Public Health

New plan to cut the fat of the military

Obese Americans in the military are a national security hazard and first lady Michelle Obama wants to see that change.

Obama, who…    

EU wants more medical device controls after PIP scare

European Union governments should strengthen safety controls on high-risk medical devices by using spot checks on products and manufacturing facilities after the scare over…    

Obama birth-control rule stokes election-year fight

The top Republican in the Congress on Wednesday denounced President Barack Obama’s new rule on contraceptives as an assault on “religious freedom” and vowed…    

Music Training Has Biological Impact on Aging Process

Age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training, according to a new study from Northwestern…    

US hospitality industry often reluctant to hire people with disabilities

People with disabilities trying to find employment in the U.S. hospitality industry face employers who are often reluctant to hire them because of preconceived…    

Physician’s Weight May Influence Obesity Diagnosis and Care

A patient’s body mass index (BMI) may not be the only factor at play when a physician diagnoses a patient as obese. According to…    

French breast implant boss arrested

Jean-Claude Mas, the Frenchman who sparked a global health scare by selling substandard breast implants, was arrested on Thursday as Marseille prosecutors build a…    

New standard for vitamin D testing to ensure accurate test results

At a time of increasing concern about low vitamin D levels in the world’s population and increased use of blood tests for the vitamin,…    

School Obesity Programs May Promote Worrisome Eating Behaviors and Physical Activity in Kids

A new report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health examines the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs…    

Several countries allow fungicide found in US orange juice

U.S. regulators may ban orange juice shipments from Brazil after finding a fungicide prohibited in the United States, which sent orange juice futures to…    

How young adults deal with influenza

Only about one in five young adults in their late 30s received a flu shot during the 2009-2010 swine flu epidemic, according to a…    

U.S. gives church groups a year on birth control rule

The Obama administration on Friday ruled that religiously affiliated nonprofit organizations, including hospitals and universities, will have to offer birth-control coverage to women employees…    

U.S. indoor tanning tax having mixed effects

Although a 2010 federal excise tax was meant to deter customers from using indoor tanning salons, only a minority of the businesses taking part…    

Anti-infective drug shortages pose threat to public health and patient care

Shortages of key drugs used to fight infections represent a public health emergency and can put patients at risk, according to a review published…    

Little change in U.S. obesity rates in recent years

The number of kids and adults in the United States who are obese has held steady over the last few years, two reports out…    

1 in 10 Canadians cannot afford prescription drugs: UBC study

One in ten Canadians cannot afford to take their prescription drugs as directed, according to an analysis by researchers from the University of British…    

Medicare shortchanges hospitals on stroke therapy

Treating stroke patients with clot-busting drugs costs U.S. hospitals substantially more than Medicare pays, a new study finds.

The results are potentially…    

FDA sends user-fee recommendations to Congress

U.S. health regulators said on Friday they have submitted to Congress new recommendations for how manufacturers will help fund their review of new branded…    

Study: We May Be Less Happy, But Our Language Isn’t

"If it bleeds, it leads,” goes the cynical saying with television and newspaper editors. In other words, most news is bad news and the…    

Can electronic health records erase disparities?

Switching to electronic health records might help close health gaps between black and white Americans, researchers suggest in a new study.

They…    

Tobacco Company Misrepresented Danger from Cigarettes

A new UCSF analysis of tobacco industry documents shows that Philip Morris USA manipulated data on the effects of additives in cigarettes, including menthol,…    

Study finds e-cigarettes affect airways, and quickly

The electronic cigarettes marketed as a safer alternative to the real thing produce immediate changes in users’ airways, a small study suggests.

…    

California sperm donor at odds with federal regulators

An electronics company engineer who the U.S. government considers a one-man sperm bank has fathered an estimated 14 children through free donations of his…    

States to weigh in on basic health coverage

U.S. health officials will allow states to select the basic set of medical benefits that must be offered by insurance plans participating in new…    

Studies may have overestimated cellphone crash risk

Increased risk of having a car crash attributed to cellphone use may have been overestimated in some past studies, a new analysis suggests.

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