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On 'World No Tobacco Day,' WHO calls on national leaders to stand together against tobacco industry 'attacks'

"On World No Tobacco Day (31 May), WHO is calling on national leaders to be extra vigilant against the increasingly aggressive attacks by the industry which undermine policies that protect people from the harms of tobacco," a WHO press release reports, noting that nearly six million people die of tobacco-related illnesses each year and tobacco is a leading preventable cause of illness and death worldwide.

1 Jun 2012

Betel quid popularity in Chinese prompts health warning

The use of betel quid, a mixture of betel leaf, areca nut, and slaked lime, is used by one in six adults in mainland China, a survey has found.

31 May 2012

Fall prevention needed in multiple sclerosis patients

Patients with multiple sclerosis are at increased risk for fractures, particularly those related to falls, a study shows.

31 May 2012

Smoker's genetic makeup can help predict response to drug therapy

The same gene variations that make it difficult to stop smoking also increase the likelihood that heavy smokers will respond to nicotine-replacement therapy and drugs that thwart cravings, a new study shows.

31 May 2012

Men are not better at quitting smoking than women according to new study

There is “no convincing evidence” that men are better than women at quitting smoking, finds research published online in Tobacco Control.

31 May 2012

Genetics can predict success of smoking cessation and need for medications

Genetics can help determine whether a person is likely to quit smoking on his or her own or need medication to improve the chances of success, according to research published in today's American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers say the study moves health care providers a step closer to one day providing more individualized treatment plans to help patients quit smoking.

31 May 2012

Most immigrant pregnant women in Spain suffer severe stress

A study conducted at the University of Granada has concluded that most immigrant women who give birth in Spain suffer "severe stress" and should receive psychological treatment after giving birth to help them overcome disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, phobic anxiety, depression or psychoticism. These disorders are caused by "the stress of labor itself combined with other personal stress factors. This is a very stressful moment in women's life due to biological, psychological and social factors".

31 May 2012

Pseudomonas infection signals poor outcome for COPD patients

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa have a worse clinical outcome and are more likely to be hospitalized than those without the infection, states recent research.

30 May 2012

Longer life expectancy for women in their 70’s who exercise and eat a healthy diet

Women in their seventies who exercise and eat healthy amounts of fruits and vegetables have a longer life expectancy, according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

30 May 2012

Death prediction for patients with pneumonia and raised glucose levels

Raised blood sugar (glucose) levels on admission to hospital can predict deaths in patients with community acquired pneumonia but without pre-existing diabetes, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

30 May 2012

Officials at 65th World Health Assembly adopt resolutions on broad range of health issues

"The 65th World Health Assembly concluded Saturday after adopting 21 resolutions and three decisions on a broad range of health issues," a WHO press release reports.

30 May 2012

State roundup: The effects of proposed Calif. budget cuts; Fewer free vaccinations in Texas

Low-income children in rural California communities are in jeopardy of losing their doctors and health care plans under Gov. Jerry Brown's budget proposal, state lawmakers, doctors and health advocates say. The governor is proposing to transfer nearly 900,000 children enrolled in Healthy Families, the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, to Medi-Cal – a program aimed at serving the state's poorest families, seniors and disabled residents.

30 May 2012

Million Hearts, ACP aim to prevent heart attacks and strokes in five years

The American College of Physicians (ACP), the second-largest physician group in the United States, has joined Million Hearts, a public-private sector initiative that aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in five years. Million Hearts has two primary goals:

30 May 2012

Including smokers in donor pool improves survival rates for patients on lung transplant waiting lists and should be continued

New research shows that lung transplant patients who receive the lungs of smokers have a better overall chance of survival than those who remain on waiting lists, despite the fact that they tend to survive for a shorter period after transplantation than those who receive the lungs of non-smokers.

29 May 2012

Intensive glucose control associated with reduced risk of albuminuria

A review of data from seven clinical trials suggests that intensive glucose control is associated with reduced risk of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria (conditions characterized by excessive levels of protein in the urine usually resulting from damage to the filtering units of the kidneys), according to a report published in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

29 May 2012

Positive results from Acacia Phase II APD421 study in prevention of post-operative nausea & vomiting

Acacia Pharma announces positive results from its Phase II study of APD421, in the prevention of post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV).

28 May 2012

$CDC report finds states spend only a fraction of tobacco funds to fight smoking$

CDC report finds states spend only a fraction of tobacco funds to fight smoking

The study says states collected $244 billion from tobacco settlement payments between 1998 and 2010, and used about $8 billion of that for anti-smoking campaigns.

25 May 2012

Scientists discover key gene essential for sperm development

A new type of male contraceptive could be created thanks to the discovery of a key gene essential for sperm development.

25 May 2012

Number of Americans with kidney stones nearly doubled since 1994

The number of Americans suffering from kidney stones between 2007 and 2010 nearly doubled since 1994, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and RAND.

24 May 2012

COPD patients with P. aeruginosa infection more likely to have poor clinical outcomes

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who become infected with the bacterium Pseudomonas aerguinosa are more likely to have worse clinical outcomes and experience more hospitalizations during the course of their disease than COPD patients who are not infected, according to researchers from Buffalo, N.Y.

24 May 2012