Health Newstrack

Heart attack declines due to smoke free workplace laws

Decline in Incidence of Heart Attacks Appears Associated with Smoke-Free Workplace Laws – A new study has found the strongest evidence yet that smoke-free workplace laws that reduce secondhand smoke inhalation can lead to reductions in heart attacks. Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in nonsmokers, and research suggests that the cardiovascular effects of SHS are nearly as large as those with active smoking.

Hurricane Sandy and food storage and food safety

Hurricane Sandy and Power Outage — Food Storage And Food Safety Tips For Hurricane Preparedness — What To Do And When To Do It – Hurricane Sandy is already making an impact on the North Eastern coast, and being prepared for a storm as large as this is crucial. Hurricane Sandy could bring wind, flooding, heavy rain and possibly snow to the East Coast, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) urges people to take steps now to ensure they have access to safe food.

Fungal meningitis outbreak grows worse in US

Fungal meningitis outbreak grows worse in US — Mold seen in 83 vials of the steroid linked to fungal meningitis outbreak — Compounding pharmacy linked to meningitis outbreak knew of mold, bacteria contamination – More than 300 people who received a tainted steroid sold by NECC that was used to treat back pain have been infected with fungal meningitis and 25 have died.

What role genes play in treating TB

Scientists to study the role genes play in treating TB – The University of Liverpool has been awarded funding to determine whether differences in our genes determine how patients respond to drugs used to treat Tuberculosis (TB) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Multivitamins reduce risk of cancer in men

Daily multivitamins reduce risk of cancer in men — Brigham and Women?s Hospital study is the first to examine the long-term affect of multivitamins on a major chronic diseases – A daily multivitamin can help a man reduce his risk of cancer. The Physicians’ Health Study II is the first clinical trial to test the affects of multivitamins on a major disease such as cancer.

Cigarette smoking leads to cataract in aging people

Smoking may lead to cataracts in aging population – Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for a wide-range of diseases. Now, scientists have evidence that smoking may also increase the risk of age-related cataract, the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in the world.

Cell phone data helps to curb spread of malaria

Using cell phone data to curb the spread of malaria — Study in Kenya finds measuring movement of people could lead to more effective ways to control spread of disease – New research that combines cell phone data from 15 million people in Kenya with detailed information on the regional incidence of malaria has revealed, on the largest scale so far, how human travel patterns contribute to the disease’s spread. The findings indicate that malaria, in large part, emanates from Kenya’s Lake Victoria region and spreads east, chiefly toward the capital, Nairobi.

Healthy diets have long lasting positive effects

Healthy diets have long-lasting positive effects even with partial weight regain – Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets have lasting, healthy effects, even with partial weight regain. The study is published in a peer-reviewed letter in the current New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) as an update to the landmark study, the workplace-based Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT), a tightly controlled 24-month dietary intervention.

Stroke becoming more common in young people

Study: Stroke becoming more common in young people – Stroke may be affecting people at a younger age, revealed by researchers. “The reasons for this trend could be a rise in risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol,” said study author Brett Kissela, MD, MS, with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

Vitamin C may prevent bone loss in osteoporosis

Mount Sinai School of Medicine study shows vitamin C prevents bone loss in animal models – Researchers have shown for the first time in an animal model that vitamin C actively protects against osteoporosis, a disease affecting large numbers of elderly women and men in which bones become brittle and can fracture.

Fungal meningitis outbreak in US due to NECC epidural steroid injection

Fungal meningitis outbreak in US due to NECC contaminated epidural steroid injection – A multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis among patients who received an epidural steroid injection with a potentially contaminated product has been notified in USA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently coordinating the investigation of this outbreak of fungal meningitis.

Electronic health records improve patient care quality

Electronic health records shown to improve the quality of patient care — New Weill Cornell study provides compelling evidence that commercially available electronic health records are associated with better physician performance – A new study provides compelling evidence that electronic health records (EHRs) enhance the quality of patient care in a community-based setting with multiple payers, which is representative of how medicine is generally practiced across the United States.