Public Health News and Research

RSS

Children need to be up-to-date on immunizations before heading back-to-school

While we prepare our children to go back to school, parents should check and make sure their children are current on all vaccinations before the start of the school year or they may not be able to start on the first day.

17 Aug 2017

Gun sellers join forces to curb suicide-by-firearm, rampant in rural areas

John Yule, 53, manages Wildlife Sport Outfitters, a hunting and fishing supplies store on the edge of Manchester, N.H., and is "deeply involved in the Second Amendment community."

17 Aug 2017

$FDA approval provides new, targeted treatment option for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL$

FDA approval provides new, targeted treatment option for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Besponsa (inotuzumab ozogamicin) for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

17 Aug 2017

Antibiotic use makes immune cells less effective in fighting infections

Adding another reason for doctors to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, new research shows that a reduction in the variety of microbes in the gut interferes with the immune system's ability to fight off disease.

17 Aug 2017

Families incur largest financial burden linked to dementia care

A new study on the lifetime cost of dementia indicates that families of people living with the disease incur the largest financial burden.

17 Aug 2017

‘Design thinking’ could help address public health challenges

Public health challenges such as poor diet, smoking and binge drinking are just a few lifestyle issues that could be addressed with some ‘design thinking’ according to Design Council and the Local Government Association.

17 Aug 2017

Often missing in the health care debate: Women’s voices

Women, in particular, have a lot at stake in the fight over the future of health care. Not only do many depend on insurance coverage for maternity care and contraception, they are struck more often by such diseases as autoimmune conditions, osteoporosis, breast cancer and depression.

17 Aug 2017

Study finds link between outdoor light at night and breast cancer risk

Women who live in areas with higher levels of outdoor light at night may be at higher risk for breast cancer than those living in areas with lower levels, according to a large long-term study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The link was stronger among women who worked night shifts.

17 Aug 2017

Study finds link between elemental sulfur use and respiratory problems in farmworkers' children

Elemental sulfur, the most heavily-used pesticide in California, may harm the respiratory health of children living near farms that use the pesticide, according to new research led by UC Berkeley.

17 Aug 2017

Frequent e-cigarette use may play vital role in smoking cessation

Among U.S. adults who were established smokers in the past five years, those who use e-cigarettes daily were significantly more likely to have quit cigarettes compared to those who have never tried e-cigarettes.

17 Aug 2017

Researchers discover synthetic compound effective at relieving neuropathic pain

A team of scientists led by chemists Stephen Martin and James Sahn at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered what they say is a powerful pain reliever that acts on a previously unknown pain pathway.

17 Aug 2017

New analysis finds link between cloudy drinking water and gastrointestinal illness

Cloudy drinking water, even if it's within the limits allowed by some cities, was linked to increased cases of gastrointestinal illness, according to new Drexel University analysis.

17 Aug 2017

Patient empowerment may be effective strategy to improve physicians’ hand hygiene adherence

Armed with new tools, patients and parents felt empowered to remind healthcare providers to perform hand hygiene, successfully improving compliance rates, but just over half of physicians felt that patients should be reminding providers, according to a new study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

17 Aug 2017

Research shows probiotics can reduce incidence of sepsis in infants

A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health has determined that a special mixture of good bacteria in the body reduced the incidence of sepsis in infants in India by 40 percent at a cost of only $1 per infant.

16 Aug 2017

Doctors warm to single-payer health care

Single-payer health care is still a controversial idea in the U.S., but a majority of physicians are moving to support it, a new survey finds.

16 Aug 2017

Understanding the rise in NTM infections

It is important to keep in mind that nontuberculous mycobacteria are environmental, and so unlike mycobacterial tuberculosis, generally this is not a person to person transmitted disease. The organisms are found universally in water and soil and so most people are exposed on a daily basis.

16 Aug 2017

Pesticide bans can be effective way to reduce suicides than secure storage

Global policies on access to highly hazardous pesticides – commonly ingested in acts of self-poisoning and suicide in rural Asia – should focus on national bans, rather than safe storage, according to two studies in The Lancet and The Lancet Global Health journals.

16 Aug 2017

Multi-drug resistant fungi found in UK hospitals - alarms health officials

Latest reports have confirmed that over 200 patients in England have been infected with a drug-resistant fungus called Candida auris that was first detected in Japan. High alerts have been put in place to look out for further infections and prevent spread.

15 Aug 2017

Mayo Clinic researchers discover new cause of treatment resistance in prostate cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a new cause of treatment resistance in prostate cancer. Their discovery also suggests ways to improve prostate cancer therapy. The findings appear in Nature Medicine.

14 Aug 2017

Large study looks at beneficial and detrimental effects of alcohol consumption

According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, light to moderate consumption of alcohol can actually reduce the risk of deaths due to cardiovascular causes while heavy drinking may raise the risk of deaths due to all causes and also due to cancers.

14 Aug 2017