Health Care

Communities around the country grapple with what to do with their vacant and abandoned buildings, which, over time, can become eyesores. Not only are dilapidated buildings ugly, they can hurt the value of surrounding property and become hangouts for drug dealers, prostitutes and the homeless. Elected leaders know they are also major barriers to revitalizing urban areas such as downtown shopping districts and low-income neighborhoods.

Amid the United States’ ongoing opioid crisis, government agencies are documenting the rise of another highly addictive drug: methamphetamine.

Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread through ticks that can cause damage to the joints, heart and nervous system if left untreated, has been linked in a new study to another concern: obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS).

Journalists rely on three types of research papers most often in their work: White papers, working papers and peer-reviewed journal articles.

How are they different? And which is best?

Below, we explain each, pointing out its strengths and weaknesses. As always, we urge journalists to use care in selecting any research to ground their coverage and fact-check claims.

Peer-reviewed article

What is the microbiome?

Like it or not, your body is teeming with trillions of bugs — microbial cells, that is. Thinking about these bacteria and other microorganisms that you host both outside and inside your body might leave you feeling queasy, but they’re actually critical to maintaining your health, from your weight to your mood.

“Feeling down?” “Having a hard time getting up in the morning?” The appeals come directly from the TV to you, the consumer, promising pharmaceutical cures for a variety of ailments.

California’s eugenic sterilization program disproportionately targeted Latinos — especially Latina women, who had a 59 percent higher risk of forced sterilization than women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds, new research finds.

While the nation’s ongoing opioid epidemic is often discussed as a white issue, new research indicates that prescription opioid use in black adults is just as high.

A new study suggests marathons interfere with ambulance service. Transportation delays may help explain why elderly patients with cardiac problems are more likely to die if they live near race routes.

Immigrants to the United States who are not citizens are more likely to have worse oral health compared to natives and naturalized citizens, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.