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Started by Imperator; Last updated Feb 27, 08 6:20 PM CST by D Lim | View history

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Public Health

It's not personal: From Patient Zero to prevention campaigns, health is increasingly migrating into the realm of the collective

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 319

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July 2008
- Reasons You're Losing Snoozes
  
  newser | Forbes | Jul 24, 08 12:01 PM CDT
  
  The health benefits of sleep are well-documented, but catching Zs isn't so easy in a society all about hard work and an active lifestyle. Forbes runs down some reasons Americans aren't getting enough quality time with their pillows. Marital problems: A bad marriage makes for poor shut-eye. Happy wives fell asleep easier and have a more restful slumber, according to one study. More »
- Nation Cooking on Radioactive Countertops
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 24, 08 10:07 AM CDT
  
  Granite countertops have become exceedingly popular, but few realize the dapper slabs can be radioactive, the New York Times reports. Granite often contains uranium, and reports have been flowing in of “hot” counters giving off higher-than-recommended levels of radon gas. “It’s not that all granite is dangerous,” said one expert. “But I’ve seen a few that might heat up your Cheerios a little.” More »
- Cancer Researcher Warns of Cell Phone Risks
  
  newser | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Jul 23, 08 7:40 PM CDT
  
  The chief of a cancer institute in Pittsburgh warned his staff today to take precautions with cell phones because of possible health risks, the Post-Gazette reports. The doctor advised people to keep their calls short, text whenever possible to keep phones away from the head, and limit use among children. The warning appears to be the first from any major cancer center in the US. More »
- Obama Health Care Cure May Prove Elusive
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 23, 08 8:09 AM CDT
  
  In a campaign that has made several big promises, perhaps Barack Obama's most ambitious vow is that he will bring down health care premiums by $2,500 by the end of his first term as president. But whether he can deliver that is an open question, writes the New York Times . Even if he can muster the political will to cut down a bloated system, the savings might not materialize. More »
- Brits Warn of Devastating Pandemic
  
  newser | Independent (UK) | Jul 21, 08 9:26 AM CDT
  
  The world is in danger of losing up to 50 million people to an "inevitable" flu pandemic, and global response agencies aren't ready for such a test, the British government warns. A report rates early-warning systems as "poorly coordinated" and calls for an overhaul of the World Health Organization, reports the Independent . More »
- US Health Care Stinks: Study
  
  newser | Reuters | Jul 17, 08 10:33 AM CDT
  
  The US health care system gets dismal grades in a ranking of 19 industrialized countries, Reuters reports. A private foundation looked at key indicators like efficiency and access, and found the US did very poorly despite spending the most money—putting it last on the list. Health-care dollars were squandered on administrative costs and illnesses caused by medical errors. More »
- Putting Helms' Name on AIDS Bill the Ultimate Insult
  
  newser | Pandagon | Jul 16, 08 7:35 PM CDT
  
  A move by Sen. Elizabeth Dole to honor former Republican colleague Jesse Helms by adding his name to a bill that would combat AIDS has Pandagon blogger Pam Spaulding seeing red. "Dole spits in the face" of gay activists, Spaulding writes, by attaching the stridently anti-homosexual Helms to a measure that could save thousands of lives. More »
- Senate Targets Ban on HIV- Positive Visitors
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jul 16, 08 4:31 PM CDT
  
  The Senate moved today to repeal a ban on allowing immigrants and vistors who are HIV-positive to enter the country, the AP reports. The measure was part of a $50 billion bill to combat AIDS worldwide. The US is one of only a dozen countries—including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Libya—that forbids the entry of visitors with AIDS. More »
- Study: Breast Self-Exams Don't Improve Cancer Survival
  
  newser | WebMD | Jul 16, 08 11:55 AM CDT
  
  Breast self-examinations, long recommended to women to detect early signs of breast cancer, serve no purpose, according to a review of the latest research. WebMD reports that 10-year studies of 388,500 women in Russia and China showed no improvement in survival rates from the self-exams, but revealed an added risk of unnecessary biopsies. More »
- Docs Link Ulcer Drop, Asthma Boom
  
  newser | Reuters | Jul 15, 08 4:55 PM CDT
  
  A lack of ulcers may be driving the increased incidence of childhood asthma, Reuters reports. In a study of children infected with the H. pylori bacteria, which causes ulcers, those who had the infection were 59% less likely to have asthma than those who didn't. H. pylori infection has been waning for decades, and the connection may explain spiking childhood asthma rates over the same period. More »
- Parkinson's Drugs Trigger Compulsive Behavior
  
  newser | Chicago Tribune | Jul 14, 08 1:14 PM CDT
  
  Drugs for Parkinson's disease can be enormously beneficial, relieving patients' tremors and rigid muscles. But some patients are now complaining of an unusual side effect—extreme compulsive behavior. One woman began taking Mirapex to combat symptoms and suddenly found herself with a $200-a-day scratch-off lottery ticket habit, reports the Chicago Tribune . More »
- Obama Adds Hillcare to Health Plan
  
  newser | ABC News | Jul 14, 08 12:42 PM CDT
  
  Barack Obama has modified his health care platform with a policy straight from Hillary Clinton’s book—and he gave her credit, calling it "an idea championed by my friend Hillary Clinton, who's been leading the way in our battle to insure every American." The addition is a tax credit for small businesses that provide good employee health care, ABC reports; the credit would cover up to 50% of premiums paid. More »
- Blood Clots Killed Woman in Waiting Room
  
  newser | CNN | Jul 12, 08 10:02 AM CDT
  
  The death of a woman on the floor of a Brooklyn hospital was caused by blood clots from extended inactivity, CNN reports. Chronic deep vein thrombosis formed clots in her legs that eventually reached her lungs. The case has drawn international attention after security-camera footage showed the woman falling to the floor and convulsing, with no one checking on her for an hour. She had sat in the waiting room for more than 24 hours. More »
- Teen Pregnancy on Rise for 1st Time in 15 Years
  
  newser | CNN | Jul 11, 08 5:06 AM CDT
  
  The teen pregnancy rate increased in 2006 for the first time since 1991, reports CNN. Officials from the National Institutes of Health aren't sure if the 2.8% increase in the number of teen moms is a blip or the start of a trend, but the figures are a "red flag that something has gone wrong," one expert told Bloomberg. More »
- EPA Cuts the Value of a Life by $1M
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jul 11, 08 4:13 AM CDT
  
  The Environmental Protection Agency has quietly reduced the hypothetical value of a human life by almost a million dollars to $6.9 million, reports the AP . The figure is used in cost benefit analyses to weigh the life-saving potential of environmental protection policies. Placing a lower value on human life could be used to justify avoiding costly regulations. More »
- Family Wants $25M Over Hospital Death
  
  newser | CNN | Jul 9, 08 11:03 AM CDT
  
  The family of the woman who died on the waiting-room floor in a Brooklyn hospital plans to sue for $25 million, CNN reports. Esmin Green’s relatives are also pushing for criminal charges against the hospital staff, who they say ignored her and falsified records to say she was up and about when she was actually lying ignored on the floor, dying. More »
- Racial 'Transplant Gap' Persists
  
  newser | Chicago Tribune | Jul 8, 08 12:46 PM CDT
  
  Financial struggles and difficulty finding donors—as well as an unclear “transplant gap”—make African Americans less likely to get kidney transplants than whites, the Chicago Tribune reports. Many remain on dialysis, making daily life harder and increasing the risk of death. “You can explain most of the discrepancy, but you still have a gap that you can't explain,” says a doctor. More »
- High Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia
  
  newser | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jul 8, 08 3:10 AM CDT
  
  High blood pressure increases an individual's risk of suffering dementia in old age by an astonishing 600%, reports the Daily Telegraph. The study, conducted in the UK—where 1 in 3 people have high blood pressure by middle age—found that hypertension increased the incidence of vascular dementia. The second most common form of the disease after Alzheimer's, vascular dementia can cause memory loss, seizures and increased risk of stroke. More »
- Docs Push Cholesterol Tests for Kids
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 7, 08 6:49 AM CDT
  
  With 30% of US children overweight, pediatricians are now recommending cholesterol screenings for kids as young as 2, and the use of cholesterol-fighting drugs in youngsters 8 and up, in order to stave off diabetes and early heart attacks. Some 30%-60% of children with high cholesterol aren’t being treated, the American Academy of Pediatrics says, and those with family histories of cardiovascular problems should be screened and treated. More »
- Recycled 'E-Waste' Can Be Toxic
  
  newser | USA Today | Jul 7, 08 5:59 AM CDT
  
  Recycling old computers, cell phones, and TVs may sound like a good idea—but be sure you know the destination before you dump such material, USA Today advises. While such “e-waste” recycling programs are springing up everywhere these days, some pose a threat. Often, the materials end up in developing nations, spreading toxins through the air and water. More »

Stories 1 - 20 of 319

<< Prev 1 2 3 4 5 ... 16 Next >>

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore talks about the state of the U.S. health care system at a news conference outside Los Angeles City Hall Tuesday, June 26, 2007. Moore's latest documentary film, "Sicko,"... (Associated Press)

In this image made from television and released by ABC News, Andrew Speaker speaks through a face mask from National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colo during a "Good Morning America"... (Associated Press)

Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop (Archive Photos)

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Background

National Institutes of Health
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

National Institutes of Health (NIH), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service, with headquarters in Bethesda, Md. It was established initially in 1887 as a laboratory in the U.S. Marine Hospital on Staten Island in New York City, and was given its present name in 1948. The NIH conducts and ...

» Read more about National Institutes of Health at Encyclopedia.com

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, headquartered in Atlanta, whose mission is “to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability.” Part of the Public Health Service, it was founded in 1946 as the Communicable ...

» Read more about Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at Encyclopedia.com

United States Surgeon General
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

United States Surgeon General former head of the U.S. Public Health Service, which is responsible for protecting the people's health (see public health ). Since a 1986 reorganization, the surgeon general has largely served as a national ...

» Read more about United States Surgeon General at Encyclopedia.com

public health
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized community efforts. These include sanitation, control of contagious infections, hygiene education, early diagnosis and preventive treatment, and adequate living standards. It requires understanding not ...

» Read more about public health at Encyclopedia.com

World Health Organization
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

World Health Organization (WHO), specialized agency of the United Nations, established in 1948, with its headquarters at Geneva. WHO admits all sovereign states (including those not belonging to the United Nations) to full membership, and it admits territories that are not self-governing to ...

» Read more about World Health Organization at Encyclopedia.com

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