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Circumcision prevents HIV transmission & cocktail of anti-HIV drugs prolong life

Reports came in last Wednesday that circumcision reduces transmission of HIV, in regions where transmission is high. To researchers, this procedure proves to be a cost-effective way to handle the pandemic. In South Africa, a study reported that men with circumcisions reduced new HIV infections by 76%.

24 Jul 2011

Cholera hits Haiti again

Cholera the bacterial disease that rapidly leads to diarrhea and dehydration and kills millions worldwide ravaged Haiti last fall and has spread quickly to all regions of the Caribbean country. With the rainy season now in progress, clinics across the country are again bustling with seriously ill patients.

24 Jul 2011

Blue-collar workers with arthritis in much worse health than all other workers

While more Americans are working past age 65 by choice, a growing segment of the population must continue to work well into their sixties out of financial necessity. Research conducted by the Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine looked at aging, social class and labor force participation rates to illustrate the challenges that lower income workers face in the global marketplace.

22 Jul 2011

Fluoride at recommended levels is both safe and effective for reducing decay and tooth loss

Tooth decay remains a health care problem that touches people of all ages. Many communities could benefit greatly and reduce tooth decay significantly by implementing nature's cavity fighter, fluoride.

22 Jul 2011

Research roundup: Restricting Medigap coverage; Hospital-acquired infections

Increases In Mortality, Length Of Stay, And Cost Associated With Hospital-Acquired Infections In Trauma Patients -- This study explores the clinical and economic burden of hospital-acquired infections, the most common complication in hospitalized patients, for trauma patients.

22 Jul 2011

SAMHSA report provides insight on scope and nature of behavioral health issues affecting states

A new report providing state-by-state analyses of a wide range of behavioral health issues reveals that despite some wide variations among the states in the types and levels of problems they confront -- every state must deal with these issues.

22 Jul 2011

Effects of refusal and delay in childhood vaccination

Alison M. Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, assistant professor at Penn Nursing answers parents' questions about childhood vaccines. Dr. Buttenheim is a public health researcher and social demographer who studies parent behavior and child health.

22 Jul 2011

Combination of strategies reduces more than half the number of tiger mosquitos

The combination of three complementary measures to eradicate tiger mosquitos - avoid having stagnant water, using insecticides to eliminate larvae and adults, and removing rubbish - reduces more than half the number of tiger mosquitos, according to a research coordinated by researchers at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.

22 Jul 2011

22nd Century receives FDA approval for X-22 IND to conduct Phase II-B smoking cessation trial

22nd Century Group, Inc., a company focused on smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction products, today announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application to conduct a Phase II-B clinical trial using X-22, a prescription smoking cessation aid in development.

22 Jul 2011

ICF receives HHS re-compete contract to leverage IT and health domain knowledge

ICF International, a leading provider of consulting services and technology solutions to government and commercial clients, has been awarded a re-compete contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Surgeon General, Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps.

22 Jul 2011

Social safety net programs also reduce childhood obesity

Social safety net programs that reduce psychosocial stressors for low-income families also ultimately lead to a reduction in childhood obesity, according to research by a University of Illinois economist who studies the efficacy of food assistance programs on public health.

22 Jul 2011

GLB teens more likely to live away from their families

Roughly 1 in 4 lesbian or gay teens and 15 percent of bisexual teens are homeless, versus 3 percent of exclusively heterosexual teens, finds a Children's Hospital Boston study of more than 6,300 Massachusetts public high school students.

22 Jul 2011

Roundup: Ore. cuts insurer's rate increase; Ga.'s effort to curb TB struggles; psychiatric care hard to get in Boston

The Oregon Insurance Division will allow the state's largest health insurer to raise rates on individual premiums an average 12.8 percent, far lower than the 22.1 percent the company had requested.

22 Jul 2011

NIDA awards $3.5M to BUSM/BMC for 'Linking Infectious and Narcology Care' project

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) were recently awarded a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), to improve upon the "seek, test, treat, and retain" paradigm in Eastern Europe among HIV-infected Russian and Eastern European injection drug users (IDUs) in narcology care.

22 Jul 2011

Optimism could protect you from stroke: Study

The latest research from the University of Michigan shows that optimism reduces the risk of stroke. In a study of 6,044 adults over 50 with no history of stroke, optimism was associated with significantly reduced risk of stroke, even when controlling for stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart disease and body mass index.

21 Jul 2011

Reducing variety in food choices may help lose weight

Variety is considered the "spice of life," but does today's unprecedented level of dietary variety help explain skyrocketing rates of obesity? Some researchers think it might.

21 Jul 2011

Alexion second quarter net product sales of Soliris increase to $185.7 million

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported net product sales of Soliris of $185.7 million in Q2, reflecting steady addition of new patients, compared to $125.8 million for the same period in 2010.

21 Jul 2011

Women in embattled regions have limited access and means to use contraceptives

Violent conflict disrupts all aspects of society, including the delivery of the most basic reproductive health services: prenatal and maternal care, family planning, prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, abortions and emergency caesarian care.

21 Jul 2011

Diabetes trends in Alberta

The Alberta Diabetes Surveillance System was created in 2006 in partnership between Alberta Health and Wellness and the Institute of Health Economics. Led by Jeff Johnson in the University of Alberta's School of Public Health, the group has been identifying trends in diabetes, its associated health conditions and monitoring trends in accessing health-care services and has published a comprehensive report called a Diabetes Atlas every two years.

21 Jul 2011

Majority of people in the U.S., Europe express desire to seek early diagnosis of AD

Results of an international survey reveal that over 85% of respondents in the five countries surveyed say that if they were exhibiting confusion and memory loss, they would want to see a doctor to determine if the cause of the symptoms was Alzheimer's disease. Over 94% would want the same if a family member were exhibiting the symptoms.

21 Jul 2011