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Routine Zika vaccination could help prevent suffering and save money

Global climate change has raised concerns that mosquito-borne diseases could become increasingly prevalent in the United States as warmer temperatures lead to increased mosquito activity.

23 Jan 2020

Early vaping illness cases linked to vaping products containing vitamin E acetate

A new study published in January 2020 in the journal Toxics reports that a complete analysis of the products used by patients who fell ill after using vaping products shows one component standing out – vitamin E acetate (VEA). This was the outstanding component found in e-cigarette liquids containing cannabis compounds, but not in the nicotine-containing vaping liquids.

23 Jan 2020

Living near major roads linked to higher incidence of neurological disorders

Living near major roads or highways is linked to higher incidence of dementia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests new research published this week in the journal Environmental Health.

23 Jan 2020

Experts highlight safety and role of low/no calorie sweeteners in helping reduce sugar intake

The International Sweeteners Association welcomes the publication this month of a new scientific report by Ashwell et al. in Nutrition Research Reviews.

23 Jan 2020

Long-term air pollution makes rhinitis symptoms worse

A new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that people exposed to polluted air out of doors show more severe symptoms of rhinitis, a very common condition also called a cold. This is due to an inflammation of the nasal mucosa.

23 Jan 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: SCOTUS punts on ACA case — for now

The Supreme Court has declined to take up immediately a case out of Texas that could overturn the entire Affordable Care Act. But that is not likely to stop the case from becoming a major political issue in the 2020 presidential and congressional campaigns.

23 Jan 2020

Emerging public health concern about Wuhan coronavirus

Since December, a new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed at least 17 people and sickened close to 600. Cases continue to spread globally, with one identified in Washington state.

23 Jan 2020

New study to measure effects of environmental exposure on young women's breasts

A University of Massachusetts Amherst cancer epidemiologist has received a $462,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand her research into the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the breast density of college-age women. High breast density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer.

23 Jan 2020

People who care for a family member or friend with disability put their health in jeopardy

People who regularly care for or assist a family member or friend with a health problem or disability are more likely to neglect their own health, particularly by not having insurance or putting off necessary health services due to cost, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.

23 Jan 2020

Treatment for low back pain in older adults does not match guidelines

Many Medicare patients with new episodes of low back pain receive care inconsistent with current guidelines - including high use of opioids and advanced imaging tests, reports a study in the February issue of Medical Care.

23 Jan 2020

Patient multimorbidity increases GPs’ likelihood of burnout

There is a difference between seeing a patient with a catalogue of two or more serious chronic diseases and a healthy patient who just needs a prescription to treat a case of cystitis.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists call for more effort to map the human exposome

An international team of researchers is calling for a large-scale effort to map the health effects of cumulative exposure to environmental components such as chemical pollutants.

23 Jan 2020

Study uncovers how common stomach bacterium maintains its corkscrew-like shape

A new study shows how a common stomach bacterium is able to keep its corkscrew-like shape as it grows. Disrupting the shape could point the way for future, more-specialized antibiotics that prevent the bacterium from being harmful.

23 Jan 2020

New Cal Poly study identifies effective weight loss maintenance strategies

Just in time for the New Year, a new Cal Poly study shows that if you want to lose weight and keep it off, building healthy dietary, self-monitoring and psychological coping strategies may be the keys to success.

23 Jan 2020

Adolescents with PCOS and obesity have more 'unhealthy' gut bacteria

Teens with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome have more "unhealthy" gut bacteria suggesting the microbiome may play a role in the disorder, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

23 Jan 2020

Researchers develop new tool to tackle diet epidemic in India

New research led by Queen's University Belfast aims to better understand the link between diet and disease in India.

23 Jan 2020

Wuhan coronavirus: Disease timeline and on the ground response

The Wuhan coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, a novel coronavirus, is spreading from China to other countries, with the United States confirming its first case of the potentially fatal disease. The virus has killed 17 people in China, sickening more than 500 people across six countries, and leaving thousands of people in quarantine.

22 Jan 2020