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Study: 150 million adults suffer from sleep-related problems across developing world

Levels of sleep problems in the developing world are approaching those seen in developed nations, linked to an increase in problems like depression and anxiety.

1 Aug 2012

People with mental health problems have lower life expectancy

People with mental health problems have a lower life expectancy, according to a large-scale population based study published today in the British Medical Journal. The findings may prompt further research into the way doctors treat patients with even mild psychological problems.

1 Aug 2012

Researchers identify anxiety as important risk factor for long-term sick leave

Long-term sick leave is a burden for individuals and society at large, yet very little is known about the underlying reasons for it. Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, in collaboration with Australian and British institutes, have identified anxiety as a more important risk factor than previously thought.

31 Jul 2012

Study examines link between early-onset mental disorders and adult household income

Mental disorders that emerge in childhood and adolescence, including attention-deficit disorder, depression, anxiety and substance abuse, constitute significant challenges to cognitive, emotional, and social development.

31 Jul 2012

Obesity and heart disease risk in children: an interview with Joana Kist-van Holthe

'What defines obesity in children' is a very important question, primarily because we need to use one definition in order to be able to compare the prevalence of obesity in different countries. It is also important to have a single definition in order to evaluate whether interventions are successful or not.

31 Jul 2012

FDA partial ban of bisphenol A raises questions

The US Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of polycarbonate resins, including bisphenol A, in the manufacture of infant feeding bottles and spill-proof or “sippy” cups.

31 Jul 2012

Sleep problems linked to binge eating in women

Sleep problems are significantly associated with binge eating in women, study results show.

31 Jul 2012

JHSPH dean expresses disappointment with USDA's retraction of Meatless Monday endorsement

On Friday, Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH, dean of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to express his disappointment with USDA's recent retraction of Meatless Monday endorsement.

31 Jul 2012

Views on AIDS: More funding will be needed for new attack on HIV; The epidemic hits hard in the South

The international AIDS conference in Washington has already made two points clear. There is no prospect that scientists will any time soon find the ultimate solutions to the AIDS epidemic, namely a vaccine that would prevent infection with the AIDS virus or a "cure" for people already infected with the virus.

31 Jul 2012

Antioxidants and pancreatic cancer risk: an interview with Dr Andrew Hart

The antioxidants that we mainly looked at were selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E. They are chemicals which inactivate pro-oxidants or free radicals. Smoking and normal metabolism can lead to the production of free radicals.

30 Jul 2012

Lack of physical activity and life expectancy: an interview with Dr I-Min Lee

With the approach of the Olympic Games, a group of researchers throughout the world thought that it would be a good time to draw the attention of the world to the health dangers of being physically inactive.

30 Jul 2012

Physical activity teaching in UK medical schools virtually “non-existent”

UK medical school teaching on physical activity is “sparse or non-existent,” finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

30 Jul 2012

Results from HIV incidence study in Swaziland

The results from a nationally representative HIV incidence study in Swaziland indicate that the national rate of new HIV infections is 2.38% among adults ages 18-49. This figure, comparable to the 2009 UNAIDS estimate of 2.66% for Swaziland adults ages 15-49, suggests that the HIV epidemic in Swaziland may have begun to stabilize in the past few years.

30 Jul 2012

Childhood physical and sexual abuse may increase risk of early or late onset menarche

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found an association between childhood physical and sexual abuse and age at menarche.

28 Jul 2012

New drug can aid in losing weight and keeping it off

A new drug could aid in losing weight and keeping it off. The drug, described in the journal Cell Metabolism on July 26, increases sensitivity to the hormone leptin, a natural appetite suppressant found in the body. Although so far the new drug has only been tested on mice, the findings have implications for the development of new treatments for obesity in humans.

28 Jul 2012

Roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after 6-hour shift

Roofers and road construction workers who use hot asphalt are exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published this week in the British Medical Journal Open shows that roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after a shift than before and that these high levels of PAHs are linked with increased rates of DNA damage, and potentially with higher cancer risk.

28 Jul 2012

Roundup: Mass. lawmakers struggle to reach agreement on cost controls; $100M grant for Calif. stem cell research; N.C. to move mentally ill from elderly homes

The House and Senate are under the gun to reach an agreement on how to lower health care costs while improving care. A conference committee aims to have a bill out on Sunday. Their deadline is Monday evening. In the meantime, several major issues are still unresolved, including what to do about hospitals that use their market clout to demand high prices that are not based on higher quality. Attorney General Martha Coakley, the state's top insurers and several consumer groups argue that price is a critical issue.

28 Jul 2012

NICE steps up physical activity efforts

NICE has launched a public health briefing for local governments on how to promote physical activity, warning that staging the Olympics may not be enough to get people up off their sofas and taking exercise.

27 Jul 2012

Vitamin D link to lung function in smokers

Vitamin D levels seem to determine the rate of lung function decline among smokers, the results of an American study show.

27 Jul 2012

New platform for detecting substandard and counterfeit medicines using microfluidics

A new platform for detecting substandard and counterfeit medicines using microfluidics has been recognized with a grant from Saving Lives at Birth's "Grand Challenge through Development." Dubbed PharmaCheck, the technology is a portable, field-based tool for assessing the quality of medicines in developing countries with increased accuracy, sensitivity and reliability.

27 Jul 2012

Public Health News and Research

Study: 150 million adults suffer from sleep-related problems across developing world

People with mental health problems have lower life expectancy

Researchers identify anxiety as important risk factor for long-term sick leave

Study examines link between early-onset mental disorders and adult household income

Obesity and heart disease risk in children: an interview with Joana Kist-van Holthe

FDA partial ban of bisphenol A raises questions

Sleep problems linked to binge eating in women

JHSPH dean expresses disappointment with USDA's retraction of Meatless Monday endorsement

Views on AIDS: More funding will be needed for new attack on HIV; The epidemic hits hard in the South

Antioxidants and pancreatic cancer risk: an interview with Dr Andrew Hart

Lack of physical activity and life expectancy: an interview with Dr I-Min Lee

Physical activity teaching in UK medical schools virtually “non-existent”

Results from HIV incidence study in Swaziland

Childhood physical and sexual abuse may increase risk of early or late onset menarche

New drug can aid in losing weight and keeping it off

Roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after 6-hour shift

Roundup: Mass. lawmakers struggle to reach agreement on cost controls; $100M grant for Calif. stem cell research; N.C. to move mentally ill from elderly homes

NICE steps up physical activity efforts

Vitamin D link to lung function in smokers

New platform for detecting substandard and counterfeit medicines using microfluidics

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