Entries tagged as Public Health

Weight Loss Diets Significantly Reverse Arterial Clogging

On March 6, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Nutrition, Public Health / No Comments

A two-year study led by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) found that healthy, long-term weight loss diets can significantly reverse carotid (main brain artery) atherosclerosis, a direct risk factor for strokes and heart attacks. The study is one of the first to prove the potential of moderate weight loss as a strategy to reverse atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in overweight and mildly obese people. (read the full story)

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Well-Being Is Related To Having Less Small Talk And More Substantive Conversations

On March 5, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

Is a happy life filled with trivial chatter or reflective and profound conversations? Psychological scientists Matthias R. Mehl, Shannon E. Holleran, and C. Shelby Clark from the University of Arizona, along with Simine Vazire of Washington University in St. Louis investigated whether happy and unhappy people differ in the types of conversations they tend to engage in. (read the full story)

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Second Dose Of Gene Therapy For Inherited Blindness Proves Safe In Animal Studies

On March 5, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Immunology, Public Health / No Comments

Gene therapy for a severe inherited blindness, which produced dramatic improvements last year in 12 children and young adults who received the treatment in a clinical trial, has cleared another hurdle. The same research team that conducted the human trial now reports that a study in animals has shown that a second injection of genes into the opposite, previously untreated eye is safe and effective, with no signs of interference from unwanted immune reactions following the earlier injection. (read the full story)

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Damaged Protein Identified As Early Diagnostic Biomarker For Alzheimer’s Disease In Healthy Adults

On February 28, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have found that elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of phosphorylated tau231 (P-tau231), a damaged tau protein found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, may be an early diagnostic biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease in healthy adults. The study, published this month online by Neurobiology of Aging, shows that high levels of P-tau231 predict future memory decline and loss of brain gray matter in the medial temporal lobe – a key memory center. (read the full story)

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Adapting To Clogged Airways Makes Common Pathogen Resist Powerful Antibiotics – Even Without Previous Exposure

On February 26, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

People with cystic fibrosis frequently have lung infections that defy treatment. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that clogs airways with thick mucous. While the life expectancy for children with cystic fibrosis has increased over the past few decades, many lives are still shortened in young adulthood by the ravages of lung infections. (continue reading)

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Researcher At The University of Minnesota Reports That Soft Drink Consumption May Increase Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer

On February 21, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

Mark Pereira, Ph.D.Consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly, and only 5 percent of people who are diagnosed are alive five years later. (continue reading)

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Summary Of The Interim Final Rule Implementing The Paul Wellstone And Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equity Act

On February 19, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

us_capitolThe American Psychological Association Practice Organization are pleased to report that the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury have released a highly favorable interim final rule implementing the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (the “MHPAEA”).  This interim rule was released on February 2, 2010, and we anticipate that the regulators will finalize the rule sometime after a 90-day comment period.  We are attaching a summary of the interim final rule, which provides extensive detail on how the MHPAEA will be implemented.  Most health plans will have to meet the requirements of this new regulation for plan years beginning January 1, 2011, but in the meantime they must continue their “good faith” compliance with the law. (continue reading)

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Inhibiting Serotonin In The Gut Could Cure Osteoporosis

On February 19, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

(C) Image, provided by Dr. Gerard Karsenty, Columbia University Medical Center, from Cell paper.An investigational drug that inhibits serotonin synthesis in the gut, administered orally once daily, effectively cured osteoporosis in mice and rats reports an international team led by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center, in the Feb. 7 issue of Nature Medicine. Serotonin in the gut has been shown in recent research to stall bone formation. The finding could lead to new therapies that build new bone; most current drugs for osteoporosis can only prevent the breakdown of old bone. (continue reading)

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Researchers Develop Dietary Formula For Mice That Maintains Youthful Function Into Old Age

On February 18, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

Researchers at McMaster University have developed a cocktail of ingredients that forestalls major aspects of the aging process. The findings are published in the current issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine. “As we all eventually learn, ageing diminishes our mind, fades our perception of the world and compromises our physical capacity,” says David Rollo, associate professor of biology at McMaster. “Declining physical activity – think of grandparents versus toddlers – is one of the most reliable expressions of ageing and is also a good indicator of obesity and general mortality risk.” (continue reading)

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The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines

On February 14, 2010 / By Stephen Elliott / In Public Health / No Comments

2008 Physical Activity GuidelinesIn November 2008, The U.S. Department of Health And Human Services (DHHS) issued a landmark recommendation for exercise and health titled The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Yet surprisingly, most people this correspondent communicates with do not know of it. The report makes some very strong recommendations regarding the need for exercise. Interested readers can obtain the original 2008 Physical Activities Guidelines ebook, an audio summary of these findings, and other relevant articles using links provided in this review. (continue reading)

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Even Mild COPD Limits Heart Function

On February 11, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

A common lung condition, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), diminishes the heart’s ability to pump effectively even when the disease has no or mild symptoms, according to research published in the Jan. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study is the first time researchers have shown strong links between heart function and mild COPD. The research was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (continue reading)

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Fast Food Menus With Calorie Information Lead To Lower Calorie Selections For Young Children

On February 7, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Obesity, Public Health / No Comments

In a new study, the amount of calories selected by parents for their child’s hypothetical meal at McDonald’s restaurants were reduced by an average of 102 calories when the menus clearly showed the calories for each item. This is the first study to suggest that labeled menus may lead to significantly reduced calorie intake in fast food restaurant meals purchased for children. (continue reading)

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Study Shows Cigarette Smoking A Risk Factor For Alzheimer’s Disease

On February 5, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health, Tobacco / No Comments

nasty ash trayI am pleased to present reason #1,555,233 not to smoke cigarettes (yes, I made that up, but the point hits home). A UCSF analysis of published studies on the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and smoking indicates that smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for the disabling disease. After controlling for study design, quality of the journals, time of publication, and tobacco industry affiliation of the authors, the UCSF research team also found an association between tobacco industry affiliation and the conclusions of individual studies. Industry-affiliated studies indicated that smoking protects against the development of AD, while independent studies showed that smoking increased the risk of developing the disease. (continue reading)

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Physical Activity Associated With Healthier Aging

On February 5, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

A series of studies in Archives of Internal Medicine detail associations between exercise and cognitive function, bone density, and overall health. Physical activity appears to be associated with a reduced risk or slower progression of several age-related conditions as well as improvements in overall health in older age, according to a commentary and four articles published in the January 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read on for a summary of the findings from all 4 articles. (continue reading)

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Antidepressant Medication May Result In Improved Cognitive Function After Stroke

On February 4, 2010 / By Chris Fisher / In Public Health / No Comments

Antidepressant medication has taken a beating in recent published scientific literature that examines its efficacy to treat depression. Now for some good news on antidepressant medication. Patients who received the antidepressant escitalopram following a stroke appeared to recover more of their thinking, learning, and memory skills than those taking placebo or participating in problem-solving therapy, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (continue reading)

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