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Medical professionals challenged to be better role models for their patients

In an era of soft drink bans and restrictions on junk food ads, students at the Johns Hopkins University schools of medicine and nursing are recommending a different approach to aid the more than 170 million Americans who are overweight or obese. By publicly committing to basic tenets of healthy living — regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and managing stress — future nurses and physicians are challenging peers and practicing medical professionals to model healthy behaviors for their patients.

7 Jun 2012

CDI introduces MyCell Services

Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI), the world's largest commercial producer of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines and tissue cells, today announced the launch of its MyCell Services.

7 Jun 2012

Dengue fever vaccine 'may be in sight,' Reuters reports

Reuters reports on efforts to develop a vaccine for dengue fever, writing that "victory over ... the intensely painful 'breakbone fever' ... may be in sight." Paris-based firm Sanofi "hopes for positive results in September from a key trial among children in Thailand that would set it on course to market a shot in 2015, which would prevent an estimated 100 million cases of dengue infection each year," the news service writes.

7 Jun 2012

Community-based intervention effectively reduces intake of sugared drinks in Appalachian teens

By participating in a peer- and community-driven education program, a new study offers evidence supporting community-based intervention as a successful vehicle to encourage high school students in Appalachia to reduce their intake of sugared drinks.

7 Jun 2012

WHO calls for greater vigilance on correct use of antibiotics against gonorrhoea

Millions of people with gonorrhoea may be at risk of running out of treatment options unless urgent action is taken, according to WHO. Already several countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are reporting cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics - the last treatment option against gonorrhoea. Every year an estimated 106 million people are infected with gonorrhea, which is transmitted sexually.

7 Jun 2012

My Air, My Health Challenge to spur collaboration between health researchers and technologists

A competition to create a personal sensor system that measures air pollution and a person's physiological response to it will offer cash awards to finalists, federal officials announced today. The goal is to help researchers, communities, and physicians better understand the connection between air quality and health.

7 Jun 2012

Hand-wringing continues regarding the Supreme Court's much-awaited health law decision

Elected officials, policy-makers and advocates discuss the possible twists and turns that could result from a high court ruling. News outlets also report on how the decision could impact a variety of health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and disease prevention efforts.

7 Jun 2012

New strategy can effectively control malaria in Africa

Giving young children medicine once a month during the rainy season to protect them against malaria could prevent tens of thousands of deaths each year in some areas of Africa, according to new research.

7 Jun 2012

Study on link between fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking cessation

If you're trying to quit smoking, eating more fruits and vegetables may help you quit and stay tobacco-free for longer, according to a new study published online by University at Buffalo public health researchers.

7 Jun 2012

Roundup: Calif. cigarette tax hike too close to call; Mass. insurance mandate not as contentious; Sept. 11 health fund cancer coverage ruling delayed

Tobacco companies poured nearly $47 million into defeating Proposition 29, a $1-a-pack tax hike on cigarettes, but the measure was narrowly leading in early returns Tuesday despite the hard-fought campaign. The tax increase would raise $810 million a year for cancer research and smoking cessation programs, and it would give California -- which currently has a lower tobacco tax than 32 other states -- the 16th-highest cigarette tax in the nation. … The vote would be a huge win for the public health groups that sponsored the measure, including the American Cancer Society.

6 Jun 2012

New technique accurately determines infants at risk for malaria

A new technique that accurately determines the risk of infants in endemic countries developing clinical malaria could provide a valuable tool for evaluating new malaria prevention strategies and vaccines.

6 Jun 2012

Now is the time for new global health framework, experts say

In this opinion piece in Stanford University's "Policy Review," Mark Dybul, a distinguished scholar and the inaugural global health fellow at the George W. Bush Institute; Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and Julio Frenk, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, discuss the need for "a structural and philosophical shift" in the global health field, writing, "As we approach the post-[Millennium Development Goal] era, now is the time for a new framework to establish an accelerated trajectory to achieve a healthy world."

6 Jun 2012

Iron and micronutrient-enriched foodstuffs can fight against anaemia

Iron deficiency and the anaemia it can cause are a major public health problem, affecting 2 billion people worldwide: mostly young children and pregnant women in developing countries. Despite decades of research into prevention and treatment, the situation is not improving, and is even deteriorating in some countries. Africa and India have the highest levels of anaemia, with more than 50% of women affected. In India, the illness is thought to cause up to 40% of maternal deaths.

6 Jun 2012

Growing obesity in developing countries a sign of historic global tipping point

In this Bloomberg Businessweek opinion piece, Charles Kenny, a fellow at the Center for Global Development and the New America Foundation, examines the global obesity epidemic, writing, "It may seem strange to be worried about too much food when the United Nations suggests that, as the planet's population continues to expand, about one billion people may still be undernourished," but "growing obesity in poorer countries is a sign of a historic global tipping point."

6 Jun 2012

Half of New Yorkers say soda ban proposal goes too far, but legal challenges could be hard to win

Half of New Yorkers say the proposal by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to limit the size of sugary drinks goes too far, but analysts say legal challenges to the limits might not be able to stop the policy.

6 Jun 2012

Research examines why we consume so much water

Our bodies need about two litres of fluids per day, not two litres of water specifically. In an Editorial in the June issue of Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Spero Tsindos from La Trobe University, examined why we consume so much water.

6 Jun 2012

High pollution increases risk of repeated heart attacks by over 40%

Air pollution, a serious danger to the environment, is also a major health risk, associated with respiratory infections, lung cancer and heart disease. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher has concluded that not only does air pollution impact cardiac events such as heart attack and stroke, but it also causes repeated episodes over the long term.

6 Jun 2012

Dental profession needs to build a stronger connection between oral and general health

The dental profession needs to build a stronger connection between oral health and general health—not only for individual patients, but also at the community level, according to the special June issue of The Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice (JEBDP), the foremost publication of information about evidence-based dental practice, published by Elsevier.

5 Jun 2012

Joint UNAIDS/UNDP briefing highlights potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health

"A new UNAIDS/UNDP joint issues brief highlights the potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health," UNAIDS reports in a feature story on its website. "The brief concludes that 'to retain the benefits of [flexibilities in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)], countries at a minimum should avoid entering into free trade agreements that contain obligations that can impact on pharmaceutical price or availability,'" the article states.

5 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 4, 2012

Today's headlines include the latest news on implementation of the health law, on the pending Capitol Hill effort to repeal the medical device tax and reports from the states.

4 Jun 2012

Public Health News and Research

Medical professionals challenged to be better role models for their patients

CDI introduces MyCell Services

Dengue fever vaccine 'may be in sight,' Reuters reports

Community-based intervention effectively reduces intake of sugared drinks in Appalachian teens

WHO calls for greater vigilance on correct use of antibiotics against gonorrhoea

My Air, My Health Challenge to spur collaboration between health researchers and technologists

Hand-wringing continues regarding the Supreme Court's much-awaited health law decision

New strategy can effectively control malaria in Africa

Study on link between fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking cessation

Roundup: Calif. cigarette tax hike too close to call; Mass. insurance mandate not as contentious; Sept. 11 health fund cancer coverage ruling delayed

New technique accurately determines infants at risk for malaria

Now is the time for new global health framework, experts say

Iron and micronutrient-enriched foodstuffs can fight against anaemia

Growing obesity in developing countries a sign of historic global tipping point

Half of New Yorkers say soda ban proposal goes too far, but legal challenges could be hard to win

Research examines why we consume so much water

High pollution increases risk of repeated heart attacks by over 40%

Dental profession needs to build a stronger connection between oral and general health

Joint UNAIDS/UNDP briefing highlights potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health

First Edition: June 4, 2012

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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