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Mesothelioma may be caused by exposure to ultramafic rock

Everyday exposure to naturally occurring asbestos increases the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma, according to a study by UC Davis researchers.

13 Jul 2005

United States continues to spend significantly more on health care than any country in the world

In 2005, Americans spent 53 percent per capita more than the next highest country, Switzerland, and 140 percent above the median industrialized country, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

13 Jul 2005

Many local health directors unsure of authority to curtail smoking

Local health department directors across North Carolina are confused about state laws covering whether their facilities can be made smoke-free, but still strongly support such policies, according to a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study.

11 Jul 2005

Overactive dopamine receptors may help explain anorexia nervosa symptoms

Just why those with anorexia nervosa are driven to be excessively thin and seem unaware of the seriousness of their condition could be due to over-activity of a chemical system found in a region deep inside the brain, a University of Pittsburgh study suggests.

11 Jul 2005

Nearly two million Americans are treated for eye injuries per year

Because eye injuries are rarely serious enough to require hospitalization, to understand the extent of eye injuries in the U.S., inpatient and outpatient facilities, in addition to other settings, must be considered, according to background information in the article.

11 Jul 2005

PSA screening of asymptomatic men reduced risk of metastatic prostate cancer by 35 per cent

Early screening of prostate cancer in asymptomatic men may reduce their risk of death from metastatic prostate cancer by as much as 35 per cent, researchers from the University of Toronto have found.

11 Jul 2005

New study strengthens the case for development of vaccine to prevent dengue fever

A new study of the disease burden of dengue fever in Malaysia strengthens the case for development of a vaccine against the mosquito-borne illness.

6 Jul 2005

Researchers discover sections of the chromosomes of lung cancer cells where cancer-related genes may lurk

With equipment designed to probe the smallest segments of the genetic code, researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and collaborating institutions have found something much larger: sections of the chromosomes of lung cancer cells where cancer-related genes may lurk.

6 Jul 2005

Fat adults more likely to have increased insulin resistance, a risk marker for Type 2 diabetes

Adult lifestyle has more influence on your chances of developing diabetes than childhood experience, according to new research whose findings contradict previously-held beliefs.

6 Jul 2005

Vitamin E fails to deliver benefits for major cardiovascular events or cancer

In an article in the July 6 JAMA, I-Min Lee, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from the vitamin E component of the Women's Health Study, which tested whether vitamin E supplementation decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer among healthy women.

6 Jul 2005

Northern Ireland must not be left behind on smoking ban

Commenting on the confirmation that Wales will press ahead with a total ban on smoking in public places, BMA(NI) Public Health Committee Vice-Chairman, Dr Colin Hamilton, raised his concerns that Northern Ireland is in significant danger of being left behind.

6 Jul 2005

Having normal blood pressure may prolong life

People in their 50s who have normal blood pressure could live up to five years longer than those with hypertension (high blood pressure), an international study has found.

6 Jul 2005

Plan designed to reduce the risk of the H5N1 avian influenza

International animal and human health experts today unveiled a multi-point plan designed to reduce the risk of the H5N1 avian influenza virus spreading from poultry to humans, and appealed to the international community to come forward with funds to make it work and help stave off the risk of an influenza pandemic.

6 Jul 2005