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Statin therapy reduces cardiovascular disease risk in patients with high sensitivity C-reactive protein

People at intermediate risk of cardiovascular disease who have high levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a blood marker for inflammation, could benefit from cholesterol-lowering therapy even if their cholesterol is already at desirable levels.

25 Aug 2010

Migraine with aura increases risk of heart disease: Research

Individuals who suffer from migraines with aura (temporary visual or sensory disturbances before or during a migraine headache) are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke.

25 Aug 2010

HCM patients undergoing transplant can expect reasonable long-term survival rates: Research

Transplant surgery to correct the most common type of genetic heart disease yields similar short-term and potentially greater long-term survival rates as transplant surgery for other heart diseases, according to research reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal.

25 Aug 2010

Researchers find new drug to treat circadian rhythm disorders

Researchers funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have successfully used a drug to reset and restart the natural 24 hour body clock of mice in the lab. The ability to do this in a mammal opens up the possibility of dealing with a range of human difficulties including some psychiatric disorders, jet lag and the health impacts of shift work.

24 Aug 2010

San Antonio City Council passes new comprehensive smoke-free ordinance

Workers in the second-largest city in Texas can now breathe easier. On August 19, the San Antonio City Council announced that the city's workplaces will now be free of secondhand smoke and risks that come along with it.

23 Aug 2010

Researchers find medication for diabetes, smoking cessation

The script for two research teams inducted today into the American Chemical Society (ACS) scientific "hall of fame" the ACS Heroes of Chemistry is a tale of two pills. One team invented a medication that helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels. The second team invented a medicine that helps people stop smoking, an addiction that experts regard as today's single greatest preventable cause of death worldwide.

23 Aug 2010

Twenty-five public health organizations file amicus brief against legal challenge from tobacco industry

Twenty-five leading public health organizations today announced that they have filed an amicus curiae brief supporting New York City's groundbreaking tobacco retail signage law against a challenge from the tobacco industry. The groups, ranging from the American Medical Association to the National Association of County and City Health Officials, to the Tobacco Control Legal Consortium, all are committed to fighting for the good health of New Yorkers, by having anti-tobacco posters be displayed at retail outlets where tobacco products are sold.

21 Aug 2010

Perry Ellis International launches corporate "Healthy Heart" initiative

Perry Ellis International today unveiled the first in a full roster of community involvement efforts scheduled for this fall.

21 Aug 2010

NHS Stop Smoking Services helps 373,954 people to quit smoking during 2009-10

NHS Stop Smoking Services helped 373,954 people to quit smoking during 2009-10 - a higher number than ever before.

21 Aug 2010

Washington's adult smoking rate drops to 14.8%, but smokeless tobacco use is on the rise

New survey results show Washington's adult smoking rate has dropped to a new low of 14.8 percent. That's down from 15.3 percent the previous year. Washington now has the third lowest smoking rate in the nation—the state's best ranking since measuring across all 50 states started in 1995. Despite these gains, people from low income and lower educational backgrounds continue to smoke at higher rates. Smokeless tobacco use, including products like chew, is also on the rise among people who already smoke.

20 Aug 2010

Tips for management of COPD

What is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States? Many would be surprised to learn that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is, and the number of people with COPD is increasing. According to the COPD Foundation, more than 12 million Americans are currently diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million may not realize their shortness of breath and coughing are in fact symptoms of this debilitating condition.

20 Aug 2010

San Antonio to implement comprehensive smoke-free ordinance

San Antonio will soon become the latest Texas city to implement a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance providing workers, residents and visitors protection from the dangers of secondhand smoke in all indoor workplaces. The City Council approved the ordinance at its Thursday meeting by a vote of seven to four.

20 Aug 2010

Even low-level exposure to cigarette smoke affects gene function in lungs

Casual smokers may think that smoking a few cigarettes a week is "no big deal." But according to new research from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, having an infrequent smoke, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, may be doing more harm than people may think. The findings may further support public smoking bans, say the authors.

20 Aug 2010

Study finds black women with SLE develop cardiovascular disease at early age

A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found significant racial disparities in the age of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and CVD-related death. Black women were youngest to both be admitted with CVD and to have an in-hospital death due to CVD.

20 Aug 2010

Study suggests elective surgical repair is safe intervention for abdominal aortic aneurysm

Research from the Society for Vascular Surgery in collaboration with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Department of Health Evidence and Policy in New York City evaluated the data of 3.1 million patients who were at risk for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

20 Aug 2010

Wis. pushes to expand Medicaid funding for contraceptives, Minnesota encourages 'medical homes,' Md. settles nursing home payment case

"Wisconsin is pushing to expand a controversial program that uses federal Medicaid funds to provide free birth-control pills, vasectomies and other forms of contraception to low-income people, an effort made possible by the federal health-care overhaul. It and 26 other states already provide free contraception and other reproductive-health services through a Medicaid pilot project to lower-earning women who otherwise wouldn't qualify."

19 Aug 2010

Celera Corporation releases review article on KIF6 gene variant for CHD

Celera Corporation today announced the publication of a review article on the KIF6 gene variant as a predictor of risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and reduction of CHD events from statin therapy.

19 Aug 2010

Overweight, smoking and lack of exercise linked to frequent headaches in teens

Teens who are overweight, get little exercise or who smoke may be more likely to have frequent headaches and migraines than teens with none of these factors, according to a study published in the August 18, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Aug 2010

Teachers' perceptions of poor behavior leads to potential misdiagnosis of ADHD

Nearly 1 million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder simply because they are the youngest - and most immature - in their kindergarten class, according to new research by a Michigan State University economist.

18 Aug 2010

Smoking rates among teenagers drop after illegalizing cigarette sales to under 18s

The number of 16 and 17 year old smokers has dropped since it became illegal to sell cigarettes to under 18s according to new research published in Addiction today (Wednesday).

18 Aug 2010