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Amount of exercise more important than the intensity of the exercise

A study in the October issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that adults who participate in mild exercise, such as walking briskly for 12 miles or exercising for 125 to 200 minutes a week at moderate intensity can significantly improve their aerobic fitness and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

10 Oct 2005

Screening for cardiovascular risk by measuring blood levels of C-reactive protein should not be advocated

C-reactive protein (CRP) is released by the liver in response to inflammation related to an infection, injury, or conditions such as arthritis. Inflammation also has been associated with the cause and progression of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the build up of fatty deposits in the lining of arteries.

10 Oct 2005

People living in predominantly minority areas face significant barriers to accessing pain medication

Chronic pain is a condition that affects one in five Americans without regard for their race or finances. But a new study finds that minorities and people with low incomes have less access than high-income white people to the medications that will help them endure their pain.

10 Oct 2005

The rise of breast cancer

In a continuing increase in breast cancer, one in nine women in the UK now risk contracting the disease during their lifetime.

10 Oct 2005

SUVs should carry health warnings

Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) should carry health warnings to raise awareness of the increased risk to pedestrians compared with ordinary cars, argue researchers in this week's British Medical Journal.

9 Oct 2005

New report identifies over 40 infectious agents that pose significant human health problems in the United States or abroad

Vaccines have helped eradicate and tame some of history's worst infectious diseases, but there are many more diseases out there that vaccines can help overcome. The challenges society needs to confront to unlock the future promise of vaccines against the plagues of the 21st century are the focus of a new report by the American Academy of Microbiology.

9 Oct 2005

Specific gene on chromosome 15 regulates inflammation

A team of international researchers has discovered that a specific gene on chromosome 15 regulates inflammation, a finding with implications for a wide range of disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer's, and infections. The findings are published in the October 9 online issue of Nature Genetics.

9 Oct 2005

Gene variation may play fundamental role in the development and spread of cancer in the body

New research shows that a small gene variation that increases the risk of inherited cancer can also arise during the development of spontaneous, or non-inherited, tumors.

9 Oct 2005

Avian influenza and the U.S

If a virulent strain of avian influenza ever struck the U.S. poultry industry, this country probably would fare better than many other nations due to careful biosecurity procedures in force.

9 Oct 2005

Particular versions of the TGFb1 gene are largely responsible for how badly the illness affects patients' lungs

Subtle differences in other genes -- besides the defective gene known to cause the illness cystic fibrosis -- can significantly modify the inherited disease's severity, a large new multi-center national study has concluded.

5 Oct 2005

Influenza evolution in action

On the eve of the 2005-06 flu season, scientists at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) have captured influenza evolution in action. In a study published in this week's journal Nature, the researchers report the first large-scale project to sequence the influenza virus.

5 Oct 2005

Cost-effectiveness of potentially life-saving implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) is an important public health issue

The use of implanted defibrillators that keep the heart beating in proper electrical rhythm to prevent cardiac arrest appears to be cost-effective for those patients who receive a significant mortality reduction, according to researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Calif. They analyzed eight clinical trials of the devices to arrive at their conclusion.

5 Oct 2005

Study shows hospitals can streamline procedures to reduce the time they take to treat heart attack patients

The NIH-sponsored study, published in the September Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reports methods for delivery of rapid care based on the experiences of top programs. Studies have found that while every minute counts, few hospitals are able to perform at levels recommended by national guidelines.

4 Oct 2005

Americans' risk of dying from cancer continues to decline

The nation's leading cancer organizations report that Americans' risk of dying from cancer continues to decline and that the rate of new cancers is holding steady. The "Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2002," published in the Oct. 5, 2005, issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, shows observed cancer death rates from all cancers combined dropped 1.1 percent per year from 1993 to 2002.

4 Oct 2005

Community-level intervention program successfully delayed sexual debut and increased the use of condoms

A community-level intervention program aimed at young adolescents delays early intercourse, increases condom use and reduces the type of risky sexual behavior that can result in sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, a Yale researcher reports in AIDS.

4 Oct 2005

Common cancer susceptibility gene appears to be frequently acquired in metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer

A relatively common cancer susceptibility gene appears to be frequently acquired in metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer, and give cancer cells a growth advantage, according to a study in the October 5 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

4 Oct 2005

Use of the antibiotic amoxicillin during infancy appears to be linked to tooth enamel defects in permanent teeth

Dental fluorosis, a result of exposure to excessive fluoride during enamel formation, is one of the most common developmental enamel defects, according to background information in the article.

4 Oct 2005

Behavior-based means of cutting the risks of tobacco

Three researchers who study behavior-based means of cutting the risks of tobacco use have made a case for counseling patients about the health risks of exposure to secondhand smoke when they're asked about direct tobacco use.

3 Oct 2005

Sharper picture than previously available of major depressive disorder

Findings from the largest survey ever mounted on the co-occurrence of psychiatric disorders among U.S. adults afford a sharper picture than previously available of major depressive disorder (MDD) in specific population subgroups and of MDD's relationship to alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and other mental health conditions.

3 Oct 2005

Risk of acquiring HIV rises during pregnancy

The risk of acquiring HIV rises during pregnancy, according to a study of women in Uganda's Rakai District led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The increased risk for acquiring HIV remained even after researchers controlled for behavior and other factors that contribute to HIV risk.

3 Oct 2005

Public Health News and Research

Amount of exercise more important than the intensity of the exercise

Screening for cardiovascular risk by measuring blood levels of C-reactive protein should not be advocated

People living in predominantly minority areas face significant barriers to accessing pain medication

The rise of breast cancer

SUVs should carry health warnings

New report identifies over 40 infectious agents that pose significant human health problems in the United States or abroad

Specific gene on chromosome 15 regulates inflammation

Gene variation may play fundamental role in the development and spread of cancer in the body

Avian influenza and the U.S

Particular versions of the TGFb1 gene are largely responsible for how badly the illness affects patients' lungs

Influenza evolution in action

Cost-effectiveness of potentially life-saving implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) is an important public health issue

Study shows hospitals can streamline procedures to reduce the time they take to treat heart attack patients

Americans' risk of dying from cancer continues to decline

Community-level intervention program successfully delayed sexual debut and increased the use of condoms

Common cancer susceptibility gene appears to be frequently acquired in metastatic lesions from colorectal cancer

Use of the antibiotic amoxicillin during infancy appears to be linked to tooth enamel defects in permanent teeth

Behavior-based means of cutting the risks of tobacco

Sharper picture than previously available of major depressive disorder

Risk of acquiring HIV rises during pregnancy

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