Surgeons General, STOP Obesity Alliance announce America has reached tipping point on obesity

The two most recent Surgeons General of the United States, David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., FAAFP, FACPM, FACP and Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, today led the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance in urging policymakers to take direct action in health reform to address obesity and the chronic diseases associated with it. ?We?ve reached the tipping point on obesity in the United States,? said Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General, Health and Wellness Chairperson of the STOP Obesity Alliance and President of Canyon Ranch Institute. ?Obesity now impacts every aspect of our lives, including the future of our health care system. Health reform that directly addresses obesity will save lives, save money, and improve the health and well-being of every American.? ?When I served as Surgeon General, obesity was a problem of epidemic proportions,? said Dr. David Satcher, 16th U.S. Surgeon General, who released the 2001 Surgeon General?s Call to Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. ?Today, we are in a state of emergency when it comes to obesity. The issues underpinning obesity are too complex and widespread for any one institution to effectively address it alone. Until we collaborate to address obesity through meaningful, population-based policies and programs, our nation will continue to be crippled by obesity and the chronic diseases it causes.? More »


Nicotine creates stronger memories, cues to drug use

Ever wonder why former smokers miss lighting up most when they are in a bar or after a meal with friends? Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine say nicotine, the addictive component in cigarettes, ?tricks? the brain into creating memory associations between environmental cues and smoking behavior. The findings appear in the current issue of the journal Neuron. ?Our brains normally make these associations between things that support our existence and environmental cues so that we conduct behaviors leading to successful lives. The brain sends a reward signal when we act in a way that contributes to our well being,? said Dr. John A. Dani, professor of neuroscience at BCM and co-author of the study. ?However, nicotine commandeers this subconscious learning process in the brain so we begin to behave as though smoking is a positive action.? More »





University of the Sciences H1N1 Swine Flu Experts

As students head back to school and flu season gets underway, experts from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia are available and ready to discuss various aspects of H1N1 flu, including vaccines and treatments, pandemic preparedness, medication-use systems, and more. H1N1 Vaccine Testing and Delivery, Flu Prevention, H1N1 Treatment Options, Antiviral Medications Daniel Hussar, PhD Expertise: New drugs, drug interactions, patient noncompliance, infectious diseases, antibiotic therapy, over-the-counter medications. Hussar, the Remington Professor of Pharmacy at the University?s Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, has written and spoken extensively on the topics of drug interactions, patient compliance, and new drugs. His publications include coverage of all the new therapeutic agents that have been marketed in the U.S. during the last 40 years. His recently published book, ?NDCR 2009? (Moore Road Press), provides a first-of-its-kind reference for pharmacists and healthcare practitioners. He is a member of the American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Drug Information Association, Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, and the Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists. More »


St. Jude Experts Available to Discuss H1N1 Influenza

As home to the only World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating center focusing on the transmission of animal influenza viruses to humans, St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital is closely monitoring the H1N1 pandemic. The hospital has a long and storied history with influenza research and in 2007, was named one of six Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a part of the National Institutes of Health. The St. Jude faculty includes some of the world?s most renowned scientists studying infectious diseases. For information about a variety of topics related to the H1N1 pandemic, St. Jude has experts available. Richard Webby, Ph.D., is an associate member in the division of Virology in the Infectious Diseases department at St. Jude. His research lies in the study of the influenza viruses in birds and animals of the world?particularly in Asia?and explores the fundamental differences between the Eurasian and American lineages of influenza viruses. Additionally, Webby is interested in the production and storage of viruses, reagents and technologies to facilitate rapid characterization and the exchange of information. Last year, he was named director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza Viruses in Lower Animals and Birds at St. Jude. Webby can offer expertise on an array of subjects, including international influenza surveillance, the movement of influenza from animals to humans as well as the evolution of pandemic influenza strains, including the current H1N1 virus. More »



Study Predicts 40 Percent Increase in Blindness in Nigeria by 2020

By 2020, 1.4 million Nigerians over age 40 will lose their sight, and the vast majority of the causes are either preventable or treatable, according to the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Study Group. In the September issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, the group shares the second half of the results of the study, which examined almost 15,000 Nigerians over 40 between 2005 and 2007. The goal of the study (Causes of Blindness and Visual Impairment in Nigeria: The Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey) was to help Nigeria create a plan for its participation in the World Health Organization?s VISION 2020: The Right to Sight Initiative, which is working globally to eliminate preventable blindness. The first half of the study appeared in Investigative Ophthalmology earlier this year. About 23 percent had some sort of visual impairment, and 4.2 percent were blind. Cataracts were the most common cause of blindness, with glaucoma second. Refractive errors (which cause nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatisms) were frequently the cause of less serious visual impairments. More »


Mine Tezal, D.D.S., Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, and NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics

Prevent periodontitis to reduce the risk of head and neck cancer

Chronic periodontitis, a form of gum disease, is an independent risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This suggests the need for increased efforts to prevent and treat periodontitis as a possible means to reduce the risk of this form of cancer. ?Prevent periodontitis; if you have it already, get treatment and maintain good oral hygiene,? said Mine Tezal, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, and NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences at the University of Buffalo. She is also a research scientist in the Department of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Prosthetics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, which is where the study was conducted. Results of this study are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.  More »


Children with asthma more vulnerable to H1N1 virus

Nearly a dozen 7th graders with asthma were welcomed along with other classmates back to school today by a special guest who had a message for them about staying healthy - Kathleen Sebelius, 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Secretary Sebelius met with students and their parents at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, one of 16 schools in Philadelphia that partners with the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) program partners to help students better manage their asthma. She talked about the importance of education and creating healthy habits to avoid missing school. ?Nothing is more important than keeping our children healthy, in school and ready to learn as we start the new school year,? said Dr. Floyd Malveaux, Executive Director of MCAN and former Dean of the College of Medicine at Howard University. ?We applaud Secretary Sebelius for recognizing that staying healthy can be a challenge for students with asthma ? a factor that is even further complicated with the possibility of being exposed to the H1N1 virus, which can increase the severity of asthma symptoms, leading to possible hospitalizations.? During the meeting, Secretary Sebelius highlighted the work of the Philadelphia MCAN project as a model for inner-city childhood asthma management. Launched in 2005, the Philadelphia MCAN project has improved asthma outcomes for children and reduced school absenteeism by using a community-based approach that integrates families, community agencies, schools and health care providers to implement scientifically proven asthma interventions.  More »


Vet says owners should exercise with their dogs based on specific needs to prevent obesity

People and their dogs both need physical activity to fight obesity, and there are many exercises that owner and pet can do together that can improve their health and their relationship, according to a Kansas State University expert. Dr. Susan Nelson, K-State veterinarian and assistant professor of clinical sciences, said dogs, like people, reap many benefits from exercise. She said there are physical and mental health advantages for the dog owner and the dog when they exercise together. ?Obesity is a big problem in pets, just as it is with people, and exercising helps keep the dog?s weight down,? Nelson said. ?Dogs also need an outlet to relieve their energy or else they may develop destructive behavior. Your dog is going to be happier and more content if it receives adequate exercise. More »





Researchers find 2 more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer?s disease

An international team of scientists has identified two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer?s disease. The findings are reported in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics. The group, led by investigators from the School of Medicine at Cardiff in the United Kingdom and including scientists from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, completed the largest genome-wide association study ever involving patients with Alzheimer?s disease. The study pooled DNA samples from more than 19,000 older European and U.S. residents. Seven thousand had Alzheimer?s disease, and the others had no clinical symptoms of the disorder. Prior to this study, only four genes had been definitively associated with Alzheimer?s disease. Three genetic mutations have been identified as causes of rare, inherited forms of early-onset Alzheimer?s. The fourth gene, APOE4, is the only one previously linked to the more common late-onset form of the disease.  More »


Smoke no longer found in European hospitals

Tobacco use is prohibited in hospitals in many European countries, although levels of compliance with this regulation differ. A study carried out by researchers from the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) has shown for the first time that exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in European hospitals is ?low?, and ?without any notable differences? between them. Europe wants to see smoking in all closed public places banned by 2012. However, to date only 10 European countries ? Spain is not among them ? are applying this regulation comprehensively. Now a research study has described the levels of environmental tobacco smoke in European hospitals and has shown for the first time that exposure is ?low? and ?without any notable differences between them?. The study, carried out in 2001 in 30 hospitals throughout seven European countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Romania and Spain) measured levels of particulates with a diameter of 2.5 micros (known as PM2.5) (?g/m3) or below, which indicate the presence of environmental tobacco smoke, at six standard sites in each hospital. More »




Men who binge drink boost their stroke risk

Binge drinking more than triples a man?s risk of dying from a stroke, new research from Korea shows. Many Koreans drink heavily, Dr. Jae Woong Sull of Yonsei University in Seoul and colleagues note in their report in the journal Stroke; in 2005, 59 percent of adults in Korea reported drinking alcohol, while 46 percent of men were heavy drinkers, meaning they consumed at least six drinks of soju (an alcoholic beverage made from rice) in one sitting at least once a week. Research has suggested that heavy drinking boosts stroke risk, but most studies have been conducted in white populations, the researchers note. To investigate the association in Asians, they looked at data on 6,392 men and women aged 55 or older who had reported on their drinking habits in 1985. More »




Current national primary care policies for childhood obesity need to be improved

Current primary care policies aimed at reducing obesity and increasing physical activity in children do not work and are very costly to run, according to research published on bmj.com today. Family doctor screening and brief counselling is part of national policy to tackle childhood obesity in a number of countries including the UK, US and Australia. While the programmes do not harm children, research led by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, questions whether resources would be better spent on prevention and improving treatment for obesity. The global long-term physical, emotional, social, reproductive and economic consequences of childhood obesity are likely to be extremely serious, says the study. This has led many countries to endorse screening and counselling programmes aimed at children. However, say the authors, very little evidence exists to show this kind of intervention works. More »



Study Uncovers How Tuberculosis Agent Survives on Fatty Acids

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered a key mechanism behind the survival instinct of tuberculosis. TB is the leading cause of death in the world from a single bacterial infection, and it kills 1.5 million people per year. The researchers looked at how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, survives on fatty acids and regulates its metabolism to persist in humans for extended periods. Understanding Mtb persistence paves the way for finding new drugs and better vaccines to fight TB?s drug-resistant latent state, the researchers said. Mtb latency is a global problem that results in TB infection escaping detection and treatment, and which contributes to overall TB illness and death. More »