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Men with a history of asthma less likely to have aggressive prostate cancer

In what they are calling a surprising finding in a large study of men who completed questionnaires and allowed scientists to review their medical records, Johns Hopkins researchers report that men with a history of asthma were less likely than those without it to develop lethal prostate cancer.

19 May 2015

Alnylam files clinical trial application for alpha-1 liver disease, presents data at DDW

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has filed a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) with the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial with ALN-AAT, a subcutaneously administered investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) for the treatment of AAT deficiency-associated liver disease (alpha-1 liver disease).

19 May 2015

Monash University-led researchers call for HCV patients to gain improved access to effective drugs

In a letter to the Medical Journal of Australia published today, a Monash University-led team is asking for hepatitis C virus patients to gain improved access to drugs to prevent liver related deaths.

19 May 2015

UK's leading experts to discuss new ideas and controversies in obesity at Plymouth symposium

No one health issue has the most impact on human health, or engenders more debate about how to tackle it, than obesity.

18 May 2015

Current fee-for-service models in U.S. healthcare may jeopardize prostate surgery patients

A "perverse disincentive" for hospitals that have invested in expensive technology for robotic surgery may be jeopardizing prostate cancer patients who seek out the procedure, concluded a new study led by Henry Ford Hospital researchers.

18 May 2015

Shiftworkers more likely to develop metabolic disorders

Shiftwork is an occupational health risk of growing significance because it is becoming more common and because of its potential influence on health outcomes, possibly increasing health differences between workers of higher vs lower socioeconomic status.

18 May 2015

Umeå University researcher presents report on Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone

A researcher at Umeå University has carried out a project to identify messages required for the community in Sierra Leone to stop the spread of Ebola. A report has recently been presented to the country's government with the results.

15 May 2015

New genomics laboratory in Liberia enables scientists to monitor genetic changes in Ebola virus

Army scientists working to support the Ebola virus outbreak response in West Africa have established the first genomic surveillance capability in Liberia, enabling them to monitor genetic changes in the virus within one week of sample collection. An article describing their work was recently published ahead of print in the online edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

15 May 2015

Raising awareness of mouth and throat cancer increases screening in Florida's poorest counties

Raising awareness of the dangers of mouth and throat cancer increased the number of black men in some of Florida's poorest counties who sought screening for the first time, opening the door to improved survival rates through early detection and treatment, UF Health researchers report.

15 May 2015

Study evaluates prenatal nutrition and genome-wide DNA patterns in adults exposed to malnutrition

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Leiden University in the Netherlands found that children whose mothers were malnourished at famine levels during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy had changes in DNA methylation known to suppress genes involved in growth, development, and metabolism documented at age 59.

15 May 2015

Study shows how organizational factors affect time to bring high BP under control

For medical practices, having more unique doctors on staff and having doctors see more patients doesn't necessarily lead to improved patient outcomes--and in fact, may have the opposite effect, according to a brief report in the June issue of Medical Care.

15 May 2015

Smoking-related DNA damage can be detected in cheek swabs

DNA damage caused by smoking can be detected in cheek swabs, finds research published today in JAMA Oncology. The study provides evidence that smoking induces a general cancer program that is also present in cancers which aren't usually associated with it - including breast and gynaecological cancers.

15 May 2015

UMD study examines link between mental health and the Great Recession

Men and women in the U.S. had lower odds of depression diagnoses and better mental health during the Great Recession of 2007-09 compared to pre-recession according to a University of Maryland study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

15 May 2015

New test could identify resistant tuberculosis faster

Tuberculosis (TB) disease rates in some parts of London are as high as in Sub-Saharan Africa, and drug-resistant strains are becoming increasingly common.

From Oxford Gene Technology 14 May 2015

Men with asthma less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer

Scientists found that men with a history of asthma were 29 percent less likely to have been diagnosed with prostate cancer that spread or to have died of their prostate cancer...

14 May 2015

Researchers receive NSF RAPID response grants to develop computer model for Ebola spread

Identifying and tracking individuals affected by the Ebola virus in densely populated areas presents a unique and urgent set of challenges in public health surveillance.

14 May 2015

Public health advisories reduce rate of codeine dispensed to postpartum women

Public health advisories from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada were associated with significant reductions in the rate of dispensing of codeine to postpartum women, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA.

14 May 2015

Human microbiome contains unique fingerprints, shows study

A new study shows that the microbial communities we carry in and on our bodies—known as the human microbiome—have the potential to uniquely identify individuals, much like a fingerprint.

14 May 2015

Playing games can shift players' attitudes toward public health issues

A Dartmouth research laboratory is working to quantify the effects of playing games. In a study published online last month by the Games for Health Journal, Professor Mary Flanagan and her team found that attitudes toward public health issues shift to be more accepting and understanding after playing a game they developed called RePlay Health.

14 May 2015

Uninsured, low-income women in non-expansion states less likely to receive breast, cervical cancer screenings

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers recently conducted a study that found low-income and uninsured women in states that are not expanding their Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid coverage are less likely to receive breast and cervical cancer screenings compared to states that are implementing expansions.

14 May 2015

Public Health News and Research

Men with a history of asthma less likely to have aggressive prostate cancer

Alnylam files clinical trial application for alpha-1 liver disease, presents data at DDW

Monash University-led researchers call for HCV patients to gain improved access to effective drugs

UK's leading experts to discuss new ideas and controversies in obesity at Plymouth symposium

Current fee-for-service models in U.S. healthcare may jeopardize prostate surgery patients

Shiftworkers more likely to develop metabolic disorders

Umeå University researcher presents report on Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone

New genomics laboratory in Liberia enables scientists to monitor genetic changes in Ebola virus

Raising awareness of mouth and throat cancer increases screening in Florida's poorest counties

Study evaluates prenatal nutrition and genome-wide DNA patterns in adults exposed to malnutrition

Study shows how organizational factors affect time to bring high BP under control

Smoking-related DNA damage can be detected in cheek swabs

UMD study examines link between mental health and the Great Recession

New test could identify resistant tuberculosis faster

Men with asthma less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer

Researchers receive NSF RAPID response grants to develop computer model for Ebola spread

Public health advisories reduce rate of codeine dispensed to postpartum women

Human microbiome contains unique fingerprints, shows study

Playing games can shift players' attitudes toward public health issues

Uninsured, low-income women in non-expansion states less likely to receive breast, cervical cancer screenings

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