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Traffic pollution linked to low birth weight of unborn babies, study reveals

A new study published yesterday by The BMJ states that air pollution caused by road traffic in London has a harmful impact on babies’ health while still in the womb.

6 Dec 2017

Hospitals find asthma hot spots more profitable to neglect than fix

Keyonta Parnell has had asthma most of his young life, but it wasn't until his family moved to the 140-year-old house here on Lemmon Street two years ago that he became one of the health care system's frequent customers.

6 Dec 2017

Scientists use computer analysis to complete antibody blueprint

Antibodies defend our bodies against intruders. These molecules consist of proteins with attached sugars. However, the blueprint directing the processing of these sugars on the protein was not well understood until now.

30 Nov 2017

Underground transit routes expose passengers to greater concentrations of carcinogens, study finds

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 90 percent of the 4.5 million workers in the Los Angeles area spend an average of 60 minutes each day commuting on a roadway or railway.

30 Nov 2017

New study shows how SNO reaction may contribute to Parkinson's disease

A new study from The Scripps Research Institute is the first to show precisely how a process in nerve cells called the S-nitrosylation (SNO) reaction- which can be caused by aging, pesticides and pollution- may contribute to Parkinson's disease.

22 Nov 2017

Oil droplets from cooking contributes to indoor air pollution finds study

A team of researchers from the Texas Tech University and Utah State University were looking at the properties of the oil droplets that are released when cooking takes place on an open frying pan with oil and found that these oil droplets could contribute significantly to indoor air pollution.

19 Nov 2017

Tree cover linked to fewer asthma cases in polluted urban neighborhoods

People living in polluted urban areas are far less likely to be admitted to hospital with asthma when there are lots of trees in their neighborhood, a study by the University of Exeter's medical school has found.

17 Nov 2017

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