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Sudden loss of loved one can trigger psychiatric disorders in people with no history of mental illness

The sudden loss of a loved one can trigger a variety of psychiatric disorders in people with no history of mental illness, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues at Columbia's School of Social Work and Harvard Medical School.

30 May 2014

Hand sanitizer powerful weapon against current measles outbreak

With measles cases in the U.S. at a 20-year high, it's more important than ever to keep your hands clean. Measles, caused by an airborne virus that's spread by breathing, coughing, and sneezing, can linger for up to two hours in the air or on surfaces.

30 May 2014

Innovative device has potential to reduce hemorrhage, save lives

Removing a malignant tumor from the head of the pancreas is a risky and demanding operation. The surgeon must carefully navigate around the stomach, the gallbladder, the bile duct, lymph nodes, and several high-pressure blood vessels.

29 May 2014

Study explores how ACA empowers CRNAs to make anesthesia services more accessible to patients

As a profession, nurse anesthesia is at a tipping point. While recent federal legislation and changes to the U.S. Medicare program have expanded opportunities for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) to provide care to more patients and receive reimbursement for their services, many states still restrict their scope of practice and limit their pay.

29 May 2014

Study shows high BP drugs may raise likelihood of age-related macular degeneration

There may be a connection between taking vasodilators and developing early-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans who are age 65 and older, according to a study published online in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

29 May 2014

Study defines specific genetic mechanism that explains some of schizophrenia's heritability

The overall number and nature of mutations—rather than the presence of any single mutation—influences an individual's risk of developing schizophrenia, as well as its severity, according to a discovery by Columbia University Medical Center researchers published in the latest issue of Neuron.

29 May 2014

Researchers receive $1.5M grant to lower rates of cervical cancer among incarcerated women

Researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center will use a $1.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to examine ways to lower the rates of cervical cancer among incarcerated women.

29 May 2014

Researchers find link between aging and chemicals in environment

Why are some 75-year-olds downright spry while others can barely get around? Part of the explanation, say researchers writing in the Cell Press journal Trends in Molecular Medicine on May 28, is differences from one person to the next in exposure to harmful substances in the environment, chemicals such as benzene, cigarette smoke, and even stress.

29 May 2014

Testing for STI co-infections may improve HIV prevention in Africa

To maximize HIV prevention efforts in South Africa and perhaps the broader region, public health officials should consider testing for other sexually transmitted infections when they test for HIV, according to a new paper in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

29 May 2014

Contemporary dataset reveals burden of paediatric pneumococcal disease

Children with chronic or immunocompromising medical conditions continue to be at increased risk for developing pneumococcal disease in the current era of universal immunisation, US researchers report.

28 May 2014

Study: Providing better access to health care may lead to overuse of mammograms for women

Researchers have concluded that providing better access to health care may lead to the overuse of mammograms for women who regularly see a primary care physician and who have a limited life expectancy.

28 May 2014

Case Western Reserve physician calls on FDA to address hidden risk of dangerous drugs side effects

The agency charged to protect patients from dangerous drug side effects needs to be far more vigilant when it comes to medications that affect blood pressure.

28 May 2014

Study reveals high demand for costly cancer treatment among refugees from Iraq, Syria

A study published in The Lancet Oncology journal reveals a high demand for costly cancer treatment among refugees from the recent conflicts in Iraq and Syria, with host countries struggling to find the money and the medicine to treat their new patients.

26 May 2014

EMA's CHMP gives positive opinion for PTC Therapeutics' Translarna

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that following its request for re-examination, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion regarding the company's application for a conditional marketing authorization of Translarna (ataluren) for the treatment of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (nmDMD) in ambulatory patients aged five years and older.

23 May 2014

World Health Assembly approves resolution on viral hepatitis and noncommunicable diseases

The World Health Assembly approved a resolution to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis and proposals to improve global coordination of efforts to address noncommunicable diseases like diabetes, cancers, heart disease and stroke. In addition, WHO's Director-General and the President of the Health Assembly presented 4 awards to leaders in public health.

23 May 2014

Researchers discover how gene commonly linked to obesity contributes to weight gain

Researchers have discovered how a gene commonly linked to obesity—FTO—contributes to weight gain. The study shows that variations in FTO indirectly affect the function of the primary cilium, a little-understood hair-like appendage on brain and other cells.

23 May 2014

Poorer people less likely to follow recommended strategies for weight loss

Poorer people of all ages are less likely than wealthier ones to follow recommended strategies for weight loss, finds a recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

23 May 2014

State highlights: New abortion restrictions in Louisiana; aging gracefully in the Gopher State

A bill that could result in the shuttering of up to four of Louisiana's five abortion clinics overwhelmingly received full passage from the Louisiana Legislature Wednesday (May 21), and Gov. Bobby Jindal has indicated he will sign it into law. The legislation is, in part, based on a similar measure passed in Texas last year and led to the closing of several abortion clinics in that state. In its last legislative hurdle, the House concurred an amendment on Wednesday (May 21) that was added to the bill on the Senate side (Lane, 5/22).

23 May 2014

Obesity epidemic strikes all groups of Americans

The nation's obesity epidemic is striking all groups of Americans, affecting those with more education and those with less education, as well as all ethnic groups, according to a new analysis that challenges prevailing assumptions about the reasons why the nation is getting heavier.

23 May 2014

Medical schools need to guide students on use of social media, say Penn researchers

Medical students use social media extensively, but medical schools may need to offer more guidance in potential pitfalls, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

23 May 2014

Public Health News and Research

Sudden loss of loved one can trigger psychiatric disorders in people with no history of mental illness

Hand sanitizer powerful weapon against current measles outbreak

Innovative device has potential to reduce hemorrhage, save lives

Study explores how ACA empowers CRNAs to make anesthesia services more accessible to patients

Study shows high BP drugs may raise likelihood of age-related macular degeneration

Study defines specific genetic mechanism that explains some of schizophrenia's heritability

Researchers receive $1.5M grant to lower rates of cervical cancer among incarcerated women

Researchers find link between aging and chemicals in environment

Testing for STI co-infections may improve HIV prevention in Africa

Contemporary dataset reveals burden of paediatric pneumococcal disease

Study: Providing better access to health care may lead to overuse of mammograms for women

Case Western Reserve physician calls on FDA to address hidden risk of dangerous drugs side effects

Study reveals high demand for costly cancer treatment among refugees from Iraq, Syria

EMA's CHMP gives positive opinion for PTC Therapeutics' Translarna

World Health Assembly approves resolution on viral hepatitis and noncommunicable diseases

Researchers discover how gene commonly linked to obesity contributes to weight gain

Poorer people less likely to follow recommended strategies for weight loss

State highlights: New abortion restrictions in Louisiana; aging gracefully in the Gopher State

Obesity epidemic strikes all groups of Americans

Medical schools need to guide students on use of social media, say Penn researchers

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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