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Children exposed to maternal smoking in utero have increased DNA methylation in AXL gene

Children whose mothers or grandmothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk of asthma in childhood, but the underlying causes of this are not well understood. Now a new study indicates changes in a process called DNA methylation that occurs before birth may be a root cause.

19 May 2011

Study explores impact of environmental toxins on health care costs and childhood morbidity

In three new studies published in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers reveal the staggering economic impact of toxic chemicals and air pollutants in the environment, and propose new legislation to mandate testing of new chemicals and also those already on the market.

5 May 2011

Global climate change could increase future heat wave mortality

Global climate change is anticipated to bring more extreme weather phenomena such as heat waves that could impact human health in the coming decades.

4 May 2011

Asthma prevalence jump alarms health experts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a report released this Tuesday, Americans are suffering from asthma in record numbers. Nearly one in 10 children and almost one in 12 Americans of all ages now has asthma, government researchers said. Tuesday was World Asthma Day.

4 May 2011

Secondhand smoke exposure linked to high blood pressure in boys

Exposure to secondhand smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with increased blood pressure in boys, according to new research being presented Sunday, May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

American Lung Association releases 2011 annual air quality report

Today, the American Lung Association released its annual report on air quality, State of the Air 2011, which includes lists of the nation's most polluted metropolitan areas.

27 Apr 2011

Exposure to air pollution may alter women's DNA and cause premenopausal breast cancer

Exposure to air pollution early in life and when a woman gives birth to her first child may alter her DNA and may be associated with premenopausal breast cancer later in life, researchers at the University at Buffalo have shown.

21 Apr 2011

Study quantifies health effects of Delhi's environmental interventions

Recent radical changes in air quality regulations in Delhi, India, have had a substantial positive effect on the health of city residents, according to new research co-authored by Andrew Foster, professor of economics and community health and an associate at Brown's Population Studies and Training Center.

12 Apr 2011

Air pollution on freeways may lead to brain damage: Study

Earlier research has shown that air pollution from cars and trucks on Southern California freeways – that contains soot, pavement dust and other toxic substances - can cause respiratory disease, heart attacks, cancer and premature death. Now a new study has shown that exposure to pollution particles roughly one-thousandth the width of a human hair may lead to brain damage in mice, including signs associated with memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. The study comes from University of Southern California and is published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

10 Apr 2011

Busy roads around pregnant woman's home increases likelihood of premature birth of baby

Babies are born earlier when their mothers live near a concentration of freeways and main roads, a study of 970 mothers and their newborn babies in Logan City, south of Brisbane, has found.

7 Apr 2011

Geisinger expert offers advice on how to manage child's asthma

Asthma is the leading cause of hospital visits and missed school days in children, according to the National Institute of Health. A chronic condition, pediatric asthma requires continual care to prevent serious, life-threatening asthma attacks.

1 Apr 2011

Global chronic disease burdens are increasing rapidly: Research

Those working for healthier humans around the globe are making headway in fighting communicable diseases such as AIDS, malaria and diarrheal illness, according to research from the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures in the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

15 Mar 2011

Infant formulas with fluoridated water increase risk of discolored teeth: HHS

All infant formulas, either concentrated or ready-to-feed, already contain some fluoride and, when routinely mixed with fluoridated water, increase the risk of dental fluorosis, according to Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a video commentary published on Medscape.com, March 8, 2011.

11 Mar 2011

Tiniest pollution particles can contribute to cardiovascular disease in diabetic people

Scientists are untangling how the tiniest pollution particles - which we take in with every breath we breathe - affect our health, making people more vulnerable to cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

10 Mar 2011

New report highlights wide range of hazardous air pollutants emitted from power plants

The American Lung Association today released Toxic Air: The Case for Cleaning Up Coal-fired Power Plants, a new report that documents the range of hazardous air pollutants emitted from power plants and the urgent need to clean them up to protect public health.

8 Mar 2011

Study: Role of air pollutants in cardiometabolic syndrome

To explore one of the most critical health/environment intersections - how the very air we breathe can cause heart disease and diabetes and contribute to the problems of obesity - Michigan State University has been named a Clean Air Research Center by the Environmental Protection Agency.

8 Mar 2011

AAFA study: Richmond ranked as No. 1 Asthma Capital in the U.S.

For the second year in a row, Richmond, VA, has been ranked as the No. 1 Asthma Capital – the most challenging place to live with asthma in the U.S. – according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which conducted the study.

23 Feb 2011

New study shows strong link between climate and air pollution

Differences in air pressure over the North Atlantic have meant that the last two winters in Gothenburg, Sweden, have been extremely cold. This has led to the air in Gothenburg being more polluted with nitrogen oxides than ever before. A new study from the University of Gothenburg shows that there is a strong link between climate and air pollution.

23 Feb 2011

Study suggests red mud dust inhalation would not increase risk of serious health problems

Scientists in Hungary are reporting that the potential health effects of last October's Red Mud Disaster, one of the worst environmental accidents in Europe, may be less dangerous than previously feared. Their study, reported in ACS's journal Environmental Science & Technology, concludes that the dust from the mud may be no more harmful than particles of ordinary urban air pollution.

17 Feb 2011

New poll: 64% of Rep. Bass' constituents oppose bill to dismantle EPA's ability to reduce pollutions

Sixty-four percent of Rep. Charlie Bass' constituents in the New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District oppose a controversial bill to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants, a new poll reveals. As a key member of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Bass will have to vote on the bill in the near future.

14 Feb 2011