Health

Tool focuses on anthrax and smallpox outbreaks

August 13, 2008 -- LIVERMORE, C.A. — Imagine an outbreak of a disease like SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) that could become an epidemic affecting thousands of people. Wouldn’t it be helpful to know early in the epidemic how fast the disease would spread and how many people may be infected so that the medical community could be prepared to treat them?

Sandia National Laboratories/California researcher Jaideep Ray has developed a computer model that can do just that.    » read more »

American Lung Association Calls Upon Lawmakers to Reinvigorate their Commitment to Tobacco Control by Joining the Smokefree 2010 Challenge

WASHINGTON, D.C., August, 12, 2008— Despite 46 states and the District of Columbia receiving an estimated $1 billion in additional funds this April from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, a new report from the American Lung Association finds fewer states are implementing policy initiatives to reduce tobacco use than in recent years.

The 2008 mid-term update to the American Lung Association’s State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues or SLATI report, uncovered a pattern of decreased and flat funding for state tobacco control programs.    » read more »

Troubling Alcohol Use Found Among Young Veterans; New Study Finds Disturbing Risk of Binge Drinking Among Servicemembers

August 13, 2008 -- NEW YORK - Yesterday, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a study on alcohol abuse among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. According to the study, combat exposure significantly increases servicemembers' risk of heavy drinking, binge drinking and other alcohol-related problems. Young servicemembers are at the highest risk of developing these problems following their deployments. JAMA also found, "Those born after 1980 were at 6.72 increased odds of new-onset binge drinking."    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2008 – Defense Department officials are assessing ways to better prepare servicemembers, particularly members of the reserve and National Guard, for the stresses of combat so they’re better able to avoid alcohol-related problems when they return home, defense officials said today.

The goal, officials said, is to beef up existing strategies to address alcohol issues before and during deployments to mitigate post-deployment drinking problems.    » read more »

Abuja -- 13 August 2008 -- Animal health specialists warn a new strain of highly pathogenic bird flu in Nigeria - which has previously not been recorded in sub-Saharan Africa - increases the risk of avian influenza spreading to other countries in West Africa.

Nigeria's bird flu officials blame infected migratory birds from Europe or Central Asia for the spread of the new strain of H5N1 to the country.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization says the newly discovered virus strain is genetically different from the strain that circulated in Nigeria in 2006 and 2007.

The U.N. food agency says the new strain is similar to ones previously identified in Italy, Afghanistan and Iran, last year.    » read more »

New CDC Study Shows Dangers of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

August 13, 2008 -- Burlington, VT – During August and September, the Vermont Department of Health wants to help Vermonters create smoke-free zones to protect both children and adults from being exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke.    » read more »

Aug. 12, 2008 -- SANTA FE – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced today that he will move ahead will a fiscally responsible CARE package of tax rebates for New Mexico families to reflect an updated revenue picture for the state.

“The bottom line is the state still expects $225 million in extra money – money that should go back to New Mexico families who are struggling to make ends meet,” Governor Bill Richardson said. “I am confident we can put money in people’s pockets in a fiscally responsible way."    » read more »

Case serves as reminder of importance of vaccination to protect against measles

August 6, 2008 -- A case of measles has been confirmed in a 10-month-old child in Hennepin County, state health officials said today. Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department and the Minnesota Department of Health are collaborating in the investigation.

While the Minnesota Department of Health has had cases of measles reported to it as recently as 2007, they have been cases acquired in countries where measles is still common. This case was acquired in Minnesota, the first such case since 2001, said Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health. Public health professionals are investigating the source of the exposure for the case.    » read more »

Public Health Releases New Risk Factor Data

August 13, 2008 -- Many Kentuckians report they are in poor health, have been diagnosed with chronic diseases, and don’t have access to health care, according to 2007 data released today by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH).

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems, a survey, conducted by the Division of Prevention and Quality Improvement in DPH, looks at several health indicators, such as diet and physical activity, to determine the health and lifestyle habits of Kentuckians.    » read more »

August, 2008 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement in support of his Department of Managed Health Care's new regulations that make balance billing, which is an anti-consumer tactic that puts patients in the middle of payment disputes between health plans and providers, an unfair billing practice:

"Putting consumers in the middle of billing disputes between providers and health plans is a terrible and unfair practice that must be stopped. It places inappropriate medical costs squarely on consumers' shoulders and increases health care costs for everyone-further illustrating our broken health care system and the need for comprehensive reform.    » read more »

Survey of Public Views of Health Care System Finds One in Three Patients Experience Unnecessary or Inefficient Care; Want Presidential Candidates to Address Health Care Costs, Quality and the Uninsured

August, 2008 -- New York, NY—Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S. health care system and 82 percent think it should be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt, according to a new survey released today by The Commonwealth Fund. Also today, The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System released a report outlining what an ideally organized U.S. health care system would look like, and detailing strategies that could create that organized, efficient health care system while simultaneously improving care and cutting costs.    » read more »

August 06, 2008 -- ROCHESTER, Minn. — Cholesterol, both good and bad, gets plenty of attention when the subject is reducing the risk of heart disease. Yet triglycerides, a form of fat that circulates in the blood, merit similar attention, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Some studies suggest that the increase in heart disease risk from elevated triglycerides may rival that of high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol. Another concern is that high triglyceride levels increase the risk of pancreatitis, a painful, life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas.    » read more »

Calls for Comprehensive Prevention Strategy and Increased Investment in Preventive Care

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) expressed concern over the findings of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showing that the number of new HIV infections is 40 percent higher than previously estimated.    » read more »

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) recently responded to Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt’s blog post about a draft HHS rule that would jeopardize women’s access to quality, affordable basic health care.

"Secretary Leavitt's vague comments on the draft HHS rule do nothing to reassure Americans that the administration is not considering redefining abortion to include common forms of contraception, thereby jeopardizing women's access to basic health care,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “The administration needs to stop playing word games with women's health, and state clearly they will reject any regulations that will undermine women's access to basic health care."    » read more »