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Researchers study hidden homicide trend

Gun-related homicide among young men rose sharply in the United States in recent years even though the nation's overall homicide rate remained flat, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

26 Jun 2008

U.S. should lift HIV/AIDS-related travel restrictions, opinion piece says

Since 2003, the U.S. through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has "extended a helping hand to" HIV-positive people living outside the country, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) write in a Washington Times opinion piece.

26 Jun 2008

Genetic profiling for breast cancer on the horizon

Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that it may soon be possible to offer women a genetic test to assess their risk of breast cancer which could aid early diagnosis for those at high risk of the disease. Their findings are revealed in the New England Journal of Medicine today (Wednesday).

26 Jun 2008

Inquest hears how overworked, exhausted doctors make mistakes

The issue of overworked, exhausted doctors and the impact this has on the quality of care delivered has come under scrutiny at an inquest in Queensland.

26 Jun 2008

State policies have a significant impact on drug treatment programs

State policies have a significant impact on the services performed by substance abuse treatment programs, and could play a key role in efforts to expand the use of research-based "comprehensive" treatment approaches, reports a study in the June issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (JSAT).

25 Jun 2008

Cancer and tobacco are growing health concerns in Africa

In an unprecedented meeting between the media, cancer and tobacco control nongovernmental organizations, and the health care sector, African journalists gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday to discuss Africa?s growing cancer and tobacco crisis. This first ever summit was convened in order to address ways in which journalists can communicate lifesaving messaging about cancer, and tobacco-related deaths.

25 Jun 2008

Few employers addressing employees' obesity despite increasing costs

Obesity rates in the U.S. are driving up costs for employers that provide health insurance to workers, but few companies have introduced programs intended to curb the trend, the New York Times reports.

25 Jun 2008

Montana measure to expand SCHIP, Medicaid eligibility to be included on November ballot

Montana State Auditor John Morrison on Tuesday said an initiative to expand SCHIP and Medicaid coverage to as many as 30,000 additional uninsured children will be placed on the state's November ballot, the Missoulian reports.

24 Jun 2008

Neglected infectious diseases go untreated, undiagnosed in hundreds of thousands of low-income residents in the U.S.

Hundreds of thousands of low-income U.S. residents in inner cities, the Mississippi Delta, Appalachia, areas near the Mexico border and tribal reservations remain undiagnosed and untreated for diseases that are prevalent in Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to an analysis published on Monday in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, USA Today reports.

24 Jun 2008

Epigenetic changes occur over a person's lifetime

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that epigenetic marks on DNA-chemical marks other than the DNA sequence-do indeed change over a person's lifetime, and that the degree of change is similar among family members.

24 Jun 2008

WHO creates new safety checklist for surgical teams to use in operating theatres

With major surgery now occurring at a rate of 234 million procedures per year - one for every 25 people - and studies indicating that a significant percentage result in preventable complications and deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new safety checklist for surgical teams to use in operating theatres, as part of a major drive to make surgery safer around the world.

24 Jun 2008

Video-based waiting room intervention reduces new sexually transmitted infections

A video-based waiting room intervention, Safe in the City, lowers STD incidence among STD clinic patients, new CDC data find. In a controlled trial, the Safe in the City research group found that patients who were exposed to a 23-minute HIV/STD prevention video had nearly a 10% reduction in new infections compared with those who were not exposed to the video.

24 Jun 2008

Neglected infections of poverty in the U.S. are disabling hundreds of thousands of Americans every year

An analysis published June 25th in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases highlights that diseases very similar to those plaguing Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also occurring frequently among the poorest people in the United States, especially women and children. These diseases - the "neglected infections of poverty" - are caused by chronic and debilitating parasitic, bacterial, and congenital infections.

24 Jun 2008

Simple ultrasound exam may predict osteoporosis risk

An ultrasound exam of the heel may be able to predict if a woman is at heightened risk for fractures due to osteoporosis, according to a new multicenter study being published in the July issue of the journal Radiology.

24 Jun 2008

Symptom screening plus CA125 blood test improves early detection of ovarian cancer

Women's reports of persistent, recent-onset symptoms linked to ovarian cancer - abdominal or pelvic pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and abdominal bloating - when combined with the CA125 blood test may improve the early detection of ovarian cancer by 20 percent, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center published online today in CANCER.

24 Jun 2008

Study: Outreach and internal navigation program on breast cancer diagnosis in an urban cancer center with a large African-American population

A new study indicates that community education outreach and internal navigation programs lead to a significant shift in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer among African American women, with a doubling in the proportion of cases caught at the earliest stage and a nearly reciprocal drop in the proportion of cancers at most advanced stage.

23 Jun 2008

China strengthens safety of food products exported to United States

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mike Leavitt signed a Joint Progress Statement today with the Honorable Li Changjiang, Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of the People's Republic of China.

19 Jun 2008

New AMA public health policies on vitamin D, processed foods, flavored cigarettes, tobacco sales, disaster medicine and seniors

The American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest physician organization, voted today at its Annual Meeting to adopt the following new public health policies.

17 Jun 2008

High fructose syrup unlikely to be more harmful than other sweeteners, says AMA

After studying current research, the American Medical Association (AMA) today concluded that high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners, but called for further independent research to be done on the health effects of high fructose syrup and other sweeteners.

17 Jun 2008

Jamaica to develop tuberculosis testing center to address HIV/TB coinfection, health official says

Jamaica will develop a tuberculosis testing facility at its National Public Health Laboratory because of the increasing number of HIV-positive people in the country who develop TB, Kevin Harvey, senior medical officer at the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Program at the Ministry of Health and Environment, said recently, the Jamaica Gleaner reports.

17 Jun 2008

Public Health News and Research

Researchers study hidden homicide trend

U.S. should lift HIV/AIDS-related travel restrictions, opinion piece says

Genetic profiling for breast cancer on the horizon

Inquest hears how overworked, exhausted doctors make mistakes

State policies have a significant impact on drug treatment programs

Cancer and tobacco are growing health concerns in Africa

Few employers addressing employees' obesity despite increasing costs

Montana measure to expand SCHIP, Medicaid eligibility to be included on November ballot

Neglected infectious diseases go untreated, undiagnosed in hundreds of thousands of low-income residents in the U.S.

Epigenetic changes occur over a person's lifetime

WHO creates new safety checklist for surgical teams to use in operating theatres

Video-based waiting room intervention reduces new sexually transmitted infections

Neglected infections of poverty in the U.S. are disabling hundreds of thousands of Americans every year

Simple ultrasound exam may predict osteoporosis risk

Symptom screening plus CA125 blood test improves early detection of ovarian cancer

Study: Outreach and internal navigation program on breast cancer diagnosis in an urban cancer center with a large African-American population

China strengthens safety of food products exported to United States

New AMA public health policies on vitamin D, processed foods, flavored cigarettes, tobacco sales, disaster medicine and seniors

High fructose syrup unlikely to be more harmful than other sweeteners, says AMA

Jamaica to develop tuberculosis testing center to address HIV/TB coinfection, health official says

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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