Epidemiology News and Research

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Higher trans fat levels in blood associated with elevated risk of heart disease

High consumption of trans fat, found mainly in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and widely used by the food industry, has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

30 Mar 2007

Parents often the source of whooping cough

Infants with whooping cough were most likely infected by the people they live with, according to a multi-country study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

30 Mar 2007

Study provides strongest link to date between trans fat and heart disease

High consumption of trans fat, found mainly in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and widely used by the food industry, has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

28 Mar 2007

Mother's high beef consumption while pregnant associated with lower sperm counts in her son

Researchers sought to examine the relationship between semen quality and long-term risks from growth hormones and other chemicals in beef.

28 Mar 2007

Emergency responses greatly increase risk to firefighters for heart disease

Firefighters engage in a dangerous occupation, risking life-threatening burns and smoke inhalation, among other hazards. So it may surprise some that the leading cause of death on duty among U.S. firefighters is coronary heart disease (CHD).

22 Mar 2007

Racial disparities in treatment and survival of male breast cancer

A new study shows that among men treated for breast cancer, African-American men are more likely to die of the disease compared with white men. The results of the study are published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).

19 Mar 2007

Large-scale Japanese study finds soy protective against localized prostate cancer, but not advanced

The largest study examining the relationship between the traditional soy-rich Japanese diet and development of prostate cancer in Japanese men has come to a seemingly contradictory conclusion: intake of isoflavone chemicals, derived largely from soy foods, decreased the risk of localized prostate cancer but increased the risk of advanced prostate cancer.

15 Mar 2007

Arsenic in drinking water can lead to miscarriages and sudden infant death

For the first time, researchers have been able to show that mothers who drink water containing arsenic run an increased risk of having a miscarriage or losing their child in its first year. This has been demonstrated by a research team from Sweden and Bangladesh in an article published last Saturday in the Net edition of American Journal of Epidemiology.

14 Mar 2007

University of Miami, Haitian Community health workers team up to address breast cancer

A collaboration between doctors at the University of Miami and members of the Haitian community in Southern Florida is attempting to address mammography screening and breast cancer among Haitian women living in the U.S., the Miami Herald reports.

11 Mar 2007

More synergy in public health between Methodist-Houston and Weill Cornell

A noted authority in health services research, critical care and geriatric medicine, Dr. Marc D. Silverstein has been appointed chairman of a newly created Department of Public Health at The Methodist Hospital in Houston.

11 Mar 2007

Bono meets with Rep. Barbara Lee to discuss HIV/AIDS awareness

Irish musician and international HIV/AIDS advocate Bono on Friday met with Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and local church leaders in Oakland, Calif., to discuss HIV/AIDS awareness among the California Bay Area black community, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

5 Mar 2007

Exercise moderates risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in smokers

Moderate to high levels of regular physical activity are associated with lower lung function decline among smokers and help to moderate their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a large retrospective cohort study.

5 Mar 2007

Women who smoke during pregnancy can cause permanent vascular damage in their children

The Netherlands Atherosclerosis Risk in Young Adults (ARYA) study showed that participants who were exposed to smoke when their mothers were pregnant resulted in permanent cardiovascular damage that could be detected in young adulthood.

5 Mar 2007

Study compares Lipitor with Simvastatin

A retrospective analysis of a large U.S. managed care database showed that patients who took Pfizer's cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) Tablets had a significant 14 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, compared with patients who took simvastatin.

5 Mar 2007

Reduce your heart attack risk by eating whole-grain breakfast cereals

The health benefits of whole-grain breakfast cereals have been lauded yet again by the medical profession.

5 Mar 2007

Assumption of 'down-low' lifestyle can distort HIV/AIDS research

A commentary published in the March issue of Annals of Epidemiology questions whether black men pursuing a "down-low" lifestyle -- when black men secretly have sex with both male and female partners -- are causing an increase in HIV cases among black women, Reuters Health reports.

4 Mar 2007

Health status of Gypsies and Travellers in England

The health of Gypsies and Travellers is significantly worse than that of other vulnerable groups, reveals research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

4 Mar 2007

Early life growth protects against "bad" cholesterol

Tall toddlers and rapidly growing teens are likely to find themselves with lower cholesterol, particularly the "bad" type, in later life, suggests research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

4 Mar 2007

University of Bristol to create new medical research centre

The University of Bristol has been awarded £2.7 million by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to create a new research centre which will apply knowledge from genetic analyses to large-scale studies of the health of the population. These investigations will aim to find the factors that are causing disease, which can then be influenced to reduce risk.

4 Mar 2007