Epidemiology News and Research

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Rate of suicide in U.S. increases for first time in a decade

The increase in the overall suicide rate between 1999 and 2005 was due primarily to an increase in suicides among whites aged 40-64, with white middle-aged women experiencing the largest annual increase.

21 Oct 2008

Getting the flu early may protect against worse one later

New evidence about the worldwide influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 indicates that getting the flu early protected many people against a second deadlier wave, an article co-authored by an NIH epidemiologist concludes.

20 Oct 2008

People lacking essential antioxidants and sunlight more likely to develop advanced macular degeneration

People who lack essential antioxidants, and who have high levels of sunlight exposure, have a higher risk of developing advanced macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study published today in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology. AMD is the leading cause of poor vision in the UK.

20 Oct 2008

Birth control has long term effect on hormone exposure

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine may be one step closer to understanding why past oral contraceptive use dramatically lowers the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers later in life.

20 Oct 2008

FDA approves new labeling for psoriasis drug Raptiva

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced labeling changes, including a Boxed Warning, to highlight the risks of life-threatening infections, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), with the use of Raptiva (efalizumab). The labeling changes are based on the FDA's post-market surveillance.

19 Oct 2008

People lacking vital antioxidants and exposed to sunlight more likely to develop eye disease later in life

13 Oct 2008

Link found between bisphenol A and heart disease

British scientists have revealed a possible link between the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and disease in adults.

13 Oct 2008

Bisphenol A linked to diabetes and heart disease in adults

A research team from the Peninsula Medical School, the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and the University of Iowa, have found evidence linking Bisphenol A (BPA) to diabetes and heart disease in adults.

12 Oct 2008

Male baldness gene in Caucasians discovered

Researchers at McGill University, King's College London and GlaxoSmithKline Inc. have identified two genetic variants in caucasians that together produce an astounding sevenfold increase the risk of male pattern baldness. Their results will be published Oct. 12 in the journal Nature Genetics.

12 Oct 2008

Research explores potential link between surname and Y chromosome type

Scientists at the world-leading Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester - where the revolutionary technique of genetic fingerprinting was invented by Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys- are developing techniques which may one day allow police to work out someone's surname from the DNA alone.

12 Oct 2008

Red wine cuts smokers risk for lung cancer

Cancer experts say drinking red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men who smoke, because of its antioxidant properties.

7 Oct 2008

Researchers explore issues related to multiple myeloma treatment

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of plasma cells that affects approximately 3 in 100,000 people each year. Although there is no cure for this disease, researchers have developed treatments that help relieve pain, control complications, and slow the progress of MM in many patients. Unfortunately, some of the most effective therapies also have toxic side effects that can pose serious health risks and reduce quality of life. In the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, two articles authored by Mayo researchers address the issue of how to balance the risks and benefits associated with MM treatments.

6 Oct 2008

Researchers discover genes linked to increased gout risk

A team of researchers from the United States and the Netherlands has identified mutations in three genes that are associated with high levels of uric acid in the blood, which is a risk factor for gout.

5 Oct 2008

Birth size a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer later in life

The findings from a study by a team based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) are published in PLoS Medicine.

2 Oct 2008

7 million pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa infected with hookworms

A study published by PLoS reveals that between a quarter and a third of pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, or almost 7 million, are infected with hookworms, putting them at risk of anaemia.

2 Oct 2008

Experts say heart patients should be screened for depression

The American Heart Association says heart patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and should be screened, and if necessary treated, to improve their recovery and overall health.

30 Sep 2008

Birth size a marker for breast cancer later in life

A new study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has found that birth size is a marker of susceptibility to breast cancer later in life - they say birth size, and in particular birth length, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in adulthood.

30 Sep 2008

Statins shown not to increase the risk of Lou Gehrig's disease

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration's analysis provides new evidence that the use of statins does not increase incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." The analysis was reported on Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

29 Sep 2008

Women warned about talcum powder ovarian cancer risk

Scientists have issued a warning to women about using talcum powder - they say it increases their risk of developing ovarian cancer.

29 Sep 2008

Gap in black, white new cancer diagnoses narrowing in Missouri; mortality rate gap falling more slowly, study finds

The gap between blacks and whites in Missouri for newly diagnosed cancers is narrowing in part because of an overall decline in smoking and an increase in cancer screenings, according to a study to be published early next year in the journal Missouri Medicine, the AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

29 Sep 2008