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Young smokers face psychological difficulties of quitting as adults

Abstinence from smoking seems to affect teens differently than adults in a couple ways, but a new study provides evidence that most of the psychological difficulties of quitting are as strong for relatively new, young smokers as they are for adults who have been smoking much longer.

13 Sep 2012

Public health symposium targets smokers most in need

Australia has one of the lowest smoking rates in the world at 15 per cent of the population but there remains a need to further cut rates in prisons, among the mentally ill and ethnic communities, researchers will argue at a public health symposium in Sydney.

13 Sep 2012

Sanofi Aventis receives FDA approval for Aubagio to treat relapsing forms of MS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Aubagio (teriflunomide), a once-a-day tablet for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

13 Sep 2012

Genes predict the brain's reaction to smoking

Have you ever wondered why some people find it so much easier to stop smoking than others? New research shows that vulnerability to smoking addiction is shaped by our genes. A study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University shows that people with genetically fast nicotine metabolism have a significantly greater brain response to smoking cues than those with slow nicotine metabolism.

12 Sep 2012

Serum-concentration of antioxidants is significantly lower in patients with mild dementia

Forgetfulness, lack of orientation, cognitive decline… about 700, 000 Germans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Now researchers from the University of Ulm, among them the Epidemiologist Professor Gabriele Nagel and the Neurologist Professor Christine von Arnim, have discovered that the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene are significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in control persons.

12 Sep 2012

Link between second-hand smoke exposure and memory problems

Non-smokers who live with or spend time with smokers are damaging their memory, according to new research from Northumbria University.

11 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Home health workers need better pay; Is there a better solution than Medicaid to cover seniors' long-term care?

[F]or the stay-at-home elderly to have so-called "independent living" they must be highly dependent on the home care aides who look after medication schedules, cook meals, assist with bathing and generally keep them happy and healthy. And yet these workers are anything but well cared for. The vast majority are dreadfully overworked and woefully underpaid. The average hourly wage of a home care worker in the United States is less than $10.

11 Sep 2012

FDA warns dietary supplement firms in Colorado and Texas

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to PruTect Rx, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., and Trinity Sports Group Inc., of Plano, Texas, for promoting products labeled as dietary supplements with claims to treat concussions and prevent or treat post-concussion syndrome and other neurological disorders.

7 Sep 2012

Evidence piles up in favor of plain cigarette packs

A study conducted in Brazil provides further evidence that plain cigarette packaging reduces the appeal of cigarettes.

7 Sep 2012

'Toolkit' for African cancer advocates to be launched on September 15

Cancer kills more than seven million people a year throughout the world. This is more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, and African countries, which carry a large part of the burden, are the least able of all developing countries to cope with the challenges it presents, says a consortium of international cancer organizations.

7 Sep 2012

Better recognition of rising burden of cancer in Africa needed

6 Sep 2012

Exposure to natural disasters can prompt people to start smoking

The prevalence of smoking in Christchurch, New Zealand, increased following the 2010 earthquake, according to a new study.

5 Sep 2012

Phase 1b trial validates efficacy of Pulmatrix PUR118 to treat COPD

Pulmatrix, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company creating novel inhaled therapeutics, today announced top line results from a clinical study showing that the novel inhaled therapeutic, PUR118, demonstrated anti-inflammatory efficacy and was well-tolerated in two Phase 1b studies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

5 Sep 2012

FDA approves Bosulif to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Bosulif (bosutinib) to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a blood and bone marrow disease that usually affects older adults.

5 Sep 2012

E-cigarettes light up battle against adverse effects of smoking

The use of electronic cigarettes has no adverse impact on cardiac function, a study suggests.

4 Sep 2012

Plain cigarette packaging likely to reduce appeal of smoking for young people

While Australia has recently passed legislation to ban logos from cigarette packages and to make plain packaging mandatory, other countries are still considering whether or not to take similar measures. New research published in Biomed Central's open access journal BMC Public Health provides a report on the appeal of plain cigarette packs, compared to branded packs, among women in Brazil, and finds that plain packs reduce the appeal of their contents.

4 Sep 2012

Sosei highlights data from QVA149 clinical trials on COPD

Sosei Group Corporation highlights that further data from the once-daily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinical trial programs were presented today by Novartis at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress.

3 Sep 2012

Policymakers need to continue funding for adolescent smoking prevention programs: WSU

While many might see the case for programs to prevent adolescent cigarette smoking as already made, a pair of Wayne State University researchers believes that due to increasingly challenging economic times, policymakers need to be reminded to continue allocating funding for such programs.

3 Sep 2012

Articles explore potential policy measures that could promote healthier behaviour

Obesity rates in North America are a growing concern for legislators. Expanded waistlines mean rising health-care costs for maladies such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. One University of Alberta researcher says that if people do not take measures to get healthy, they may find that governments will throw their weight into administrative measures designed to help us trim the fat.

3 Sep 2012

Electronic cigarettes can cause immediate harm to the lungs

New research has shown that despite electronic cigarettes being marketed as a potentially safer alternative to normal cigarettes, they are still causing harm to the lungs.

3 Sep 2012