Epidemiology News and Research

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Study identifies genetic markers that influence sex hormone-binding globulin

A research study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating estrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream.

21 Jul 2012

UNAIDS releases report highlighting gains, gaps in global HIV/AIDS response

Ahead of the XIX International AIDS Conference next week, UNAIDS on Wednesday launched a new report, titled "Together we will end AIDS", "that shows that a record eight million people are now receiving antiretroviral therapy [ARVs], and that domestic funding for HIV has exceeded global investments," the U.N. News Centre reports.

20 Jul 2012

Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce risk of kidney cancer

A majority of previous epidemiologic studies have shown that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk of kidney cancer, which may affect about 1% of the general population. In published prospective cohort studies, the risk for such cancer among moderate drinkers is usually about 25% less than the risk seen among non-drinkers.

20 Jul 2012

HIV in MSM increasing in countries of all incomes

A new Lancet Series published to coincide with the AIDS2012 meeting highlights a population where the HIV epidemic is growing in countries of all incomes: men who have sex with men (MSM). The first paper in the Series charts the epidemiology of HIV among MSM, and is by Professor Chris Beyrer, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA, and colleagues.

20 Jul 2012

New blood sugar monitor: An interview with Sherita Hill Golden

Type 1 diabetes is a disorder in which the body makes proteins (antibodies) against the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, destroying those cells. As a result, individuals are unable to secrete insulin to normalize blood sugar and hyperglycemia results.

20 Jul 2012

Community-based resources in rural Uganda can successfully provide HIV treatments

New research from the University of Alberta's School of Public Health has demonstrated that community-based resources in rural Uganda can successfully provide HIV treatments to patients, where economic and geographical barriers would typically prevent access to care.

20 Jul 2012

Link between objectively measured sleep and subsequent institutionalization among older women

Tired? Scientists have discovered another possible benefit of a night of restful and uninterrupted sleep. According to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health fragmented or interrupted sleep could predict future placement in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

20 Jul 2012

Overweight, obesity prevalent in psychiatric inpatients

Most inpatients with psychiatric disorders are overweight or obese, say Australian researchers who urge closer monitoring of the physical health of patients with mental illnesses.

19 Jul 2012

AOA honors Medical College of Georgia student with Kuckein Fellowship

A student at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University is among 47 recipients of the 2012 Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship from the national medical honor society Alpha Omega Alpha.

19 Jul 2012

Geographic adjustments not optimal tools to tackle larger national policy goals

Changing the way that Medicare payments are adjusted to account for regional variations in the cost of providing care as recommended by a previous report from the Institute of Medicine would result in payment increases for some hospitals and practitioners and decreases for others, concludes the Phase II report from the IOM study.

19 Jul 2012

High vitamin E intake associated with reduced risk of liver cancer

High consumption of vitamin E either from diet or vitamin supplements may lower the risk of liver cancer, according to a study published July 17 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

19 Jul 2012

HCV infections can lead to increased mortality from liver disease or variety of other causes

In a long-term study of people infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), researchers found increased deaths from both liver-related and non-liver related diseases in patients with active infections who had not cleared their infection.

19 Jul 2012

Researchers assess novel approach to encourage HIV positive people to seek care and treatment

In a new study by ICAP at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, researchers are assessing a novel approach to encourage newly diagnosed HIV positive people to seek care and adhere to HIV treatment.

18 Jul 2012

Combination of obesity and vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of diabetes

The combination of obesity and vitamin D deficiency may put people at even greater risk of insulin resistance than either factor alone, according to new research from the Drexel University School of Public Health recently published early online in the journal Diabetes Care.

18 Jul 2012

Smoking, hepatitis and liver transplantation: An interview with Dr Peter Ghali

We are very interested in hepatitis C as it is the most common indication for liver transplant in the Western world. The difficulty is that recurrence happens in the majority of patients within the first 2 to 7 years after transplant, and occasionally sooner.

18 Jul 2012

Why is the incidence of gout increasing?

Gout has been described by the Daily Mail as something, “usually associated with port-swilling, over-fed elderly men of the 19th century”. (1) Recent research carried out at the Boston University School of Medicine, however, has found that the incidence of gout in the US is on the rise. (2) Thus, the condition is clearly not something that only affects this stereotype.

17 Jul 2012

Polio eradication: an interview with Dr. Kathleen O’Reilly

Polio is a disease caused by a virus and results in paralysis, usually in the legs, of those affected. The paralysis is irreversible. In some extreme cases the virus spreads to the nerve cells of the brain reducing breathing capacity and this rarer form can be fatal.

16 Jul 2012

Overweight, obesity prevalent in psychiatric inpatients

Most inpatients with psychiatric disorders are overweight or obese, say Australian researchers who urge closer monitoring of the physical health of patients with mental illnesses.

12 Jul 2012

Low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help reduce menopausal symptoms

Weight loss that occurs in conjunction with a low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help to reduce or eliminate hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study that appears in the current issue of Menopause.

12 Jul 2012

Prenatal and early childhood exposure to PCE may be associated with long-term visual impairments

Prenatal and early childhood exposure to the chemical solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) found in drinking water may be associated with long-term visual impairments, particularly in the area of color discrimination, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers has found.

12 Jul 2012