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Diagnosing influenza with rapid tests leads to more efficient care

When patients in the emergency department (ED) are diagnosed with influenza by means of a rapid test, they get fewer unnecessary antibiotics, are prescribed antiviral medications more frequently, and have fewer additional lab tests compared to patients diagnosed with influenza without testing, according to a new study. Published online in the Journal of the Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Society, the findings suggest that diagnosing influenza with a rapid diagnostic test leads to more appropriate, specific, and efficient care.

14 Nov 2013

Taiwan scientists confirm world’s first case of wild avian influenza A H6N1 virus in human

Scientists from Taiwan report on the world’s first confirmed case of human infection with a wild avian influenza A H6N1 virus in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

14 Nov 2013

Dual-wave nanotherapy method improves treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer

A new method of microscopic drug delivery that could greatly improve the treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer has been proven to work in mice at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

14 Nov 2013

Research findings call for a rethinking of cancer genetics

Johns Hopkins researchers report that the deletion of any single gene in yeast cells puts pressure on the organism’s genome to compensate, leading to a mutation in another gene. Their discovery, which is likely applicable to human genetics because of the way DNA is conserved across species, could have significant consequences for the way genetic analysis is done in cancer and other areas of research, they say.

14 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Some who supported health law learning first-hand about the downsides; small businesses not finding better deals; Clinton should know there is no 'magic solution'

Margaret Davis of West L.A. voted for President Obama and appreciates the ideas behind the Affordable Care Act. She agrees that everyone should have access to healthcare and no one should be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. But here's the problem: She knows firsthand, as the new law of the land rolls clumsily into being, that it's not working out to everyone's advantage (Steve Lopez, 11/12).

14 Nov 2013

Research findings could help decrease risk of dengue

A study by an international team of researchers led by Anna M. Stewart Ibarra, Ph.D., of the Center for Global Health and Translational Science at SUNY Upstate Medical University, has provided public health officials with information that will help decrease the risk of dengue, a life-threatening mosquito-borne viral disease that is now one of the fastest spreading tropical diseases globally.

14 Nov 2013

Groundbreaking study reveals novel approach to treat, eliminate MRSA infection

Recent work from University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis promises to overcome one of the leading public health threats of our time. In a groundbreaking study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, Lewis' team presents a novel approach to treat and eliminate methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a potent bacterium whose resistance to antibiotics has kept it one step ahead of researchers.

14 Nov 2013

Imbruvica gets FDA approval for treatment of mantle cell lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Imbruvica (ibrutinib) to treat patients with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer.

13 Nov 2013

Stem cells from Wolfram syndrome patients used to elucidate beta-cell failure pathway in diabetes

Scientists from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute and Columbia University Medical Center have used stem cells created from the skin of patients with a rare form of diabetes—Wolfram syndrome—to elucidate an important biochemical pathway for beta-cell failure in diabetes. The findings by Linshan Shang and colleagues were published today in Diabetes.

13 Nov 2013

Researchers call for public and schools across the UK to sign up to online flu project

Are Northerners really more likely to get flu? Does regular exercise help you to recover faster? And what impact will the new childhood flu vaccinations have on the spread of the virus in schools? These are just some of the questions scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine want to explore as they launch the annual nationwide Flusurvey, collecting data from men, women and children of all ages around the country.

13 Nov 2013

Researchers create intravaginal ring using MPT to protect women from HIV and unintended pregnancy

A new intravaginal ring (IVR) has been developed for the sustained 90-day co-delivery of tenofovir and levonorgestrel, an anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) drug and a contraceptive.

13 Nov 2013

Study highlights disparities in access to diabetes treatment in European countries

Hundreds of thousands of people living with diabetes in Europe do not have access to the treatment they need, putting their health at risk. These are the initial findings of a study by the International Diabetes Federation Europe on Access to Quality Medicines and Medical Devices for Diabetes Care in Europe.

13 Nov 2013

HIV/AIDS experts awarded over $5M to foster health and medical research skills in India, Africa

Experts in HIV/AIDS at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine and the university's Bloomberg School of Public Health have been awarded more than $5 million by the Fogarty International Center's HIV Research Training Program to foster health and medical research skills in India, Uganda, Ethiopia and Malawi.

13 Nov 2013

Three press briefings about issues affecting aging population scheduled for GSA's upcoming meeting

Three press briefings designed to better inform reporters about issues affecting America's aging population have been scheduled for The Gerontological Society of America's upcoming 66th Annual Scientific Meeting.

13 Nov 2013

Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia calls for continued investment in innovations, proven tools

Global health advocates today commemorated the fifth annual World Pneumonia Day by calling on global leaders to scale up existing interventions and invest in new diagnostics and treatments to defeat pneumonia. Each year, pneumonia kills more children than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Pneumonia took the lives of nearly 1.1 million children under 5 in 2012 alone, with more than 99 percent of these deaths in developing countries, where access to healthcare facilities and treatment is out of reach for many children.

12 Nov 2013

Parental supervision at ages 11-14 lowers risk for problem gambling by age 22

Keeping an eye on your child can lower their odds for gambling by young adulthood, according to research conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Adolescents who had poor parental supervision at age 11, and which continued to decline through age 14, were significantly more likely than their peers to be problem gamblers between ages 16-22.

12 Nov 2013

Orexigen Therapeutics reports net loss of $18.6 million in Q3 2013

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of obesity, today announced business and financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2013.

12 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating children with mental illness is complicated; abuse of painkillers

Just in time for Veterans Day, the embattled secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, announced last week that his department had reduced its backlog of overdue disability claims from more than 600,000 in March to about 400,000. "The trend line is in the right direction," Shinseki told reporters, noting that the VA had cut the number of claims older than a year by 93%. With hundreds of thousands of cases still unresolved, Shinseki hasn't gotten much credit so far -; but to the surprise of his critics, he's on track to achieve his goal of eliminating the backlog by 2015. Still, that won't solve all the VA's problems; far from it (Doyle McManus, 11/10).

12 Nov 2013

Choosing right health insurance could be more difficult for uninsured: Study

The new federal health-care law gives millions of Americans access to medical insurance. However, choosing the right coverage - a daunting task for most people - could be even more difficult for those who have never had health insurance, according to a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

12 Nov 2013

Obesity, overweight are risk factors for MI and IHD regardless of metabolic syndrome

Being overweight or obese are risk factors for myocardial infarction (heart attack) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) regardless of whether individuals also have the cluster of cardiovascular risk factors known as metabolic syndrome, which includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar, according to a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

12 Nov 2013

Public Health News and Research

Diagnosing influenza with rapid tests leads to more efficient care

Taiwan scientists confirm world’s first case of wild avian influenza A H6N1 virus in human

Dual-wave nanotherapy method improves treatment of deadly pancreatic cancer

Research findings call for a rethinking of cancer genetics

Viewpoints: Some who supported health law learning first-hand about the downsides; small businesses not finding better deals; Clinton should know there is no 'magic solution'

Research findings could help decrease risk of dengue

Groundbreaking study reveals novel approach to treat, eliminate MRSA infection

Imbruvica gets FDA approval for treatment of mantle cell lymphoma

Stem cells from Wolfram syndrome patients used to elucidate beta-cell failure pathway in diabetes

Researchers call for public and schools across the UK to sign up to online flu project

Researchers create intravaginal ring using MPT to protect women from HIV and unintended pregnancy

Study highlights disparities in access to diabetes treatment in European countries

HIV/AIDS experts awarded over $5M to foster health and medical research skills in India, Africa

Three press briefings about issues affecting aging population scheduled for GSA's upcoming meeting

Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia calls for continued investment in innovations, proven tools

Parental supervision at ages 11-14 lowers risk for problem gambling by age 22

Orexigen Therapeutics reports net loss of $18.6 million in Q3 2013

Viewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating children with mental illness is complicated; abuse of painkillers

Choosing right health insurance could be more difficult for uninsured: Study

Obesity, overweight are risk factors for MI and IHD regardless of metabolic syndrome

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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