Feature Channels: Public Health

Filters close
11-May-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Evidence that Electronic Cigarettes Are Effective for Smoking Cessation Long-Term is Lacking
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

There is little reliable evidence that electronic cigarettes are effective for long-term smoking cessation, according to a new analysis of the currently available research which was presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

11-May-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Electronic Cigarette Flavorings Alter Lung Function at the Cellular Level
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Certain flavorings used in electronic cigarette liquid may alter important cellular functions in lung tissue, according to new research presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference. These changes in cell viability, cell proliferation, and calcium signaling are flavor-dependent. Coupling these results with chemicals identified in each flavor could prove useful in identifying flavors or chemical constituents that produce adverse effects in users.

11-May-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Mechanical and Chemical Characteristics of Electronic Cigarettes Contribute to Potentially Hazardous Effects
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Unlike standard cigarettes, the components of electronic cigarettes are not regulated and standardized, thus they vary widely between products. The characteristics of these e-cigarette elements, including their delivery systems, combustion apparatuses, and the composition of the nicotine solutions they contain may affect the levels of potentially hazardous substances in the vapor they produce, according to a new study presented at the 2015 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

Released: 15-May-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 15 May 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: social media trends, lyme disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, lasers, Hubble, neurology, and the seafood industry.

       
11-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Embargoed AJPH Research: School Start Times, Pregnancy and Sexual Minority Youth, Bottled Water Bans
American Public Health Association (APHA)

In this month’s release, find new embargoed research about school start times and teen sleep duration; risk of pregnancy for sexual minority youths; and possible beverage consumption and waste impacts of a campus bottled water ban.

Released: 14-May-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Diabetes Drug May Reduce Heart Attack Risk in HIV Patients
Washington University in St. Louis

A diabetes drug may have benefits beyond lower blood sugar in patients with HIV. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests the drug may prevent cardiovascular problems because it works to reduce inflammation that is linked to heart disease and stroke in these patients. The drug both improved metabolism and reduced inflammation in HIV-positive adults on antiretroviral therapy.

12-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Giving HOPE: U.S. Has Nearly 400 HIV-Positive Potential Organ Donors, Penn Study Finds
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

A study, published online ahead of print May 14 in the American Journal of Transplantation, revealed that there are nearly 400 HIV-positive potential organ donors who could be sources of donated organs annually for HIV-positive patients waiting for organ donations.

Released: 13-May-2015 5:40 PM EDT
‘Extreme’ Exposure to Secondhand Cannabis Smoke Causes Mild Intoxication
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Secondhand exposure to cannabis smoke under “extreme conditions,” such as an unventilated room or enclosed vehicle, can cause nonsmokers to feel the effects of the drug, have minor problems with memory and coordination, and in some cases test positive for the drug in a urinalysis. Those are the findings of a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study, reported online this month in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

11-May-2015 11:25 AM EDT
Penn Study Finds That Various Financial Incentives Help Smokers Quit
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Four different financial incentive programs, each worth roughly $800 over six months, all help more smokers kick the habit than providing free access to behavioral counseling and nicotine replacement therapy. Further, the way in which equally-sized payouts are structured influences their effectiveness. The findings are the result of a year-long randomized trial among CVS Caremark (now CVS Health) employees that was conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.

11-May-2015 10:00 AM EDT
Brains of Smokers Who Quit Successfully Might Be Wired for Success
Duke Health

Smokers who are able to quit might actually be hard-wired for success, according to a study from Duke Medicine. The study, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, showed greater connectivity among certain brain regions in people who successfully quit smoking compared to those who tried and failed.

7-May-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Public Health Advisories Linked With Reduction of Codeine Dispensing to Postpartum Women
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Public health advisories from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada were associated with significant reductions in the rate of dispensing of codeine to postpartum women, according to a study in the May 12 issue of JAMA.

Released: 12-May-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 12 May 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: tick-borne disease, 3D printing, childhood cancer and obesity, nursing, low-back pain, brain cells, and fluid dynamics.

       
Released: 12-May-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Failure to Expand ACA Medicaid Coverage Would Widen Disparities in Screening Uninsured and Low-Income Women for Breast and Cervical Cancer
VCU Massey Cancer Center

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researchers recently conducted a study that found low-income and uninsured women in states that are not expanding their Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid coverage are less likely to receive breast and cervical cancer screenings compared to states that are implementing expansions.

Released: 12-May-2015 4:05 AM EDT
Gender Difference in Vital Cell Count of HIV Patients
University of Southampton

Male HIV patients in rural South Africa reach the low immunity levels required to become eligible for antiretroviral treatment in less than half the time it takes for immunity levels to drop to similar levels in women, according to new research from the University of Southampton.

Released: 11-May-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Public Health Approach to Reducing Traumatic Brain Injury—Update from CDC
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Ongoing efforts by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the population impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are documented in the May/June issue of The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

Released: 11-May-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 11 May 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: vision research, DOE research, aging, mental health, children's health, cancer, tick-borne disease, and drone technology.

       
Released: 11-May-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Acute Kidney Injury Linked to Pre-Existing Kidney Health, Study Finds
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Physicians treating hospitalized patients for conditions unrelated to the kidneys should pay close attention to common blood and urine tests for kidney function in order to prevent incidental injury to the organs that help cleanse the body of toxins, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests.

Released: 11-May-2015 8:05 AM EDT
Patients More Likely to Get HPV Vaccine After Electronic Health Record Prompts
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A simple reminder via electronic health record systems linked to significantly higher HPV vaccine completion rates.

9-May-2015 8:00 AM EDT
Long-Term Study on Ticks Reveals Shifting Migration Patterns, Disease Risks
Indiana University

Over nearly 15 years spent studying ticks, Indiana University's Keith Clay has found southern Indiana to be an oasis free from Lyme disease, the condition most associated with these arachnids that are the second most common parasitic disease vector on Earth. He has also seen signs that this low-risk environment is changing, both in Indiana and in other regions of the U.S.

   
Released: 7-May-2015 5:05 PM EDT
Malaria's Doorway to Infect Blood Cells Identified; Potential to Close it, Lock it, Throw Away the Key
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Scientists have identified a protein on the surface of human red blood cells that serves as an essential entry point for invasion by the malaria parasite. This discovery opens up a promising new avenue for the development of therapies to treat and prevent malaria.

Released: 7-May-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Biting Back: Scientists Aim to Forecast West Nile Outbreaks
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

New research led by NCAR and CDC has identified correlations between weather conditions and the occurrence of West Nile virus disease in the United States, raising the possibility of being able to better predict outbreaks.

   
Released: 6-May-2015 10:00 AM EDT
UNC Analysis Shows Advantage for Picture-Based Cigarette Pack Warnings Over Text Warnings
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analysis published in the journal Tobacco Control synthesized the results of 37 different experiments comparing picture-based and text warnings, finding that picture-based warnings were more effective than text warnings on 20 of 25 different outcome measures.

30-Apr-2015 2:00 PM EDT
Interferon-Free Therapy Clears Hepatitis C in 93 Percent of Patients in Trial
Duke Health

A 12-week dose of an investigational three-drug hepatitis C combination cured the virus in 93 percent of patients with liver cirrhosis who hadn’t previously been treated, according to a study in the May 5, 2015, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

29-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Researchers Discover a Novel and Unexpected Role for Calcium in Controlling Inflammation During Chronic Lung Infection
NYU Langone Health

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified an important role for calcium signaling in immune responses to chronic infection resulting from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium causing tuberculosis (TB).

30-Apr-2015 1:05 PM EDT
Malarial Parasites Dodge the Kill
The Rockefeller University Press

Scientists have uncovered a potential mode of parasite drug resistance in malaria infection, opening new opportunities for the design of anti-malarial drugs.

29-Apr-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Keeping Legalized Marijuana Out of Hands of Kids
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

As the realities of legalized marijuana take hold in four states and the District of Columbia, legislators and regulators could learn a lot from the successes – and failures – of the tobacco and alcohol industries in keeping their harmful products out of the hands of children and adolescents.

28-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Pancreatic Cancer Risk Linked to Weak Sunlight
UC San Diego Health

Writing in the April 30 online issue of the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report pancreatic cancer rates are highest in countries with the least amount of sunlight. Low sunlight levels were due to a combination of heavy cloud cover and high latitude.

28-Apr-2015 1:00 AM EDT
Gender Equality Linked with Higher Condom Use in HIV Positive Young Women in South Africa
University of Southampton

Young HIV positive women are more likely to practice safer sex if they have an equitable perception of gender roles, according to new research involving the University of Southampton.

Released: 29-Apr-2015 1:05 PM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 29 April 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: lung cancer surgery, childhood obesity, physics, imaging, nutrition, civil unrest in Baltimore, Nepal earthquake.

       
27-Apr-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Church-Based Diabetes Education Program Leads to Healthier Lifestyles Among Latino Adults
University of Chicago Medical Center

Latino adults with diabetes who participated in a church-based education program reported eating less high-fat food and exercising more following a trial intervention program run by researchers from University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine.

21-Apr-2015 3:45 PM EDT
As Circumcision Wounds Heal, HIV-Positive Men May Spread Virus To Female Partners, Study Shows
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Scientists report that a new study of HIV-infected men in Uganda has identified a temporary, but potentially troublesome unintended consequence of the procedure: a possible increased risk of infecting female sexual partners while circumcision wounds heal.

Released: 28-Apr-2015 12:45 PM EDT
Genital-Only Screening Misses Many Cases of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia in Women
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Current public health guidelines recommend that only gay men and people with HIV should be routinely screened for extragenital gonorrhea and chlamydia, given the high burden of these sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in this at-risk population.

Released: 28-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 28 April 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: Underage drinking, dieting, electrical engineering, neurology and genetics, Nepal earthquake, breast cancer, and supercomputing.

       
Released: 28-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Scholar of Infectious Diseases & Animals on Avian Flu, Poultry and Consumer Concerns
Academy Communications

As a fast-moving virus forces U.S. poultry producers to kill millions of chickens and turkeys, Dr. Richard French of Becker College explains why this strain of avian influenza is different from others—and says food producers should brace for an even greater impact and loss.

Released: 28-Apr-2015 9:00 AM EDT
Milken Institute School of Public Health May 6 Forum Highlights Dramatic Rise in E-Cigarette Use, Especially Among Teens
George Washington University

Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University will hold a public forum on May 6, 2015 that will address the rising popularity of e-cigarettes in the United States—and the public health consequences of that trend.

Released: 27-Apr-2015 7:05 PM EDT
Microneedle Patch for Measles Vaccination Could Be a Global Game Changer
Georgia Institute of Technology

A new microneedle patch being developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could make it easier to vaccinate people against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Released: 27-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 27 April 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: Bruce Jenner and transgender health, agriculture and pesticide alternatives, new tick-borne disease, internal dissent in Iran over nuclear deal, listeria ice cream recalls, changing mammography recommendations, immunology, materials science, and healthcare education.

       
Released: 27-Apr-2015 10:05 AM EDT
HIV Prevention and Risk Behaviors Follow Weekly Patterns
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The peak time for seeking information on topics related to HIV, such as prevention and testing, is at the beginning of the week, while risky sexual behaviors tend to increase on the weekends, according to a new analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Monday Campaigns.

Released: 24-Apr-2015 3:55 PM EDT
Researchers Discover Never-Before-Seen Tick-Borne Disease
University of Maryland Medical Center

Tick-borne diseases are a major public health problem around the world. Now, just in time for spring and the explosion of ticks in forests, lawns and trails, a new study by researchers from China and the University of Maryland School of Medicine has uncovered a never-before-seen illness transmitted by ticks. It’s possible that the disease could be a “substantial health threat” to humans and animals in areas where the carrier tick is common, the authors say.

Released: 24-Apr-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Transgender Patients Are Dodging Doctors
University at Buffalo

Discussing your sexual history with a doctor, or anyone for that matter, can be an uncomfortable experience. But for many transgender people, the conversation never takes place because they aren’t seeking health care.

20-Apr-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Embargoed AJPH Research: New Supplement Investigates the Science of Health Disparities
American Public Health Association (APHA)

For this special American Journal of Public Health supplement, studies, commentaries and editorial pieces address the science behind eliminating health disparities. Find research addressing mortality variances by age and gender as it relates to alcohol consumption; instances of insurance-based discrimination; and spatial clustering of work-related injuries.

Released: 23-Apr-2015 7:55 AM EDT
Genetic Sensitivity to Bitter Tastes May Impact Adherence to Oral Smoking Cessation Products
Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Inspired by a half century’s worth of big tobacco research around the taste of nicotine, a smoking cessation scientist is working to understand how a person’s taste perception might make them a better or worse candidate for oral nicotine replacement therapy.

21-Apr-2015 9:05 AM EDT
BPA Risk to Newborns May Be Smaller Than Previously Believed
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say that while a large majority of newborns are exposed in their earliest days to bisphenol A (BPA), a much-studied chemical used in plastics and in food and soda can linings, they can chemically alter and rid their bodies of it.

Released: 22-Apr-2015 10:05 AM EDT
A Lot of Smoke: WVU Study Examines Cigarillo Modification Health Claims
West Virginia University - Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Known by a variety of names, “hyping,” “champing” and “freaking” a cigarillo – a smaller, leaner type of cigar – is believed by many to significantly reduce the amount of cancer-causing properties associated with tobacco products. A WVU study examines such claims.

Released: 21-Apr-2015 4:05 PM EDT
HIV Prevention Messages for High-Risk Groups Should Target Bars, Street Corners
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Bars and street corners are ideal venues for broad dissemination of HIV prevention information among drug-using male sex workers and other at-risk populations, according to researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).



close
4.95925