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As hyperactivity diagnoses rise, concerns grow about overmedication of children

New CDC data shows that nearly one in five boys have a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Other public health issues highlighted by news outlets include stroke risks in younger people, prescription-drug deaths and OSHA policies.

2 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: 'Big risks' of buying private insurance with Medicaid dollars; One month of sequestration

The Obama administration and Republican officials in several states are exploring ways to redirect federal money intended to expand Medicaid, the main public insurance program for the poor, and use it instead to buy private health insurance for Medicaid recipients.

2 Apr 2013

Roundup: D.C. sued over Medicaid reimbursement; Texas end-of-life care compromise close; Vt. to post health care rates

Two facilities that treat severely ill poor patients could be forced to curtail services if the District does not fully reimburse them for Medicaid costs, according to a lawsuit filed this week.

2 Apr 2013

Research: Adolescents' health behaviors, risk factors increase chances of heart disease as adults

U.S. adolescents' high levels of poor health behaviors and unfavorable cardiovascular risk factors may increase their chances of heart disease as adults, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

1 Apr 2013

Smokers who consume cigarettes immediately after waking face increase risk of oral and lung cancer

The sooner a person smokes a cigarette upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, according to Penn State researchers.

30 Mar 2013

Global Coalition of TB Activists lends voice to international discourse

"The Global Coalition of TB Activists came together at a February Stop TB Partnership meeting in Geneva, [an] announcement says, with the aim of closing gaps that leave those most affected by tuberculosis out of decision making at local, national, and global levels," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

30 Mar 2013

Weekend reading: Seniors smoking marijuana; Same-sex marriage and public health

For Cher Neufer, a 65-year-old retired teacher, socializing with friends (all in their 60s) means using marijuana. Once a week they get together to play Texas Hold 'Em poker "and pass around a doobie," Ms. Neufer said. … Statistics suggest that more members of the older generations, like Ms. Neufer, are using marijuana.

30 Mar 2013

Invokana tablets receive FDA approval to treat adults with type 2 diabetes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Invokana (canaglifozin) tablets, used with diet and exercise, to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

30 Mar 2013

Report finds most restaurant children's meals are still unhealthy

Many menu items don't meet the restaurant association's own standards for healthful children's meals, the New York Times reports.

30 Mar 2013

Oklahoma dentist called 'menace to the public health'

Dr. W. Scott Harrington faces an April 19 hearing over unsanitary conditions that may have exposed patients to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infection.

30 Mar 2013

Physicians react to new N.D. abortion laws

Physicians on both sides of the abortion argument disagree on whether restrictions such as the hospital privileges requirement are medically necessary or whether they instead intrude upon patients' rights (Pittman, 3/27).

30 Mar 2013

Correctional policies discourage released inmates from seeking methadone therapy, researchers say

Methadone treatment for opioid dependence remains widely unavailable behind bars in the United States, and many inmates are forced to discontinue this evidence-based therapy, which lessens painful withdrawal symptoms.

30 Mar 2013

Study examines dialysis survival among racial and ethnic subgroups

Among kidney failure patients on dialysis, Hispanics tend to live the longest and Whites the shortest, with Blacks' survival time in between these two, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).

29 Mar 2013

Global community failing to address health inequalities

"The goal of the WHO -- amplified ... in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- is to ensure the attainment by the entire world's people of the highest possible level of health," Calum Macpherson, director and vice president of the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation, writes in a Devex opinion piece.

29 Mar 2013

Diarrhea incidence higher in dry seasons, study shows

"Diarrhea, killer of 1.5 million children annually, is likely to become more prevalent in many developing countries as the climate changes, a report says,"

29 Mar 2013

First Edition: March 29, 2013

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including coverage of renewed interest between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans to find ways to cut Medicare costs:

29 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: Budget woes leave Democrats with painful choices; David Kessler on health hazards of antibiotics in meat; the pros and cons of not hiring smokers

USA Today: Entitlements Or Investment? Democrats Must Pick Democrats therefore face a fundamental and inescapable choice: they can support funding current consumption, especially by older Americans who are not working, or future investment, particularly in scientific research and innovation.

29 Mar 2013

Hot water temperatures in homes are hazardous for children and elderly

Home hot water heater temperatures are too high, warns a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

29 Mar 2013

Medicaid expansion in Pennsylvania can boost federal revenue, health care coverage

Expanding Medicaid in Pennsylvania under the Affordable Care Act would boost federal revenue to the state by more than $2 billion annually and provide 340,000 residents with health insurance, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

29 Mar 2013

Educated parents promote healthy eating habits, prevent childhood obesity

Almost 15,000 children aged between two and nine years old took part in the study. The level of education of parents has an influence on the frequency with which their children eat foods linked to obesity. The children of parents with low and medium levels of education eat fewer vegetables and fruit and more processed products and sweet drinks.

28 Mar 2013