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New study finds link between mealtime family interactions and children's health

The amount of time families spend eating meals together has been linked to the health and well-being of children and teens, with families who eat together regularly reporting declines in substance abuse, eating disorders, and unhealthy weight in their children. Now, a new study that looks at children with asthma has found that the quality of family interactions during mealtime affected the children's health.

4 Feb 2011

AHF urges all AIDS drug manufacturers to reduce medication cost by 20%

As part of its ongoing advocacy to lower drug prices and increase access to lifesaving medications AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the largest global AIDS organization, today urged all AIDS drug manufacturers to reduce the cost of their medications by 20% for cash-strapped state.

4 Feb 2011

More careful regulation of FDA's Humanitarian Device Exemption in psychiatric patients needed

Warning that patients could be at risk, an interdisciplinary group of multinational investigators is calling on the U.S. Congress and federal regulators to tighten a law that permits use of brain devices to treat rare neuropsychiatric disorders without supporting clinical trials or stringent patient oversight.

4 Feb 2011

Public health experts: Improved community engagement needed to prevent pandemic spread

In the current issue of Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, public health experts assert that improved community engagement is needed to prevent the spread of pandemics.

3 Feb 2011

Physicians should contribute some efforts to improve patient safety, outcomes

Efforts to keep hospital patients safe and continually improve the overall results of health care can't work unless medical centers figure out a way to get physicians more involved in the process.

3 Feb 2011

U-M conference to focus on detection of mental illness during high stakes college years

The annual University of Michigan's Depression on College Campuses conference, held March 28-29, will focus on detection of mental illness during the high stakes college years.

3 Feb 2011

Lead exposure can lead to high blood pressure in pregnant women: Study

Even minute amounts of lead may take a toll on pregnant women, according to a study published by Lynn Goldman, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., Dean of George Washington University's School of Public Health and Health Services in D.C., and colleagues, in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

3 Feb 2011

Concert and WRAIR enter CRADA to evaluate novel compound for seizure protection associated with TBI

Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. The CRADA will allow the WRAIR to conduct preclinical testing on a novel compound derived from Concert's DCE Platform™ (deuterated chemical entity platform) for seizure protection associated with traumatic brain injury, a major public health concern.

3 Feb 2011

FDA disallows obesity drug Contrave pending further large-scale testing

In its latest blow to obesity medication development efforts, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday notified Orexigen Therapeutics that it would need to conduct an extremely large-scale study of the long-term cardiovascular effects of its drug, Contrave, before approval could be considered.

3 Feb 2011

Four-gene/protein signature more accurately predicts metastatic prostate cancer

Prostate tumors that carry a "signature" of four molecular markers have the potential to become dangerously metastatic if not treated aggressively, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report in a study published online today by the journal Nature. The discovery lays the groundwork for the first gene-based test for determining whether a man's prostate cancer is likely to remain dormant within the prostate gland, or spread lethally to other parts of the body.

3 Feb 2011

Researchers discover potential vaccine capable of reducing H. pylori colonization

A new study led by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island and EpiVax. Inc, a privately owned vaccine development company in Providence, RI, has identified a potential vaccine capable of reducing colonization of Helicobacter pylori -- a known cause of gastritis, ulcer disease and cancer.

2 Feb 2011

Bill Gates' annual letter calls for focus on eradicating polio, governments to sustain foreign aid

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, "urged developed nations to help him wipe out polio 'once and for all' at an event to release his third annual letter [.pdf] Monday," Agence France-Presse reports.

2 Feb 2011

New research: Antioxidants in pecans may prevent development of various diseases

A new research study from Loma Linda University demonstrates that naturally occurring antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention; the results are published in the January 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

2 Feb 2011

Economists suggest new approach to monitor nutrition, child mortality in developing countries

In a paper published in the January issue of the journal Economics and Human Biology, a team of applied economists including William A. Masters, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, suggests a new approach to monitoring the relationship between nutrition and child mortality in developing countries.

2 Feb 2011

Roundup: Medicaid worries in Texas, Ill., Pa.; California insurance exchanges; Kansas controversy on health law

The current state House and Senate budget proposals include a 10 percent cut in the rate that the state will pay Medicaid providers. Some health care lobbying groups say that when you add in the loss of the enhanced federal Medicaid match paid for by stimulus dollars that have now dried up, you get a 33 percent reduction overall.

2 Feb 2011

New Spanish version of ASPIRE for Hispanic teens

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's popular web-based teen prevention and smoking-cessation program, ASPIRE, now speaks Spanish.

2 Feb 2011

Surge of mosquito borne disease in South Australia following wet weather

Rising water in the Murray River has caused a surge in mosquito-borne infections in South Australia. The water is rising in the Murray in SA as floodwaters move downstream from the eastern states.

2 Feb 2011

Scientists test new dry powder measles vaccine that can be inhaled

Sustained high vaccination coverage is key to preventing deaths from measles. Despite the availability of a vaccine, measles remains an important killer of children worldwide, particularly in less-developed regions where vaccination coverage is limited. A team of researchers, led by scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Colorado, developed and successfully tested a dry powder, live-attenuated measles vaccine that can be inhaled.

2 Feb 2011

Scientists successfully crystallise key norovirus enzyme

With the number of norovirus infection cases rising across the country, scientists from the University of Southampton have successfully crystallised a key norovirus enzyme, which could help in the development of a norovirus treatment.

1 Feb 2011

Elsevier announces publication of two position statements from EMAS in Maturitas journal

Elsevier announced today the publication of two further important position statements from the European Menopause and Andropause Society in the journal Maturitas on common management problems in the post-reproductive health of women.

1 Feb 2011

Public Health News and Research

New study finds link between mealtime family interactions and children's health

AHF urges all AIDS drug manufacturers to reduce medication cost by 20%

More careful regulation of FDA's Humanitarian Device Exemption in psychiatric patients needed

Public health experts: Improved community engagement needed to prevent pandemic spread

Physicians should contribute some efforts to improve patient safety, outcomes

U-M conference to focus on detection of mental illness during high stakes college years

Lead exposure can lead to high blood pressure in pregnant women: Study

Concert and WRAIR enter CRADA to evaluate novel compound for seizure protection associated with TBI

FDA disallows obesity drug Contrave pending further large-scale testing

Four-gene/protein signature more accurately predicts metastatic prostate cancer

Researchers discover potential vaccine capable of reducing H. pylori colonization

Bill Gates' annual letter calls for focus on eradicating polio, governments to sustain foreign aid

New research: Antioxidants in pecans may prevent development of various diseases

Economists suggest new approach to monitor nutrition, child mortality in developing countries

Roundup: Medicaid worries in Texas, Ill., Pa.; California insurance exchanges; Kansas controversy on health law

New Spanish version of ASPIRE for Hispanic teens

Surge of mosquito borne disease in South Australia following wet weather

Scientists test new dry powder measles vaccine that can be inhaled

Scientists successfully crystallise key norovirus enzyme

Elsevier announces publication of two position statements from EMAS in Maturitas journal

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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