Public Health News and Research

RSS

Alternatives needed to inaccurate blood tests used to diagnose active TB

A guest post in PLoS Medicine's "Speaking of Medicine" blog, written by tuberculosis (TB) researchers Madhukar Pai of McGill University, David Dowdy of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Karen Steingart of the University of Washington School of Public Health, examines the medical, public health and economic consequences of the widespread use of inaccurate antibody-based serological diagnostic tests for active TB.

12 Aug 2011

DYCAST software predicts spread of mosquito-borne West Nile virus in California counties

A computerized epidemiological model of the spread of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus in 17 counties of California in 2005 successfully predicted where 81.6 percent of human cases of the disease would arise and defined high-risk areas where the risk of infection turned out to be 39 times higher than in low-risk areas, according to newly published research.

12 Aug 2011

Pregnant women lack enough vitamin D despite use of prenatal supplements

Pregnant women taking prenatal supplements may not be getting enough vitamin D, shows a new Vancouver-based study led by the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children's Hospital that was published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

12 Aug 2011

C. difficile infection more prevalent in Chicago-area acute care hospitals

An outbreak strain of Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes diarrhea and sometimes life-threatening inflammation of the colon, is common in Chicago-area acute care hospitals, an investigation published in the September issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology suggests.

12 Aug 2011

Study links low vitamin D with early menstruation in young girls

A study links low vitamin D in young girls with early menstruation, which is a risk factor for a host of health problems for teen girls as well as women later in life.

12 Aug 2011

Elderly individuals with higher BMI have shorter life expectancy

While some past studies have shown that persons carrying a few extra pounds in their 70s live longer than their thinner counterparts, a new study that measured subjects' weight at multiple points over a longer period of time reveals the opposite.

12 Aug 2011

Women with depression at higher risk of stroke

A new study published this week shows that depression puts middle-aged and older women at significant risk of suffering potentially debilitating strokes.

12 Aug 2011

Study finds clear link between clinic accessibility and emergency room visits

David Jones, a graduate student in the University of Alberta's School of Public Health, along with Linda Carroll, professor in the School of Public Health, and Leonard Frank, executive director of the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network, recently completed a study that examined whether or not there was a clear association between the number of visits to the emergency department and the availability of an after-hours care clinic in Leduc, Alberta.

11 Aug 2011

Twitter, Facebook emerging as disease-fighting tools

From Iowa to Brazil, researchers are discovering there is a distinct association between complaints, worries and random rants on the social media site and the spread of medical issues as wide-ranging as the flu, dengue fever and pollen-induced allergies.

11 Aug 2011

Members of U.S. delegation to Horn of Africa discuss response efforts

The August 8 visit of a U.S. delegation to the drought-stricken Horn of Africa "was important in terms of shedding light on the important efforts that are under way and the importance of continued support from the international community," Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Eric Schwartz said on Tuesday during a briefing on the trip, IIP Digital reports.

11 Aug 2011

Commercial blood serum antibody tests cost-effective, not accurate for active TB

Commercial blood serum antibody tests—widely used in India and other developing countries to diagnose active tuberculosis—are not accurate or cost-effective, according to an analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Washington School of Public Health and McGill University.

11 Aug 2011

Red meat consumption may increase risk of type 2 diabetes

A new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers finds a strong association between the consumption of red meat-particularly when the meat is processed-and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

11 Aug 2011

Red and processed meat ‘ups’ risk for type 2 diabetes

A new study conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health says that a diet heavy on red meat and processed foods can significantly increase a person’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes. The study results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

11 Aug 2011

Aeras, OETC announce initiation of new TB vaccine Phase IIb trial in patients with HIV

Aeras and the Oxford-Emergent Tuberculosis Consortium (OETC) announce today the start of a Phase IIb proof-of-concept efficacy trial of a new investigational tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that involves people living with the human immunodeficiency virus.

11 Aug 2011

Roundup: Report finds Calif. fails to discipline 710 doctors; GOP takes 4 of 6 races in Wis.; obesity and poverty in Miss.

California's medical board failed to discipline 710 troubled doctors even as they were disciplined by hospitals, surgical centers and other health care organizations in the state, according to a report released Tuesday.

11 Aug 2011

PCOS Challenge television series win national award for 'Best Informational Feature'

PCOS Challenge television series addressing Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome win national award for "Best Informational Feature." PCOS Challenge was named the professional category winner for programming from over 3,000 education, government and public stations across the country by the Alliance for Community Media.

10 Aug 2011

New policy research examines financial impact of North Carolina's community health centers

A new policy research brief released today by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services examines the financial impact of community health centers in North Carolina, a state known for its primary care innovation.

10 Aug 2011

Study finds demand continues for safety-net care in Massachusetts

Even though the state reduced the number of uninsured residents in its health care overhaul, many people still get treatments at community health centers and safety-net hospitals.

10 Aug 2011

Hutchinson Center to conduct free online smoking-cessation study

Adult smokers nationwide who want to kick the habit have until Aug. 31 to see if they are eligible to enroll in WebQuit, a free, online smoking-cessation study being conducted by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

10 Aug 2011

UofL professor to teach and conduct research for Italian students in Fulbright Program

Learning more about how to save researchers money through decision analysis is an important area of study for Steven McCabe, MD, assistant professor, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. He will have the chance to exchange knowledge about decision analysis with colleagues in Italy as a Fulbright Scholar.

10 Aug 2011

Public Health News and Research

Alternatives needed to inaccurate blood tests used to diagnose active TB

DYCAST software predicts spread of mosquito-borne West Nile virus in California counties

Pregnant women lack enough vitamin D despite use of prenatal supplements

C. difficile infection more prevalent in Chicago-area acute care hospitals

Study links low vitamin D with early menstruation in young girls

Elderly individuals with higher BMI have shorter life expectancy

Women with depression at higher risk of stroke

Study finds clear link between clinic accessibility and emergency room visits

Twitter, Facebook emerging as disease-fighting tools

Members of U.S. delegation to Horn of Africa discuss response efforts

Commercial blood serum antibody tests cost-effective, not accurate for active TB

Red meat consumption may increase risk of type 2 diabetes

Red and processed meat ‘ups’ risk for type 2 diabetes

Aeras, OETC announce initiation of new TB vaccine Phase IIb trial in patients with HIV

Roundup: Report finds Calif. fails to discipline 710 doctors; GOP takes 4 of 6 races in Wis.; obesity and poverty in Miss.

PCOS Challenge television series win national award for 'Best Informational Feature'

New policy research examines financial impact of North Carolina's community health centers

Study finds demand continues for safety-net care in Massachusetts

Hutchinson Center to conduct free online smoking-cessation study

UofL professor to teach and conduct research for Italian students in Fulbright Program

News Medical 2025: Healthcare Shifts That Mattered Most eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

Latest News