Public Health News and Research

RSS

Mobile phones may help in kicking nicotine habit

Hooked on your cell phone and cigarettes? Fortunately, your mobile device could help you kick the nicotine habit, according to a new review from New Zealand.

7 Oct 2009

California officials question cost-effectiveness of immigrant screening rules

Los Angeles County officials are questioning the "cost-effectiveness of rules aimed at screening those trying to get public health services," The Los Angeles Times reports. The county began implementing tougher federal standards in 2008, receiving "nearly $28 million in state and federal funds to cover the cost of the program and posted 81 people in 27 social service department offices to check documents."

6 Oct 2009

ACC responds to queries regarding a study published on-line

ACC and its member companies have long-supported research to advance scientific understanding about chemicals and promote public health. To achieve these goals, that research should be based on sound scientific principles so as to be meaningful to human health. There are significant limitations in the study design, highlighted by the authors themselves, which limit the utility of the study.

6 Oct 2009

HIV prevalence high among African Americans

HIV prevalence among African Americans is ten times greater than the prevalence among whites. This racial disparity in HIV prevalence has persisted in the face of both governmental and private actions, involving many billions of dollars, to combat HIV.

6 Oct 2009

Premera Blue Cross supports cancer diagnostics study

Premera Blue Cross applauds today’s announcement by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Group Health Research Institute, and the University of Washington Schools of Public Health and Pharmacy.

6 Oct 2009

New findings reinforce the urgency of autism as a major global public health crisis

Autism Speaks together with Autism Speaks Canada, North America's largest autism science and advocacy organization, today responded to a new study published in the American Academy of Pediatrics' journal Pediatrics that found a parent-reported autism prevalence rate of one in every 91 American children, including one in 58 boys.

6 Oct 2009

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center receives 60 research grants totaling nearly $40.4 million

Scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have been awarded 60 research grants totaling nearly $40.4 million under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. The totals reflect data available as of Oct. 1 and reported by the National Institutes of Health.

6 Oct 2009

DuraPrep solution effective against surgical-site infections

3M Health Care today announced the publication of a new independent study “Effects of Preoperative Skin Preparation on Postoperative Wound Infection Rates:

6 Oct 2009

NIAID's grant to VBI for biomedical research on infectious diseases

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a five-year, $27,670,448 contract to the CyberInfrastructure Group (CIG) of the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech to support the biomedical research community's work on infectious diseases.

6 Oct 2009

Inviragen, SingVax merge their complementary vaccine pipelines

Inviragen and SingVax have merged their complementary vaccine pipelines and their international product development capabilities to create a company that is developing a wide range of vaccines for infectious diseases prevalent in emerging economies.

6 Oct 2009

Framingham Heart Study receives $1M grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Boston University School of Medicine's (BUSM) Framingham Heart Study (FHS) has received a two-year $1M challenge grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

6 Oct 2009

Majority of Europeans not concerned about H1N1

Three quarters of European people surveyed between the 30th April and 6th May 2009 said they were either not at all concerned or only a little concerned about swine flu.

6 Oct 2009

HIV prevalence among African Americans is ten times greater than the prevalence among whites

6 Oct 2009

Adverse childhood experiences double the risk of premature death

Many U.S. children face a terrible burden of stressors that can harm the development of their brains and nervous systems. These stressors can lead to health problems and diseases throughout their lives, ultimately causing some to die prematurely, according to the lead author of a new study.

6 Oct 2009

Health information updates from FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a listing of consumer health information updates about cooperative programs and food safety. All updates can be accessed from the agency's Web page for consumers at http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/default.htm You can sign-up for e-mail notices of new consumer updates on an immediate, weekly, or monthly basis at https://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USFDA_9.

6 Oct 2009

$16 million federal stimulus funds for cancer research projects

Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington schools of Public Health and Pharmacy have been selected to lead four projects backed by approximately $16 million in federal stimulus funding for comparative-effectiveness research in cancer.

6 Oct 2009

U.N. officials highlight need for vaccine assistance to poor countries

U.N. officials on Sunday said that the H1N1 (swine flu) virus had arrived in poorer countries, highlighting a growing need for financial assistance and H1N1 vaccines for such regions, SAPA/News24.com reports.

6 Oct 2009

Pomegranate juice beneficial for patients with elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors: Study

According to a clinical study released in The American Journal of Cardiology, a daily serving of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice may decrease the progression of arterial plaque in patients with elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors. The study was intended to see if POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice may slow the progression of intima-media thickness of the carotid artery (CIMT) in patients with moderate coronary heart disease risk.

6 Oct 2009

Challenges surround the calculation of costs associated with illegal immigrant care

PhillyBurbs.com examines the cost of caring for undocumented immigrants and whether it really is cheaper to exclude them under a health care overhaul. Despite widespread support for requiring people to prove their citizenship to receive government health benefits, PhillyBurbs.com reports: "Public health and immigration experts worry excluding undocumented immigrants would put everyone at risk, hamper attempts to prevent the spread of disease and lead to an increase in health care spending."

5 Oct 2009

Majority of Americans believe they are well-protected from H1N1

A new Harris poll, commissioned by SCA Tissue North America’s Tork® brand, reveals that 74 percent of U.S. adults say it is unlikely they will contract H1N1 this year.

5 Oct 2009