Disease and Illnesses | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/disease-and-illnesses/RSS feed for Disease and IllnessesenWed, 02 Sep 2026 15:48:22 +0000World War II Sugar Rationing Data Hints That Limiting Intake of the Sweet Stuff Early in Life Lowers the Risk of Dementia and Cancerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-war-ii-sugar-rationing-data-hints-that-limiting-intake-of-the-sweet-stuff-early-in-life-lowers-the-risk-of-dementia-and-cancer-180989431/For roughly a decade leading up to September 1953, the United Kingdom limited sugar purchases. Scientists studied health outcomes in people born during the ration and right afterWed, 02 Sep 2026 15:48:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/world-war-ii-sugar-rationing-data-hints-that-limiting-intake-of-the-sweet-stuff-early-in-life-lowers-the-risk-of-dementia-and-cancer-180989431/For Many Americans, Covid Is Still a Chronic, Disabling Disease. These Scientists Are Working Tirelessly to Bring Them Reliefhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/many-americans-covid-still-chronic-disabling-disease-scientists-working-tirelessly-bring-them-relief-180989290/Long Covid saps the strength and vitality of patients, who have little recourse to fight it. A team of specialists—including an afflicted researcher working mostly from her bed—is looking for answersMon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/many-americans-covid-still-chronic-disabling-disease-scientists-working-tirelessly-bring-them-relief-180989290/Tennis Matches Are Heating Up, Literally. Here’s How the Court Became a Living Laboratory for Managing Extreme Temperatureshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/tennis-matches-are-heating-up-literally-heres-how-the-court-became-a-living-laboratory-for-managing-extreme-temperatures-180989399/The sport’s hard-court surfaces can reach some 30 degrees hotter than the surrounding air. With elite players suffering heat illness on the world stage, athletes are following personalized cooling plansThu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/tennis-matches-are-heating-up-literally-heres-how-the-court-became-a-living-laboratory-for-managing-extreme-temperatures-180989399/Brazil's First Urban Yellow Fever Outbreak in Nearly a Century May Have Been Fueled by a Surprising Culprithttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/Extremely wet conditions are known to help spread mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever. But based on computer simulations, researchers suspect that a severe drought may have contributed to the South American country’s recent deadly epidemicWed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/Covid-19 Can Reawaken Dormant Viruses in the Body, Which Might Worsen Symptoms of the Respiratory Illness, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/covid-19-can-reawaken-dormant-viruses-in-the-body-which-might-worsen-symptoms-of-the-respiratory-illness-study-suggests-180989322/Most people carry a sleeping virus in their bodies, such as the herpesvirus that causes mononucleosis, or the “kissing disease.” A new study hints that Covid-19 triggers their reactivation, which could worsen symptoms and increase the risk of long CovidFri, 14 Aug 2026 20:06:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/covid-19-can-reawaken-dormant-viruses-in-the-body-which-might-worsen-symptoms-of-the-respiratory-illness-study-suggests-180989322/Way Bandy Was One of the Most Influential Makeup Artists in the World. He Challenged Stigmas in the 1980s by Making Sure His Death From AIDS Was Widely Knownhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/way-bandy-was-one-of-the-most-influential-makeup-artists-in-the-world-he-challenged-stigmas-in-the-1980s-by-making-sure-his-death-from-aids-was-widely-known-180989330/He instructed the executors of his will to make his specific cause of death from the disease public during a time when many others feared doing soThu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/way-bandy-was-one-of-the-most-influential-makeup-artists-in-the-world-he-challenged-stigmas-in-the-1980s-by-making-sure-his-death-from-aids-was-widely-known-180989330/Two People Died After Getting Sick With Cyclosporiasis, Marking the First Known Deaths Linked to the Ongoing Multistate Outbreakhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-peope-died-after-getting-sick-with-cyclosporiasis-marking-the-first-known-deaths-linked-to-the-ongoing-multi-state-outbreak-180989256/Both patients, who were in Michigan, had underlying health conditions, according to state officials. The parasite-caused infection usually isn't life-threateningTue, 04 Aug 2026 19:17:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/two-peope-died-after-getting-sick-with-cyclosporiasis-marking-the-first-known-deaths-linked-to-the-ongoing-multi-state-outbreak-180989256/After Receiving a Custom Experimental Medicine, a Teen With a Rare Genetic Disorder Walked on His Own for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-receiving-a-custom-experimental-medicine-a-teen-with-a-rare-genetic-disorder-walked-on-his-own-for-the-first-time-180989230/The patient's genetic disorder causes frequent seizures and developmental delays. His progress, along with that of another boy who received a similar personalized treatment, highlights the promise—and challenges—of tailor-made drugsMon, 03 Aug 2026 17:31:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-receiving-a-custom-experimental-medicine-a-teen-with-a-rare-genetic-disorder-walked-on-his-own-for-the-first-time-180989230/The First At-Home Test for Infected Ticks Could Improve Lyme Disease Diagnosishttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-first-at-home-test-for-infected-ticks-could-improve-lyme-disease-diagnosis-180989235/LymeAlert will hit the market in August. The latest tool against the tick-borne illness could become a medicine cabinet stapleFri, 31 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-first-at-home-test-for-infected-ticks-could-improve-lyme-disease-diagnosis-180989235/Long-Term Exposure to Road Traffic Noise Might Increase Your Risk of Developing Parkinson's Disease, New Research Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-term-exposure-to-road-traffic-noise-might-increase-your-risk-of-developing-parkinsons-disease-new-research-suggests-180989216/A study that examined 3.1 million adults in Denmark across 18 years found a modest but consistent correlation. The findings hint that disruptive environmental sounds are a credible risk factor for the brain disorderThu, 30 Jul 2026 15:30:53 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/long-term-exposure-to-road-traffic-noise-might-increase-your-risk-of-developing-parkinsons-disease-new-research-suggests-180989216/Experimental Alzheimer's Drug That Fights a Tough-to-Target Protein Shows Promise at Slowing Cognitive Decline in a Clinical Trialhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experimental-alzheimers-drug-that-fights-a-tough-to-target-protein-shows-promise-at-slowing-cognitive-decline-in-a-clinical-trial-180989177/Recently FDA-approved treatments work to clear clumps of the protein amyloid beta in the brain. A drug that instead goes after tangles of the protein tau can yield similar cognitive outcomes, a new study suggestsThu, 23 Jul 2026 19:32:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experimental-alzheimers-drug-that-fights-a-tough-to-target-protein-shows-promise-at-slowing-cognitive-decline-in-a-clinical-trial-180989177/Koalas Are at Risk of Extinction in Some Parts of Australia. Can Freezing Their Sperm and Eggs Help Save the Iconic Marsupials?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/koalas-are-at-risk-of-extinction-in-some-parts-of-australia-can-freezing-their-sperm-and-eggs-help-save-the-iconic-marsupials-180989147/Scientists are preserving the animals' reproductive cells in liquid nitrogen in a bid to boost genetic diversity in future populationsMon, 20 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/koalas-are-at-risk-of-extinction-in-some-parts-of-australia-can-freezing-their-sperm-and-eggs-help-save-the-iconic-marsupials-180989147/Thousands of Intimate Photographs Reveal the Everyday Lives of the Romanovs, Russia's Last Imperial Familyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thousands-intimate-photographs-reveal-the-everyday-lives-the-romanovs-russias-last-imperial-family-180989126/The Bolsheviks executed the last czar, Nicholas II, and the rest of his family, including his famous daughter Anastasia, 108 years ago. Surviving snapshots open a portal into the royals' private worldThu, 16 Jul 2026 16:43:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thousands-intimate-photographs-reveal-the-everyday-lives-the-romanovs-russias-last-imperial-family-180989126/Cancer Cases Are Expected to Nearly Double by 2050, Warns the WHO. Low-Income Countries Will Be Disproportionately Affectedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-cases-are-expected-to-nearly-double-by-2050-warns-the-who-low-income-countries-will-be-disproportionately-affected-180989102/In a new report, the World Health Organization predicts that new annual diagnoses will rise from about 20.6 million today to almost 35 million by 2050. The biggest increases will be in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean regionMon, 13 Jul 2026 15:44:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cancer-cases-are-expected-to-nearly-double-by-2050-warns-the-who-low-income-countries-will-be-disproportionately-affected-180989102/Cases of a Parasitic Infection That Can Cause Diarrhea for Weeks Are Rapidly Rising in the U.S. Here's What to Knowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/The illness is caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads via food or water contaminated with feces, usually on farms. Health officials are still investigating the source of the multistate outbreakFri, 10 Jul 2026 19:26:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cases-of-a-parasitic-infection-that-can-cause-diarrhea-for-weeks-are-rapidly-rising-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-180989108/Did This Duke Poison His Brother? A New DNA Analysis May Solve the Centuries-Old Medici Mysteryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-this-duke-poison-his-brother-a-new-dna-analysis-may-solve-the-centuries-old-medici-mystery-180989086/Researchers found evidence of malaria in Francesco I de' Medici's bones, leading them to argue "with scientific certainty" that it was disease, not arsenic, that led to his death in 1587Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:05:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-this-duke-poison-his-brother-a-new-dna-analysis-may-solve-the-centuries-old-medici-mystery-180989086/