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Report predicts Africa's tobacco use will double within 12 years without intervention

"Africa faces a surge in cancer deaths unless action is taken in the next decade to stem rising smoking levels in a continent where anti-tobacco laws remain rare, U.S. scientists said Wednesday," Reuters reports (Kelland, 11/11).

11 Nov 2009

Athletes on performance-enhancing substances face increase risk of alcohol and drug related problems

College athletes who use performance-enhancing substances may be at heightened risk of misusing alcohol and using recreational drugs as well, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

11 Nov 2009

Sports team participation increases unhealthy behaviors in teenage boys

Contradicting what most parents might think, participation in team sports doesn't necessarily result in teenage boys adopting healthier behaviors. Instead, new research finds that it is actually associated with increased fighting and drinking.

11 Nov 2009

States are not taking enough efforts to help smokers quit: American Lung Association

As the debate over health care reform dominates the media and political arena, a new American Lung Association report finds that states aren't doing enough to help smokers quit - and policymakers must fix this in the health care reform process.

11 Nov 2009

First human study to measure effects of BPA on male reproductive system

High levels of workplace exposure to Bisphenol-A may increase the risk of reduced sexual function in men, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing in the journal Human Reproduction, published by Oxford Journals.

11 Nov 2009

Academic Health Center receives 128 grants totaling nearly $35 million in federal stimulus money

Academic Health Center scientists, physicians, and research centers have attracted 128 grants totaling nearly $35 million in federal stimulus money (as of Nov. 10) since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was approved in February 2009. This will result in a total economic impact of more than $105 million; according to the National Institutes of Health, $1 of research funding multiplies to more than $2 of goods and services in the economy.

11 Nov 2009

No protection for 90% of Africans from secondhand smoke

As African nations are poised to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, nearly 90 percent of people on the continent remain without meaningful protection from secondhand smoke, according to a new report released at a regional cancer conference today.

10 Nov 2009

Exposure to common infections may increase stroke risk

Cumulative exposure to five common infection-causing pathogens may be associated with an increased risk of stroke, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the January 2010 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

10 Nov 2009

NATC sponsored national quit smoking program to launch second phase of campaign

With the latest research estimating that nearly six million people worldwide will lose their lives to tobacco next year, an innovative approach is critical to helping the 43 million Americans who smoke to finally quit. This month, which is observed as Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the national quit smoking program, EX(R) will debut the second phase of advertising and promotions designed to help smokers "re-learn" life without cigarettes.

10 Nov 2009

Teenage women who are obese at higher risk to develop MS as adults

Teenage women who are obese may be more than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) as adults compared to female teens who are not obese, according to a study published in the November 10, 2009, print issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Nov 2009

Smoking has a direct negative impact on postoperative outcomes

With the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout Challenge just a week away, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is giving smokers yet another reason to quit. The scientific evidence is clear -- smoking has a direct negative impact on postoperative outcomes. Quitting smoking is one of the best things people can do to improve their chances of recovering from surgery without complications.

9 Nov 2009

Tobacco smoke linked with respiratory diseases

Tobacco smoke is involved in uncontrolled asthma, a diminished response to anti-asthma drugs, rhinitis, nasal obstruction, and deregulation of the immune system according to an international expert at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla.

9 Nov 2009

Current health care debate in the United States complicated

The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated.

7 Nov 2009

Health experts report rising number of oral cancer in younger age groups

Mouth cancer (also called oral cancer) is a malignant growth which can occur in any part of the mouth including the lips and tongue. In the UK, the numbers of new cases have risen by over 41 per cent over the last ten years(1).

7 Nov 2009

Illegal flavored cigarettes: FDA issues warning letters to companies selling them

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the flavored cigarette ban provision of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) by issuing several warning letters to companies continuing to sell illegal flavored cigarettes to consumers in the United States through their Web sites.

7 Nov 2009

Asthma associated with both genetics and environmental exposures

While progress has been made in identifying genes associated with asthma, the disease is complex, and its development is likely dependent upon both genetics and environmental exposures, according to a leading expert presenting at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla.

6 Nov 2009

Women may not have enough energy to support both hard workouts and getting pregnant: Study

Are you a female athlete - or just someone who likes challenging workouts -- who also wants to get pregnant? It may make sense to ease off a bit as you try to get pregnant. New research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) shows that the body may not have enough energy to support both hard workouts and getting pregnant.

6 Nov 2009

San Francisco and Berkeley miss opportunity to help smokers quit

San Francisco and Berkeley missed an opportunity to help smokers quit when the cities moved all tobacco sales out of pharmacies, according to a new Bay Area health initiative. Instead of having smokers buy cigarettes in convenience stores and at other retailers, smokers should buy cigarettes only at pharmacy counters, says Stuart Skorman, founder of Elephant Pharmacy.

6 Nov 2009

Pharmacists are necessary to the medical care model

Roger Merrill, MD, chief medical officer of Perdue Foods Inc. of Salisbury, Md., told students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy yesterday that they should be concerned about future health care costs.

6 Nov 2009

Dentists can play a live-saving role by identifying patients at risk of fatal heart attacks: Study

A new study indicates dentists can play a potentially life-saving role in health care by identifying patients at risk of fatal heart attacks and referring them to physicians for further evaluation.

6 Nov 2009