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Consumer education campaign warning Connecticut residents of the dangers of illegal drug importation

Connecticut became the sixteenth state to join forces with the FDA to launch the "Looks Can Be Deceiving" educational campaign. During a press conference in Hartford, officials from CPA unveiled examples of the more than 40,000 flyers and prescription bag inserts that have been sent to 166 pharmacies across Connecticut.

18 Aug 2004

Toxic chemical in hand soaps, cleaner is deposited and remains in the environment long after the products are used

A toxic chemical used in hand soaps, cleaners and other personal care products to kill germs is deposited and remains in the environment long after the products are used, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

18 Aug 2004

Exposure to natural and man-made substances in the environment accounts for at least two-thirds of all the cases of cancer in the U.S.

These environmental factors include lifestyle choices like cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of exercise and excessive sunlight exposure. Other factors include exposure to certain medical drugs, hormones, radiation, viruses, bacteria, and chemicals that may be present in the air, water, food and workplace.

18 Aug 2004

Workplace obesity intervention programs can reach millions of people

Each year, millions of Americans struggle with obesity – a potentially deadly condition that puts them at a higher risk for numerous health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

18 Aug 2004

Large-scale computer simulations help understand SARS

A Mayo Clinic researcher is the first to develop a series of three-dimensional (3D) models of an enzyme responsible for the replication of the deadly SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome) virus.

17 Aug 2004

Contract for the production of an investigational vaccine based on an H9N2 strain of avian influenza virus

In 1999 and 2003, an H9N2 influenza strain caused illness in three people in Hong Kong. Scientists are concerned about H9N2 and other emerging types of avian influenza viruses because as they spread—most commonly through poultry—they continually mutate, increasing chances that they may infect humans, evade the body’s immune response and become more lethal.

17 Aug 2004

Why more than 70 per cent of child poisoning cases involve medications

"Although deaths are now rare, poisoning still remains a prime cause of hospitalisation in children under five," Professor Ozanne-Smith said. "Also, the rate of poisoning in this age group is increasing in Victoria, and we need to find out why."

17 Aug 2004

Steps families take to minimize asthma triggers in the home are either wrong or ignored

Parents of children who suffer with asthma are making many efforts to clear their homes of substances that could trigger their child's symptoms, but the steps they take aren't always the ones that could do the most good, a new University of Michigan study finds. And many don't take other steps that are known to help.

17 Aug 2004

South Africa will continue providing Nevirapine as monotherapy to mothers and babies

The South African Government's policy to reduce the risk of mother to child transmission of HIV, remains unchanged.

17 Aug 2004

Adolescent girls that have been physically coerced into sexual intercourse are more likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease

Adolescent girls who say they have been physically coerced into sexual intercourse are more likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study published in the journal Women’s Health Issues.

17 Aug 2004

A quarter of all adults aged over 40 could develop an irregular heartbeat

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder in the U.S., affecting more than 2 million adults. The prevalence of the condition is rising and scientists predict that about 5.6 million Americans will have the disorder by 2050. Known causes of AF include abnormalities in the heart’s structure and long-term uncontrolled high blood pressure.

17 Aug 2004

Support of humanitarian organisations to refugees in developing countries may inadvertently be creating a two-tier health system

With the host population having to cope with poorer health facilities than that provided by aid agencies to refugees.

15 Aug 2004

Death rates for young children are related seasonal levels of particulate air pollution and cold temperatures

Seasonal variations in death rates for young children are related to high levels of particulate air pollution and cold temperatures during the winter months, and to high levels of particulate pollutants and nitrogen dioxide during the summer months

15 Aug 2004

Patients at low risk of dying after coronary artery bypass graft surgery fare better with high-volume surgeons

Patients at low risk of dying after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery have a significantly better chance of survival when treated by surgeons and hospitals that handle many cases, researchers report in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

11 Aug 2004

Exposure to arsenic significantly reduces intellectual function

A recent study of children exposed to arsenic-tainted water in Araihazar, Bangladesh found that water arsenic was significantly associated with reduced intellectual function.

11 Aug 2004

Scientists identify compounds that mimic calorie restriction

Investigators from an international consortium of research institutes, including the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, have identified compounds that mimic the effects of a low calorie diet without changing the amount of essential nutrients.

11 Aug 2004

New survey shows that more people on Medicare dislike a new drug benefit law

A new survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health shows that more people on Medicare dislike a new law that adds a drug benefit to the Medicare program.

11 Aug 2004

Alternative to hysterectomy for women with painful uterine fibroids

The University of Toronto’s teaching hospitals are all equipped to perform uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), but many women suffering from benign fibroids aren’t aware that there’s a procedure that can spare their uterus, says Gaylene Pron, professor of public health sciences and author of two 2003 studies evaluating the success of the procedure.

11 Aug 2004

Survey shows Irish happy with smoke free pubs

Results of a survey, commissioned by the Irish Department of Health and Children, show continuing strong public support for the smoke-free at work measure introduced on 29th March, 2004. The survey of 1,000 people was carried out recently by Lansdowne Market Research.

11 Aug 2004

American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.3 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age

About 40 percent of adults ages 40 to 74 - or 41 million people - have pre-diabetes, a condition that raises a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

11 Aug 2004

Public Health News and Research

Consumer education campaign warning Connecticut residents of the dangers of illegal drug importation

Toxic chemical in hand soaps, cleaner is deposited and remains in the environment long after the products are used

Exposure to natural and man-made substances in the environment accounts for at least two-thirds of all the cases of cancer in the U.S.

Workplace obesity intervention programs can reach millions of people

Large-scale computer simulations help understand SARS

Contract for the production of an investigational vaccine based on an H9N2 strain of avian influenza virus

Why more than 70 per cent of child poisoning cases involve medications

Steps families take to minimize asthma triggers in the home are either wrong or ignored

South Africa will continue providing Nevirapine as monotherapy to mothers and babies

Adolescent girls that have been physically coerced into sexual intercourse are more likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease

A quarter of all adults aged over 40 could develop an irregular heartbeat

Support of humanitarian organisations to refugees in developing countries may inadvertently be creating a two-tier health system

Death rates for young children are related seasonal levels of particulate air pollution and cold temperatures

Patients at low risk of dying after coronary artery bypass graft surgery fare better with high-volume surgeons

Exposure to arsenic significantly reduces intellectual function

Scientists identify compounds that mimic calorie restriction

New survey shows that more people on Medicare dislike a new drug benefit law

Alternative to hysterectomy for women with painful uterine fibroids

Survey shows Irish happy with smoke free pubs

American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.3 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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