West Africa: meningitis epidemics driven by the wind
A meningitis epidemic hits West Africa every year, affecting 25 000 to 2...le. It has long been known that the timing of this epidemic and its spatial distribution within the "Meningitis Belt", situated between 10 and 15 North, are clo...Lack of vigorous activity linked to functional decline in older adults with arthritis
...ies that can limit independent living. To avert an epidemic of disability in the future and ease the burden on Medicare, researchers are seeking to understand better and manage all the components demographic, biological, socioeconomic, and behavioral that contribute to functional decline in arthritis patien...Breakthrough findings by Ume researchers link obesity to diabetes
...ct way to prevent these diseases. Today obesity is epidemic in the industrialized world, causing disturbances in blood levels of insulin, sugar, and blood fats that lead to high blood pressure, type-2 (adult onset) diabetes, and fatty liver, which in turn conspire to cause cardiovascular disorders, the leadin...Obesity adds risk of cardiovascular disease in siblings in families with a history of heart problems
...1 kilograms per meter squared. "There is a growing epidemic of obesity among Americans, with two-thirds of Americans overweight," says senior investigator Diane Becker, M.P.H., Sc.D., a professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Because overweight and...Canadian youth 4th highest in international obesity study
...the researcher emphasizes. "The adolescent obesity epidemic is a global issue," concludes the paper, which appears in the May issue of Obesity Reviews, a journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. "Increasing physical activity participation and decreasing television viewing should be t...Abnormal liver tests in a Mediterranean population
...ring, antidiabetic)." Cittanova is involved in the epidemic of obesity, with nearly 17 percent of the population having a BMI above 30, however, that rate is still far below other parts of the world, like the U.S. where more than 30 percent of the population has a BMI of 30 or more. "The leading causes of al...Role of soy foods in addressing obesity to be topic of Illinois forum
...sity, especially among children, has risen to near epidemic proportions in recent years. To help address this problem, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will host a forum May 25-26 to examine the role that soy foods can play in managing a person's weight. The forum will bring together food indust...Obesity in middle age increases risk of dementia in later life
... risk of dementia. Failure to contain the present epidemic of obesity may accentuate the expected age related increase in dementia, they conclude....Politicians bury their heads in the sand while global flu threat mounts
...ds in the sand over the growing threat of a global epidemic of avian flu, argues a GP in this week's BMJ. Disa... prepare for the practicalities of dealing with an epidemic or pandemic of influenza. Avian flu is now a true threat to the world's population, Dr Higson conclu...Sabin Gold Medal awarded to vaccine developer Dr. Albert Z. Kapikian
...rwalk virus, the first virus associated with acute epidemic gastroenteritis, gaining recognition as "the father of human gastroenteritis virus research." In 1973, he and two colleagues identified the virus that causes hepatitis A. He also became the first in the United States to detect and visualize human rot...Penn study shows liver receptor key to diet-dependent differences in blood lipid levels
...gh-fat so-called "Western diet" has accelerated an epidemic of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in industrialized nations. And, understanding interactions between genes and the reality of what most people eat are increasingly recognized as critical for effective treatment. M...Work fatigue and working overtime are associated with weight gain
... men with low job demands. Weight gain is a common epidemic with huge economic cost and serious consequences on public health. Working conditions should be taken into consideration when planning worksite health promotion programmes. It is possible that work fatigue and working overtime reduce the possibilitie...The Lancet calls for higher tax on cigarettes
...reases of 50% on cigarettes to prevent a worldwide epidemic of lung cancer, states an editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet. Lung cancer has become the most common cancer worldwide. Of the 1.4 million individuals diagnosed with the disease this year, more than 85% will die before 2010. These deaths ar...Obesity linked to colorectal and esophageal cancers
...ointestinal surgery. "Obesity is a rapidly growing epidemic in American society," said Christopher Gostout, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic. "Patients need to understand the serious health implications of carrying excess weight on the body. A high body mass index is now associated with cancers of the digestive trac...African HIV subtypes identified in Minnesota population
... prevalence. For the first two decades of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, HIV-1 subtype B has been the predominant isolate throughout the country. In recent years, non-B HIV-1 subtypes have been spreading in parts of Europe. As Sides and colleagues explained, however, the prevalence of subtype B and o...Northwestern Memorial researchers aim to find answer to halting the progression of fatty liver
...f cases is rising every year it's truly become an epidemic in this country," says Mary Rinella, MD, a hepatologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who is the lead investigator of the trial and an assistant professor of Medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "Currently, we don't ...OHSU researchers uncover cause, possible treatment for abdominal fat in postmenopausal women
...ology of the OHSU School of Medicine. "The obesity epidemic is not only expanding the waistlines of Americans. It is also being connected to the unhealthy surge in type 2 diabetes cases, cardiovascular disease and other associated disorders. For women, a sudden increase in weight often occurs following menopa...Perceptions of weight important risk factor for suicidal behavior in adolescents
...esults are timely, not only because of the growing epidemic of obesity in our country and its potential impact on the health of young people, but also because it underscores the importance of considering the role perception plays in the health of adolescents." "As Eaton et al write, we need to know more about...... weight. He believes stemming the American obesity epidemic is a task shared by all. "Communities, schools, legislative bodies, movies, television and food companies should partner in promoting healthful food choices. Where childhood obesity is concerned, we are all responsible," Anderson said. Anderson, prof...Control of TB epidemic requires more effective drugs, better tests, and focus on latent infection
...s including some U.S.-born persons. The global TB epidemic increasingly impacts the U.S., where the majority of TB cases now occurring are among people born outside the country. In an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association published on-line on Tuesday, June 7, clinician/researchers des...