Feature Channels: Public Health

Filters close
Released: 5-Apr-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Hookah Use Among San Diego Teens Rivals Cigarette Use
UC San Diego Health

An alternative and harmful form of tobacco use, known as the hookah or water pipe, may be spreading among youth in the United States according to researchers from the University of California, San Diego’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and San Diego State University. This trend is emerging even as cigarette smoking among high school students is on the decline nationally.

Released: 5-Apr-2011 11:35 AM EDT
FDA Adverse Drug Reports Swelled in Past Decade
University of Maryland, Baltimore

University of Maryland study of the past 10 years of data revealed a need to improve data, say drug safety researchers.

31-Mar-2011 8:00 PM EDT
Exercising to Government Standards Could Lower Your Death Risk
Health Behavior News Service

Following federal government recommendations on exercise might lead to a longer life for adults, according to a new study of nearly 250,000 Americans.

Released: 4-Apr-2011 2:55 PM EDT
McMaster Experts: World Health Day – April 7, 2011
McMaster University

The Theme for World Health Day (April 7) is antimicrobial resistance and its global spread - McMaster university experts can comment on antibiotic resistance, the search for new treatments, and the global spread of disease.

Released: 1-Apr-2011 1:30 PM EDT
Diabetes Testing Among Poor, Minority and Inner-City Adults Plummets
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

The proportion of poor adults age 40 and over with diabetes who had their blood sugar, eyes and feet examined at least once a year dropped from 39 percent to 23 percent between 2002 and 2007.

30-Mar-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Breast Health Global Initiative Offers Unprecedented Tools for Developing Nations
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

A landmark breast health care publication reveals a multitude of barriers that keep women of developing nations from being screened and treated for breast cancer – but offers tools to help countries improve their breast care programs.

28-Mar-2011 11:45 AM EDT
Latest Hands-Free Electronic Water Faucets Found to be Hindrance, Not Help, in Hospital Infection Control
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A study of newly installed, hands-free faucets at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, all equipped with the latest electronic-eye sensors to automatically detect hands and dispense preset amounts of water, shows they were more likely to be contaminated with one of the most common and hazardous bacteria in hospitals compared to old-style fixtures with separate handles for hot and cold water.

29-Mar-2011 6:00 PM EDT
DISPATCH® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant Towels with Bleach Receive U.S. EPA Registration to Kill Clostridium difficile Spores in Five Minutes
Clorox Company

The Clorox Company announced today that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the registration of DISPATCH® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant Towels with Bleach to kill Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) spores in five minutes, the fastest C. difficile contact time available. This is the first bleach-based wipe to receive EPA registration for C. difficile, a spore-forming bacterium found in the intestines that can cause a variety of symptoms, from diarrhea to more serious life-threatening intestinal disease.

Released: 29-Mar-2011 7:00 PM EDT
Mothers Abused During Childhood at Risk for Having Low Birth Weight Babies
University of Washington

Mothers who were maltreated as children have increased risk for giving birth to low birth weight babies. The findings, by researchers at the University of Washington, are the first to show that maternal maltreatment can affect the health of offspring.

28-Mar-2011 4:45 PM EDT
America’s Most Distressed Areas, Including the Gulf Coast States and Washington, D.C., Threatened by Emerging Infections of Poverty
George Washington University

Neglected infections of poverty are the latest threat plaguing the poorest people living in the Gulf Coast states and in Washington, D.C., according to Dr. Peter Hotez, Distinguished Research Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine at The George Washington University and President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, in an editorial published in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases on March 29th.

Released: 29-Mar-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Repellent-Treated Clothing Nearly Eliminates Tick Bites for Outdoor Workers
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A pilot study shows clothes treated with long-lasting insect repellant appear to offer outdoor workers significant protection against tick bites. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, found 93 percent fewer tick attachments among a group of state water quality employees who wore Insect Shield Repellent Apparel, compared to workers in similar environments who used spray repellants or other tick bite prevention methods.

23-Mar-2011 3:00 PM EDT
To Meet, Greet Or Retreat During Influenza Outbreaks?
Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

When influenza pandemics arrive is severing social and business interactions with our neighbors really better than chancing getting sick?

   
23-Mar-2011 11:00 AM EDT
First Identification of Nicotine as Main Culprit in Diabetes Complications Among Smokers
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists are reporting for the first time that nicotine is the main culprit in diabetes complications among smokers. The tobacco chemical appears to cause elevated levels of a blood protein that increases the risk of diabetes complications, including heart attack, stroke, and blindness, the scientists say. Scientists will describe the finding at the 241st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim.

   
Released: 25-Mar-2011 7:00 AM EDT
Public Health Expert Provides In Depth Look at Constitutionality of New Health Care Act
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

In the second of two articles on the current Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), a leading public health authority provides a comprehensive review and predicts the outcome of the case from a public health perspective in the current issue of Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a Wolters Kluwer Health business.

Released: 24-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Eskimo Study Suggests Diet Rich in Omega-3 Fats May Reduce Risk of Obesity-Related Disease
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

A study of Yup’ik Eskimos in Alaska, who on average consume 20 times more omega-3 fats from fish than people in the lower 48 states, suggests that a high intake of these fats helps prevent obesity-related chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Released: 24-Mar-2011 12:00 PM EDT
ATS Honors World TB Day
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

March 24, 2011, marks World TB Day. On this day around the world, the public health and scientific community will raise public awareness about tuberculosis and the challenges that remain in controlling it globally, such as preventing the spread of drug resistant TB and as the urgent need to develop new TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools.

Released: 24-Mar-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Cell Phone Exposure May Cause Bone Weakening, Study Suggests
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Electromagnetic radiation from cellular phones may adversely affect bone strength, suggests a study in the March Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

Released: 24-Mar-2011 12:00 AM EDT
International TB Campaign Launches on World TB Day
Case Western Reserve University

On World TB Day, March 24th, a team of physician and researchers led by Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s Tuberculosis Research Unit will nationally launch “I am TB,” an international advocacy campaign aimed at reducing stigma among patients with TB and those at risk for the disease.

23-Mar-2011 12:25 PM EDT
Mentholated Cigarettes No More Harmful Than Non-Mentholated Brands
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Individuals who smoke mentholated cigarettes are no more likely to develop lung cancer or to die from the disease than smokers of non-mentholated cigarettes, according to a new study led by William Blot, Ph.D., professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC), Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues at VICC, Meharry Medical College (MMC), Nashville, and the International Epidemiology Institute (IEI), Rockville, Md.

Released: 22-Mar-2011 5:10 PM EDT
Culture and Stigma Affect Mental Health Care for Latinos
Health Behavior News Service

Latinos benefit from antidepressants like everybody else — only they do not use them nearly as often. The trick is getting past some cultural barriers.

Released: 22-Mar-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Minority Women Might Have Higher Depression Risk in Pregnancy
Health Behavior News Service

A new study finds that African-American and Asian/Pacific Islander women have double the risk that others do of becoming depressed before giving birth.

Released: 21-Mar-2011 3:50 PM EDT
Study Shows Polypill to be Safe and Accepted by Physicians and Patients in Developing Countries
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

A new study done by researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center provides evidence that a CVD polypill may be a viable option for developing countries, where CVD is strongly emerging and the demand for cost-effective, low maintenance treatment is high.

Released: 21-Mar-2011 1:15 PM EDT
Health Information Technology "Control Tower" Could Improve Earthquake Response
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College

A new study published by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the University of California, Davis, foresees improvements in patient outcomes after a major earthquake through more effective use of information technology. A control tower-style telemedicine hub to manage electronic traffic between first responders and remote medical experts could boost the likelihood that critically injured victims will get timely care and survive, according to the team's computer simulation model.

Released: 21-Mar-2011 6:00 AM EDT
Beware the Mix-at-Home Mix-Up
American Cleaning Institute

When it comes to the safety of make-your-own cleaning products, you’re on your own. National Poison Prevention Week (March 20-26, 2011) serves as an important reminder that keeping the home safe for children and pets is a year-round responsibility, according to the American Cleaning Institute® (ACI).

Released: 18-Mar-2011 12:25 PM EDT
Center Director Says FDA Hitting Milestones in Tobacco Law, Urges More Research at AACR Congressional Briefing
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Since the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has met the ambitious implementation deadlines set forth in the law, the agency said Wednesday at a congressional briefing hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research.

Released: 18-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
For National Poison Prevention Week "Put Us On Your Phones"
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Maryland Poison Center, a leader in the field, says awareness is key to preventing injuries and deaths from poisonings.

14-Mar-2011 4:30 PM EDT
Men Report Persistent Sexual Impairment After Use of Common Hair Loss Drugs
George Washington University

A new study by The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, that will be published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests men who take the drug finasteride, commonly marketed under the trademark names Propecia and Proscar, may report an on-going reduction in sex drive, and in some cases, prolonged periods of erectile dysfunction even after they stop using the medications.

Released: 17-Mar-2011 4:25 PM EDT
The Continuing Challenges of Disaster Response in Japan: Expert Available
University of Alabama at Birmingham

As the crisis in Japan continues to unfold, Andrew Rucks, Ph.D., associate professor of public health at UAB and investigator in the South Central Center for Public Health Preparedness at UAB and Tulane, says response management and coordination will be major issues for the Japanese government.

15-Mar-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Am Jrl of Public Health: May 2011 Highlights
American Public Health Association (APHA)

(1) Parents confusion over enrollment, eligibility leads to underutilization of public health insurance for eligible children (2) Current laws ineffective at preventing adolescents’ use of indoor tanning (3) Antidrug advertising found to be most effective on eighth-grade girls

Released: 16-Mar-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Potassium Iodide Expert Available for Interviews
Cedars-Sinai

If you’re seeking an expert to discuss the increased public demand for potassium iodide in the wake of response to nuclear reactor problems in Japan, Glenn Braunstein, M.D., is available for interviews. Dr. Braunstein is Chair of the Department of Medicine and director of the Thyroid Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and is an experienced on-air and print interview.

Released: 16-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Public Health Risks from Japanese Radiation
University of Maryland, College Park

Airborne radiation from a meltdown at Japanese nuclear plants poses no immediate risk to the continental United States, say University of Maryland public health and atmospheric scientists. Drawing on research from Chernobyl, they add that for most Japanese, the long term risk may lie in ingestion of milk, as well as direct exposure to contaminated soil.

Released: 16-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Three In Four Domestic Violence Victims Go Unidentified In Emergency Rooms
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

More than three quarters of domestic violence victims who report the incidents to police seek health care in emergency rooms, but most of them are never identified as being victims of abuse during their hospital visit. These findings, from a new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study, point to a missed opportunity to intervene and offer help to women who suffer violence at the hands of an intimate partner. The findings are published online this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Released: 16-Mar-2011 2:40 PM EDT
Japan in Need of Psychological First Aid: Psychologist Available for Comment
University of Alabama at Birmingham

With the number of traumas currently affecting Japan, it's people will reach a breaking point without some psychological first aid.

Released: 16-Mar-2011 10:20 AM EDT
New Jersey Experts Available to Address Smoking Cessation, Lung Cancer in Relation to Kick Butts Day
Rutgers Cancer Institute

As youth across the nation prepare for the annual “Kick Butts Day” to speak out against “Big Tobacco,” experts from New Jersey’s only NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center are available for comment on cessation efforts, the development of lung cancer and other related effects of smoking.

14-Mar-2011 10:50 AM EDT
Seniors in Public Housing Suffer Worse Health Than Others in Community
Health Behavior News Service

In a study of more than 16,000 older adults, fatigue, cardiac conditions, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and psychiatric problems were more prevalent among those living in public housing.

15-Mar-2011 1:30 PM EDT
Oral Vaccine Could Prevent Half of Cholera Cases, But Less Effective in Kids
Health Behavior News Service

Oral vaccines could prevent 52 to 60 percent of cholera cases in the first two years after vaccination, according to a new review of vaccine studies.

14-Mar-2011 8:30 AM EDT
Prevalence of Heavy Smokers in U.S. Decreases
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

From 1965 to 2007, the population prevalence of persons who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day declined significantly, and there was also a decrease in the prevalence of smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day, with these declines greater in California than in the rest of the U.S., according to a study in the March 16 issue of JAMA.

14-Mar-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Guided Care Reduces the Use of Health Services by Chronically Ill Older Adults
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Older people who receive Guided Care, a new form of primary care, use fewer expensive health services compared to older people who receive regular primary care.

9-Mar-2011 12:30 PM EST
“Microparticles” Useful in Identifying Earliest Signs of Emphysema
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Monitoring blood for tiny particles released by cells lining the lungs may help clinicians diagnose emphysema in its earliest stages, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College. The particles, called endothelial microparticles (EMPs), are shed during the disease process as tiny blood vessels in the lungs, called pulmonary capillaries, are injured and die.

8-Mar-2011 4:00 PM EST
Simple Blood Test Detects Early Emphysema in Smokers Before Symptoms Appear
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College

During a regular annual physical exam, blood is usually drawn to check the health of a person's heart, kidneys and liver. Now, researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center say a blood test that detects the early development of emphysema -- well before symptoms occur -- may someday also be offered.

Released: 10-Mar-2011 2:05 PM EST
Adverse Reactions to Medications Account for Over 1.1 Million Emergency Department Visits by Older Americans Each Year
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)

Adults aged 50 and older comprise 51.5 percent of all emergency department visits each year related to adverse reactions to medications, according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report says 61.5 percent were made by people aged 65 or older and 60.9 percent involved women.

Released: 8-Mar-2011 3:30 PM EST
Hazardous Neighborhoods Linked to Impaired Mental Abilities
Drexel University

Residing in a psychosocially hazardous neighborhood is associated with worse cognitive function in older age for persons with the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (an alternative form of the gene), according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Released: 8-Mar-2011 11:50 AM EST
Insecticide-Treated Mosquito Nets (ITMNs) Highly Effective in Preventing Japanese Encephalitis
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)

A new study revealed that using treated mosquito nets could drastically reduce the transmission of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) to humans. The study, conducted by the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Dibrugarh, North East Region (NE), Indian Council of Medical Research and released in the March issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, showed that the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITMNs) on humans and pigs reduced transmission of JE 72 percent in humans.

Released: 8-Mar-2011 8:00 AM EST
Big Games, Close Scores Lead To More Auto Fatalities For Winning Fans
North Carolina State University

Closely contested major sporting events are followed by a significant increase in traffic fatalities for fans of the winning team, according to new research from North Carolina State University. It turns out there may be more on the line than many sports fans bargained for.

Released: 7-Mar-2011 5:30 PM EST
Smoking Abstinence Found More Effective with Residential Treatment than Standard Outpatient Treatment
Mayo Clinic

In the March issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers report that residential treatment for tobacco dependence among heavy smokers greatly improves the odds of abstinence at six months compared with standard outpatient treatment. The study reports that 52 percent of the patients were still not smoking six months after residential treatment, compared with 26 percent in the outpatient treatment setting.

Released: 7-Mar-2011 2:00 PM EST
HIT’s Impact on Health Disparities: Will It Help or Harm?
American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)

Healthcare leaders consider HIT’s potential in promoting greater health equity and patient-entered care vs. its potential to unintentionally increase existing disparities in health and health care.

Released: 4-Mar-2011 10:00 AM EST
New Health Care Act Reframes Nation’s Commitment to Public Health, But Are We “Swimming Upstream?”
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

The current issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, provides a definitive analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is now under fire as unconstitutional exercise of federal power. According to the authors of “Swimming Upstream? Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Cultural Ascendancy of Public Health,” the act provides the first true opportunity to elevate the nation’s commitment to the most critical elements of public health – disease prevention, wellness promotion, and population-based interventions.

Released: 3-Mar-2011 5:05 PM EST
One in Four U.S. Adults Had High Blood Pressure in 2008
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

More than 59 million Americans age 18 and older were diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2008.

Released: 3-Mar-2011 2:50 PM EST
Tobacco Smoking Impacts Teens' Brains
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Research at UCLA shows that thegreater a teen's addiction to nicotine, the less active the prefrontal cortex is, suggesting that smoking can affect brain function.

Released: 3-Mar-2011 2:45 PM EST
Researchers Help Examine How Social Factors Affect Health; Researchers Offer Recommendations for Action as Part of AJPM Supplement
George Washington University

GW Health Policy Researchers, led by Wilhelmine Miller, Ph.D., associate research professor in the School of Public Health and Health Services, Department of Health Policy, played a major role in the supplement of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM), funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).



close
4.98217