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Obesity could increase a person’s risk for atrial fibrillation

New research indicates that being obese could increase a person’s risk for atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heart rhythm, by 50 percent, according to work published in the November 24 issue of JAMA.

24 Nov 2004

Smoking killed almost 5 million people around the world in 2000

Smoking killed almost 5 million people around the world in 2000, reveals research in Tobacco Control. Over half the deaths were in smokers aged 30 to 69.

24 Nov 2004

PAHO book receives British Medical Association award

The British Medical Association (BMA) presented a special award to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for its publication, Building Better Health: A Handbook of Behavioral Change.

23 Nov 2004

Highly obese women are 12 times more likely to have diabetes

Highly obese women are 12 times more likely to have diabetes or knee replacement surgery, and five times more likely to have high blood pressure than women who are at a normal weight, says a new study.

23 Nov 2004

Patients with knee osteoarthritis should avoid long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Current guidelines recommend the use of oral NSAIDs in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis and they are used regularly by half of all patients with painful osteoarthritis.

23 Nov 2004

Long-term use of opioid prescriptions by veterans

Veteran patients who receive long-term opioid prescriptions generally are treated with modest and stable medication dosages, according to an article in the November 22 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Nov 2004

Survey shows need for conservative, drug-free options

A new survey showing that nearly half of all Americans are concerned about the safety of the medical care they receive should send a strong signal to the health and insurance industries that safer non-drug, non-surgical treatments should be considered whenever possible, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

20 Nov 2004

Pyramid sampling method to be used to track HIV-risk behavior among drug users in 25 cities

What's the best way to get a statistically reliable sample of people who are hard to identify, such as illegal-drug users in large cities, itinerant jazz musicians, aging Manhattan artists and semi-professional storytellers?

20 Nov 2004

Where you live affects what you eat

People who live in poor, urban neighborhoods have less access to quality fruits and vegetables and to stores selling a larger variety of foods than those who live in higher-income neighborhoods, according to two studies being presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO)'s Annual Scientific Meeting.

19 Nov 2004

U.S. nuclear power workers show no unexepected radiation related cancer

A first-of-its-kind study of more than 53,000 U.S. nuclear power workers has found that employees in the commercial nuclear industry are less likely than the general population to die from cancer or non-cancer diseases due, in large measure, to the so-called "healthy worker effect."

18 Nov 2004

American Meat Institute says U.S. beef is safe

The American Meat Institute (AMI) today said U.S. beef is safe and consumers needn't worry about news of a new "inconclusive" test result for BSE or "Mad Cow Disease."

18 Nov 2004

Americans should keep taking vitamin E supplements

"To E or not to E," a question prompted by a controversial analysis released last week, is addressed by leading researchers and physicians who recommend that Americans keep taking vitamin E supplements in recommended amounts for overall health benefits.

18 Nov 2004

Statement from U.S. Department of Agriculture on an inconclusive BSE test result

Statement by Andrea Morgan, Associate Deputy Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture on an Inconclusive BSE Test Result.

18 Nov 2004

Evidence of exposure to a monkey virus possibly related to cancer has been found in the blood of North American zoo workers

The virus, a polyomavirus known as simian virus 40 (SV40), has long been a subject of public health concern, in part because it has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, and some investigators have reported SV40 DNA in human tumors.

18 Nov 2004

Postpartum depression: Beyond the 'Baby Blues'

In a culture where giving birth is often believed to be the most joyful moment in life, many women instead feel tired, sad, anxious, distracted and depressed after the baby is born.

18 Nov 2004

70% of cases of spina bifida are preventable by folic-acid supplementation

A seminar in this week’s issue of THE LANCET discusses the causes, symptoms, and treatments relating to spina bifida, and reinforces an important public-health message for women about to become pregnant

18 Nov 2004

Some hospitals face financial upheaval under new NHS payment system

Some hospitals will face sizeable changes to their incomes under a new NHS payment system, say researchers at Dr Foster in this week's BMJ.

18 Nov 2004

NHS patients 'not fully engaged' with their own healthcare

NHS patients lag behind other western countries in actively involving patients and communities in healthcare, says an editorial in this week's BMJ.

18 Nov 2004

Smacking legislation is unworkable for doctors

The recent Commons' decision not to outlaw the physical punishment of children means that the law will offer its most vulnerable citizens (children) less protection from assault than is offered to adults, says an editorial in this week's BMJ.

18 Nov 2004

The United States has seen a steep rise in caesareans to women with no reported medical risk

Researchers analysed information on four million births per year between 1991 and 2001, identifying mothers with no medical risk or labour and delivery complication noted on the birth certificate. From this group of mothers, they examined those cases where mothers had a first-time caesarean.

18 Nov 2004

Public Health News and Research

Obesity could increase a person’s risk for atrial fibrillation

Smoking killed almost 5 million people around the world in 2000

PAHO book receives British Medical Association award

Highly obese women are 12 times more likely to have diabetes

Patients with knee osteoarthritis should avoid long term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Long-term use of opioid prescriptions by veterans

Survey shows need for conservative, drug-free options

Pyramid sampling method to be used to track HIV-risk behavior among drug users in 25 cities

Where you live affects what you eat

U.S. nuclear power workers show no unexepected radiation related cancer

American Meat Institute says U.S. beef is safe

Americans should keep taking vitamin E supplements

Statement from U.S. Department of Agriculture on an inconclusive BSE test result

Evidence of exposure to a monkey virus possibly related to cancer has been found in the blood of North American zoo workers

Postpartum depression: Beyond the 'Baby Blues'

70% of cases of spina bifida are preventable by folic-acid supplementation

Some hospitals face financial upheaval under new NHS payment system

NHS patients 'not fully engaged' with their own healthcare

Smacking legislation is unworkable for doctors

The United States has seen a steep rise in caesareans to women with no reported medical risk

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