Epidemiology News and Research

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Suicide now the leading cause of injury mortality in the U.S.

A published study by researchers from the West Virginia University School of Public Health and Injury Control Research Center found that suicide has now passed motor vehicle traffic crashes as the leading cause of injury deaths in the United States. Additionally, the disease rate has been declining while the injury rate has been rising.

24 Sep 2012

Study looks at effect of all dietary antioxidants in relation to myocardial infarction

Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in women. A new study has found that a diet rich in antioxidants, mainly from fruits and vegetables, can significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction.

24 Sep 2012

UAB urges women to get tested for key measures throughout their lives

Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the leading causes of death in women of all ages in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To get ahead of these chronic health issues and possibly prevent them from worsening, experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham urge women to get tested for key measures throughout their lives.

21 Sep 2012

Prevalence of sexual violence against mental health patients ‘alarming’

Around a fifth of patients with mental illnesses report being the victims of sexual violence, results from a Brazilian study show.

21 Sep 2012

Boehringer Ingelheim files MAA with EMA for afatinib approval

Today, Boehringer Ingelheim has announced the submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for approval of afatinib, the first irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, as a treatment for patients with EGFR (ErbB1) mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Afatinib has demonstrated unprecedented efficacy versus chemotherapy in the Phase III LUX-Lung 3 registration trial, which provides pivotal support for this submission.

20 Sep 2012

Study uncovers why some HIV-positive people take long time to progress to full-blown AIDS

One of the big mysteries of AIDS is why some HIV-positive people take more than a decade to progress to full-blown AIDS, if they progress at all.

20 Sep 2012

RI MUHC, McGill University launch Montreal component of Canada-wide aging study

It's often referred to as the "Silver Tsunami". The aging of the Canadian population will become a public health challenge in the coming decades. By 2025, it is estimated that one in five Canadians will be over 65, and within 30 years Quebec will have one of the most elderly populations in the Western world.

20 Sep 2012

New tools can help track healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have each released new tools and information to help track deadly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in nursing homes and other long-term care settings.

19 Sep 2012

Light alcohol consumption may increase risk of certain cancers

The majority of observational studies have shown that alcohol intake, especially heavy drinking, increases a number of upper-aero-digestive tract (UADT) and other cancers, and even moderate drinking is associated with a slight increase in the risk of breast cancer.

19 Sep 2012

Tranexamic acid: an interview with Prof Ian Roberts

Tranexamic acid is a medicine that reduces blood clot breakdown. In this way it helps in patients with bleeding.

19 Sep 2012

No association between XMRV/pMLV and chronic fatigue syndrome

The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have long eluded scientists. In 2009, a paper in the journal Science linked the syndrome-sometimes called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)-to infection with a mouse retrovirus called XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus).

18 Sep 2012

Migraine headaches in children linked to behavioral difficulties

Kids who get migraine headaches are much more likely than other children to also have behavioral difficulties, including social and attention issues, and anxiety and depression. The more frequent the headaches, the greater the effect, according to research out now in the journal Cephalagia, published by SAGE.

17 Sep 2012

Wake Forest Baptist to identify genetic variants associated with premature cardiovascular disease

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are leading a four-year, $8.9 million national project to identify variations in the human genome and corresponding changes in the arterial proteins associated with premature development of atherosclerosis.

15 Sep 2012

Study assesses hand contamination of healthcare workers after disinfection procedures

New research demonstrates that daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces in isolation rooms of patients with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly reduces the rate of the pathogens on the hands of healthcare personnel.

15 Sep 2012

Cessation of drinking may reduce risk of oesophageal cancer

Cancer of the oesophagus is becoming more common in Europe and North America. Around 7,800 people in the UK are diagnosed each year. The exact causes of this cancer aren't fully understood. It appears to be more common in people who have long-term acid reflux (backflow of stomach acid into the oesophagus).

14 Sep 2012

Pathogens and Global Health highlights current debate on counterfeit medicine

The latest issue of Pathogens and Global Health highlights the current debate surrounding the under-investigated, and politically sensitive, issue of counterfeit medicine. Issue 106.2 includes an interview with Dr Paul Newton, Head of the Laos arm of the Wellcome Trust's Major Overseas Programmes, and a number of articles highlighting the technological innovations and field initiatives that are challenging this threat to global health.

13 Sep 2012

Ibuprofen or acetaminophen may increase risk of hearing loss among women

Headache? Back pain? At the first sign of pain, you might reach for a pain-relieving medicine to sooth your bodily woes. Analgesics are the most frequently used medications in the United States and are commonly used to treat a variety of medical conditions. But although popping a pill may make the pain go away, it may do some damage to your ears.

13 Sep 2012

Exposure to road traffic noise may increase risk of annoyance or sleep disturbance

The World Health Organization recently recognized environmental noise as harmful pollution, with adverse psychosocial and physiological effects on public health. A new study of noise pollution in Fulton County, Georgia, suggests that many residents are exposed to high noise levels that put them at risk of annoyance or sleep disturbance, which can have serious health consequences.

12 Sep 2012

Albert Einstein College of Medicine to educate faculty members and students on social media

Social media is increasingly popular but engaging in its proper use can prove confusing and challenging - especially in the medical and healthcare arenas. Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has been awarded a two-year grant to educate faculty members and medical students on using social media appropriately and effectively.

11 Sep 2012