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Swine flu making a come back

A second elderly man succumbed to the swine flu virus as the Northern Territory experiences an upsurge in infection rates from the virus. Both men had serious health problems that raised their risk of dying with the disease.

24 Sep 2010

Breast cancer incidence drops, linked to decline in HRT use

A new Canadian study shows that a significant drop in breast cancer incidence among post-menopausal women from 2002 to 2004 coincided with a sharp drop in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use during the same period. This is the first study to show the link between HRT use and breast cancer among Canadian women.

24 Sep 2010

Pet dog decreases risk of obesity in kids: Study

According to the latest research in England, children who have a dog for a pet are less likely to be obese. Children who are obese in childhood are at increased risk of developing a range of chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, bone and joint problems, asthma, disrupted sleep patterns, liver and gall bladder disease, early physical maturity and depression.

23 Sep 2010

Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health draws more than $40 billion in resources

Culminating a global summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Heads of State and Government, along with the private sector, foundations, international organizations, civil society and research organizations, kicked off a concerted world-wide effort to save the lives of more than 16 million women and children.

23 Sep 2010

Golden Helix refactors HSPH's software for studying disease heritability in families

Today, Golden Helix, Inc., a global leader in genetic analysis solutions, announced a collaboration with Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) under which Golden Helix is refactoring PBAT, HSPH's software for studying disease heritability in families.

23 Sep 2010

World leaders address country ownership, accountability, women at MDG summit

At the U.N. Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Tuesday African leaders said "they could do more to meet U.N. goals to slash extreme poverty and urged stronger leadership among developing countries to tackle hunger and disease and attract investment," Reuters reports in an article that examines the leaders' call for African nations to take greater ownership over their development.

23 Sep 2010

Wall Street Journal reports on building epidemiological capacity in developing countries

The Wall Street Journal examines programs funded partly by the U.S. government that are helping "Nigeria, Vietnam and dozens of other countries" to expand "efforts to respond to disease threats, as epidemics add to the burden on their health-care systems and new pathogens spread around the globe."

23 Sep 2010

U.S. joins whistleblower suit against Pfizer for drug marketing

The Wall Street Journal: "The Justice Department is trying to take the lead in a lawsuit accusing Pfizer Inc.'s Wyeth unit of improperly promoting an organ-transplant drug for unauthorized uses and paying illegal kickbacks to doctors. The lawsuit was filed by two former Wyeth sales representatives who were responsible for promoting Rapamune, an immunosuppressant used to prevent the body's rejection of transplanted kidneys.

23 Sep 2010

Tobacco taxes help kick the habit

The hike in Australia’s tobacco tax has had an expected effect with almost 300,000 people quitting the habit. The tax increase arrived this April with a 25% rise in tobacco taxes. Polls now confirm that the cost of cigarettes are a powerful lever for improving public health, with only 16 per cent of smokers stating they would “continue to smoke at any price”.

23 Sep 2010

CDC report shows significant progress toward improving public health emergency preparedness

State and local health departments have made significant progress toward improving public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities, says a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

22 Sep 2010

Nationwide Health Information Network tool to convey public health information

One hundred and sixty-six years after Samuel Morse used dots and dashes to telegraph "What hath God wrought?" opening up a whole new world of communication, Indiana has become the first state in the nation to use a potentially equally revolutionary tool, the Nationwide Health Information Network, to convey public health information to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

22 Sep 2010

PA State Police, PCCD join national effort to collect medications on Sept. 25

Pennsylvanians are urged to turn in expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications at collection sites statewide during the first National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Sept. 25, State Police and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency said today.

22 Sep 2010

Prevalence of periodontal disease in US higher than originally estimated

The prevalence of periodontal disease in the United States may be significantly higher than originally estimated. Research published in the Journal of Dental Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) suggests that the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent. The implication is that more American adults may suffer from moderate to severe gum disease than previously thought.

22 Sep 2010

Study: College women with heavy roommates gain less weight during freshman year

A new University of Michigan study finds that college women with roommates who weigh more than average gain less weight during their freshman year than women with slimmer roommates: half a pound versus 2.5 pounds.

22 Sep 2010

NIDA's Avant-Garde Awards support novel approaches for treating tobacco and cocaine addiction

A potential immunotherapy, a new gene therapy, an enzyme inhibitor, and a compound originally isolated from a Chinese herb are among the latest approaches scientists are proposing to treat addiction.

22 Sep 2010

MIDAS researchers continue to model how H1N1 may spread

As the United States prepares for the upcoming flu season, a group of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health continues to model how H1N1 may spread.

22 Sep 2010

Aeras and Crucell commence Phase II study of TB vaccine candidate in infants

Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell N.V. and the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation today announced the start of a Phase II clinical trial in infants of the jointly developed tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate, AERAS-402/Crucell Ad35.

22 Sep 2010

ARRA's legacies may solve challenges related to health, energy and environment

The presidents of six leading research universities and two higher-education associations joined Vice President Joe Biden and White House science advisor Dr. John Holdren this morning to discuss the scientific research and related activities that have been made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

22 Sep 2010

Immunization is critical to reduce child deaths

Immunising children against preventable diseases is critical to achieving United Nations-led goals to reduce child deaths, global health and development chiefs said in New York today.

22 Sep 2010

Dogs can encourage children to be active, help combat rising childhood obesity

Children whose families own dogs are more active than those without, according to new research. Researchers from St George's, University of London studied 2,065 children aged nine to ten, and found that children from dog-owning families have higher levels of physical activity compared to children without.

22 Sep 2010