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New gene linked to familial cancer

Scientists have identified a new gene that appears to be linked to a small but significant percentage of familial cancer cases – as well as seemingly randomly occurring malignancies.

20 Apr 2005

Cigarette smoking may contribute to the progression of multiple sclerosis

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) recently discovered that cigarette smoking may contribute to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that quitting smoking could limit or delay central nervous system deterioration.

20 Apr 2005

First study of mercury and cognitive function in urban, U.S. adults

Although the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are well known for their health benefits, many fish are also the primary source of mercury in the general population.

20 Apr 2005

Johns Hopkins ACG risk adjustment system to be used in Spain, Portugal

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have signed a four-year agreement with Iasist of Barcelona, Spain, which will give Iasist distribution rights to the JHU Adjusted Clinical Groups® Case-Mix System (ACG System) in Spain and Portugal. Iasist is currently assisting the Basque National Health Service (Osakidetza) in using the ACG System to allocate resources among primary care clinics.

20 Apr 2005

Enhancing the resources available to low-income, urban African American women could protect against poor health and symptoms of depression

Enhancing the resources available to low-income, urban African American women to make their neighborhoods safer could protect them against poor health and symptoms of depression, says Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine community health researcher Adam Becker.

20 Apr 2005

Men estimate men's risks of common disorders higher than women do, and vice versa

New research from University of Glasgow researchers on lay perceptions about gender differences in health reveals that both men and women believe health risks are higher for their own sex than for the opposite sex. But, it also shows that males think that men are fitter and females think women are more athletic.

20 Apr 2005

New study challenges CDC's 400,000 obesity deaths figure

A new study by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in JAMA concludes that obesity kills 112,000 Americans each year -- a dramatic decrease from an admittedly flawed study published last year by the CDC.

20 Apr 2005

A simple spit test could predict cancers

In future scientists say, a test as simple as spitting into a collection tube or cup might be a screening test for breast cancer and the early detection of other tumours.

19 Apr 2005

No strong evidence linking blood mercury levels with worse neurobehavioral performance in older adults

In a study of older adults, researchers did not find a definitive association between blood mercury levels, which can become elevated with fish consumption, and adverse neurobehavioral effects, according to a study in the April 20 issue of JAMA.

19 Apr 2005

Cardiovascular risk factors have declined substantially over past 40 years

Prevalence of high cholesterol levels, hypertension and smoking, particularly among overweight and obese adults, have declined considerably over the past 40 years, according to a study in the April 20 issue of JAMA. This trend was not true for diabetes, which has had a stable prevalence.

19 Apr 2005

Being overweight, underweight, associated with increased risk of death

Compared with normal weight, a person who is overweight or underweight has an increased risk of death, although that risk appears to have decreased in recent years for obesity, according to a study in the April 20 issue of JAMA.

19 Apr 2005

Free bike helmets increase use by children

Community-based programs that combine cycling safety information with distribution of free helmets increase the use of those helmets among children, according to a new review of programs involving more than 60,000 children.

19 Apr 2005

Red light cameras can reduce crash-related injuries

Red-light cameras can reduce the number of injuries from car crashes at intersections by up to 30 percent, according to a new worldwide review of studies.

19 Apr 2005

Call for a United States Global Health Service

The federal government should create and fund an umbrella organization called the United States Global Health Service (GHS) to mobilize the nation's best health care professionals and other experts to help combat HIV/AIDS in hard-hit African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian countries, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

19 Apr 2005

Working mothers do not have an adverse effect on children's diets

A new study from the University of Glasgow that analyses information from over 2000 11 year old children and their parents (in 1994-5) reveals no evidence that number of parents in the household or family meals are associated with children’s diets, while maternal employment is associated with better diets.

19 Apr 2005