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Couples with high PCB levels and other pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy

Couples with high levels of PCBs and similar environmental pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy in comparison to other couples with lower levels of the pollutants, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

14 Nov 2012

UMDNJ physician reminds residents to be alert for health hazards associated with Hurricane cleanup

As the northeastern United States begins its long recovery from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy, a family physician with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-School of Osteopathic Medicine is reminding residents to be alert for potential health hazards associated with the cleanup.

7 Nov 2012

Critical safety hints for post-hurricane Sandy recovery

UL, a world leader in advancing safety, offers critical safety information for post-hurricane Sandy recovery

3 Nov 2012

Public health threats, struggling hospitals loom in Sandy's wake

Public health officials are warning that people in areas devastated by Superstorm Sandy face many risks in the aftermath and are urging people to protect themselves from health threats in the water, air and even their refrigerators.

3 Nov 2012

Formaldehyde levels ‘concerning’ in US child care facilities

A study of 40 child care facilities in California, USA, has revealed that while levels of most pollutants are not a health concern, those of some are worryingly high.

31 Oct 2012

Researchers find environmental contaminants in day care centers

A new, comprehensive survey of day care centers by University of California, Berkeley, researchers found that, overall, the environmental quality in child care settings was similar to other indoor environments, but that levels of formaldehyde and several other contaminants exceeded state health guidelines.

29 Oct 2012

Study finds pollution as dangerous to health in developing world as malaria, TB

"Industrial pollution is putting the health of 125 million people at risk worldwide and is as dangerous in the developing world as malaria or tuberculosis, according to a new report," titled "2012 World's Worst Pollution Problems," Reuters/ABC Science reports.

26 Oct 2012

Multi-system exposure related illness (MERI)

The Global Health Network has released a new paper titled “Common Toxins in our Homes, Schools and Workplaces.” According to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesman, indoor air pollution causes 50% of illnesses globally. This statistic should catch the attention of every physician, every lawmaker and every layperson reading this paper. That’s more than all the cancers and all the heart disease combined. It is time we started to pay more attention to the indoor air we breathe. It is staggering to comprehend the enormous impact on our global society as literally millions of individuals and families are harmed by contaminants inside our homes, schools and workplaces.

16 Oct 2012

Mephedrone and memory loss: an interview with Craig Motbey

Mephedrone is a fairly new designer drug which has been around for a few years. It exploded in popularity in Europe (and particularly in the UK) before it started to spread in a major way elsewhere.

16 Oct 2012

Pesticide exposure may trigger food allergies

Results from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggest that high exposure to dichlorophenols, chemicals found in pesticides and used for chlorinating water, may increase a person’s risk for developing food allergies.

5 Oct 2012

Marijuana and testicular cancer: an interview with Victoria Cortessis

This is a set of malignancies that arise in germ cells of the testicles, the specialized cells that produce sperm. Taken together, testicular cancers are the most common form of malignancy that occurs in young men (approximately 15 to 35 years of age).

24 Sep 2012

Pathogens and Global Health highlights current debate on counterfeit medicine

The latest issue of Pathogens and Global Health highlights the current debate surrounding the under-investigated, and politically sensitive, issue of counterfeit medicine. Issue 106.2 includes an interview with Dr Paul Newton, Head of the Laos arm of the Wellcome Trust's Major Overseas Programmes, and a number of articles highlighting the technological innovations and field initiatives that are challenging this threat to global health.

13 Sep 2012

Research roundup: Reducing risk in shared savings programs

The Design And Application Of Shared Savings Programs: Lessons From Early Adopters --"Shared savings programs reward providers for holding spending below specific targets, thus introducing a level of financial accountability not present in strictly volume-based payment models, such as fee-for-service," researchers write.

7 Sep 2012

Pesticide-related illnesses to cost up to $90B between 2005-2020 in sub-Saharan Africa, UNEP report says

"The potential cost of pesticide-related illnesses in sub-Saharan African between 2005 and 2020 could reach $90 billion, according to a U.N. report released on Wednesday highlighting the growing health and environmental hazards from chemicals," the Associated Press/Guardian reports.

7 Sep 2012

Nutritional benefits of organic foods questioned

Strong evidence to support the supposed nutritional benefits of eating organic over conventional foods is lacking in the scientific literature, show results from a systematic review.

6 Sep 2012

Prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide increases risk of noninfectious cough in children

Children exposed in the womb to the widely used pesticide additive piperonyl butoxide (PBO) have heightened risk of noninfectious cough at ages 5 and 6, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health and of Columbia University Medical Center.

6 Sep 2012

Tips to deal with bed bugs when traveling

As VIPs come to Charlotte, N.C., for the Democratic National Convention, some are being greeted by undesirable guests in their hotels. No, not protesters. Bed bugs. Reports of the little blood-suckers have been on the uptick in Charlotte, and they are a growing problem in the lodging industry throughout the country. The good news: Delegates, and anyone who travels, can take precautions against bed bugs—small insects that feed on human blood and are usually active at night when people are sleeping.

6 Sep 2012

Study finds little significant difference in health benefits between organic and conventional foods

You're in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums. You reach for the conventionally grown stone fruit, then decide to spring the extra $1/pound for its organic cousin. You figure you've just made the healthier decision by choosing the organic product - but new findings from Stanford University cast some doubt on your thinking.

4 Sep 2012

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls could increase risk of asthma symptoms in children

Children who are exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were commonly used in a range of industrial products, could be at risk of an increase in asthma symptoms, according to new research.

1 Sep 2012

PD risk factors for potential clinical screening identified

A meta-analysis has identified 19 risk factors that significantly impact a person’s risk for Parkinson’s disease and could be of potential value for clinical screening, say the authors.

20 Aug 2012