Feature Channels: Public Health

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A Cleveland Clinic survey finds that while most Americans (88 percent) understand that there is a connection between a healthy heart and a healthy weight, most aren’t doing enough – or anything – to combat their own weight issues. The survey found 74 percent are concerned about their weight and 65 percent are worried about getting heart disease due to extra pounds, yet less than half (43 percent) of Americans have tried to make dietary changes to lose weight and 40 percent of those who describe themselves as overweight or obese say they aren’t careful about which foods they eat.

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A scientific team from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Cleveland Clinic has developed a new way to identify second-line antibiotics that may be effective in killing germs already resistant to a first-line antibiotic – potentially helping overcome antibiotic resistance. This new research provides an approach clinicians could consult when deciding which antibiotic treatment courses will be most effective for patients.

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With paper-weight wings and spindly legs, the mosquito hardly seems built to handle the cold. The secret to its survival is eggs built to withstand freezing temperatures. Even if some eggs die off during extreme cold, mosquito populations rebound quickly. The same holds true for ticks that can wait out a cold snap far below a forest’s layer of leaves.

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Pre-teens who use a mobile phone or watch TV in the dark an hour before bed are at risk of not getting enough sleep compared to those who use these devices in a lit room or do not use them at all before bedtime.

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Only a small fraction of people who had non-fatal opioid overdoses in West Virginia received treatment in the aftermath, a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests. The finding, the authors say, represents a missed opportunity to prevent future fatal overdoses in a state that leads the nation in these deaths.

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The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a $12 million contract from the National Institutes of Health to continue its role as the Chicago field center of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, or HCHS/SOL — the largest-ever prospective epidemiological study of this diverse population.“This study is crucial because Hispanics/Latinos now comprise the largest minority population in the United States, and we need to know more about their unique health risks so that we can educate the community and prevent cardiovascular and other chronic diseases in this population as it ages,” said Dr.

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A new study led by Danforth Center principal investigator Nigel Taylor and research scientist Narayanan Narayanan, shows that field-grown cassava plants overexpressing a combination of plant genes can accumulate significantly higher concentrations of iron and zinc.

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Inmates want to quit smoking but don’t have access to smoking cessation programs in state prisons, increasing the risk – especially among black male inmates -- of cancer, heart disease, stroke and other smoking-related diseases, according to Rutgers researchers.

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Ballmer Group, the philanthropic organization founded by Connie and Steve Ballmer, is giving $4.2 million to University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health to fund its work that develops a model for a community-wide approach to promote cognitive and language development in young children.

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Twelve independent pediatric obesity medicine and surgery specialists, led by experts at Boston Medical Center (BMC), outline an urgent need for evidence-based guidance on the use of obesity pharmacotherapy for adolescents in the Obesity research journal.

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A novel “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” (ERAS) protocol developed by Penn Medicine for patients undergoing spinal and peripheral nerve surgery significantly reduced opioid use. The new study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine showed that when an ERAS protocol was employed fewer patients needed pain medications one month after surgery.

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A study published today in the American Journal of Public Health estimates that 1,857 people injected drugs in the last six months in Cabell County, W.Va., a rural county with a population of 94,958. This estimate is based on an innovative survey technique that public health officials can now use in their own rural communities to address the opioid epidemic.

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A 2018 Supreme Court case was framed as a debate over abortion rights, but a new analysis led by NYU College of Global Public Health published in the American Journal of Public Health finds that the Court was silent on one of the case’s key issues: deceptive speech.

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In this issue, find research on police-related deaths, homocide in Mexico and life expectancy, tobacco and polytobacco use in young adults, and a 1970s heroin intervention

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The murder rate in Mexico increased so dramatically between 2005 and 2015 that it partially offset expected gains in life expectancy among men there, according to a new study by a UCLA public health researcher.

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Nearly 1 in 5 fifth-graders has received violent injuries, the majority delivered by guns or knives, according to recently published research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

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Lower-than-normal zinc levels may contribute to high blood pressure (hypertension) by altering the way the kidneys handle sodium. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology.

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The Keck School of Medicine's Ricky Bluthenthal, a renowned researcher in epidemiology and disease prevention will lead social justice education, research and advocacy

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Millions of adults now entering middle age were exposed to high levels of lead as children, with childhood lead exposure linked to lower IQ, greater rates of child behavior problems, hyperactivity and antisocial behavior. This study included nearly 600 children in New Zealand who had their blood lead levels measured at age 11 and their mental health assessed periodically through age 38.

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A first-of-its-kind study led by Tufts University researchers, in collaboration with Somerville officials and citizens, will measure indoor air quality and comfort in multifamily housing developments near busy roadways.

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Philadelphia, January 22, 2019 - Nearly a quarter of employed adults obtain foods and beverages at work at least once a week, according to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Foods obtained at work are often high in calories, refined grains, added sugars, and sodium.

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Philadelphia, January 22, 2019 - Nearly a quarter of employed adults obtain foods and beverages at work at least once a week, according to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Foods obtained at work are often high in calories, refined grains, added sugars, and sodium.

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PULLMAN, Wash.--Erik Johnson has what looks like a surefire way to hurt support for spending to protect the environment: Elect a Democratic president.

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The proportion of liver transplants in the United States for alcohol-associated liver disease increased between 2002 and 2016, with much of the increase associated with a decrease in liver transplant for hepatitis C virus infection because of antiviral therapy. This observational study used data from the United Network for Organ Sharing for all liver transplants during the 15-year period and the national study group consisted of nearly 33,000 patients, including 9,438 patients with a diagnosis of alcohol-associated liver disease. Study findings suggest five-year survival after transplant was lower in patients with alcohol-associated liver disease.

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Wherever possible, researchers should not just focus on mosquito behavior when working to eliminate malaria, but must also consider how humans behave at night when the risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito is highest, new findings from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP) suggest. CCP is based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), the world’s leading authority on risk and risk analysis, will host the Fifth World Congress on Risk, in partnership with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC).

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New research indicates that cancer survivors carry greater financial burdens related to medical debt payments and bills compared with individuals without a cancer history, with the greatest hardships in younger survivors. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also found that among privately insured survivors, those who enrolled in high deductible health plans and did not have health savings accounts were particularly vulnerable to medical financial hardship.

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The federal response to hurricanes Harvey and Irma was faster and more generous than the help sent to Puerto Rico in preparation and in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, according to University of Michigan researchers

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Recap of program featuring biotech startups building platforms in the fight against the opioid crisis.

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A new paper published in Pediatrics links successful implementation of Baby-Friendly™ practices in the southern U.S. with increases in breastfeeding rates and improved, evidence-based care. The changes were especially positive for African-American women.

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A study by researchers from Sweden and Hungary shows that white, painted stripes on the body protect skin from insect bites. It is the first time researchers have successfully shown that body-painting has this effect. Among indigenous peoples who wear body-paint, the markings thus provide a certain protection against insect-borne diseases.

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Media advisory: To contact corresponding study author Scott E. Hadland, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., email Jenny Eriksen at [email protected]. The full study, invited commentary and a summary podcast are linked to this news release and a visual abstract is below.

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New research from NYU School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center published online January 18 in JAMA Network Open shows that increased marketing of opioid products to physicians -- from consulting fees to free meals -- is associated with higher opioid prescribing rates and elevated overdose deaths in the U.S.

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For patients undergoing surgery, having a baby, or needing emergency treatment following a traumatic incident, odds are the hands-on anesthesia care essential to their comfort and safety will be provided by a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

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Consuelo Wilkins, MD, MSCI, associate professor of Medicine and executive director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, has been named to the newly created positions of Vice President for Health Equity at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Associate Dean for Health Equity with the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

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Older adults who move more than average, either in the form of daily exercise or just routine physical activity such as housework, may maintain more of their memory and thinking skills than people who are less active than average, even if they have brain lesions or biomarkers linked to dementia, according to a study by Rush University Medical Center published in the January 16, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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New AI developed at the University of Surrey could identify and help reduce one of the top causes of hospitalisation for people living with dementia: urinary tract infections (UTI).

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A mechanism which drives leukaemia cell growth has been discovered by researchers at the University of Sussex, who believe their findings could help to inform new strategies when it comes to treating the cancer.

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A type of mosquito that transmits malaria has been detected in Ethiopia for the first time, and the discovery has implications for putting more people at risk for malaria in new regions, according to a study led by a Baylor University researcher.

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The cyanobacteria blooms that plague western Lake Erie each summer are both an unsightly nuisance and a potential public health hazard, producing liver toxins that can be harmful to humans and their pets.

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A research team led by Carol Miller, professor of Civil and Environmental engineering at Wayne State, recently received an $80,000 grant from the National Science Foundation focused on "fatbergs." The team will utilize real-time video, pressure data and advanced chemical analysis to advance the understanding of the physical and chemical structure of massive buildups of fats, oils and greases (FOGs, also referred to as "fatbergs") that cause blockages in sewer systems. Results will be used to identify potential risks associated with blockages and inform future targeted prevention and mitigation efforts.

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A practical resource-based public health approach for the rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected individuals living in low- and middle-income countries could save thousands of lives, according to an Essay published January 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Mark Tenforde of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and colleagues.

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While more than 32 million individuals in the U.S. have a documented penicillin allergy in their medical record, studies have shown that more 95 percent actually can be treated safely with this class of antibiotics, improving treatment outcomes and reducing the risk of infection with dangerous resistant pathogens such as Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). A review article in the January 15 issue of JAMA recommends best practices for evaluation of reported penicillin allergies and provides clinicians with guidance and tools to help determine appropriate procedures based on the severity of previously reported reactions.

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Global surgery is often referred to as the neglected stepchild of global health, but Gregory Peck, DO, assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is trying to change that through a global surgery fellowship program that unites surgeons and non-surgeons in health systems based research and development.

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Despite the mounting death toll of America’s opioid crisis, only a minority of facilities that treat substance use disorders offer patients buprenorphine, naltrexone or methadone—the three FDA-approved medications for the long-term management of opioid use disorder, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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For the first time, researchers at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences have successfully used the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 to limit the impact of parasitic worms responsible for schistosomiasis and for liver fluke infection, which can cause a diverse spectrum of human disease including bile duct cancer. 

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With winter temperatures in Maricopa County rarely dipping below freezing--60 degrees and raining, like today, is one of its more wintry days--Arizona is a perfect home for virus-carrying mosquitoes to overwinter, allowing the virus to survive.