Public Health News and Research

RSS

Strategies to prevent HACs, reduce cost of care, improve patient experience discussed at QUEST National Meeting

As healthcare providers prepare for the implications of reform, the more than 200 hospitals participating in the QUEST: High Performing Hospitals collaborative are already achieving the goals of improving patient care and reducing costs.

13 Jul 2010

Studies suggest couple-based HIV/STD prevention interventions for African Americans

A risk reduction program focused on African American heterosexual couples appears to diminish risky sexual behaviors among couples in which one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the September 27 print issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

13 Jul 2010

QIAGEN's digene HPV Test improves cervical cancer control: Study

A study released today "online first" in Cancer Causes & Control demonstrates that human papillomavirus testing, using QIAGEN's digene HPV Test, improved cervical cancer control compared to routine Pap (cytology) testing among 50,000 women across Mexico, the first country in Latin America to implement a national screening program for the high-risk types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 13 Jul 2010

Mild cognitive impairment, apathy increases risk of developing dementia

A new Mayo Clinic study found that apathy and depression significantly predict an individual's progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a disorder of the brain that affects nerve cells involved in thinking abilities, to dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. The study was presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Honolulu on July 11, 2010

13 Jul 2010

Co-morbidities, socioeconomic status impact survival rates in colorectal cancer

Blacks are surviving colorectal cancer at a significantly lower rate compared to whites and Asians due to co-morbidities and their socioeconomic status, according to research by epidemiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

13 Jul 2010

Early markers for metabolic syndrome in youth

Melinda Sothern, PhD, CEP, Professor of Public Health and Director of Health Promotion at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, will present evidence that supports relationships seen in adolescents between insulin sensitivity and fatty liver, belly fat, and total body fat and identifies additional potential early markers of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in healthy 7-9 year-old children, including fat in muscle cells, blood pressure, physical activity, and birth weight.

13 Jul 2010

Behavioral change programs help lower risk for cardiovascular diseases: Scientific statement

Combining counseling, extended follow-up with a healthcare provider and self-monitoring of diet and exercise is the most effective way to help patients embrace lifestyle changes that can lower their risk for heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) diseases, according to a scientific statement published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

13 Jul 2010

Sewage that overflows into urban creeks, streams can promote spread of West Nile virus: Study

Sewage that overflows into urban creeks and streams during periods of heavy rain can promote the spread of West Nile virus, a study led by Emory University finds. The analysis of six years of data showed that people living near creeks with sewage overflows in lower-income neighborhoods of Southeast Atlanta had a seven times higher risk for West Nile virus than the rest of the city.

13 Jul 2010

Researchers identify genetic variant associated with increased risk of AAA

Geisinger researchers are part of an international team that has identified a genetic variant more common in individuals with abdominal aortic aneurysms. This is one of the largest studies ever into the genetics of AAA. The results of the work will appear in this week's online edition of Nature Genetics.

13 Jul 2010

UC Irvine public health professor to lead malaria field research in Southeast Asia

UC Irvine public health professor Guiyun Yan will lead groundbreaking malaria field research in impoverished reaches of China, Myanmar and Thailand, thanks to new federal funding. UCI will receive $4.7 million of a seven-year, $14.5 million award to Pennsylvania State University by the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases. Yan will collaborate with Penn State principal investigator Liwang Cui.

13 Jul 2010

Portion control all a matter of perception!

The key to losing weight could lie in manipulating our beliefs about how filling we think food will be before we eat it, suggesting that portion control is all a matter of perception.

13 Jul 2010

Older adults with low levels of vitamin D more likely to experience cognitive decline: Report

Older adults with low levels of vitamin D appear more likely to experience declines in thinking, learning and memory over a six-year period, according to a report in the July 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

13 Jul 2010

Governors press Washington for more help, Mass. municipalities seek new authority to cut health care plan costs

The National Governors Association, meeting in Boston, pressed Washington for more help to states. The "NGA renewed its bipartisan appeal for Congress to pass stalled jobs legislation. ... [Last month,] the House and Senate failed to complete legislation that would have extended, through June 2011, important parts of the federal stimulus program enacted last year to provide unemployment insurance and help offset recession-driven cuts to education, health care and public safety.

13 Jul 2010

Obesity crisis in the spotlight as FDA reviews weight loss drugs

The Washington Post explores the obesity epidemic by reporting from Manchester, Ky., which has an obesity rate as high as 52 percent in a nation where the obesity rate is 24 percent. "The residents of this town of 2,100 — 95 miles southeast of Lexington and deep in the Appalachian foothills — indeed appear to celebrate the joys of community closeness.

13 Jul 2010

Reata funds second pivotal trial of bardoxolone with $78 million equity financing

Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has completed a $78 million equity financing led by existing investors CPMG, Inc. and Novo A/S. This financing brings the total raised by the Company to $180 million since inception.

12 Jul 2010

Researchers investigate impact of flavonols on stroke risk

New research has found that people who consume relatively high amounts of flavonols have a lower risk of stroke. Tea was most likely the major contributor of flavonols in the diet, ranging from 30 percent (US) to 70 percent (the Netherlands) of the total intake.

12 Jul 2010

Simple interventions by pediatricians change parent's perspective about child being overweight or obese

Some simple interventions used by pediatricians were enough to change a parent's perspective about a child's being overweight or obese, and change the parent's behaviors at home to reduce those risks.

12 Jul 2010

Alzheimer's Association launches Internet and phone-based clinical trial matching service

The Alzheimer's Association announced today the launch of Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch(TM), a confidential and free interactive tool that provides comprehensive clinical trial information and an individualized trial matching service for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The Internet (www.alz.org/trialmatch) and phone-based (800-272-3900) service debuted during the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2010 (AAICAD 2010) in Honolulu, HI.

12 Jul 2010

Vaccine manufacturers may be able to produce lower-cost HPV vaccines, say researchers

Vaccine manufacturers in India and other developing countries may be able to produce a lower-cost HPV vaccine in spite of the complicated array of patent protections on the technology, say researchers at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy. At a cost of at least $300 for the three-dose regimen, the blockbuster HPV vaccines, including Gardasil- from Merck and Cervarix- from GlaxoSmithKline, are some of the most expensive ever introduced.

12 Jul 2010

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius today commended federal food safety agencies for their accomplishments supporting the charge of President Obama's Food Safety Working Group, which advises the President on how to upgrade the U.S. food safety system for the 21st century.

12 Jul 2010

Public Health News and Research

Strategies to prevent HACs, reduce cost of care, improve patient experience discussed at QUEST National Meeting

Studies suggest couple-based HIV/STD prevention interventions for African Americans

QIAGEN's digene HPV Test improves cervical cancer control: Study

Mild cognitive impairment, apathy increases risk of developing dementia

Co-morbidities, socioeconomic status impact survival rates in colorectal cancer

Early markers for metabolic syndrome in youth

Behavioral change programs help lower risk for cardiovascular diseases: Scientific statement

Sewage that overflows into urban creeks, streams can promote spread of West Nile virus: Study

Researchers identify genetic variant associated with increased risk of AAA

UC Irvine public health professor to lead malaria field research in Southeast Asia

Portion control all a matter of perception!

Older adults with low levels of vitamin D more likely to experience cognitive decline: Report

Governors press Washington for more help, Mass. municipalities seek new authority to cut health care plan costs

Obesity crisis in the spotlight as FDA reviews weight loss drugs

Reata funds second pivotal trial of bardoxolone with $78 million equity financing

Researchers investigate impact of flavonols on stroke risk

Simple interventions by pediatricians change parent's perspective about child being overweight or obese

Alzheimer's Association launches Internet and phone-based clinical trial matching service

Vaccine manufacturers may be able to produce lower-cost HPV vaccines, say researchers

Federal food safety agencies commended for supporting Food Safety Working Group

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