Ultra-processed foods may raise risk of preterm birth and pregnancy complications, study finds Ultra-processed foods may raise the risk of preterm birth and pregnancy complications, a study of more than 6,600 U.S. pregnancies finds.

The analysis of more than 6,600 pregnancies, published in Nutrients, adds to mounting evidence that these products harm maternal and fetal health. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Pharma bribery corrupts health care, puts patients at risk, new review warns Sham clinical studies, slush funds and shell companies: A new review shows how pharma firms allegedly bribed their way to drug approvals and sales.

A new study offers one of the most comprehensive cross-country snapshots of investigations and enforcement actions related to bribery in the global pharmaceutical industry. It points to systemic vulnerabilities and structural weaknesses in oversight and enforcement. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Air pollution tied to brain aging, memory loss later in life, study finds Older adults exposed to high air pollution in the early 2000s had worse memory in 2011 — even after air quality improved, a new study has found.

The magnitude of the decline was comparable to roughly two to six years of cognitive aging, or the gradual changes in thinking and memory that occur with age.
@usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Tracing Bayer’s ties to power in Trump’s Washington From lobby firms to top officials, a look at how Bayer built access and secured favors from Trump's Washington.

Bayer has secured a string of favors from the Trump administration. What's going on? We looked at the German pesticide and pharmaceutical giant, its lobby firms and their ties to power players in Trump's Washington. Here's what we found: usrtk.org/pesticides/t...

One exposure. Twenty generations later, the damage is still unfolding A single exposure to a toxic agricultural fungicide during pregnancy can echo through 20 generations, with inherited disease risks worsening over time.

A single exposure to a toxic agricultural fungicide during pregnancy can echo through 20 generations — with inherited disease risks from kidney disease to infertility not fading, but worsening over time, according to groundbreaking research published Tuesday.
@wsunews.bsky.social

'Safe' BPA substitutes tied to fertility damage, fetal harm, and generational effects, review finds Chemicals that replace the controversial plastic additive bisphenol A (BPA) may disrupt fertility, fetal development, and reproductive health.

The review, published this month [February 2026] in Archives of Medical Research, found that these BPA substitutes can interfere with the same hormone systems and gene-regulation pathways that control reproductive development in both males and females. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Nanoplastics sneak into brain cells, disrupting puberty and fertility hormones, new study finds Tiny plastic particles reduced hormone levels, slowed cell movement, and altered genes required for reproductive health in brain cells, a new study shows.

Nanoplastics sneak into brain cells, disrupting puberty and fertility hormones, new study finds
Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
usrtk.org/healthwire/n...

Pacifiers, even those labeled “BPA-free,” expose babies to toxic chemical, study finds Pacifiers—even "BPA-free" ones—can release bisphenol A, a chemical linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems, a new study shows.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor known to act at extremely low concentrations, leaving little margin for safety in early life when infants have a limited ability to process and eliminate chemicals.

@usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Pacifiers, even those labeled “BPA-free,” expose babies to toxic chemical, study finds Pacifiers—even "BPA-free" ones—can release bisphenol A, a chemical linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems, a new study shows.

"Pacifiers can release bisphenol A, a chemical linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems, with the highest levels found in one marketed as “BPA-free,” a new study shows."
Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
usrtk.org/healthwire/p...

When profit kills: How private equity is eroding health care Peer-reviewed studies link private equity takeovers to more deaths and medical complications in nearly every corner of healthcare.

When profit kills: How private equity is eroding health care
Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
usrtk.org/healthwire/w...

When profit kills: How private equity is eroding health care Peer-reviewed studies link private equity takeovers to more deaths and medical complications in nearly every corner of healthcare.

Research published in the last 9 months links private equity takeovers to more deaths and medical complications. The studies also document excessive understaffing and unsafe conditions in high-risk settings, and declining access to essential but less profitable services. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Seeking physician/nurse/patient/caregiver personal experiences with private equity-owned healthcare providers. Please message.

Donate to USRTK Stand up for independent journalism and our right to know

At U.S. Right to Know, we do accountability journalism about public health. We pursue stories about who is harming your health, and why.

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‘Ubiquitous’ flame retardants are linked to higher heart disease risks, major review finds Flame-retardant chemicals widely used in furniture, electronics and textiles are increasingly linked to heart disease, a new study shows.

A review synthesizes over a decade of research on organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPFRs). Its findings suggest these widely used substitutes may be as dangerous than the chemicals they replaced.@usrighttoknow.bsky.social

usrtk.org/healthwire/f...

Ultra-processed foods damage health in ways that calories don't explain, new study says Ultra-processed foods may harm health because of what they contain but also how they are manufactured to promote overconsumption and maximize profits.

Food additives, packaging chemicals, and processing methods may drive disease risk, even as food safety rules fail to catch up. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

World leaders adopt a historic global declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health Leaders from across the world at the Eightieth United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have adopted the political declaration to combat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health challenges thro...

The political declaration reflects a sharper regulatory focus on e-cigarettes, novel tobacco products, unhealthy food marketing to children, front-of-pack labeling, and the elimination of trans fats. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Social media fuels smoking and vaping among children, especially girls, study shows The more time teens spend on social media, the higher their risk of using cigarettes or e-cigarettes — and potentially developing serious health problems.

Social media fuels smoking and vaping among children, especially girls, study shows.
Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
usrtk.org/healthwire/s...

How Big Tobacco’s Lobbying Influences the EU and Beyond - STOP New FOI documents reveal the true impact of Big Tobacco's lobbying efforts on global politics. Read the report from Contre-Feu and STOP.

Big Tobacco’s lobbying machine has extensive global reach and influence—and lack of government transparency often complicates efforts to trace its movements. Now, a new investigation helps expose the scope of the industry’s influence efforts across the EU.

exposetobacco.org/campaigns/be...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Commercial Determinants of Health: An agenda for global health geography

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Congress may order spy agencies to consider declassifying evidence on COVID origins New language in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 would call to declassify intelligence on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For nearly six years, the fight to see what U.S. spy agencies really know about COVID-19’s origins has played out in courtrooms, long FOIA queues and heavily redacted PDFs.

Now, it’s written into a defense bill. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social @lewiskamb.bsky.social

The importance of endocrine disruptors: an environmental prevention approach

Currently, multiple studies document the association between early exposure to EDCs and a significant increase in the incidence and risk of various symptoms and diseases. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources such as @janethoek.bsky.social. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/

Pamela Ferdinand
‪@pamelawrites.bsky.social‬
I cover CDoH for Healthwire, a project of U.S. Right to Know. We would appreciate your support and spreading the word about our work, which is based on peer-reviewed, published research from credible sources. usrtk.org/donate/