage cohort study in New South Wales, Australia (PAVLOVA 4)
Addiction (Abingdon, England) · Q1 journal · Cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 25 October 2026
Among 14,036 people hospitalized after an accidental overdose in New South Wales, 2,588 died during follow-up, with deaths especially concentrated in the first month. Although accidental poisoning accounted for 22.4% of years of life lost, natural causes accounted for 64%, underscoring the need to address broader health risks as well as overdose.
Sex work or male-with-male sexual activity and the risks of HIV and hepatitis C acquisition among people who inject drugs: a global systematic review and meta-analysis
EClinicalMedicine · Q1 journal · SR of cohorts · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 14 October 2026
Across 57 studies, people who inject drugs and reported recent sex work had 1.72 times the HIV acquisition rate and 1.59 times the hepatitis C rate. Recent male-with-male sex was linked to more than twice the HIV acquisition rate among men, but not higher hepatitis C rates. The associations varied by sex, and substantial differences across studies leave their causes unclear.
Measurement differences explain much of the variation in adherence and persistence after ischemic stroke, and standardized estimates are lower: a systematic review with meta-regression
Journal of clinical epidemiology · Q1 journal · SR of cohorts · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 22 October 2026
Across 101 studies, conventional pooled estimates suggested that about three-quarters of patients took secondary prevention medicines as intended and continued them, but estimates standardized for how studies measured these outcomes fell to 53.7% and 48.2%. Measurement methods explained more variation than patient characteristics, and standardized persistence dropped to 28.1% beyond 30 months. The model-based figures underscore the need for consistent long-term tracking.
Evidence summaries in Epidemiology
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For healthcare professionals. Summaries are generated by AI from the published abstract and are not medical advice. Read the original paper before changing practice.