Chronic Disease News and Research

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Increasing diabetes burden in sub-Saharan Africa has potential to reverse health gains of recent years

As sub-Saharan African countries struggle to cope with the current burden of diabetes, new estimates suggest that costs associated with the disease could more than double and may reach up to US$59.3 billion per year by 2030 if type 2 diabetes cases continue to increase.

7 Jul 2017

New report reveals rapidly expanding diabetes epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is in the midst of a rapidly expanding diabetes epidemic that could have devastating health and economic consequences for the region unless quick and decisive action is taken to turn the tide, according to a major new report from a Lancet commission co-led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

6 Jul 2017

Drop in sudden cardiac arrests linked to Obamacare

If 22 million Americans lose their health care coverage by 2026 under the GOP Senate's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, how many people could die? The question is at the heart of the debate raging in Washington, D.C., but has been difficult to answer.

29 Jun 2017

Large-scale community initiative holds promise to combat childhood obesity

A large-scale effort to reduce childhood obesity in two low-income Massachusetts communities resulted in some modest improvements among schoolchildren over a relatively short period of time, suggesting that such a comprehensive approach holds promise for the future, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

27 Jun 2017

Reintroduction of PATA could improve patient access to life-saving drugs

The American College of Rheumatology today applauded the leadership of Rep. David McKinley and Rep. G.K. Butterfield in reintroducing H.R. 2999, the Patients' Access to Treatment Act.

24 Jun 2017

All kids should be screened for obesity

Earlier this week, an influential group of experts in preventive care affirmed that children age 6 and older should be screened for obesity and referred to intensive treatment when necessary.

23 Jun 2017

Promises made to protect preexisting conditions prove hollow

Senate Republicans praised the Affordable Care Act replacement bill they presented Thursday as preserving coverage for people with cancer, mental illness and other chronic illness.

23 Jun 2017

Study finds some insulin production in almost half of diabetes patients

Some insulin is still produced in almost half of the patients that have had type 1 diabetes for more than ten years.

22 Jun 2017

Survivors of childhood diseases struggle to find care as adults

Rachael Goldring was born with congenital heart disease. Had she been born a few decades earlier, she probably would have died as a baby. Now 24, Goldring is part of a population of patients who present new challenges to a health care system unaccustomed to dealing with survivors of once-fatal conditions.

22 Jun 2017

Researchers discover same kind of T-cell exhaustion in IBS-D patients

Australian researchers have for the first time discovered that a specific type of irritable bowel syndrome is associated with exhaustion of the immune system in patients.

21 Jun 2017

Study highlights need for more research in primary care and family medicine

As medicine continues to shift toward evidence-based practice, some primary care providers may have a difficult time finding quality evidence to support their clinical decisions, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

20 Jun 2017

Nearly 20% of patients treated with antibiotics experience adverse side effects, study finds

A study examining the impact of antibiotics prescribed for nearly 1500 adult patients admitted to The Johns Hopkins Hospital found that adverse side effects occurred in a fifth of them, and that nearly a fifth of those side effects occurred in patients who didn't need antibiotics in the first place.

14 Jun 2017

Irreversible infertility risk in men linked to urogenital infections

In couples who have not been able to have children, male infertility is the cause in at least half of cases. In 6-10% the cause is a urogenital infection.

14 Jun 2017

New way to produce protein antigen may lead to preventative vaccine for schistosomiasis

Cornell and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research scientists have developed a way to produce a protein antigen that may be useful as vaccine for schistosomiasis – a parasitic disease that infects millions of people, mostly in tropical and subtropical climates – according to new research in the journal Protein Expression and Purification, June 2017.

12 Jun 2017

When an insurer balks and treatment stops

Gillen Washington, a student at Northern Arizona University, had been getting medication for an immunodeficiency disease since 2011. But when he went to his clinic in November 2014 for the monthly dose, a nurse told him his insurance company had denied it.

7 Jun 2017

Many COPD patients struggle to pay for each medicinal breath

After a lifetime of smoking, Juanita Milton needs help breathing. She's tethered to an oxygen tank 24/7 and uses two drug inhalers a day, including Spiriva, which she called "the really expensive one."

5 Jun 2017

Studies suggest increased risk of hypertension, diabetes in people with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea

Preliminary data from two studies suggest that mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension and diabetes.

5 Jun 2017

Nearly half of adults with mood disorders experience chronic pain, survey finds

In a survey of adults with anxiety or a mood disorder like depression or bipolar disorder, about half reported experiencing chronic pain, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

31 May 2017

New chartbook illustrates burden of chronic illnesses

A new publication illustrates the burden that chronic illnesses impose on American society, demonstrating through charts and graphics how 60 percent of American adults suffer from at least one chronic health condition and 42 percent have more than one.

31 May 2017

FIRS releases new report that outlines global burden of respiratory disease

The Forum of International Respiratory Societies, an organization comprised of the world’s leading international respiratory societies working together to improve lung health globally, today released “The Global Impact of Respiratory Disease.” The report lays out the tremendous impact that respiratory disease has on world health.

26 May 2017