Feature Channels: Public Health

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While the total mortality rate from unintentional injury increased in the U.S. by 11 percent from 1999-2005, far larger increases were seen in some subgroups analyzed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their analysis found that white women between 45 and 64 years old experienced a 230 percent increase in the rate of poisoning mortality over the study period. White men in this age group experienced an increase of 137 percent.

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Dr. Jan Nowak reports community molecular pathologists’ efforts to confirm suspected cases of H1N1 influenza early in the outbreak and discussed the challenges encountered by the diagnostic community and opportunities to improve access to high quality rapid diagnostic tests for pandemic influenza.

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The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA – www.cleaning101.com) is hosting a webinar at no cost on September 24, 2009 to help community leaders prepare for cold and flu season.

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Getting a cold, stomach bug or other infection may lead to increased memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published in the September 8, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Every March, most Americans welcome the switch to daylight saving time because of the longer days, but also dread losing an hour of sleep after they move their clocks forward. Now a new study shows that losing just an hour of sleep could pose some dangerous consequences for those in hazardous work environments.

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When reporting medical errors, patients’ perceptions of their physicians’ disclosure may be key to gaining their trust, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. However, a positive perception of the disclosure has little effect on the lawsuit risk a physician faces.

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More than one in 10 people who binge drinks gets behind the wheel of a car during or just after their binge. Of those, more than half had consumed their liquor in a bar, restaurant or club.

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Expelled from the Naval Academy for being gay, the Rev. Tommy Watkins Jr., L.G.S.W., has earned the inaugural Billy R. Cox Endowed Scholarship. Watkins is a doctoral candidate in the UAB School of Public Health. The scholarship is named for the late Billy R. Cox, a beloved Birmingham AIDS activist and gay-rights leader.

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Researchers have found new evidence showing that parents play a key role in whether or not their adolescent children who experiment with tobacco progress to become daily smokers before they graduate from high school.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) are requesting neurologists to report any possible new cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) following 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination using the CDC and U. S. Food and Drug Administration Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

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Drinkers aren’t just bending their elbows: according to a new study, the more alcohol people drink, the more likely they might be to exercise.

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Patients infected with a particular subtype of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are more likely to develop dementia than patients with other subtypes, a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers shows. The finding, reported in the September Clinical Infectious Diseases, is the first to demonstrate that the specific type of HIV has any effect on cognitive impairment, one of the most common complications of uncontrolled HIV infection.

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How people should be aware of, but not panic about swine flu coming this fall. Also, how people should not forget about seasonal influenza.

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Skateboarders should take caution to protect their feet and ankles from serious injuries and painful foot and heel conditions.

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Infection with an antimicrobial-resistant strain of typhoid fever among patients in the United States is associated with international travel, especially to the Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), according to a study in the August 26 issue of JAMA. The study also shows an increase in certain strains of typhoid fever that are resistant to the most commonly used medications for treatment.

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Sorting out the facts from myths of swine flu...

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A new analysis of government data on more than 6,000 American women indicates that deposition of mercury within the human population due to chronic mercury exposure is increasing over time, and that deposition of mercury increases with age. The study demonstrates significant associations between chronic mercury exposure and both the immune and endocrine systems that may explain a mechanism for development of associated neurological disease.

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A new study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) has found that the life-long effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy may occur through specific changes in DNA patterns.

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Smoking is a risk factor for active tuberculosis (TB) disease, according to a new study on TB incidence in Taiwan.

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More than 850 burn survivors and their families, firefighters and specialists in burn treatment from across the country are expected to attend the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors' 21st Annual World Burn Congress to share their experiences and practical advice about how to continue on the road to recovery after severe burn injury. This year's conference -- which has its largest attendance to date -- will also include a large group of U.S. servicemen and women who were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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A new study has found a striking correlation between teenage viewership and the frequency of alcohol advertising on cable television. The findings show that ads for beer, spirits and "alcopop" aired much more frequently when more teens were watching.

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1) Unemployment is taking its toll on the mental health of young women and men in the United States; 2) Don't forget about Granny: Older adults experience better reported health when connected with family and friends; 3) Social disparities in body weight may be increasing among young adults.

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In a presentation today (Aug. 19) to the American Chemical Society meeting, Ankit Agarwal, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described an experimental approach to wound healing that could take advantage of silver's anti-bacterial properties, while sidestepping the damage silver can cause to cells needed for healing.

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The nation’s home foreclosure epidemic may be taking its toll on Americans’ health as well as their wallets. Nearly half of people studied while undergoing foreclosure reported depressive symptoms, and 37 percent met screening criteria for major depression, according to new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine research published online this week in the American Journal of Public Health.

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The University of Illinois at Chicago has received a five-year, $4.8 million federal grant to develop new therapeutics to treat depression.

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The following faculty members of The George Washington University Medical Center are available to comment on topics regarding H1N1 and vaccines, information for consumers, public health information, and information about homeland security.

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Both being more physically active and adhering to a Mediterranean-type diet appears to be associated with reduced Alzheimer's risk, according to a new report in the August 12, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). While previous studies have only investigated the association between either physical activity or diet and Alzheimer's disease risk separately, this new research explored their combined association.

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The first national study of homeless people's use of emergency rooms finds that homeless patients are more likely to arrive at the hospital by ambulance and more than twice as likely to be uninsured. One-third of homeless patients arrived by ambulance "“ at an estimated cost of almost $67 million, according to the researchers.

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Dr. Arnold Rosenheck, assistant dean of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, is available to discuss the use of dental amalgams and the implications of the FDA announcement to reclassify amalgams as well as its two components "“ elemental mercury and powder alloy.

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A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. A new study finds that in order for a response to be effective, quick detection and treatment are essential, and any delay beyond three days would overwhelm hospitals with critically ill people.

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Approximately 1 in 6 public health workers said they would not report to work during a pandemic flu emergency regardless of its severity, according to a survey led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The new study suggests ways for improving the response of the public health workforce.

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Dr. Steven M. Marcus, executive director of the New Jersey Poison Information & Education System (NJPIES) at UMDNJ, is available to provide comment on a warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the risks of electronic cigarettes.

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Saint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development is on the forefront of research to protect people from H1N1 influenza, which could sicken as many as one in five Americans.

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There is no evidence that giving infants a combination vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and hepatitis B along with a form of flu protects them as effectively as separate vaccines.

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New research indicates that screening children for symptoms of depression, the most common mental health disorder in the United States, can begin a lot earlier than previously thought, as early as the second grade.

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Secondhand smoke (SHS) is not only a nuisance, but a potential health concern for many college students, and administrators should be taking steps to reduce students' exposure, according to a new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

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Adults between the ages of 34 and 56 are at greater risk of dying from poisonings than from motor vehicle accidents, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, released on Friday. Poisoning deaths include those resulting from drug overdose or other misuse of drugs and those associated with solid or liquid biologic substances, gases or vapors, or other substances.

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1) Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan at high risk for mental health disorders; 2) Long-term health effects linked with relationship violence in women's adulthood; 3) Higher number of road fatalities and injuries occur after repeal of federal limit controls.

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The repeal of the federal speed control law in 1995 has resulted in an increase in road fatalities and injuries, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health.

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More than three-quarters of parents would be willing to allow the use of their children's newborn screening samples for research, a new survey shows. But more than half would be unwilling to permit use if their permission was not obtained beforehand. The survey sheds light on the emerging issue of how to square parents' concerns about privacy with medical researchers' desire to use the samples.

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As the economy continues to falter, a poll released today shows that parents must make harder choices about how to spend what money they have, and children "“ especially those who are uninsured or who are among the lowest income bracket - are more at risk because of it.

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A new, highly detailed study of the H1N1 flu virus shows that the pathogen is more virulent than previously thought.

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Bathtubs and showers are frequently associated with injuries to children. Although interventions have been initiated to prevent injuries due to submersions and hot water scalds, little attention has been paid to slips, trips and falls, which account for more than 80 percent of bathtub- and shower-related injuries.

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Children and adults who build castles and dig in the sand at the beach are at greater risk of developing gastrointestinal diseases and diarrhea than people who only walk on the shore or swim in the surf, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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The life story of James H. Steele, D.V.M., is set to be released this week at the 2009 American Veterinary Medical Association Convention in Seattle. The biography, "One Man, One Medicine, One Health: The James H. Steele Story," covers more than nine decades of Steele's life from his childhood in Chicago to his retirement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to his work at The University of Texas School of Public Health. All proceeds of book sales will benefit the Steele Endowed Lecture Series and the James H. Steele Professorship of Epidemiology at the UT School of Public Health.

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Childhood drownings and near-drownings can happen in a matter of seconds and typically occur when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse in supervision. Two minutes after submersion, a child will lose consciousness. Irreversible brain damage occurs after four to six minutes and determines the immediate and long-term survival of a child.

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Comprehensive regulation of gun sellers appears to reduce the trafficking of guns to criminals, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study is the first to incorporate measures of the enforcement of gun sale laws into a study of the effectiveness of those laws.

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Sarah Anderson, PhD, forensic nurse in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Virginia Health System, is part of a team that will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo to educate clinicians on collecting evidence and providing care for the overwhelming number of rape victims they see daily. They will depart July 7 and return July 23.

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The University of Illinois at Chicago is leading a $2.9 million National Cancer Institute project to increase demand for evidence-based, Internet-based smoking cessation treatment among young adults.

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New research suggests that casino workers face a higher risk of heart disease and lung cancer because they work in buildings filled with tobacco smoke.