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HIV prevalence among African Americans is ten times greater than the prevalence among whites

HIV prevalence among African Americans is ten times greater than the prevalence among whites. This racial disparity in HIV prevalence has persisted in the face of both governmental and private actions, involving many billions of dollars, to combat HIV.

6 Oct 2009

Adverse childhood experiences double the risk of premature death

Many U.S. children face a terrible burden of stressors that can harm the development of their brains and nervous systems. These stressors can lead to health problems and diseases throughout their lives, ultimately causing some to die prematurely, according to the lead author of a new study.

6 Oct 2009

Health information updates from FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released a listing of consumer health information updates about cooperative programs and food safety. All updates can be accessed from the agency's Web page for consumers at http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/default.htm You can sign-up for e-mail notices of new consumer updates on an immediate, weekly, or monthly basis at https://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USFDA_9.

6 Oct 2009

$16 million federal stimulus funds for cancer research projects

Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington schools of Public Health and Pharmacy have been selected to lead four projects backed by approximately $16 million in federal stimulus funding for comparative-effectiveness research in cancer.

6 Oct 2009

U.N. officials highlight need for vaccine assistance to poor countries

U.N. officials on Sunday said that the H1N1 (swine flu) virus had arrived in poorer countries, highlighting a growing need for financial assistance and H1N1 vaccines for such regions, SAPA/News24.com reports.

6 Oct 2009

Pomegranate juice beneficial for patients with elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors: Study

According to a clinical study released in The American Journal of Cardiology, a daily serving of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice may decrease the progression of arterial plaque in patients with elevated cardiovascular disease risk factors. The study was intended to see if POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice may slow the progression of intima-media thickness of the carotid artery (CIMT) in patients with moderate coronary heart disease risk.

6 Oct 2009

Challenges surround the calculation of costs associated with illegal immigrant care

PhillyBurbs.com examines the cost of caring for undocumented immigrants and whether it really is cheaper to exclude them under a health care overhaul. Despite widespread support for requiring people to prove their citizenship to receive government health benefits, PhillyBurbs.com reports: "Public health and immigration experts worry excluding undocumented immigrants would put everyone at risk, hamper attempts to prevent the spread of disease and lead to an increase in health care spending."

5 Oct 2009

Majority of Americans believe they are well-protected from H1N1

A new Harris poll, commissioned by SCA Tissue North America’s Tork® brand, reveals that 74 percent of U.S. adults say it is unlikely they will contract H1N1 this year.

5 Oct 2009

Theraclone and Zenyaku Kogyo sign multi-year research and development agreement

Theraclone Sciences, Inc., a Seattle-based biotechnology company, and Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo, today announced that they have entered into a multi-year research and development agreement.

5 Oct 2009

NOAA awards $457,000 grant to track and manage outbreaks of toxic red tide algae

NOAA has awarded $457,000 in competitive grant funding to support three projects to better track and manage outbreaks of toxic red tide algae that threaten public health and New England's shellfish industry. The grant covers the first year of what will be multi-year projects. Anticipated to cost almost $1.5 million over the next three years, they will be carried out by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of Maine and the University of Texas.

5 Oct 2009

USCCB: Senate Finance Committee accepts healthcare reform bill, rejects pro-life amendments

Officials of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) saw mixed results when the Senate Finance Committee completed voting on amendment to its proposed health care reform bill this week.

5 Oct 2009

Former President Clinton awards certification for new clean water system

The first chlorination system designed for cities in poor countries is now operating in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, announced Andrew Weiss at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting in New York last week. "It's a great success," said Weiss.

5 Oct 2009

Second round of revised quality standards for blood thinner heparin released

Further helping to secure public health, a second round of revised quality standards for the widely used blood thinner heparin became effective today, the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention announced. Working closely with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the pharmaceutical industry, and other regulatory and scientific bodies, USP started initial revisions in 2008 after adverse reactions and deaths resulted from heparin intentionally adulterated with over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS).

5 Oct 2009

American Lung Association kicks off its Faces of Influenza campaign in Miami

The American Lung Association of Florida-South Area is kicking off its 2009-2010 Faces of Influenza initiative by conducting a public influenza panel discussion to help Miami area residents understand the seriousness of seasonal influenza and the importance of annual vaccination. The meeting will address the latest flu statistics and benefits of vaccination, especially among high-risk groups.

3 Oct 2009

HCRI commences patient enrollment in dual antiplatelet therapy study

The Harvard Clinical Research Institute (HCRI) announced today that the first patients have been enrolled in the DAPT Study, marking the official initiation of the four-year clinical trial to investigate the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT, the combination of aspirin and a thienopyridine/antiplatelet medication to reduce the risk of blood clots) following drug-eluting stent implantations.

3 Oct 2009

HSPH's survey on H1N1 vaccines

In a new survey, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that just 40% of adults are "absolutely certain" they will get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves, and 51% of parents are "absolutely certain" that they will get the vaccine for their children. The survey examined the reasoning among those who said they would not get the vaccine or might not. This is the latest in a series of surveys of public views concerning the H1N1 flu outbreak undertaken by the Harvard Opinion Research Program at HSPH. The polling was done September 14-20, 2009.

3 Oct 2009

Report on the worldwide market for anti-infectives

Drug resistance is a key public health problem and also a problem for makers of branded antibacterial products, according to the findings of a new report. Traditional antibiotics: quinolones, cephalosporins, and penicillins, have seen their market share erode due to loss of effectiveness, while at the same time they are facing heavy generic competition.

3 Oct 2009

Electronic medical records: A valuable asset to healthcare industry

Hundreds of billions of gigabytes of health information are now being collected in electronic medical records, and three-quarters (76%) of more than 700 healthcare executives recently surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP agree that the secondary use of this information will be their organization's greatest asset over the next five years.

3 Oct 2009

Few risks to babies born to parents who underwent cancer treatment in childhood: Study

Whether they can have children is one of the major concerns for adult survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer because fertility can be compromised by cancer treatment. For cancer survivors who can have children, two new studies led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center may help alleviate fears that their childhood disease will adversely impact their newborns.

3 Oct 2009

Household food insecurity contributes to overweight in children

Both household food insecurity (HFInsec) and childhood overweight are significant problems in the United States. Paradoxically, being food-insecure may be an underlying contributor to being overweight. A study of almost 8,500 low-income children ages 1 month to 5 years, published in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, suggests an association between household food insecurity and overweight prevalence in this low-income population.

3 Oct 2009