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Prolonged exposure to low levels of air pollution boosts lung cancer risk

Prolonged exposure to particulate air pollution increases the risk of lung cancer (particularly adenocarcinoma) even at levels below the European Union limit values, according to one of the largest studies of its kind published in The Lancet Oncology.

11 Jul 2013

Study identifies new groups of people at risk of parasitic lung infection

A study conducted by Dr. James Diaz, Professor of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Program Director of the Environmental/Occupational Health Sciences Program at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, analyzed cases of a parasitic lung infection and found new modes of transmission and associated behaviors, identifying new groups of people at risk.

11 Jul 2013

Healthful eating habits, physically active lifestyle prevent obesity and chronic diseases

Preventing obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers is possible through healthful eating habits and a physically active lifestyle, according to a newly updated position paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Because diseases can take many years - sometimes decades - to develop, the best prevention is early prevention.

11 Jul 2013

Smoking and heavier alcohol consumption speed up cognitive decline

The combination of smoking and heavy drinking speeds up cognitive decline, according to new research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

11 Jul 2013

Americans live longer, but may be more prone to disability that hinders independence

New studies this week suggest that more Americans will suffer a disability that threatens their independence near the end of their lives.

10 Jul 2013

H7 influenza may spillover repeatedly into humans, say scientists

The H7N9 avian flu strain that emerged in China earlier this year has subsided for now, but it would be a mistake to be reassured by this apparent lull in infections. The virus has several highly unusual traits that paint a disquieting picture of a pathogen that may yet lead to a pandemic, according to lead scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

10 Jul 2013

New national survey raises question over long-term success of health information exchange

While record numbers of hospitals and doctors participate in electronic health information exchange efforts, which enable medical histories to follow patients as they move between healthcare providers, the long-term success of these programs is in question.

10 Jul 2013

Children born after assisted reproduction at no greater risk for cancer, study finds

Children born as a result of assisted reproduction are at no greater risk of cancer than children born spontaneously in the general population, according to results of one of the largest ever cohort studies of ART children.

10 Jul 2013

Study examines whether better sleep lowers risk of heart disease

The University of South Florida College of Nursing is conducting research to improve sleep in those caring for people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, with the aim of determining if better sleep affects heart health.

10 Jul 2013

Weight loss interventions deliver via conference calls by primary care provider staff are effective

Weight loss interventions delivered via conference calls by primary care provider staff are effective. An intensive lifestyle intervention, proven to help people lose weight to prevent diabetes, also works in primary care when delivered over the telephone to obese patients with metabolic syndrome. Group telephone sessions appear to be particularly effective for greater weight loss, according to a new study by Drs. Paula Trief and Ruth Weinstock from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and colleagues.

10 Jul 2013

Lifestyle modification programs may reduce risk of heart attack in people with coronary heart disease

Lifestyle modification programs that addressed at least two health behaviors lowered the risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke in people with coronary heart disease, finds a new systematic review in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

10 Jul 2013

Researchers show cerebrovascular disease affecting blood circulation in brain associated with dementia

Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that, across a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular disease affecting circulation of blood in the brain was significantly associated with dementia.

10 Jul 2013

Age-old practice of annual screening exams for cervical cancer may be harmful than helpful

For decades, women between the ages of 21 and 69 were advised to get annual screening exams for cervical cancer. In 2009, however, accumulating scientific evidence led major guideline groups to agree on a new recommendation that women be screened less frequently: every three years rather than annually.

10 Jul 2013

Low vitamin D blood levels associated with greater risk of heart disease varies by race, ethnicity

Low vitamin D blood levels are linked to greater risk of heart disease in whites and Chinese, but not in blacks and Hispanics, according to a study appearing this week in JAMA, a journal published by the American Medical Association.

10 Jul 2013

Solid food for infants before 4 months may have greater risk of Type 1 diabetes

Infants who get their first solid food before 4 months of age and after 6 months may have a higher risk of developing Type 1 diabetes, University of Colorado researchers have found.

10 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 9, 2013

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a look at HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' challenges and a delay in implementing insurance penalties on smokers.

9 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Health care's hidden consensus; Examining the fee-for-service payment system; Alternative medicine's allure

The politicians' consensus is that health care reform shouldn't alter or disrupt the way the majority of Americans get their insurance today. ... The policy consensus, though, is that the status quo is actually the problem, and that it deserves to be threatened, undermined and replaced as expeditiously as possible. Wonks of the left and right disagree on what that replacement should look like. But they're united in regarding employer-provided coverage as an unsustainable relic (Ross Douthat, 7/6).

9 Jul 2013

Codex Alimentarius Commission approves new standards to protect consumers' health

The UN food standards body Codex Alimentarius has agreed on new standards to protect the health of consumers worldwide. These include standards on fruit, vegetables, fish and fishery products and animal feed.

9 Jul 2013

A few clinics are focused on helping pregnant women with prescription drug addictions

The Wall Street Journal examines the growing number of women addicted to pain killers and efforts to help them through pregnancies.

9 Jul 2013

Hospital discharge data provides a population-level picture of patient safety events in Pennsylvania

If all medical errors were counted together as a single cause, they would likely rank as the third leading cause of death in the United States. As health care personnel race to improve the quality of their care to save lives and prevent unneeded harm, a new study indicates there is more they can do to learn about what errors are occurring and why.

9 Jul 2013

Public Health News and Research

Prolonged exposure to low levels of air pollution boosts lung cancer risk

Study identifies new groups of people at risk of parasitic lung infection

Healthful eating habits, physically active lifestyle prevent obesity and chronic diseases

Smoking and heavier alcohol consumption speed up cognitive decline

Americans live longer, but may be more prone to disability that hinders independence

H7 influenza may spillover repeatedly into humans, say scientists

New national survey raises question over long-term success of health information exchange

Children born after assisted reproduction at no greater risk for cancer, study finds

Study examines whether better sleep lowers risk of heart disease

Weight loss interventions deliver via conference calls by primary care provider staff are effective

Lifestyle modification programs may reduce risk of heart attack in people with coronary heart disease

Researchers show cerebrovascular disease affecting blood circulation in brain associated with dementia

Age-old practice of annual screening exams for cervical cancer may be harmful than helpful

Low vitamin D blood levels associated with greater risk of heart disease varies by race, ethnicity

Solid food for infants before 4 months may have greater risk of Type 1 diabetes

First Edition: July 9, 2013

Viewpoints: Health care's hidden consensus; Examining the fee-for-service payment system; Alternative medicine's allure

Codex Alimentarius Commission approves new standards to protect consumers' health

A few clinics are focused on helping pregnant women with prescription drug addictions

Hospital discharge data provides a population-level picture of patient safety events in Pennsylvania

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