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Text messaging helps improve access to prenatal health information, study finds

Pregnant urban African American and immigrant Afro-Caribbean women are more likely to receive the prenatal health information they need if they are given access to mhealth apps like Text4baby.

14 Feb 2020

Experimental antiviral prevents MERS-CoV in rhesus macaques

The experimental antiviral remdesivir successfully prevented disease in rhesus macaques infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to a new study from National Institutes of Health scientists.

13 Feb 2020

'Quit vaping' internet searches increased during EVALI outbreak

E-cigarettes have been sold for more than a decade, seemingly without incident, but in the summer of 2019 serious lung injuries began appearing among some e-cigarette users -- especially adolescents and young adults.

13 Feb 2020

Chronic kidney disease killing millions worldwide

A new study published in February 2020 in the journal The Lancet shows that over the last 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of people who have severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) requiring dialysis by over 40%. However, in many places around the world, the accessibility of dialysis is extremely limited, say the researchers.

13 Feb 2020

Newly discovered antibiotics kill bacteria differently

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem across the globe, with many diseases becoming harder to treat. Now, a newly discovered antibiotic group shows promise in the fight against superbugs as it has a unique way of killing bacteria.

13 Feb 2020

Improving ability to predict autism risk with few drops of blood

Within days of birth, a few drops of blood are collected from every newborn in California--and across the United States -- which are then stored on filter paper and screened for dozens of genetic and congenital disorders, such as phenylketonuria, an inherited metabolic disorder that can result in intellectual disability, seizures, heart and behavioral problems.

13 Feb 2020

Children of women experiencing high physical violence at greater risk of school disruption

A new study published in Maternal and Child Health Journal, led by Anna M. Scolese, Master of Public Health student at George Mason University, found that 23.3% of women who experienced intimate partner violence reported their child's school attendance was disrupted due to IPV.

13 Feb 2020

Researchers develop high-resolution forecast model for the spread of malaria

Climate change aggravates global health problems, above all for people in Africa. The group "Climate change and Health in Sub-Saharan Africa" funded by the German Research Foundation studies climate-induced damage to health in Burkina Faso and Kenya.

13 Feb 2020

Coronavirus tests public health infrastructure in the heartland

Every weekday at noon since Jan. 27, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams gathers his outbreak response team for a meeting on coronavirus.

13 Feb 2020

Experts call for new graphic warnings to be added to cigarette packages

Experts at the Center for Tobacco Research and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute are making a case for why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's proposed rule to add 13 new graphic warnings for cigarette packages and advertisements should be allowed to go into effect.

13 Feb 2020

Health officials may be underestimating the prevalence of teen e-cigarette use

Juul, the popular e-cigarette brand that is being sued for fueling the youth e-cigarette epidemic, may have influenced high school students' perception of vaping such that some Juul users do not consider themselves e-cigarette users, a Rutgers-led study finds.

13 Feb 2020

No quick fix: Missouri finds managing pain without opioids isn’t fast or easy

Missouri began offering chiropractic care, acupuncture, physical therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for Medicaid patients in April, the latest state to try an alternative to opioids for those battling chronic pain.

13 Feb 2020

To fight Chinese outbreak, doctors deploy drugs targeting HIV, malaria and Ebola

As the scientific community scrambles to find a drug that can effectively treat tens of thousands of patients sickened by a new respiratory virus, they are trying some surprising remedies: medicines targeting known killers like HIV, Ebola and malaria.

13 Feb 2020

EPA fails to follow landmark law to protect kids from toxic pesticides

The landmark Food Quality Protection Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency to protect children's health by applying an extra margin of safety to legal limits for pesticides in food.

12 Feb 2020

Half the air pollution deaths in the U.S. linked to out-of-state emissions

Over half the deaths due to poor air quality occurring in the U.S. are because of emissions from outside the state in which the deaths occur, according to a new study published in February 2020 in the journal Nature.

12 Feb 2020

Sexual orientation affects skin cancer risk in the USA

A new study published in the journal JAMA Dermatology in February 2020 shows a higher rate of indoor tanning and a corresponding increase in skin cancer, among men with homosexual or bisexual preferences compared to heterosexual men.

12 Feb 2020

Privacy law gaps in high school STI health services identified

Without addressing these gaps, collaboration between schools (operating under FERPA) and health departments (operating under HIPAA) can compromise student privacy.

12 Feb 2020

New analysis shows rising ER visits for repeat opioid-related emergencies

The emergency department is being increasingly utilized as a patient's best or only treatment option for opioid use disorder.

12 Feb 2020

Sport can protect against serious mental health disorders, research shows

From a friendly game of soccer to sweating it solo in the gym, most of us know that exercise is good for our health. But beyond the obvious physical benefits, research led by UniSA expert in sports sociology Dr. Katja Siefken shows that sport can also protect us from developing serious mental health disorders.

12 Feb 2020

Genetic susceptibility influences the association between cell phone use and thyroid cancer

Radiation from cell phones is associated with higher rates of thyroid cancer among people with genetic variations in specific genes, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health finds.

12 Feb 2020