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DNA test method can help quickly prevent Legionnaires' outbreak

A DNA test method called polymerase chain reaction allowed New York City health officials to identify the source of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak within hours of specimen collection and should be considered in all Legionnaires' outbreak investigations, researchers say in the April issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

10 Apr 2018

Exercise may be best defense for people with genetic predisposition to heart disease

Exercise may be the best way to keep hearts healthy - and it works even for people with a genetic pre-disposition for heart disease, according to new findings in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation.

10 Apr 2018

Women at highest risk for heart failure during postpartum period, study finds

Heart failure is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and death in the U.S. -- with the rate of pregnancy-related deaths more than doubling between 1987 and 2011. Even so, much about heart failure-related hospitalizations before, during and after delivery is unknown.

10 Apr 2018

Validating the Diagnosis of Depression

It’s very difficult to diagnose depression. With depression, you can't open the brain to find answers, and the chemistry of the brain is separate from the chemistry of the body.

From Pittcon 10 Apr 2018

Study finds high COPD prevalence among China's adult population

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is widespread in China with 8.6 percent of the country's adult population - almost 100 million people -suffering from the chronic lung disease, according to a new Tulane University study published in The Lancet.

10 Apr 2018

Former California state contractor sued over breach of HIV patient privacy

A security breach by a private company that contracted with California's public health department inadvertently allowed unauthorized access to the HIV status of 93 people, according to a lawsuit filed this week in San Francisco County Superior Court.

9 Apr 2018

Popular e-cigarette flavors produce different levels of toxins

The flavor of an e-cigarette may affect more than a consumer's taste buds, according to Penn State researchers who say the chemicals that make up different flavors also produce different levels of free radicals, toxins often associated with cancer and other diseases.

9 Apr 2018

Dialysis patients sign up for November ballot fight

Tangi Foster raised her left arm to show two puncture wounds where nurses insert needles several times a week.

9 Apr 2018

Frailty scores linked to cardiovascular disease and mortality

Frailty is common in elderly people with cardiovascular disease and goes along with elevated mortality. However, no consensus exists on the definition of frailty. Many scores have been developed to assess frailty and to make predictions on disease and mortality, but there is no gold standard.

9 Apr 2018

People living near oil and gas facilities may have greater health risks

People living near oil and gas facilities along Colorado's Northern Front Range may be exposed to hazardous air pollutants, including carcinogens like benzene, that could pose health risks above levels deemed acceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health, Boulder County Public Health, CU Boulder, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the University of California Irvine.

9 Apr 2018

Using biomimicry for faster detection of disease outbreaks

Our immune systems are made up of billions of white blood cells searching for signs of infections and foreign invaders, ready to raise the alarm.

9 Apr 2018

Physical fitness helps reduce genetic risk of heart disease, study finds

Keeping fit, even if you're born with a high genetic risk for heart disease, still works to keep your heart healthy, according to a study led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

9 Apr 2018

UCLA dietitian offers comments on sugary beverage tax

A form of a sugary beverage tax has now gone into effect in the UK, where manufacturers have to pay a tax on high-sugar drinks.

6 Apr 2018

Non-stigmatizing messages can be effective strategy to boost support for mental health services

In public-health campaigns to boost support for improvements in the mental health system, messages that link mental illness to violence may be counterproductive, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

6 Apr 2018

To treat pain, PTSD and other ills, Tennessee vets try tai chi

Every week in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Zibin Guo guides veterans in wheelchairs through slow-motion tai chi poses as a Bluetooth speaker plays soothing instrumental music.

6 Apr 2018

Free Radical Formation in Electronic Cigarette Aerosols

An interview with Prof. John Richie, describing his presentation at Pittcon 2018 on free radical formation in electronic cigarette aerosols.

From Pittcon 5 Apr 2018

Poverty linked to increased risk of death and disability from NCDs in lower income countries

Poverty increases the risk of death and disability from non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes in low- and middle-income countries, a new systematic review shows. Researchers also found evidence that developing an NCD increases the risk of falling into poverty in these countries.

5 Apr 2018

Adolescent mental disorder rates vary by immigrant generation and race-ethnicity

Immigrant youth from specific racial-ethnic groups in the USA tend to have lower rates of certain mental disorders compared to their non-immigrant peers,reports a study published in the April 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

4 Apr 2018

Sulfur amino acid restriction consistently demonstrates range of health benefits in animals

The longevity and health improvements seen in animals on sulfur amino acid-restricted diets could translate to people, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers who recently conducted a review of published studies. More research is needed to confirm the benefits in people, the scientists said.

4 Apr 2018

Meat protein linked to increased CVD risk, while proteins from nuts and seeds benefit the heart

A study conducted by researchers in California and France has found that meat protein is associated with a sharp increased risk of heart disease while protein from nuts and seeds is beneficial for the human heart.

4 Apr 2018