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Snus consumption in Norway is highest among young people

The increase in Scandinavian snus consumption in Norway is highest among young people, according to a new report from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

21 Nov 2014

Researchers discover a new way to combat influenza virus infection

The influenza virus, like all viruses, is a hijacker. It quietly slips its way inside cells, steals the machinery inside to make more copies of itself, and then -- having multiplied -- bursts out of the cell to find others to infect.

21 Nov 2014

FIRS mobilizes members to raise awareness on COPD

On World COPD Day (19 November 2014), the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) is mobilizing its members to raise awareness of the disease and help prevent the risk factors that cause it.

21 Nov 2014

BIDMC informatrician receives Morris F. Collen Award for achievements in medical informatics

Charles Safran, MD, FACMI, Chief of the Division of Clinical Informatics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), has received the American College of Medical Informatics' 2014 Morris F. Collen Award in recognition of his commitment to and achievements in medical informatics.

21 Nov 2014

Study warns that trans fats may be bad for the memory

A high intake of dietary trans fatty acids may have an adverse effect on memory, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014.

20 Nov 2014

Electronic cigarettes reduce smoking habits

Electronic cigarettes offer smokers a realistic way to kick their tobacco smoking addiction. In a new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, scientists at KU Leuven report that e-cigarettes successfully reduced cravings for tobacco cigarettes, with only minimal side effects.

20 Nov 2014

Alcohol taxes may lead to more number of jobs, improve health

Alcohol tax increases reduce the harms resulting from excessive alcohol consumption, and may lead to a small net increase in the number of jobs, according to new research released today at the American Public Health Association's 142nd Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

20 Nov 2014

A new method for determining onset of elevated influenza activity at community level

Predicting the beginning of influenza outbreaks is notoriously difficult, and can affect prevention and control efforts.

20 Nov 2014

New nutrition standards do not limit added sugar in school meals

New federal regulations requiring school meals to contain more whole grains, less saturated fat and more fruits and vegetables, while perhaps improving some aspects of the food being served at schools across the United States, may also be perpetuating eating habits linked to obesity, diabetes and other diet-related diseases, an analysis by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers has found.

20 Nov 2014

Flusurvey to offer self-administered nasal swab to all participants

People taking part in this year’s Flusurvey, the UK’s biggest crowd-sourced study of influenza will for the first time be offered a swab to confirm if their symptoms are caused by a flu virus or not as part of a new collaboration with i-sense. Data from social media and internet searches will also be combined with Flusurvey, allowing flu trends to be monitored across the UK more accurately and earlier than ever before.

20 Nov 2014

Minimum legal drinking age legislation can have major impact on young drivers in Canada

Minimum legal drinking age legislation in Canada can have a major impact on young drivers, according to a new study from the Northern Medical Program at the University of Northern British Columbia. Drivers just older than the legal age had a significant increase in motor vehicle crashes compared to those immediately under the restriction.

20 Nov 2014

Changes in one gene can influence person's cholesterol levels from midlife through late life

It's known that cholesterol levels typically rise as people age and that high cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. What's less known is that cholesterol levels begin to decline the more a person ages. Recently, researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Kentucky found that differences in one gene can influence a person's cholesterol levels from midlife to late life.

19 Nov 2014

'Spillover' of henipaviruses into humans underway, study finds

Another family of viruses, deadly in some cases, may have already jumped from fruit bats into humans in Africa, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Communications. The study provides the first, preliminary scientific evidence that "spillover" of henipaviruses into human populations is underway.

19 Nov 2014

Poor young people with positive perceptions report better health than people with worse perceptions

Young people growing up in impoverished neighborhoods who perceive their poor communities in a positive light report better health and well-being than those with worse perceptions of where they live, new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

19 Nov 2014

Exposure to antibiotics during pregnancy increases obesity risk in children

A study just released by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that children who were exposed to antibiotics in the second or third trimester of pregnancy had a higher risk of childhood obesity at age 7. The research also showed that for mothers who delivered their babies by a Caesarean section, whether elective or non-elective, there was a higher risk for obesity in their offspring.

19 Nov 2014

TSRI scientists reveal how ZMapp antibodies target Ebola virus

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have identified weak spots on the surface of Ebola virus that are targeted by the antibodies in ZMapp, the experimental drug cocktail administered to several patients during the recent Ebola outbreak.

19 Nov 2014

Scientists call for public to help monitor spread of flu across the UK

People taking part in this year's Flusurvey, the UK's biggest crowd-sourced study of influenza will for the first time be offered a swab to confirm if their symptoms are caused by a flu virus or not as part of a new collaboration with i-sense. Data from social media and internet searches will also be combined with Flusurvey, allowing flu trends to be monitored across the UK more accurately and earlier than ever before.

18 Nov 2014

Three-day global symposium on Ebola virus, other infectious diseases

The 11th annual International Consortium on Anti-Virals (ICAV) symposium, Infectious Diseases: Global Public-Health Challenges of the Next Decade, will put the challenges posed by several infectious diseases under the microscope, including the Ebola virus, the H7N9 influenza virus, MERS coronavirus and dengue viruses, as well as drug-resistant tuberculosis.

18 Nov 2014

Uber brings on-demand flu prevention to Chicago

In partnership with Vaccine Finder, Uber is bringing on-demand flu prevention to Chicago. UberHEALTH helps Chicagoans stay healthy this season with flu prevention packs on demand TODAY, Nov. 18 from 10 am until 4 pm CST for free.

18 Nov 2014

Johns Hopkins Medicine names eight new scholars to improve health care in India

The Center for Clinical Global Health Education at Johns Hopkins Medicine, with significant financial support from the Ujala Foundation and the Wyncote Foundation, has named eight new scholars to improve health care in India, with a particular focus on fighting tuberculosis.

18 Nov 2014