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Study reveals why people are predisposed to cardiovascular disease and death

A genetic trait known to make some people especially sensitive to stress also appears to be responsible for a 38 percent increased risk of heart attack or death in patients with heart disease, scientists at Duke Medicine report.

19 Dec 2013

With no place to puff, smokers are more likely to cut back or quit, say researchers

Completely banning tobacco use inside the home - or more broadly in the whole city - measurably boosts the odds of smokers either cutting back or quitting entirely, report University of California, San Diego School of Medicine researchers in the current online issue of Preventive Medicine.

18 Dec 2013

Research: Smoking alters several genes

The fact that smoking means a considerable health risk is nowadays commonly accepted. New research findings from Uppsala University and Uppsala Clinical Research Center show that smoking alters several genes that can be associated with health problems for smokers, such as increased risk for cancer and diabetes

17 Dec 2013

New report shows death rates for lung cancer dropping at a faster pace

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, covering the period 1975, showed death rates for lung cancer, which accounts for more than one in four cancer deaths, dropping at a faster pace than in previous years. The recent larger drop in lung cancer deaths is likely the result of decreased cigarette smoking prevalence over many years, and is now being reflected in mortality trends. The lung cancer death rate decline, as well as declines in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer death rates, has also helped drive decreases in death rates for all cancers types combined, a trend that began about 20 years ago.

17 Dec 2013

Researchers find 5 programs to help parents and children at risk levels behavior problems

All parents want what's best for their children. But not every parent knows how to provide their child with the tools to be successful, or how to help them avoid the biggest adolescent behavior problems: substance use, delinquency, school dropout, pregnancy and violence.

16 Dec 2013

Researchers work on breathalyser device to detect early signs of cancer

Researchers at the University of Huddersfield are working on a breathalyser device that will be able to detect very early signs of cancer, making a cure much more likely.

16 Dec 2013

Incision technique shows potential for bladder neck contracture

A US team reports that deep lateral transurethral incisions are a promising technique for the treatment of recurrent bladder neck contracture in men following prostate surgery.

16 Dec 2013

Drug abuse appears to foster brain changes that resemble schizophrenia

Teens who were heavy marijuana users -- smoking it daily for about three years -- had abnormal changes in their brain structures related to working memory and performed poorly on memory tasks, reports a new Northwestern Medicine- study.

16 Dec 2013

Prescription drug misuse and driving after using drugs on the rise among Ontario students

Alcohol consumption and smoking among Ontario students in grades 7-12 is at an all-time low; however recreational use of over-the-counter drugs is on the rise. Prescription drug misuse and driving after using drugs also remain elevated according to the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey released by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

16 Dec 2013

Geriatrician draws specific conclusions about Santa’s health habits

Children around the world look to Santa Claus as a model of good behavior. But can this sleigh-riding bearer of goodies also be a model good health habits for adults?

13 Dec 2013

State highlights: States scramble to change newborn screening programs; obesity rate flat; New York hospital charges vary considerably

States across the country are making significant changes to their newborn screening programs after a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation found that thousands of hospitals were sending babies' blood samples late to state labs that test for rare yet deadly genetic disorders. From keeping labs open on weekends to identifying problem hospitals and providing them with regular performance reports, dozens of health officials are reviewing and retooling their state-run programs (Gabler, 12/11).

13 Dec 2013

Study: Electronic cigarettes may involuntarily expose non-users to nicotine

Electronic cigarettes, when used indoors, may involuntarily expose non-users to nicotine, according to a study led by Maciej Goniewicz, PhD, PharmD, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and published by the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

13 Dec 2013

Research suggests connection between adult's height and prevalence of CAC

Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation research cardiologist Dr. Michael Miedema is the lead author of a paper published by Circulation - Cardiovascular Imaging, a journal of the American Heart Association, that suggests a connection between an adult's height and the prevalence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), a direct marker of plaque in the arteries that feed the heart.

13 Dec 2013

Study shows many clinicians are unfamiliar with use of e-cigarettes with their young patients

The use of electronic cigarettes, battery operated devices that often look like cigarettes and deliver vaporized nicotine, is on the rise, including among minors. In a survey between 2011 and 2012, 10 percent of high school students reported ever using an e-cigarette.

13 Dec 2013

Airway alterations present even in young smokers without COPD

A study has found functional and inflammatory changes in the nasal and lower airways of young, healthy smokers in the absence of pulmonary function decline.

12 Dec 2013

First Edition: December 12, 2013

Today's headlines include ongoing coverage of the health law's implementation -- from details of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' Wednesday Capitol Hill appearance and more information about the most recent enrollment numbers to analysis of policy issues related to the overhaul.

12 Dec 2013

People more likely to seek info on quitting smoking when media covers celebrities with cancer

Millions of people will make a resolution to quit smoking around Jan. 1, but a new study suggests an even more powerful motivator than New Year's resolutions: celebrity cancer diagnoses.

12 Dec 2013

Cardiologist offers tips to keep heart healthy during holiday season

Physicians have long recognized a "holiday bump" in the number of heart attacks at this time of year. "It's small, but it's something that we notice," said Renato Santos, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

12 Dec 2013

Detectable blood viral load increases prevalence of heart disease

HIV causes structural heart disease according to research presented at EuroEcho-Imaging 2013 by Dr Nieves Montoro from Madrid, Spain. The findings support the introduction of cardiovascular screening in all HIV patients, particularly those with a positive blood viral load.

11 Dec 2013

New report shows that Americans are making considerable progress in overall health

Americans are making considerable progress in their overall health, according to United Health Foundation's 2013 America's Health Rankings®: A Call to Action for Individuals & Their Communities. Nationwide, Americans improved in the majority of the measures captured by the Rankings.

11 Dec 2013