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Unit pricing of alcohol on the agenda in the UK

The cost of alcohol must be increased to stem the thousands of drink-related diseases diagnosed each year, a group of medical experts said on Wednesday. Debate is on the rationality of unit pricing of alcohol across Britain.

15 Dec 2011

Debate on freedom of speech regarding vaccines at Woodford Folk Festival

The Woodford Folk Festival is one of Australia's largest and most popular festivals with approximately 130,000 people attending over six days and six nights. On this year's speakers list is anti-vaccine lobbyist Meryl Dorey, spokesperson for the Northern NSW-based Australian Vaccination Network (AVN).

15 Dec 2011

Researchers develop mouse model to investigate fenugreek allergy

A mouse model to investigate allergy to fenugreek has been developed by Norwegian researchers. The model can also be used to study cross-reactivity to peanut, soy and lupin, major food allergens with public health relevance.

15 Dec 2011

Alcohol intake linked to unsafe sex

It is known that unprotected sexual intercourse is the most common cause of HIV infection and finding ways to prevent unsafe sex is a major goal of public health efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS. It has not been clear whether unsafe sex associated with alcohol use actually led to HIV infection, or whether certain personality traits, such as sensation-seeking or risky behavior, led to both alcohol use and unsafe sex.

14 Dec 2011

House vote scheduled on payroll tax reduction package

The bill, which also would extend a number of other expiring measures and includes "must-pass" provisions such as the Medicare "doc fix," has drawn opposition. Hospitals groups have blasted it because it includes billions of dollars in cuts to hospital payments.

14 Dec 2011

Mothers of very low birth-weight infants suffer worse health

Babies born at very low birth weights struggle in their early years and a new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers suggests that their mothers do, too.

14 Dec 2011

TJU receives SAMHSA grant for suicide prevention project

Through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that was given to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University was awarded a subcontract, averaging about $70,000 per year for three years, to serve as the training center for a suicide prevention project. Pennsylvania is one of 42 states to receive a portion of grant awards funded under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.

14 Dec 2011

ASM launches clinical microbiology web portal

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) has launched a clinical microbiology web portal, that focuses all of ASM's clinical and external relevant content into one user-friendly site.

14 Dec 2011

ACS revises guideline formation process for cancer screening

The American Cancer Society has revised its guideline formation process to achieve greater transparency, consistency, and rigor in creating guidance about cancer screening.

14 Dec 2011

Nighttime satellite images could provide clues to disease outbreaks, researchers suggest

"The intensity of light shining from cities at night could help identify hot spots where outbreaks of infectious disease are likely to take place," PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" reports.

14 Dec 2011

Link between maternal pre-pregnant BMI, weight change in pregnancy and offspring birthweight

A new study published in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) reveals that both pre-pregnant weight (body mass index, BMI) and weight gain in pregnancy are important predictors of babies' birthweight. This is important since high birthweight may also predict adult overweight.

14 Dec 2011

Study reveals key role of melatonin receptor in sleep regulation

A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University has made a major breakthrough by unraveling the inner workings of melatonin, also known as the "sleep hormone."

14 Dec 2011

Individuals with mood and anxiety disorders may be more likely to abuse opioids

Individuals suffering from mood and anxiety disorders such as bipolar, panic disorder and major depressive disorder may be more likely to abuse opioids, according to a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. They found that mood and anxiety disorders are highly associated with non-medical prescription opioid use.

14 Dec 2011

Statins linked with reduced risk of death among hospitalized flu patients

The two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunization and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza.

14 Dec 2011

Economic impact of PTSD in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has the world's highest recorded rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), ahead of war-hit regions such as Israel and Lebanon, at a yearly cost to the public purse of around £175 million, according to a major report by University of Ulster psychologists and Omagh-based trauma treatment experts.

14 Dec 2011

Study: Ex-smokers are more satisfied with their lives and feel healthier

Life without cigarettes is not all doom and gloom. In fact, successful quitters are more satisfied with their lives and feel healthier, both one year and three years afterwards, than those who continue to smoke. That's according to new research by Dr. Megan Piper, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in the US, and her team.

14 Dec 2011

Scientists identify A2bAR as possible new therapeutic target against atherosclerosis

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified for the first time the A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR) as a possible new therapeutic target against atherosclerosis resulting from a diet high in fat and cholesterol.

13 Dec 2011

Reuters examines maternal mortality in Afghanistan

"An Afghan woman can expect to have an average 5.1 babies in her lifetime, the highest fertility rate in Asia," Reuters writes in the first of two articles examining childbirth and maternal mortality in Afghanistan. The news service adds that "giving birth a common, and frequent experience -- but mothers say it is too often also hard, lonely and frightening."

13 Dec 2011

Only with universal access will power of vaccines be fully harnessed

In this entry in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog, Orin Levine of the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) recounts recent progress in expanding vaccine access to the world's poor and highlights current and recent vaccine access projects led by the GAVI Alliance and IVAC.

13 Dec 2011

Book on hot health topics

The intersection of health care, politics and policy is a controversial one. A new book of lively essays takes on all of today's hot health topics: alternative medicine, swine flu, health care reform, screening mammograms, taxes to decrease soda consumption, gun control and many more.

13 Dec 2011