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Study explores accuracy of body weight perception and obesity in Chinese Americans

Worldwide, obesity is becoming more prevalent. According to The World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980, and in 2008 25% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight, and another 11% were obese. Obesity has been identified as a major source of unsustainable health costs and numerous adverse outcomes, including morbidity and mortality due to hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.

28 May 2015

Congress needs to act to incentivize development of genomic data systems

The latest generation of genomic testing offers a chance for significant improvements in patient care, disease prevention, and possibly even the cost-effectiveness of healthcare, but Congress needs to act to incentivize the development of the massive data systems that doctors and regulators will need in order to make these tests safe and effective for patients.

28 May 2015

Findings cast dim light on public health campaigns that use fear approach to make people to eat better

Tell your child or spouse what they can eat and not what they can't. Telling your child to eat an apple so they stay healthy will work better than telling them not to eat the cookie because it will make them fat. A new Cornell discovery shows that "Don't" messages don't work for most of us.

28 May 2015

Researchers use animal models to study how dysfunction of genes contributes to ASD risk

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects approximately two percent of people around the world. Although several genes have been linked to multiple concurring conditions of ASD, the process that explains how specific genetic variants lead to behaviors characteristic of the disorder remains elusive.

27 May 2015

Actavis creates collaborative program to improve care for patients with multidrug-resistant infections

Actavis plc, a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company committed to infectious disease treatment innovation, today announced the creation of SHARE ID (Sharing Hospital data to Advance Research and Enhance patient care in Infectious Diseases), a collaborative program to leverage real-world data to advance the delivery and effectiveness of care for patients with serious infections due to antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

27 May 2015

Individually rare CNVs may be negatively associated with educational attainment

Individually rare but collectively common intermediate-size copy number variations may be negatively associated with educational attainment, according to a study in the May 26 issue of JAMA. Copy number variations (CNVs) are regions of the genome that differ in the number of segments of DNA.

27 May 2015

Overweight and inflammation during adolescence may increase colorectal cancer risk later in life

Being very overweight in your teens doubles the risk of developing colorectal cancer later in life compared to those whose weight was within the normal range a new Swedish study suggests. The research team behind the study are from örebro University in Sweden and Harvard School of Public Health in the US.

27 May 2015

Study points to new health service delivery models for homebound older adults

There is an enormous hidden population of older adults in America suffering behind closed doors largely because they aren't strong or well enough to leave their homes, for healthcare or anything else. This is among the worrisome findings of a study being published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine.

27 May 2015

Emergency medicine faces special challenges with changeover in medical diagnosis codes

Emergency medicine faces special challenges during this fall's changeover in how medical diagnoses are coded. Nearly a quarter of all ER clinical encounters could pose difficulties.

27 May 2015

New investments may enable two Canadian organizations to improve life for people with hearing loss

New investments from public and private sources in Canada and the USA, including Grand Challenges Canada and Google.org, will enable two Canadian organizations to contribute to a better life for people with hearing loss in developing countries.

27 May 2015

Breastfeeding duration and intelligence: an interview with Dr Bernardo Lessa Horta

Our research shows a benefit of breastfeeding on performance in IQ tests that was similar to the benefit reported in previous tests among children and adolescents, suggesting that the benefits of breastfeeding are still observed in adulthood...

26 May 2015

CORD calls upon governments, others to join forces to make Canada's Rare Disease Strategy a reality

Today, on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders released Canada's Rare Disease Strategy and called upon the federal, provincial and territorial governments along researchers, healthcare providers, educators, employers, and the patient community to join forces to make the Strategy a reality.

26 May 2015

New hope for patients suffering from most severe forms of anorexia nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. In its most severe form, victims face a devastating 4,500% increased risk for death. In the wake of the recent national attention on the limited treatment options available for these extreme cases, it is important for sufferers to know that help is available.

24 May 2015

DIR and CDPH awarded NIOSH grant for workers' compensation research project

The Department of Industrial Relations and the California Department of Public Health were this week awarded a grant of nearly $200,000 per year for a workers' compensation research project from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

24 May 2015

Phages in chicken meat can transfer antimicrobial resistance to bacteria

Bacteria resistant to antibiotics are on the rise. There are different explanations for how resistances are transferred. Researchers from the Vetmeduni Vienna found phages in chicken meat that are able to transfer antimicrobial resistance to bacteria. Phages are viruses that exclusively infect bacteria. They can contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

22 May 2015

Bacterium can use cell-content sharing to repair damaged siblings

A University of Wyoming faculty member led a research team that discovered a certain type of soil bacteria can use their social behavior of outer membrane exchange (OME) to repair damaged cells and improve the fitness of the bacteria population as a whole.

22 May 2015

GHIT Fund expands investments in leishmaniasis, diagnostic tests

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, which in the last two years has funded almost $32 million for innovative tools to tackle global infectious diseases, today announced additional investments of nearly $11 million that bring its portfolio to approximately $43 million.

22 May 2015

Heart rate measures could identify individuals with higher risk of diabetes

An association between resting heart rate and diabetes suggests that heart rate measures could identify individuals with a higher future risk of diabetes, according to an international team of researchers.

22 May 2015

Splicing pattern of obesity, type 2 diabetes genes may contribute to pathophysiology of obesity

Alternative splicing of obesity and type 2 diabetes related genes may contribute to the pathophysiology of obesity, according to research from the University of Eastern Finland. Obesity leads to changes in the splicing pattern of metabolically relevant genes such as TCF7L2 and INSR, resulting in impaired insulin action.

22 May 2015

UH pharmacy students receive awards for excellence in clinical skills, disease management

University of Houston pharmacy students wrapped up the spring semester with awards for excellence in professional service, clinical skills and disease management, earning kudos at the state level from the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

22 May 2015

Public Health News and Research

Study explores accuracy of body weight perception and obesity in Chinese Americans

Congress needs to act to incentivize development of genomic data systems

Findings cast dim light on public health campaigns that use fear approach to make people to eat better

Researchers use animal models to study how dysfunction of genes contributes to ASD risk

Actavis creates collaborative program to improve care for patients with multidrug-resistant infections

Individually rare CNVs may be negatively associated with educational attainment

Overweight and inflammation during adolescence may increase colorectal cancer risk later in life

Study points to new health service delivery models for homebound older adults

Emergency medicine faces special challenges with changeover in medical diagnosis codes

New investments may enable two Canadian organizations to improve life for people with hearing loss

Breastfeeding duration and intelligence: an interview with Dr Bernardo Lessa Horta

CORD calls upon governments, others to join forces to make Canada's Rare Disease Strategy a reality

New hope for patients suffering from most severe forms of anorexia nervosa

DIR and CDPH awarded NIOSH grant for workers' compensation research project

Phages in chicken meat can transfer antimicrobial resistance to bacteria

Bacterium can use cell-content sharing to repair damaged siblings

GHIT Fund expands investments in leishmaniasis, diagnostic tests

Heart rate measures could identify individuals with higher risk of diabetes

Splicing pattern of obesity, type 2 diabetes genes may contribute to pathophysiology of obesity

UH pharmacy students receive awards for excellence in clinical skills, disease management

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