July252010
New Gel Cuts Risk of HIV Infection »
“It is the first time an HIV-prevention method controlled by women, who bear the brunt of the epidemic in Africa, has been shown to work. About a third of women in the study said their partners didn’t know they were using the clear, odorless gel.”
Tags: /health
May102010
The Death of High Fructose Corn Syrup »
“The back-to-back, double whammy announcements that PepsiCo (PEP) is ditching high fructose corn syrup in Gatorade along with the results of a scathing new study from researchers at Princeton make it official — allies of the controversial sweetener have lost the war.”
Tags: /health
April142010
Maternal Deaths Decline Sharply Across the Globe »
“The study cited a number of reasons for the improvement: lower pregnancy rates in some countries; higher income, which improves nutrition and access to health care; more education for women; and the increasing availability of ‘skilled attendants’ — people with some medical training — to help women give birth.”
Tags: /health
March222010
100 Years of False Starts, But U.S. Finally Overhauls Healthcare »
“For almost a century, presidents and members of Congress have tried and failed to provide universal health benefits to Americans. On March 21, 2010, after a year of epic debate between Republicans and Democrats, Congress gave final approval to legislation that would remake the nation’s health care system….
November 1932: The Wilbur Commission finds that adequate medical attention is beyond the reach of millions of Americans and recommends that group medical practices and group repayments systems be expanded to spread financial risk. Critics…denounce the recommendations as ‘socialist.’”
Why this moment matters, by James Fallows of the Atlantic
And: as of last year lack of health care is linked to 45,000 annual deaths
Tags: /health /U.S. policy
March122010
U.S. Cancer Death Rates Show Broad Decline »
“The biggest factor in the change, according to the authors, is prevention: people are smoking less, and we should see continued improvements in this regard due to the decreased rates of smoking in adolescents. Mammograms, the Pap smear, and increased colonoscopy rates all account for drops in their relevant cancers, indicating that detection is also playing a role, while new treatments had impacts in lymphomas, leukemias, and testicular cancer.”
Tags: /health
December72009
Cancer Death Rate Continues to Fall in U.S. »
“The report included a special section on colorectal cancer, which is the third most frequently diagnosed malignancy in both men and women in the U.S. Deaths from colorectal cancer have been declining since the mid-1980s in men and the mid-1970s in women….Improved screening is largely responsible for the decline, Brenda K. Edwards, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute tells WebMD. Based on a model they developed, Edwards and colleagues predicted that colorectal cancer deaths could drop by another 50% over the next decade.”
Tags: /health
December52009
Global Measles Deaths Drop By 78% in Eight Years »
“All regions, with the exception of one, have achieved the United Nations goal of reducing measles mortality by 90% from 2000 to 2010, two years ahead of target. Vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles, through large-scale immunization campaigns and increased routine immunization coverage, has prevented an estimated 4.3 million measles deaths in less than a decade.”
Tags: /health
December32009
Deadliest Animal Disease On the Brink of Eradication »
“‘Rinderpest tops the list of killer diseases [in animals],’ says Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome. It not only kills cattle and other wildlife, it also causes famines when people in developing countries lose the beasts they need to plough their fields, he adds.”
Tags: /health
December22009
After Years of Denial, South Africa Pledges to Treat All HIV+ Children »
“Mr. Zuma’s pledge marks a departure from the policies of his predecessor, President Thabo Mbeki, who disputed the scientific evidence linking HIV with AIDS, and who actively discouraged the rollout of antiretroviral treatments to help AIDS patients live longer, more productive lives.”
August272009
U.S. Life Expectancy Reaches All-Time High; Death Rates Reach New Low »
“Record high life expectancy was recorded for both males and females (75.3 years and 80.4 years, respectively)… . For the first time, life expectancy for black males reached 70 years… . Between 2006 and 2007, mortality rates declined significantly for eight of the 15 leading causes of death.”
Tags: /health
