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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 21 - 40 of 380

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September 2008
- Boston Bans Drugstore Cigarette Sales
  
  Boston Globe | Sep 5, 08 6:26 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Boston's health honchos have approved some of the country's toughest anti-tobacco rules by banning sales at some stores, the Boston Globe reports. The new rules forbid pharmacies and campus convenience stores from selling cigarettes. They also ban smoking on bar and restaurant patios. The city's cigar parlors, previously exempt, will also have to stub out after a 5-year grace period expires. More »
- Romans Left Conquered Peoples More Prone to HIV
  
  BBC | Sep 4, 08 6:06 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Roman conquest of Europe may explain why populations living in the former empire are more vulnerable to HIV, French researchers say. A genetic variant that protects against the AIDS-causing virus is less prevalent in former Roman colonies such as England, France, Greece, and Spain, though some argue that a larger event like the bubonic plague caused the variation, the BBC reports. More »
- Turf-Makers Sued Over Lead
  
  Los Angeles Times | Sep 4, 08 12:50 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - California has sued three top turf-makers, claiming they are deliberately hiding the fact that their products contain lead, the Los Angeles Times reports. State law requires labeling of products containing the metal, which gives a "natural" green color to fake grass. Lead can cause cancer, birth defects, and damage to reproductive systems when absorbed through the skin or mouth. More »
- UK Begins Massive HPV Vaccine Campaign
  
  Times (UK) | Sep 3, 08 4:13 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The UK kicked off a campaign to give 12- and 13-year-old girls the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, the Times of London reports. Schools will begin offering the shot, which is not mandatory, this week. The government estimates that it will vaccinate over 2 million girls by 2011. Beside official programs, the campaign also includes youth-oriented advertising. More »
- US Scratches Out Scourge of Chickenpox
  
  Chicago Tribune | Sep 2, 08 7:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Thirteen years after the introduction of a vaccine, chickenpox has virtually disappeared among American children. The virus that causes the itchy disease is now so rare that parents and physicians alike have difficulty recognizing it, the Chicago Tribune reports. New research reveals a 75% drop in pox-related hospitalizations over the last decade and as few as 15 estimated deaths per year. More »
August 2008
- TB Scare Unsettles Calif. Maternity Ward
  
  San Francisco Chronicle | Aug 27, 08 3:40 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Nearly 1,000 babies born since March at a San Francisco hospital could have been exposed to tuberculosis, the Chronicle reports, by a maternity-ward worker with an active case. Kaiser Permanente says infection risk is very low, but testing and any treatment needed will be provided to 960 infants and their mothers, plus 115 staff members. The part-time staffer is no longer at the hospital. More »
- Don't Be Fooled: Prostate Cancer Screening Is Key
  
  Washington Post | Aug 26, 08 11:57 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A national task force’s recent warning against prostate cancer screenings in some men could put their lives at risk, cautions physician and researcher William J. Catalona in the Washington Post . “It's important to note that consideration was not given to the overwhelming body of emerging evidence that screening with PSA tests and digital rectal exams saves lives,” Catalona notes. More »
- Ovarian Cancer Test 'Premature,' Critics Worry
  
  New York Times | Aug 26, 08 10:32 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Though a new ovarian cancer test gives hope that the 21,000 new cancer cases expected this year may be detected at a treatable stage, the FDA is worried OvaSure may do more harm than good, the New York Times reports. If the unregulated test detects cancer where there isn't any—as expected in 0.6% of cases—some women may have unnecessary surgeries. More »
- Recession Makes Us Healthier
  
  Los Angeles Times | Aug 25, 08 4:35 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A slow economy might mean more people are stressed, but research shows that tough times are actually good for us, the Los Angeles Times reports. Rates of illnesses—particularly those related to lifestyle changes, like heart disease—decrease, as do accident and death rates. And while some may drown their financial woes in drinking, overall alcohol and smoking rates also go down. More »
- FDA Approves Irradiation of Spinach, Lettuce
  
  Associated Press | Aug 21, 08 3:47 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - Consumers worried about salad safety may soon be able to buy fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce zapped with just enough radiation to kill E. coli and a few other germs. The Food and Drug Administration will issue a new regulation tomorrow allowing spinach- and lettuce-sellers to take that extra step, a long-awaited move amid increasing outbreaks from raw produce. More »
- Cancer Patients Bare All in Blogs
  
  Boston Globe | Aug 20, 08 4:16 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Cancer patients, once reticent, are increasingly explicit in sharing the details of their ordeals in blogs—and finding it therapeutic. Researchers at Ohio State looked at 50 blogs and found they helped patients cope, the Boston Globe reports. Not only do they make it easier to keep friends and family current, they make the writer feel more in control. More »
- Diabetes Linked to Arsenic in Tap Water
  
  Bloomberg | Aug 20, 08 9:35 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Arsenic in the drinking water of millions of Americans may be contributing to the diabetes epidemic, Bloomberg reports. Researchers found that people with high levels of arsenic in their urine were nearly four times more likely to have type 2 diabetes. Higher rates of diabetes occurred even with trace amounts of arsenic and levels that meet US legal standards. More »
- 1918 Flu Survivors Still Have Killer Antibodies
  
  Reuters | Aug 18, 08 5:46 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The flu pandemic that killed up to 100 million people in 1918 left survivors with a strong set of antibodies—strong enough to still be viable today, Reuters reports. Mice given survivor antibodies managed to fight off the deadly flu when they were infected with the virus extracted from exhumed victims. More »
- UK Weighs Taking Fat Kids From Parents
  
  Independent (UK) | Aug 16, 08 5:47 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Local government leaders in Britain warn that they may need to take drastic action to protect the health of dangerously overweight children—including taking them away from their parents, the Independent reports. They predict that a million British children will be clinically obese within four years, and that the social service system may have to take charge of caring for children in the worst cases. More »
- Airborne Will Offer Refunds Over Ad Claims
  
  Washington Post | Aug 15, 08 4:22 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Airborne—the fizzy orange tablet long pitched as a way to cure and prevent the common cold—will refund consumers the price of up to six purchases because it has no evidence to back up those claims, the Washington Post reports. Under a deal cut yesterday, the company will add $6.5 million to the $23.5 million it agreed to pay earlier this year in a class-action lawsuit. More »
- Red Alert: Energy Drink Thickens Blood
  
  Times (UK) | Aug 15, 08 1:31 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Drinking Red Bull could lead to heart problems, the London Times reports. In a small study—30 Australian college students took part—downing even one can of the hypercaffeinated energy drink increased the risk of blot clots. In short, the young Red Bull enthusiasts developed a condition that resembled cardiovascular disease. More »