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Released: 3-Dec-2009 8:00 PM EST
Menthol Cigarettes Are More Addictive for African American and Hispanic Smokers
Rutgers University

African American and Hispanic adults who smoke menthol cigarettes may be less likely to quit, a new study by UMDNJ researchers has found. The report, in the December issue of Preventive Medicine, is believed to be the first to use national statistics to examine the association between menthol cigarettes and smoking cessation among adults.

30-Nov-2009 1:00 PM EST
AACR Takes Steps to Aid the FDA in Regulating Tobacco; Publishes Best Research Practices
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

1) Congressional law allows FDA tobacco regulation, creating need for guidelines and research. 2) AACR journal includes compendium of best research practices with a special focus on tobacco. 3) AACR forms new Task Force on Tobacco and Cancer.

2-Dec-2009 9:50 AM EST
Obesity Will Snuff Out Health Benefits Gained by Smoking Declines
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

If obesity trends continue, the negative effects on the U.S. population will overtake benefits gained from declining smoking rates, according to a U-M/Harvard study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Released: 2-Dec-2009 3:00 PM EST
Waterpipe Tobacco Smokers Inhale Same Toxicants as Cigarette Smokers
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

Smoking tobacco through a waterpipe exposes the user to the same toxicants – carbon monoxide and nicotine – as puffing on a cigarette, which could lead to nicotine addiction and heart disease.

Released: 2-Dec-2009 11:00 AM EST
RSV: An Annual Health Threat to Youngsters
Geisinger Health System

While the headlines have been dominated with news about H1N1, we cannot lose sight of an equally dangerous illness - respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

30-Nov-2009 2:30 PM EST
More than 1,000 Patients in U.S. Admitted Annually for Aviation-Related Injuries
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The first ever published study of aviation-related injuries and deaths in the U.S. finds that more than 1,013 patients are admitted to U.S. hospitals with aviation-related injuries annually, and that 753 aviation-deaths occur each year. The study, conducted by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Injury Research and Policy and Columbia University, also reports that the largest categories of patients were occupants of civilian, noncommercial powered aircraft (32 percent) and parachutists (29 percent).

30-Nov-2009 11:10 AM EST
Physician Urges Changes in Diagnosis For Sore Throat in Young Adults
University of Alabama at Birmingham

New analysis from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) suggests that physicians need to re-think their diagnosis and treatment of sore throat, or pharyngitis, in adolescents and young adults to consider a more newly identified and potentially dangerous culprit as the source of that infection.

Released: 19-Nov-2009 12:30 PM EST
Cigarettes Harbor Many Bacteria Harmful to Human Health
University of Maryland, College Park

Cigarettes are "widely contaminated" with bacteria, including some known to cause disease in people, concludes a new international study conducted by a University of Maryland environmental health researcher and microbial ecologists at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France.

Released: 18-Nov-2009 4:15 PM EST
Have Egg Allergy? You May Still Be Candidate for Flu Vaccines, Says Allergist
Rutgers University

As flu season got underway this fall, Dr. Catherine Monteleone, an allergist, noticed that her office started to receive an unusually high number of calls from people with egg allergy. They previously had avoided flu vaccines because of their sensitivity to eggs. This year, with all the attention being paid to the novel H1N1 influenza, those patients want to be protected against flu, and they contacted her to find out if they are candidates for inoculation.

Released: 17-Nov-2009 3:00 PM EST
Popular Rapid Influenza Tests Pose a Dangerous Public Health Risk
Loyola Medicine

Flipping a coin may be more effective in diagnosing flu infections, says Loyola researcher, studies.

Released: 17-Nov-2009 1:10 PM EST
“Guided Care” Receives Award for Innovation in Practice Improvement
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Guided Care, a new model of comprehensive health care for people with multiple chronic conditions, has received the 2009 Medical Economics Award for Innovation in Practice Improvement.

Released: 17-Nov-2009 9:00 AM EST
Previous Seasonal Flu Infections May Provide Some Level of H1N1 Immunity
La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have found that previous influenza infections may provide at least some level of immunity to the H1N1 “swine” flu. “The question we asked was, “Is the swine flu more like the seasonal flu or like a totally new strain of influenza where there would be no immunity?,” said Alessandro Sette, Ph.D., an internationally recognized vaccine expert and director of the La Jolla Institute’s Center for Infectious Disease.

Released: 16-Nov-2009 3:20 PM EST
Nanoparticles Found in Common Household Items Caused Genetic Damage in Mice
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in everything from cosmetics to sunscreen to paint to vitamins, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Released: 16-Nov-2009 2:20 PM EST
Public May Find It Hard to Follow Measures to Limit Spread of Infection
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

University of Michigan researchers say that implementing and sustaining infection-limiting measures will be a challenge during pandemics.

Released: 16-Nov-2009 11:35 AM EST
Scientists Put Interactive Flu Tracking at Public's Fingertips
Ohio State University

New methods of studying avian influenza strains and visually mapping their movement around the world will help scientists more quickly learn the behavior of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus, researchers say.

Released: 16-Nov-2009 11:20 AM EST
Smoking Cessation Program Offers Childhood Cancer Survivors Help to Quit the Habit
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

As smokers nationwide struggle to quit the habit, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is offering assistance to those childhood cancer survivors who need help with smoking cessation.

Released: 16-Nov-2009 10:30 AM EST
Smokers Worldwide Support Workplace Smoking Bans
RTI International

The majority of smokers worldwide support smoking bans in the workplace, according to a new study by RTI International and Harris Interactive.

10-Nov-2009 8:25 AM EST
People Entering Their 60s May Have More Disabilities Today than in Prior Generations
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Baby Boomers may well be entering their 60s suffering far more disabilities than their counterparts did in previous generations, The findings, may be due in part to changing American demographics.

Released: 11-Nov-2009 4:15 PM EST
M. D. Anderson Offers Guidance on Choosing Tobacco Cessation Products
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Whether you smoke three cigarettes or three packs of cigarettes a day, kicking the habit is difficult. Various nicotine replacement products are on the market to make quitting easier. But which product is right for you? Experts from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are here to help.

4-Nov-2009 3:00 PM EST
Bullying Likely to Occur in the Classroom; Nearly Two-thirds of Students Bullied in Past Month
American Public Health Association (APHA)

Despite the common misperception that bullying at school takes place only in unsupervised locations, new research suggests that the classroom setting is one of the places where bullying is the biggest problem.

4-Nov-2009 3:15 PM EST
Substantial Proportion of People Who Borrow Prescription Drugs Experience Side Effects
American Public Health Association (APHA)

Twenty-five percent of people who borrow prescription medications experience side effects, according to new research.

4-Nov-2009 3:15 PM EST
Team Sports Participation Increases Some Unhealthy Behaviors in Male Teens; Positive Associations Seen for Females
American Public Health Association (APHA)

Contradicting what most parents might think, participation in team sports doesn’t necessarily result in teenage boys adopting healthier behaviors. Instead, new research finds that it is actually associated with increased fighting and drinking.

Released: 10-Nov-2009 10:00 AM EST
To Avoid Spreading Germs, Expert Recommends Hand Washing
Saint Joseph's University

Fears of contracting the H1N1 virus this flu season have people steering clear of strangers with coughs and scolding friends who don’t sneeze into their crooked elbows. With everyone trying to stay germ free, hand sanitizer has become a popular means of protection. But although a quick pump from a Purell dispenser is the most convenient form of hand cleaning, is it the best?

Released: 10-Nov-2009 7:00 AM EST
Study Shows Drop in Heart Attacks After Smoking Ban Implemented
Mississippi State University

A recent study found a 27-percent decrease in heart attacks from citizens of Starkville, Miss., three years after the city passed a smoking ban in public places.

5-Nov-2009 2:45 PM EST
FDA-approved Drugs Eliminate, Prevent Cervical Cancer in Mice
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health have eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two FDA-approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis.

Released: 9-Nov-2009 2:20 PM EST
UC San Diego Announces New Center for Migration and Health
UC San Diego Health

The University of California, San Diego will lead a new Center of Expertise on Migration and Health as one of three multi-campus initiatives launched by the University of California system under the auspices of the new UC Global Health Institute.

Released: 9-Nov-2009 1:30 PM EST
Patients With More Difficult to Treat Forms of Hepatitis C are Half as Likely to Treat the Disease
Mount Sinai Health System

A new study by Mount Sinai researchers has for the first time found that patients with more difficult to treat forms of hepatitis C are half as likely to initiate treatment for the disease, when compared to patients with hepatitis C that is easier to treat. Marital status also affected whether patients chose treatment, as did whether or not they had other diseases. The study is published in the November 1 issue of Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved.

Released: 9-Nov-2009 1:30 PM EST
Water and Health: Global Issues and Our Shared Responsibilities
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

On November 13, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the New York Academy of Sciences will host a symposium to address the complex issues surrounding water and health.

   
Released: 6-Nov-2009 1:00 AM EST
Journal of Public Health Management & Practice Calls for Growth in Public Health Workforce
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

A recent special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management calls attention to the country’s pressing need for a larger and fully capable public health workforce. The supplement, written by the leading academic voices in public health and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), also sheds light on the challenges the U.S. faces in adequately meeting public health needs.

2-Nov-2009 1:40 PM EST
American Journal of Public Health: November 2009 Supplement
American Public Health Association (APHA)

1) Walking groups, improved safety lead to increased physical activity; 2) Catching enough Zzz’s leads to healthier food choices; 3) Preventative interventions help to reduce pesticide exposures to farmworkers.

4-Nov-2009 10:45 AM EST
Warmer Homes Mean Better Health for Poor People
Health Behavior News Service

Being warm enough at home might lead to better health, according to a new review.

4-Nov-2009 2:40 PM EST
Big Air Pollution Impacts on Local Communities
University of Southern California (USC)

Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC).

29-Oct-2009 9:00 PM EDT
Report on H1N1 Cases in California Shows Hospitalization Can Occur At All Ages, With Many Severe
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In contrast with some common perceptions regarding 2009 influenza A(H1N1) infections, an examination of cases in California indicates that hospitalization and death can occur at all ages, and about 30 percent of hospitalized cases have been severe enough to require treatment in an intensive care unit, according to a study in the November 4 issue of JAMA.

2-Nov-2009 3:50 PM EST
Study Finds Increasing Number of Injuries from Hot Tubs
Nationwide Children's Hospital

Though hot tubs, whirlpools and spas are widely used for relaxation and fun, they can pose serious risk for injury. Over the past two decades, as recreational use of hot tubs has increased, so has the number of injuries. A recent study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that from 1990-2007, the number of unintentional hot tub-related injuries increased by 160 percent, from approximately 2,500 to more than 6,600 injuries per year.

2-Nov-2009 1:20 PM EST
Half of U.S. Children – and Most Black Children – Will Use Food Stamps
Cornell University

Nearly half of American children – including 90 percent of black children and 90 percent of children who spend their childhoods in single-parent households – will eat meals paid for by food stamps at some point during childhood, reports a Cornell researcher.

   
Released: 2-Nov-2009 12:00 PM EST
Sneezing in Times of a Flu Pandemic: Exposure to Public Sneezing Increases Fears of Unrelated Risk
Association for Psychological Science

The swine flu (H1N1) pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. The World Health Organization, in addition to providing frequent updates about cases of infection and death tolls, recommends hyper vigilance in daily hygiene such as frequent hand washing or sneezing into the crook of our arms. News reports at all levels, from local school closures to airport screenings and global disease surveillance, continue to remind us of the high risk.

30-Oct-2009 8:50 AM EDT
Avoiding Panic In Pandemic Flu Vaccine Campaigns
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

The effectiveness of pandemic flu vaccination campaigns – like that now underway for H1N1 – could be undermined by the public incorrectly associating coincidental and unrelated health events with the vaccines, according to a paper in The Lancet.

Released: 30-Oct-2009 11:00 AM EDT
Study Examines Mercury in Vaccines
Rochester General Health System

Study of potential risks to children when thimerosol, a mercury-based preservative, is used in childhood vaccines.

Released: 29-Oct-2009 3:15 PM EDT
Do Women Need Such Big Flu Shots?
Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR)

“Do Women Need Such Big Flu Shots?” explains how swine flu vaccine may be different for women.

Released: 29-Oct-2009 2:30 PM EDT
Risk of Serious Flu-related Sickness Far Outpaces Risk of Injectable Vaccine in Pregnant Women
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Pregnant women who catch the flu are at serious risk for flu-related complications, including death, and that risk far outweighs the risk of possible side effects from injectable vaccines containing killed virus, according to an extensive review of published research and data from previous flu seasons.

Released: 29-Oct-2009 2:20 PM EDT
Cell Phones Become Handheld Tools for Global Development
University of Washington

Computer scientists at the UW are using Android, the open-source mobile operating system championed by Google, to transform a cell phone into a flexible data-collection tool. Their free suite of tools, named Open Data Kit, is already used by organizations around the world that need inexpensive ways to gather information in areas with little infrastructure.

Released: 28-Oct-2009 3:25 PM EDT
Depressed Pregnant Women Could Be at Higher Risk for Severe Response to Flu Infection
Ohio State University

Pregnant women with significant symptoms of depression tend to have a stronger biological reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine than do women with lower depression levels, according to a new study.

Released: 28-Oct-2009 11:00 AM EDT
Mortality Rates Reduced Among Children Whose Mothers Received Iron-folic Acid Supplements
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Offspring whose mothers had been supplemented with iron-folic acid during pregnancy had dramatically reduced mortality through age 7.

22-Oct-2009 8:45 AM EDT
Foreskin Surface Area and HIV Acquisition: Size Matters
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Trials find that the risk of male HIV acquisition is increased among men with larger foreskins.

Released: 27-Oct-2009 9:00 PM EDT
HHS Awards $17 Million to Fight Health Care-associated Infections
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the award of $17 million to fund projects to fight costly and dangerous health care-associated infections, or HAIs.

Released: 27-Oct-2009 12:45 PM EDT
Triple-combo Drug Shows Promise Against Antiviral-resistant H1N1
University of Alabama at Birmingham

An experimental drug cocktail that includes three prescriptions now widely available offers the best hope in developing a single agent to treat drug-resistant H1N1 swine flu, says a UAB virology researcher. The combo of oseltamivir, amantadine and ribavirin drug works better than currently recommended single or double antiviral therapies used to treat both seasonal and swine flu strains.

Released: 23-Oct-2009 10:25 AM EDT
Seasonal Flu Shot Cannot Give You H1N1
Houston Methodist

Some doctors fear people who think the seasonal flu shot gave them H1N1 won't come back for the seasonal shot next year, opening themselves and others up to serious illness.

Released: 21-Oct-2009 3:40 PM EDT
HPV Vaccine Hurts Less than Expected
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Injections of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine appear to be no more painful than other shots that prevent disease, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Released: 16-Oct-2009 4:30 PM EDT
Growing up with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Saint Louis University Medical Center

Saint Louis University researchers in the department of family and community medicine have received an $880,000, three-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to develop and test a new program aimed at helping older children and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) successfully transition into adulthood.

Released: 16-Oct-2009 11:55 AM EDT
Physicians Urge Pregnant Women to Get H1N1 Vaccine, Protect Themselves and Baby from Potential Deadly Threat
Rutgers University

Pregnant women in the U.S. infected with the novel H1N1 influenza A virus have died at a rate six times higher than the general population. With flu season upon us, that mortality rate may escalate, so UMDNJ physicians strongly advise expectant mothers to get immunized as soon as the H1N1 vaccine becomes available.



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