Health News

Increased Access To Paid Sick Days May Reduce Workplace Flu Cases

Date: Jun-13-2013
New research from the American Journal of Public Health reveals a reduction in flu cases when access to paid sick days is made available in the workplace. Researchers used an agent-based model to evaluate the transmission patterns of influenza in workplaces under different scenarios. A baseline simulation scenario referred to data from the 2010 National Compensation Survey and assumed that a larger percentage of employees with access to paid sick days stayed home than did employees without paid sick days - both for an average of 1.7 days when sick...

Youth Access Tobacco Laws May Reduce Adult Smoking Prevalence

Date: Jun-13-2013
Laws that restrict youth access to tobacco may reduce smoking prevalence in adulthood, especially for women, according to new research from the American Journal of Public Health. The study evaluated the long-term effects of nine youth access tobacco policies, including cigarette vending machine restrictions, identification requirements for purchase and requirements that would randomly inspect retailers to ensure compliance with youth access laws. Data from the Tobacco Use Supplement of the Current Population Survey was used to analyze the potential effects of the policies...

Data From 2011 Alabama Tornado Informs Future Safety Recommendations

Date: Jun-13-2013
A new study from the American Journal of Public Health analyzes the deadly 2011 Alabama tornado outbreak and underscores the need for local community shelters, preparedness planning and the importance of word-of-mouth warnings. Researchers captured mortality data from the American Red Cross and death certificates and identified cause of death - whether directly or indirectly related to the tornadoes. They also analyzed where decedents were located during the tornado, the warning they received and what action they took in response to the storm...

Childhood Obesity-Related Hospitalizations Quadrupled from 2001 to 2009, UK

Date: Jun-13-2013
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of children in England and Wales admitted to hospital for obesity related problems quadrupled. The new data, published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, highlights the ever-growing concern of obesity among British children...

Human Genes May Not Be Patented, US Supreme Court Ruled Today

Date: Jun-13-2013
The US Supreme Court ruled today that naturally-occurring human genes may not be patented, but a gene that is manipulated to create something that does not exist in nature may be patented, because it is an invention. Writing for a unanimous court, Justice Clarence Thomas explained that a naturally-occurring DNA segment is a product of nature, it is not a human invention, and is thus not eligible for patent just because scientists isolated it...

Vaccine Delivery Via Nanopatch Eliminates Needles

Date: Jun-13-2013
A new technology called Nanopatch is showing promise as a needle-free way to deliver vaccines. The technology is the brainchild of biomedical engineer Mark Kendall, who presented it at TEDGlobal 2013 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the birthplace of the needle and syringe in 1853...

Tobacco Ads Boost Teen Smoking

Date: Jun-13-2013
For every 10 tobacco advert sightings, a teenager's risk of starting smoking rises by 38%, German researchers reported in the journal BMJ Open. They added that the ten ad sightings increase the probability that teens become regular daily smokers by 30%. These findings go against the tobacco industry's assurance that cigarette advertising only influences existing smokers to change brands and has no effect on encouraging non-smokers to start. Dr...

Newly Identified Markers May Predict Who Will Respond To Breast Cancer Prevention Therapy

Date: Jun-13-2013
Genetic variations, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in or near the genes ZNF423 and CTSO were associated with breast cancer risk among women who underwent prevention therapy with tamoxifen and raloxifene, according to data published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Women who have the favorable variations of these two SNPs are more likely to respond to prevention therapy, according to this study...

Antiretroviral Drug Reduces Risk Of Contracting HIV Among Injection Drug Users

Date: Jun-13-2013
Researchers have found that people who inject drugs could reduce their risk of developing HIV by nearly half if they take daily tablets of an antiretroviral drug called tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir). This was the first trial to evaluate whether preventative treatment with HIV drugs could prevent HIV infection among people who inject drugs. Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention said that this is a "significant step forward for HIV prevention...

Policies Associated With Reduced Availability Of Foods And Beverages High In Fats, Sugars, Or Sodium Sold Outside The School Meal Program

Date: Jun-13-2013
The association between district and state policies or legal requirements regarding competitive food and beverages (food and beverages sold outside the school meal program) and public elementary school availability of foods and beverages high in fats, sugars, or sodium was examined in a study Jamie F. Chriqui, Ph.D., M.H.S., and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago...