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Environmental triggers may play role in development of Lupus

While genetics play a role in the development of Lupus, a systemic autoimmune disease that can attack any organ system in the human body, so do environmental triggers, such as particulates in air pollution and ultraviolet light, explains Gaurav Gulati, MD, a physician-researcher at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

16 Nov 2017

Unequal exposure to pollutants may be contributing factor to higher rates of diabetes among minorities

Unequal exposure to environmental pollutants acting as endocrine-disrupting chemicals is an under-recognized risk factor that may play a key role in driving the higher rates of diabetes among minority and low-income populations, according to a new article in the journal Diabetes Care.

15 Nov 2017

Study: People with non-O blood types have elevated risk of heart attack during high air pollution periods

Individuals who have A, B, or AB blood types have an elevated risk of having a heart attack during periods of significant air pollution, compared to those with the O blood type, according to new research from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute and Brigham Young University.

15 Nov 2017

Comprehensive study of health in India finds improvements, but major inequalities between states

The Lancet publishes the first comprehensive analysis of the health of India’s 1.34 billion citizens—encompassing almost a fifth of the world’s population.

15 Nov 2017

New health analysis in India finds increase in non-communicable diseases

A new state-by-state health analysis in India finds that over two decades heart- and lung-related conditions, as well as other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), have surpassed infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and tuberculosis, as the nation's leading killers.

14 Nov 2017

Air pollution may exacerbate osteoporosis

Based on a study of nine million people, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health People report that people living amidst high levels of air pollution are more likely to suffer bone fractures from osteoporosis than those living in areas with less pollution.

10 Nov 2017

Health care spending poised to increase as pollution levels skyrocket in India

Levels of pollution in India's capital New Delhi soared on Tuesday, leading the Indian Medical Association to declare a public health emergency and prompting officials to close schools.

7 Nov 2017

Researchers receive $2 million NIH grant to find if face masks protect against air pollution

Many people around the world, especially in Asia, wear face masks to protect against air pollution. Do they work? Sanjay Rajagopalan, MD, Herman Hellerstein, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and chief of cardiovascular medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, has received a $2 million National Institutes of Health grant to help find out if face masks really protect against air pollution.

7 Nov 2017

Study: Global toll of chronic kidney disease attributable to air pollution

The global toll of chronic kidney disease (CKD) attributable to air pollution is significant, according to an analysis that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2017 October 31–November 5 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.

6 Nov 2017

UW study shows link between toxic air and psychological distress

There is little debate over the link between air pollution and the human respiratory system: Research shows that dirty air can impair breathing and aggravate various lung diseases. Other potential effects are being investigated, too, as scientists examine connections between toxic air and obesity, diabetes and dementia.

2 Nov 2017

Climate change is already affecting health, warn experts

Experts have warned that climate change is already having a significant worldwide impact on people’s health by increasing exposure to heatwaves, pollution and the spread of disease.

1 Nov 2017

Air pollution linked to mortality from kidney, bladder and colorectal cancer

Air pollution is classified as carcinogenic to humans given its association with lung cancer, but there is little evidence for its association with cancer at other body sites. In a new large-scale prospective study led by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health, an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, and the American Cancer Society, researchers observed an association between some air pollutants and mortality from kidney, bladder and colorectal cancer.

31 Oct 2017

AJPH supplement focuses on how climate change impacts public health

In the American Public Health Association's Year of Climate Change and Health, the American Journal of Public Health will release a special supplement focused on climate change and its effect on public health.

27 Oct 2017

Pollutant from forest and crop fires induces genetic damage in human lung cells

When exposed in a laboratory to pollution levels comparable to those found in the atmosphere of the Amazon region during the forest and crop burning season, human lung cells suffer severe DNA damage and stop dividing. After 72 hours of exposure, over 30% of the cultured cells are dead.

24 Oct 2017

New report highlights global burden of pollution-related disease and death

Pollution is linked to an estimated nine million deaths each year worldwide – equivalent to one in six (16%) of all deaths, according to a major new report in The Lancet.

20 Oct 2017

World leaders commit to protect people from harms of NCDs

Heads of State and Government and ministers from around the world today committed to new and bold action to reduce suffering and death from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), primarily heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, the world’s leading killers.

20 Oct 2017

Study finds mitochondrial DNA damage in Veterans with Gulf War illness

Researchers say they have found the "first direct biological evidence" of damage in veterans with Gulf War illness to DNA within cellular structures that produce energy in the body.

19 Oct 2017

Migraine attacks may actively protect and repair the brain from oxidative stress

A new perspective article highlights a compelling theory about migraine attacks: that they are an integrated mechanism by which the brain protects and repairs itself. Recent insightful findings and potential ways to use them to help migraine sufferers are published in Headache.

19 Oct 2017

Exposure to environmental chemicals linked to development of breast cancer

Exposure to environmental chemicals, especially early in life, is an important contributing factor in the development of breast cancer, according to the most comprehensive review of human studies to date.

10 Oct 2017

Research will explore biological mechanisms triggered by air pollution exposure during pregnancy

New research will seek to understand the biological mechanisms that are triggered by exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and lead to lower birth weight in newborns, placing them at greater risk for chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease and hypertension later in life.

10 Oct 2017