Chronic Disease News and Research

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Most flu shot plans do not address how to vaccinate hard-to-reach populations

Most flu immunization plans in the United States do not address how to vaccinate hard-to-reach populations (HTR)--undocumented immigrants, substance users, the homeless, homebound elderly, and minorities--and this potentially dangerous omission can lead masses of people to become ill during an outbreak of pandemic flu or other contagious disease, according to a new study by the New York Academy of Medicine in the current issue of the Journal of Urban Health.

17 Aug 2007

Another reason to quit - smoking increases the risk blindness in seniors

Australian researchers say people who smoke are four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

14 Aug 2007

Health plan interventions control prescription drug expenditures

As national spending on prescription drugs rose faster than any other segment of health care spending, the health plan at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center was able to maintain constant spending, resulting in savings of more than $6.6 million over three years.

8 Aug 2007

Life around newborn discharge

A landmark nationwide study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is the first ever to prospectively examine the decision-making process of over 4,000 mothers and their physicians around the readiness of mothers and their infants to leave the hospital after childbirth.

6 Aug 2007

Daily stress exacerbates the symptoms lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease which produces antibodies causing injuries to the body's cells and tissue.

3 Aug 2007

New Australian centre for obesity, nutrition, exercise and public health

The Institute of Obesity, Nutrition & Exercise will draw together some of Australia's leading researchers, scientists and academics in four key divisions; Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise, and Public Health, Epidemiology and Policy.

27 Jul 2007

Metformin gets top grade for diabetes

A type 2 diabetes drug taken orally and in widespread use for more than a decade has been found to have distinct advantages over nine other, mostly newer medications used to control the chronic disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins.

26 Jul 2007

Being elderly and illiterate means a significantly higher mortality rate

Researchers in the U.S. have found that being elderly and being unable to read and understand basic health information is a bad combination.

24 Jul 2007

Analysis of diabetes drugs

Most oral medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes are similarly effective for reducing blood glucose, but the drug metformin is less likely to cause weight gain and may be more likely than other treatments to decrease so-called bad cholesterol, according to a report funded by HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Jul 2007

Selenium and type 2 diabetes

Selenium, an antioxidant included in multivitamin tablets thought to have a possible protective effect against the development of type 2 diabetes, may actually increase the risk of developing the disease, an analysis by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown.

16 Jul 2007

Importance of starting pregnancy at a healthy weight

Smoking and drinking don't mix with pregnancy, but not so with excess weight before and during pregnancy.

13 Jul 2007

Researchers measure effect of hepatitis B on patients' quality of life

"Am I going to die? I have no future." "I feel depressed at times, fearful I may not see my children marry or be a grandparent." Such heart-rending statements from patients with chronic hepatitis B reveal the social and mental impact of this disease, which affects 350 million worldwide.

11 Jul 2007

Electronic health records not associated with improved quality of outpatient health care

Electronic health records have been hailed as a key element in making U.S. medical care more effective and efficient, but a new study led by a researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine shows that electronic records were not associated with improved quality of outpatient health care in 2003 and 2004.

10 Jul 2007

Asthma gene found

A gene that is strongly associated with a risk of developing childhood onset asthma was identified by an international team of scientists, whose findings are published in the journal Nature.

4 Jul 2007

Rheumatologists overestimate physical disability of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatologists substantially overestimate the physical disability of patients with rheumatoid arthritis which may lead to inaccurate evaluations of the patient's ability to work and need for lifestyle modifications, a new study found.

29 Jun 2007

Prospective predictors of long-term abstinence versus relapse among smokers who quit as young adults

A non-smoking spouse and smoke-free workplace play key roles in long-term success for young adults who quit smoking, according to Indiana University research, which found environmental factors to be more influential than individual behaviors and beliefs when it comes to kicking the habit.

29 Jun 2007

How medical homes promote equity in health care

Providing minority patients a medical home in which they have a regular doctor or health professional who oversees and coordinates their care would help eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and promote more health care equity, says a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.

28 Jun 2007

New approach for tackling allergies

Allergies, like the common cold and asthma, have basically defied the best efforts of modern medicine to cure them.

28 Jun 2007

Pediatric chronic disease poses future health and welfare challenges

The increased incidence of chronic conditions among American children predicts serious strains on health care and social welfare systems in the future, caution investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

27 Jun 2007

Women need to start thinking about heart disease prevention before menopause

Studies in female monkeys helped raise important questions about hormone therapy that were addressed in a Women's Health Initiative study reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine .

26 Jun 2007