Green Health

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is among the deadliest cancers worldwide, with rising incidence and mortality. In Italy, marked regional differences in PC mortality suggest that diet may play a significant role. Data from 56 food categories across 20 regions were analyzed for PC standardized mortality ratios (PC-SMRs) from 2003 to 2022. The results showed significantly higher PC mortality in northern Italy compared to the South. Spearman correlations identified specific dietary drivers: “positively correlated” foods more prevalent in the North, such as beef, processed meat, yogurt, and non-alcoholic beverages, were associated with higher PC-SMRs; conversely, “negatively correlated” foods, including veal, lamb, flour, legumes, tomatoes, were consumed more in southern regions with lower mortality. Regional disparities in antioxidant micronutrients like selenium and carcinogenic factors like alcohol also aligned with mortality gradients. In conclusion, regional food consumption patterns significantly correlate with PC mortality in Italy. The higher adherence to Mediterranean-style dietary components in the South appears to provide a protective effect, whereas Westernized patterns in the North are associated with increased risk. This study aimed to investigate the association between regional food consumption patterns and PC mortality across Italy, using PC-SMR and household food expenditure data.

Dengue is the most concerning mosquito-borne neglected tropical disease globally. The disease is caused by the dengue virus (DENV) and transmitted by the vector mosquito species belonging to the genus Aedes Meigen, 1818, particularly Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895). In 2024, global cases of dengue exceeded 7.6 million, with India reporting 233,519 cases. These statistics underscore the ongoing challenge of managing dengue outbreaks worldwide. For generations, tribal communities across India have employed medicinal plant-based extracts as mosquito and other insect repellents. Plant-based phytochemicals are largely preferred over synthetic insecticides due to their perceived safety, non-toxicity to non-target organisms, and environmental sustainability. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various phytochemicals extracted from Indian medicinal plants for their larvicidal activity against Aedes mosquitoes. Furthermore, the article also reviews the mode of action of these phytochemicals, including neurotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, sterol carrier protein-2 inhibition, midgut cytotoxicity, insect growth regulation disruption, and antifeedant activity, which aids in formulating dengue vector control strategies. Based on this review, Ecbolin B from Ecbolium viride, Alizarin from Rubia cordifolia, and Azadirachtin from Azadirachta indica exhibited better larval mortality rates against Ae. aegypti, with LC50 values recorded at 0.70, 1.31, and 1.7 ppm, respectively.

Background: Healthcare is a large contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to climate change and health impairments. However, the magnitude of health and climate benefits of local and regional GHG mitigation strategies has not been well quantified. Few studies have demonstrated the use of public tools for this purpose in healthcare facilities. Methods: We evaluated several renewable energy and energy efficiency scenarios focused on one academic medical center in New York State. We used the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) publicly available AVoided Emissions and geneRation Tool to estimate avoided GHG and health-harmful air pollutant emissions. The economic value of the resulting avoided health and climate damages was quantified using EPA’s CO-Benefits Risk Assessment screening tool. Results: Transitioning one healthcare institution to 100% solar energy and improving energy efficiency by 25% could yield approximately $807,000 to $1.5 million in annual health savings, with an additional $2.3 million benefits in avoided climate damages. There is an approximate $108.5–$196.6 million in annual climate and health benefits when extrapolating these energy solutions to hospitals across the same state. Conclusions: There are significant health savings from healthcare GHG mitigation strategies. This application of publicly available and accessible tools demonstrates ways to integrate climate and health benefits into local decision-making around climate change mitigation and sustainability efforts.