Mortality News and Research

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Publication of death rates: an interview with Dr Kate Walker, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

The death rates of individual heart surgeons have been published in England and several US states for some years. A high profile investigation into high death rates at a certain cardiac centre motivated this in England. For other surgery types, death rates have been reported only at the hospital or trust level. NHS England’s “Everyone Counts” policy, introduced this Summer, means that outcomes of ten types of surgery will be reported at the individual surgeon level.

15 Aug 2013

Clinical trials shows CRT improves symptoms, reduces mortality in patients with heart failure

In a large population of Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure who underwent implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, patients who had the cardiac characteristics of left bundle-branch block and longer QRS duration had the lowest risks of death and all-cause, cardiovascular, and heart failure readmission, according to a study in the August 14 issue of JAMA

14 Aug 2013

Chemical compound prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces

Targeting serious and sometimes deadly fungal infections, a team of researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) has discovered a chemical compound that prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces, which, typically, is the first step of the infection process used by the human pathogen Candida albicans (C. albicans).

14 Aug 2013

Researchers discover why early pregnancy reduces breast cancer

An international scientific collaborative led by the Harvard Stem Cell Institute's Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD, has discovered why women who give birth in their early twenties are less likely to eventually develop breast cancer than women who don't, triggering a search for a way to confer this protective state on all women.

13 Aug 2013

Researchers say type 2 diabetes status should be taken into account in future BMI-mortality studies

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) appears to be stronger in adults without diabetes than those with existing diabetes. These findings- are published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine- in a study by Chandra Jackson of the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues.

13 Aug 2013

Healthy diet, moderate alcohol may be associated with decreased risk of CKD in diabetes patients

Eating a healthy diet and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol may be associated with decreased risk or progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

13 Aug 2013

Patient Safety Technologies announces results for second quarter 2013

Patient Safety Technologies, Inc. today announced results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2013. During the second quarter of 2013 the Company grew its installed customer base of facilities using its SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System to 294.

12 Aug 2013

Weight and mortality relationship appears to be stronger in adults without diabetes

Researchers ask diabetes status be taken into account in population studies that link weight and mortality. The relationship between body mass index (BMI) appears to be stronger in adults without diabetes than those with existing diabetes. These findings¹ are published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine² in a study by Chandra Jackson of the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues.

12 Aug 2013

Cigarette taxation reduces alcohol consumption among vulnerable groups

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the U.S., while heavy drinking ranks as the third leading cause of preventable death. Cigarette taxation has been recognized as one of the most significant policy instruments to reduce smoking.

12 Aug 2013

Researchers identify biomarkers of TB that may help in new treatments

Researchers at the University of Southampton have identified new markers of tuberculosis (TB) that may help in the development of new diagnostic tests and treatments.

12 Aug 2013

KU researchers receives grant to create new program to help American Indian students stop smoking

The University of Kansas Cancer Center's Cancer Control and Population Health program got a boost in April when Won Choi, Ph.D., and his colleagues were awarded a $2.7 million, five-year NCI grant to create an Internet-based program to help American Indian tribal college students stop smoking.

8 Aug 2013

Harmful toxins found in food may put developing babies at risk

Pregnant women regularly consume food and beverages containing toxins believed to pose potential risks to developing fetuses, according to researchers at the University of California in Riverside and San Diego, suggesting that health care providers must do more to counsel their patients about the dangers of hidden toxins in the food supply.

8 Aug 2013

CDC: Some states report decreasing rates of childhood obesity

Small but significant declines in obesity among low-income preschoolers were found in 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2008 to 2011.

8 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 7, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how deadlines have been missed regarding tests for the health cxchange privacy system.

7 Aug 2013

Mental health concerns increase suicide risk among military personnel: Study

In an examination of risk factors associated with suicide in current and former military personnel observed 2001 and 2008, male sex and mental disorders were independently associated with suicide risk but not military-specific variables, findings that do not support an association between deployment or combat with suicide, according to a study in the August 7 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence/human rights.

7 Aug 2013

Johns Hopkins University receives $5.8M grant to research on causes of frailty in older adults

The federal government has awarded investigators at The Johns Hopkins University's schools of medicine and public health a multimillion-dollar, five-year grant to continue research designed to identify the causes of frailty in older adults, and speed the development of interventions to slow or stop it.

7 Aug 2013

Virginia Tech addiction expert receives $3.2 million grant to help smokers quit cigarettes

Warren Bickel, an internationally recognized addiction expert at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, recently received a $3.2-million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse for research on improving self-control in smokers seeking to quit cigarettes. The grant will provide Bickel's team with $573,000 to $716,000 a year over five years to develop innovative new ways to enhance the smokers' ability to abstain from acting on their nicotine cravings.

6 Aug 2013

Pediatric trauma patients with preexisting chronic conditions have higher mortality risk

In a recent study published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that pediatric trauma patients with preexisting chronic conditions have longer hospital stays, higher hospital charges and an increased mortality risk.

6 Aug 2013

New effort could dramatically improve surgical outcomes in children, say surgeons

A group of pediatric surgeons at hospitals around the country have designed a system to collect and analyze data on surgical outcomes in children - the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) is the first national database able to reliably compare outcomes among different hospitals where children's surgery is performed.

6 Aug 2013

Prospective health of the Hispanic/Latino population in the US: an interview with Dr. Martha Daviglus, University of Illinois at Chicago

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among Hispanic/ Latino adults living in the US and this population is known to have high rates of obesity and diabetes.

5 Aug 2013

Mortality News and Research

Publication of death rates: an interview with Dr Kate Walker, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Clinical trials shows CRT improves symptoms, reduces mortality in patients with heart failure

Chemical compound prevents fungal cells from adhering to surfaces

Researchers discover why early pregnancy reduces breast cancer

Researchers say type 2 diabetes status should be taken into account in future BMI-mortality studies

Healthy diet, moderate alcohol may be associated with decreased risk of CKD in diabetes patients

Patient Safety Technologies announces results for second quarter 2013

Weight and mortality relationship appears to be stronger in adults without diabetes

Cigarette taxation reduces alcohol consumption among vulnerable groups

Researchers identify biomarkers of TB that may help in new treatments

KU researchers receives grant to create new program to help American Indian students stop smoking

Harmful toxins found in food may put developing babies at risk

CDC: Some states report decreasing rates of childhood obesity

First Edition: August 7, 2013

Mental health concerns increase suicide risk among military personnel: Study

Johns Hopkins University receives $5.8M grant to research on causes of frailty in older adults

Virginia Tech addiction expert receives $3.2 million grant to help smokers quit cigarettes

Pediatric trauma patients with preexisting chronic conditions have higher mortality risk

New effort could dramatically improve surgical outcomes in children, say surgeons

Prospective health of the Hispanic/Latino population in the US: an interview with Dr. Martha Daviglus, University of Illinois at Chicago

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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