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Study reveals the origin of world's AIDS pandemic

A study published in Science magazine reveals for the first time where, when and how the world's AIDS pandemic originated. Thanks to a statistical analysis of all the genetic data available on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), an international research team has just confirmed that the scourge broke out in 1920 in Kinshasa, the capital of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

13 Nov 2014

Working relationships with managers, local community leaders strengthen nurses’ performance

When health workers develop positive, collaborative relationships with managers and local community leaders in rural Guatemala, their capacity to help vulnerable populations is increased, according to a dissertation from Umeå University.

13 Nov 2014

Searching online for diagnosis before visiting doctor can predict dengue fever outbreaks in China

Queensland University of Technology researchers have found the habit of Googling for an online diagnosis before visiting the doctor can be a powerful predictor of infectious diseases outbreaks.

13 Nov 2014

Scientists discover ways to detect several toxic flame retardants in people's bodies

A new peer-reviewed study found that people are contaminated with several toxic flame retardants rarely studied in the US, including one that has never before been detected in Americans called TCEP. Scientists tested urine samples of California residents for biomarkers of six chemicals, all of which were present.

13 Nov 2014

Guidelines to limit tours of overseas duty reduce mental health problems in UK’s armed forces

Prolonged periods of deployment among the UK’s armed forces have fallen since the introduction of the “Harmony Guidelines” to limit tours of overseas duty—which might have led to a reduction in mental health problems, new research published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal suggests.

13 Nov 2014

Study: Fast-food outlets in inner city neighborhoods linked to risk of diabetes, obesity

How close you are to fast-food outlets may be linked to your risk of Type-2 diabetes and obesity a new study led by the University of Leicester has discovered.

12 Nov 2014

Antibiograms could improve antibiotic effectiveness, help address problems with antibiotic resistance

Use of "antibiograms" in skilled nursing facilities could improve antibiotic effectiveness and help address problems with antibiotic resistance that are becoming a national crisis, researchers conclude in a new study.

12 Nov 2014

Prescription opioids involved in 67.8% of nationwide ED visits in 2010, find researchers

Researchers from Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals and the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that prescription opioids, including methadone, were involved in 67.8 percent of (or over 135,971 visits to) nationwide emergency department (ED) visits in 2010, with the highest proportion of opioid overdoses occurring in the South.

12 Nov 2014

CMS to cover low-dose CT screening for lung cancer

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today recognized the importance of lung cancer screening, announcing today that it will cover low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening, or "CAT" scans , for high-risk current and former smokers. The decision validates Mount Sinai's longstanding commitment to providing access to this essential screening tool.

12 Nov 2014

Hospice care lowers hospitalization, ICU admissions and invasive procedures for Medicare patients

Medicare patients with poor prognosis cancers who received hospice care had significantly lower rates of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and invasive procedures at the end of life, along with significantly lower health care expenditures during the last year of life, according to a study in the November 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Nov 2014

Study: Heart attack, stroke survivors' physical limitations rapidly increase over decade

A record number of people are surviving heart attacks and stroke but those who do may experience a sharp decline in physical abilities that steadily accelerates over time, according to a new nationally-representative study led by the University of Michigan.

12 Nov 2014

Salivary mucins protect teeth from cariogenic bacterium

Salivary mucins, key components of mucus, actively protect the teeth from the cariogenic bacterium, Streptococcus mutans, according to research published ahead of print in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. The research suggests that bolstering native defenses might be a better way to fight dental caries than relying on exogenous materials, such as sealants and fluoride treatment, says first author Erica Shapiro Frenkel, of Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

11 Nov 2014

Successful treatments help HIV-infected persons achieve similar longevity as those without HIV

New research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that HIV-infected adults are at a higher risk for developing heart attacks, kidney failure and cancer. But, contrary to what many had believed, the researchers say these illnesses are occurring at similar ages as adults who are not infected with HIV.

11 Nov 2014

Lung cancer screening in NLST meets standard for cost effectiveness

Dartmouth researchers say lung cancer screening in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) meets a commonly accepted standard for cost effectiveness as reported in the Nov. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. This relatively new screening test uses annual low-dose CT scans to spot lung tumors early in individuals facing the highest risks of lung cancer due to age and smoking history.

11 Nov 2014

Anxiety can accelerate conversion to Alzheimer's disease for people with mild cognitive impairment

People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of converting to Alzheimer's disease within a few years, but a new study warns the risk increases significantly if they suffer from anxiety.

11 Nov 2014

UW SMPH awarded $70 million grant to continue work on Inner-City Asthma Consortium

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health a seven-year, $70 million grant for its continuing work on the Inner-City Asthma Consortium (ICAC) -- a nationwide clinical research network to evaluate and develop promising new immune-based treatments.

11 Nov 2014

Survey: Majority of U.S. adult women do not believe that they are up to date on vaccinations

A national survey from Rite Aid and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reveals that the majority of adult women living in the United States do not believe they are up to date on vaccinations to protect against many preventable diseases.

11 Nov 2014

Child-mortality gap narrows between the poorest and wealthiest families in developing countries

The child-mortality gap has narrowed between the poorest and wealthiest households in a majority of more than 50 developing countries, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found.

11 Nov 2014

UTHealth professor wins 2014 APGAR Award for contributions to perinatal medicine and education

Jon Tyson, M.D., M.P.H., the Michelle Bain Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, has won the 2014 APGAR Award for his lifelong contributions to perinatal medicine and education.

9 Nov 2014

Worst effects of reperfusion injury after heart attack may be prevented with iodide

Blocked arteries are typically the trigger, stopping the flow of blood and starving the heart muscle of oxygen. But when the blockage is removed and the blood comes rushing back, it wreaks havoc of its own. The result is called reperfusion injury, a life-threatening flood of inflammation and cellular destruction that has stumped scientists for 40 years.

9 Nov 2014

Public Health News and Research

Study reveals the origin of world's AIDS pandemic

Working relationships with managers, local community leaders strengthen nurses’ performance

Searching online for diagnosis before visiting doctor can predict dengue fever outbreaks in China

Scientists discover ways to detect several toxic flame retardants in people's bodies

Guidelines to limit tours of overseas duty reduce mental health problems in UK’s armed forces

Study: Fast-food outlets in inner city neighborhoods linked to risk of diabetes, obesity

Antibiograms could improve antibiotic effectiveness, help address problems with antibiotic resistance

Prescription opioids involved in 67.8% of nationwide ED visits in 2010, find researchers

CMS to cover low-dose CT screening for lung cancer

Hospice care lowers hospitalization, ICU admissions and invasive procedures for Medicare patients

Study: Heart attack, stroke survivors' physical limitations rapidly increase over decade

Salivary mucins protect teeth from cariogenic bacterium

Successful treatments help HIV-infected persons achieve similar longevity as those without HIV

Lung cancer screening in NLST meets standard for cost effectiveness

Anxiety can accelerate conversion to Alzheimer's disease for people with mild cognitive impairment

UW SMPH awarded $70 million grant to continue work on Inner-City Asthma Consortium

Survey: Majority of U.S. adult women do not believe that they are up to date on vaccinations

Child-mortality gap narrows between the poorest and wealthiest families in developing countries

UTHealth professor wins 2014 APGAR Award for contributions to perinatal medicine and education

Worst effects of reperfusion injury after heart attack may be prevented with iodide

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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