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Lebanese study looks at mental disorders and their relation to exposure to war

In the first study in the Arab world to document mental illness and treatment on a national level, researchers from Lebanon have described the prevalence of mental disorders and their relation to exposure to war.

1 Apr 2008

Fewer babies born after Caesarean delivery

Women who have a Caesarean delivery for their first child go on to have fewer children than women who give birth in the traditional way.

1 Apr 2008

Gene mutations tied to immune comeback during therapy for HIV-1

A new study by U.S. scientists provides compelling evidence that two genes are linchpins in defining the course of immune restoration in HIV-positive individuals undergoing virus-suppressing therapy.

31 Mar 2008

Americans living longer, enjoying greater health and prosperity, but important disparities remain

Average life expectancy continues to increase, and today's older Americans enjoy better health and financial security than any previous generation.

31 Mar 2008

Relaxation response training may improve control of hard-to-treat systolic hypertension

Adding the relaxation response, a stress-management approach, to other lifestyle interventions may significantly improve treatment of the type of hypertension most common in the elderly.

31 Mar 2008

Post-traumatic stress disorder associated with more, longer hospitalizations

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with more hospitalizations, longer hospitalizations and greater mental healthcare utilization in urban primary care patients.

31 Mar 2008

FDA issues Salmonella Litchfield alert for cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an import alert regarding entry of cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer, because, based on current information, fruit from this company appears to be associated with a Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in the United States and Canada.

28 Mar 2008

New Master's specialization for teaching in health care professions

The University of Rochester will offer a new specialization within the current Master of Science in Teaching and Curriculum program for doctors, nurses and other health care professionals who want to teach or who want to expand their educational skills.

27 Mar 2008

Study links chronic illness to coal-mining pollution

Pollution from coal mining may have a negative impact on public health in mining communities, according to data analyzed in a West Virginia University research study.

26 Mar 2008

Review of group-based cancer trials reveals flaws in studies' design and analysis

A new study reviewing 75 group-randomized cancer trials over a five-year stretch shows that fewer than half of those studies used appropriate statistical methods to analyze the results.

26 Mar 2008

U.S will have a severe shortage of nurses soon

The United States health care system needs to brace for a severe shortage of nurses, according to findings by Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Douglas Staiger, Ph.D., from Dartmouth University, and David Auerbach, Ph.D., of the Congressional Budget Office.

26 Mar 2008

Hospitality industry worst for alcohol-related problems

A new analysis of government data finds that 15 percent of employees in the hospitality industry suffer from serious alcohol-related problems.

26 Mar 2008

Australian blood expert calls for changes in the way blood is stored

A leading Australian haematologist is renewing his call for changes in the way blood is stored and used for transfusions.

25 Mar 2008

Need for federal legislation that protects the use of genetic information in employment and insurance coverage

A policy monograph highlighting the need for federal protections against genetic discrimination in employment and insurance practices was released by the American College of Physicians (ACP).

25 Mar 2008

Cancer treatments in phase 3 trials successful up to half of the time

About one-fourth to one-half of new cancer treatments that reach assessment in phase 3 randomized clinical trials are eventually proven successful, according to a report in the March 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

25 Mar 2008

Blacks with family history less likely than whites to get colonoscopy

African Americans who have multiple first-degree relatives with colon cancer are less likely than whites with affected relatives to undergo recommended screening procedures, according to a report in the March 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

25 Mar 2008

Study looks at continuous deep sedation for patients nearing death

The use of continuous deep sedation for patients nearing death in the Netherlands is increasing, while cases of euthanasia have declined, according to a study published on bmj.com.

24 Mar 2008

Some moms quit cigarettes, marijuana, alcohol during pregnancy, but dads don't

Despite public health campaigns, a surprising number of women continue to use substances such as tobacco, marijuana and alcohol during pregnancy and their usage rebounds to pre-pregnancy levels within two years of having a baby, according to a new University of Washington study.

24 Mar 2008

Sixty-two per cent of Africans do not have access to a proper toilet

Sixty-two per cent of Africans do not have access to an improved sanitation facility -- a proper toilet -- which separates human waste from human contact, according to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation.

24 Mar 2008

New poll debates quality U.S. health care system

A recent survey by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Harris Interactive, as part of their ongoing series, Debating Health: Election 2008, finds that Americans are generally split on the issue of whether the United States has the best health care system in the world (45% believe the U.S. has the best system; 39% believe other countries have better systems; 15% don't know or refused to answer) and that there is a significant divide along party lines.

24 Mar 2008