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Study examines relationship between conflict, rise in NTDs in Middle East, North Africa

A study published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Disease on Tuesday examines the relationship between political conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and "the spread or re-emergence of a variety of tropical diseases -- some previously eliminated or controlled -- affecting an estimated 65 million people" in the region, VOA News reports.

3 Mar 2012

Roundup: Iowa lawmaker urges waiting on exchange bill until court rules; Calif. group finds way to recycle medicine

Democrats and Republicans disagree about whether the Legislature needs to approve a health insurance exchange this spring. At a Statehouse forum on the issue Thursday, state Sen. Brad Zaun noted that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this summer on whether major portions of the health reform law are constitutional. Zaun, an Urbandale Republican who opposes the overall law, said it makes sense to wait until after that decision before deciding whether to move ahead with the exchange.

3 Mar 2012

New method can determine possible location to park EMS vehicles

In an emergency, minutes matter. With this knowledge, University of Georgia researchers developed a new method for determining where emergency vehicle stations should be located. The results of their work could improve ambulance response time for the 200 million Americans who dial 911 each year, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

3 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: The defeated Blunt Amendment, Obama's $100B Catholic hospital risk, fixing drug shortages

The amendment, which was attached to a highway bill, was defeated on a narrow 48-to-51 vote. But it showed once again how far from the mainstream Republicans have strayed in their relentless efforts to undermine the separation of church and state, deny women access to essential health services and tear apart President Obama's health care reform law.

3 Mar 2012

Trans fats raises stroke risk in women – aspirin lowers risk

A new study finds that older women who take in substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke. However, the risk of stroke associated with trans fat intake was lower among women taking aspirin, according to the findings from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers. The report, “Trans Fat Intake, Aspirin and Ischemic Stroke Among Postmenopausal Women,” was published today online in the journal Annals of Neurology.

2 Mar 2012

Safe sex apps anyone?

As part of National Condom Week (Feb. 14 - Feb. 21), Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest distributed 55,000 condoms throughout western Washington. The condom packaging contained QR codes, barcodes that can be scanned by smart phones which direct users to a mobile website. The website is www.WhereDidYouWearIt.com, a geo-location service website that allows users to “check-in” their safe sex activity. The site is intended to promote healthy sexuality and encourage social media users, to “be proud to wear protection,” Planned Parenthood said in a written statement. “Wheredidyouwearit.com is like Foursquare for people who don’t want a sexually transmitted infection,” PPGNW said on its website.

2 Mar 2012

Sedentary women more prone to developing type 2 diabetes

A new study has found that women who stay seated for long periods of time every day are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes, but that a similar link wasn't found in men.

2 Mar 2012

AHRQ grants U-M $2.5M to study long-term health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of newborn screening

University of Michigan researchers will use a $2.5 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to study long-term health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of newborn screening.

2 Mar 2012

Conference on follow-on versions of complex drugs

On March 9, the New York Academy of Sciences will present "Scientific Considerations for Complex Drugs in Light of Established Regulatory Guidance." This full-day conference will explore current definitions, global scientific and regulatory hurdles, and future challenges for follow-on versions of complex drugs.

2 Mar 2012

March issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The March issue of the WHO Bulletin features an editorial on global shortages of medicines; a public health round-up; an article on breast cancer awareness; a research paper on interventions for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa; and a paper on the global burden of cholera.

2 Mar 2012

Poor neighborhoods linked with worse chronic pain for young adults

Living in a poor neighborhood was linked with worse chronic pain for young adults, according to a study by the University of Michigan Health System, but young black patients faced difficulties with pain management no matter where they lived.

2 Mar 2012

Study offers hope for novel approach to prevent AD

As scientists struggle to find an effective way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison may have found a new approach to interrupting the process that leads to the devastating disease.

2 Mar 2012

Judge overrules proposed graphic cigarette labels

A Washington judge overruled the federal mandate requiring tobacco companies to place graphic images on their products warning of the dangers of smoking. The judge said the requirements were a violation of free speech.

1 Mar 2012

Gaining culturally appropriate knowledge can help provide more effective healthcare

Mary E. Jones, MD, MPH, is the child advocacy program director and an essential part of the Loyola University Health System pediatric team. In addition to her extensive knowledge in the medical care of children, her expertise in understanding the signs of child maltreatment help Loyola provide complete care to some of the most at-risk patients.

1 Mar 2012

SIR to showcase latest minimally invasive treatments at 37th annual meeting

Health, science and medical reporters are invited to register now for the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting March 24 at Moscone Center (North), San Francisco, Calif. The meeting's theme, "IR Evidence," was chosen to focus on the results of care-changing investigations that showcase research into minimally invasive treatments that provide treatment options, advance patient care and improve quality of life.

1 Mar 2012

Va. lawmakers approve scaled-back abortion ultrasound bill

Lawmakers in Virginia have passed a scaled-back version of a contentious ultrasound proposal that would force women to get a "non-invasive" ultrasound before having an abortion.

1 Mar 2012

Drawing lessons from emerging economies on increasing access to medicines for NTDs

"At present, the prevailing strategy for improving access to medicines for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is drug donation programs, which, despite providing some of the highest economic returns of public health programs ... have uncertain sustainability," Francesca Holt of St. John's College at the University of Cambridge and colleagues write in this PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases opinion piece.

1 Mar 2012

Ugandan official expresses concern over rise in TB, emergence of drug-resistant strains

In an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday, Francis Adatu, head of the national leprosy and tuberculosis (TB) program in Uganda, warned that TB "remains a major public health problem" and that multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) has emerged in the country, the news service writes.

1 Mar 2012

Aspirin may reduce risk of trans fat-related stroke in older women

Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows.

1 Mar 2012

Researchers discover mechanism by which lead alters nerve cells in the brain

Exposure to lead wreaks havoc in the brain, with consequences that include lower IQ and reduced potential for learning. But the precise mechanism by which lead alters nerve cells in the brain has largely remained unknown.

1 Mar 2012

Public Health News and Research

Study examines relationship between conflict, rise in NTDs in Middle East, North Africa

Roundup: Iowa lawmaker urges waiting on exchange bill until court rules; Calif. group finds way to recycle medicine

New method can determine possible location to park EMS vehicles

Viewpoints: The defeated Blunt Amendment, Obama's $100B Catholic hospital risk, fixing drug shortages

Trans fats raises stroke risk in women – aspirin lowers risk

Safe sex apps anyone?

Sedentary women more prone to developing type 2 diabetes

AHRQ grants U-M $2.5M to study long-term health outcomes and cost-effectiveness of newborn screening

Conference on follow-on versions of complex drugs

March issue of WHO Bulletin available online

Poor neighborhoods linked with worse chronic pain for young adults

Study offers hope for novel approach to prevent AD

Judge overrules proposed graphic cigarette labels

Gaining culturally appropriate knowledge can help provide more effective healthcare

SIR to showcase latest minimally invasive treatments at 37th annual meeting

Va. lawmakers approve scaled-back abortion ultrasound bill

Drawing lessons from emerging economies on increasing access to medicines for NTDs

Ugandan official expresses concern over rise in TB, emergence of drug-resistant strains

Aspirin may reduce risk of trans fat-related stroke in older women

Researchers discover mechanism by which lead alters nerve cells in the brain

News Medical 2025: Healthcare Shifts That Mattered Most eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

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