Public Health News

September 9, 2016

Fluoride Consumption Linked to Diabetes?

Underreporting of Zika Rife; Epidemic Projected

Repeated Racism Most Damaging to Mental Health

Zika Threatens 1.6 Million Childbearing Women

Latest Headlines

updated 1:03am EDT

Surgery at High-Quality Hospitals Costs Medicare Less Than at Low-Quality Hospitals

Sep. 7, 2016 — Patients who had major surgery at high-quality hospitals in the United States cost Medicare less than those who had surgery at low-quality hospitals, ... read more

Earned Income Tax Credit Program Is a Boon for Health, Report Suggests

Sep. 7, 2016 — The Earned Income Tax Credit program is not only good for people's pocketbooks, but also for their health, new research shows. Findings of a new suggest that the program is much more cost-effective ... read more

White Racism Tied to Fatal Heart Disease for Blacks and Whites

Sep. 7, 2016 — Living in unabashedly racist communities can shorten the lives of both blacks and whites, according to new research. Researchers compared the racial biases of nearly 1.4 million people nationwide to ... read more

Research Reveals Artificial Thyroid Cancer Epidemic

Sep. 6, 2016 — Doctors around the world are over diagnosing the most common thyroid cancer, creating an artificial epidemic that costs billions of dollars each year in unnecessary medical costs, suggests new ... read more

Most States Report Medicaid Covers Children's Key Mental Health Services but Gaps Remain

Sep. 1, 2016 — A national study shows an uneven picture of states' use of Medicaid to help families with young children gain access to mental health services. A ... read more

Address Systemic Issues to Change Toxic Health Care Environment, Commentary Says

Sep. 1, 2016 — A recent commentary urges taking a multipronged approach to improve the mental health of medical school students, which ultimately impacts physician ... read more

Climate, Air Travel Maps Identify Countries in Africa, Asia at Greatest Risk of Zika Virus

Sep. 1, 2016 — Many countries across Africa and Asia-Pacific may be vulnerable to Zika virus outbreaks, with India, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, ... read more

Why Does Dying Cost More for People of Color? New Study Takes a Deeper Look

Sep. 1, 2016 — Dying in America is an expensive process, with about 1 in 4 Medicare dollars going to care for people in their last year of life. But for African Americans and Hispanics, the cost of dying is far ... read more

Walking a Tightrope: Regulators Balancing Need for Safety and Flexibility in Approvals for New Medicines

Aug. 31, 2016 — It can be challenging for regulators to keep up with advances related to medical drugs and devices. A new analysis provides insights on how officials ... read more

Dengue Vaccine Could Increase or Worsen Dengue in Some Settings

Sep. 1, 2016 — The only approved vaccine for dengue may actually increase the incidence of dengue infections requiring hospitalization rather than preventing the disease if health officials aren't careful about ... read more

This Program May Reduce Childbirth Deaths In Areas That Need It Most

Rates Of Pregnancy-Related Deaths Have Doubled In Texas

NATO Pilots Train to Escape from Underwater Cage

Mexico City Raises Green Awareness With Vertical Gardens

Early Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Oral Contraceptive Cost Sharing

Sep. 7, 2016 — Researchers have examined how the Affordable Care Act mandate requiring most commercial insurance plans to cover Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods, without cost sharing ... read more

European Standards to Prevent Repeat Heart Attacks Launched Today

Sep. 6, 2016 — European standards to prevent repeat heart attacks have now been released. The consensus document outlines the steps patients and healthcare professionals can take to prevent recurrent heart ... read more

Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Recommended for Those at Increased Risk

Sep. 6, 2016 — The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for latent tuberculosis infection in populations at increased risk. People who are considered at increased risk include people who were born ... read more

Politics Affect Views on Healthcare Quality, but Not on Personal Experience With Care

Sep. 1, 2016 — What do you think about the quality of healthcare in the United States? Your opinion may depend on your politics, with Democrats perceiving more problems in the healthcare system compared to ... read more

Lung Disease Costs Set to Rise to £2.5bn Per Year, Experts Project

Sep. 1, 2016 — The cost of treating a smoking-related chronic lung disease will exceed more than £2.3 billion per year in England by 2030, research suggests. Researchers say that healthcare services should adapt ... read more

Impact of Cancer Screening in California Over Past 15 Years

Sep. 1, 2016 — A new report shows the impact of cancer screening over the past 15 years, identifying areas where increased screening and other cancer-control efforts would save lives and significantly benefit ... read more

More Than 57,000 Children Become Overweight or Obese During Primary School

Aug. 31, 2016 — Every year, 57,100 children who started primary school in England at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave, according to new ... read more

Size of Zika Epidemic May Be Underestimated, Study Suggests

Aug. 31, 2016 — Official statistics may underestimate the size of the epidemic caused by Zika virus, new research suggests. Some cases of Zika may be misreported as dengue. Uncertainty about the statistics tends to ... read more

Youth Crimes Spike Immediately After Drinking Age

Aug. 31, 2016 — A new study in Canada has shown that minimum legal drinking age legislation can have a major effect on crimes committed by young adults. Young people just older than the legal age had significant ... read more

Affordable Care Act Has Improved Access to Health Care, but Disparities Persist

Aug. 30, 2016 — The Affordable Care Act has substantially decreased the number of uninsured Americans and improved access to health care, though insurance affordability and disparities by geography, race/ethnicity, ... read more

Female Mosquitoes Can Transmit Zika Virus to Their Eggs, Offspring

Aug. 30, 2016 — Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can pass the Zika virus to their eggs and offspring, new research shows. The recent Zika virus outbreak in Florida has dramatically increased efforts to remove A. ... read more

Cost Savings Possible from Reducing Use of Low-Value Health Services, Study Says

Aug. 29, 2016 — Experts estimate that $200 billion in annual health care spending in the United States is for overtreatment. The first national study to examine spending on a wide array of low-value health services ... read more

ERs After Obamacare: More Patients, Fewer on-Call Specialists

Aug. 29, 2016 — The average monthly emergency department visit increased by 5.7 percent in Illinois after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, although the population remained essentially flat. In ... read more

20 Cent School Intervention Stops Unhealthy Weight Gain in Children

Aug. 27, 2016 — A school intervention costing less than 20 cents per child has stopped unhealthy weight ... read more

Banning Tobacco Sales Near Schools Could Reduce Socioeconomic Disparities, New Study Shows

Aug. 26, 2016 — Banning tobacco sales within 1,000 feet of schools could reduce socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in tobacco density across neighborhoods, according to a ... read more

Egyptian Women Say Doctors Don't Discourage Female Genital Cutting, Study Finds

Aug. 26, 2016 — More Egyptian women are seeking the opinions of physicians on whether their daughters should undergo female genital cutting, which is illegal in the country, but they say doctors don't advise ... read more

Neuroscientists Stand Up for Basic Cell Biology Research

Aug. 25, 2016 — Clinical trials and translational medicine have certainly given people hope and rapid pathways to cures for some of humankind's most troublesome diseases, but now is not the time to overlook the ... read more

Baby Simulator Program May Make Teenage Girls More, Not Less, Likely to Become Pregnant

Aug. 25, 2016 — A teenage pregnancy prevention program involving a baby simulator does not appear to have any long-term effect on reducing the risk of teenage pregnancy, according to the first randomized controlled ... read more

Risk of Adolescents Being Overweight Impacted by Neighborhood Education, Income Levels

Aug. 25, 2016 — A new study found an increased risk for becoming overweight or obese among normal-weight 18-year-olds who lived in neighborhoods with lower education or income levels. The study found that over a ... read more

Number of Tuberculosis Cases in India Is Double Current Estimates, Says New Study

Aug. 25, 2016 — The number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) in India may be up to two to three times higher than current estimates, suggests a new study. TB is a bacterial infection, spread through inhaling tiny ... read more

Wednesday, September 7, 2016