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Medicare's Hospital Compare portal underestimates AMI mortality rates, study finds

New analysis of Medicare's Hospital Compare portal shows the statistical methodology used to rate and compare hospitals underestimates mortality rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at small hospitals.

19 Apr 2017

Study paves way to develop noninvasive diagnostic test for colorectal cancer

The type of bacteria in your gut may help diagnose colorectal cancer. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions have identified specific types of bacteria that seem to be abundant in individuals with colorectal cancer.

19 Apr 2017

UGA researchers explore new ways of predicting thunderstorm asthma outbreaks

As allergy sufferers can attest, thunderstorm activity can exacerbate asthma and respiratory ailments. In fall 2016, when strong storms moved across southeastern Australia, a major thunderstorm asthma epidemic struck Melbourne and the surrounding area. High grass pollen concentrations dispersed by strong, gusty winds led to multiple deaths and a flood of residents seeking medical attention for respiratory problems.

19 Apr 2017

WHO marching toward extraordinary progress against neglected tropical diseases, report reveals

Since 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been reporting outstanding success in dealing with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with 1 billion people estimated to have received treatments in 2015.

19 Apr 2017

New study reports long-term infectious disease trends in China after SARS outbreak

Following the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, China stepped up its prevention and control methods for all infectious diseases, and rates of infection have levelled off since 2009.

19 Apr 2017

Exposure to TV ads increases likelihood of fast food consumption among pre-schoolers

Pre-school age children who are exposed to child-targeted fast-food advertising on television are considerably more likely to consume fast-food products, according to a recent Dartmouth-led study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

18 Apr 2017

Antidepressant use during early pregnancy not linked to risk of autism, ADHD in kids, study shows

A study led by Indiana University suggests that mothers' use of antidepressants during early pregnancy does not increase the risk of their children developing autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conditions previously associated with these medications.

18 Apr 2017

UTHealth researchers identify less invasive way to screen for colorectal cancer

Specific strains of bacteria in the gut are significantly associated with colorectal cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health.

18 Apr 2017

Positive emotion intervention improves health in people newly diagnosed with HIV

When individuals recently diagnosed with HIV were coached to practice skills to help them experience positive emotions, the result was less HIV in their blood and lower antidepressant use, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

17 Apr 2017

Study finds major post-surgical mortality reduction in South Carolina hospitals with safety checklist

South Carolina saw a 22 percent reduction in post-surgical deaths in hospitals that completed a voluntary, statewide program to implement the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist.

17 Apr 2017

Study examines how pregnancy risk factors affect outcomes of home and birthing center deliveries

Women with some characteristics commonly thought to increase pregnancy risks -- being over age 35; being overweight; and in some cases, having a vaginal birth after a cesarean section -- tend to have good outcomes when they give birth at home or in a birth center, a new assessment has found.

17 Apr 2017

Study finds low cervical cancer screening rates among women with mental illness

Women enrolled in California's Medicaid program who have been diagnosed with severe mental illness have been screened for cervical cancer at much lower rates than other women, according to a new study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

17 Apr 2017

Children more adversely affected from ATV-related accidents than adults

All-terrain vehicle-related injuries remain a large public health problem in this country, with children more adversely affected than adults. According to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the major risk factors for young riders also are entirely preventable.

17 Apr 2017

Technique to minimally disrupt lower suspensory ligaments improves breast reduction outcomes

Research led by Frank Lau, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that long-term breast reduction outcomes can be improved by using techniques that minimally disrupt the lower breast suspensory ligaments. The paper, The Sternum-Nipple Distance is Double the Nipple-Inframammary Fold Distance in Macromastia, is published Ahead-of-Print online in the Annals of Plastic Surgery.

14 Apr 2017

Chagas disease confirmed as 'silent killer' in first large-scale US survey

A study of almost 5,000 Latin American-born residents of Los Angeles County found that 1.24% tested positive for Chagas disease, a parasitic infection that can cause life-threatening heart damage if not treated early. Chagas disease is one of the leading causes of heart failure in Latin America.

14 Apr 2017

Lower-face asymmetries may help identify early life stress

Research has repeatedly confirmed that the first 1,000 days after conception strongly influence a person's life expectancy and susceptibility to chronic diseases.

13 Apr 2017

‘Vertical integration’ of healthcare leads to fewer hospital readmissions

"Vertical integration" of healthcare - closer coordination of care between primary care and hospitals - leads to a lower rate of hospital readmissions, suggests an experience from Portugal reported in the May issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

13 Apr 2017

New online tool can help patients to better understand their GI issues

Although GI disorders are among the most common medical conditions, many patients don't consider their symptoms serious enough to consult a physician and are left suffering in silence.

13 Apr 2017

Global inequalities in survival for childhood leukemia still persist in some countries, study finds

Although global inequalities in survival from childhood leukemia have narrowed, they still persist with five-year survival in some countries nearly twice as high as in others for children diagnosed during 2005-2009, according to a study published in The Lancet Haematology.

13 Apr 2017

International research effort reveals major insights into spread of West African Ebola epidemic

An international effort to analyze the entire database of Ebola virus genomes from the 2013-2016 West African epidemic reveals insights into factors that sped or slowed the rampage and calls for using real-time sequencing and data-sharing to contain future viral disease outbreaks.

12 Apr 2017

Public Health News and Research

Medicare's Hospital Compare portal underestimates AMI mortality rates, study finds

Study paves way to develop noninvasive diagnostic test for colorectal cancer

UGA researchers explore new ways of predicting thunderstorm asthma outbreaks

WHO marching toward extraordinary progress against neglected tropical diseases, report reveals

New study reports long-term infectious disease trends in China after SARS outbreak

Exposure to TV ads increases likelihood of fast food consumption among pre-schoolers

Antidepressant use during early pregnancy not linked to risk of autism, ADHD in kids, study shows

UTHealth researchers identify less invasive way to screen for colorectal cancer

Positive emotion intervention improves health in people newly diagnosed with HIV

Study finds major post-surgical mortality reduction in South Carolina hospitals with safety checklist

Study examines how pregnancy risk factors affect outcomes of home and birthing center deliveries

Study finds low cervical cancer screening rates among women with mental illness

Children more adversely affected from ATV-related accidents than adults

Technique to minimally disrupt lower suspensory ligaments improves breast reduction outcomes

Chagas disease confirmed as 'silent killer' in first large-scale US survey

Lower-face asymmetries may help identify early life stress

‘Vertical integration’ of healthcare leads to fewer hospital readmissions

New online tool can help patients to better understand their GI issues

Global inequalities in survival for childhood leukemia still persist in some countries, study finds

International research effort reveals major insights into spread of West African Ebola epidemic

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