Health and wellness - Articles - Page 5

Nearly a fourth of U.S. middle, high school students use tobacco products

"This report is further evidence that the tobacco industry is succeeding in addicting a new generation to nicotine."

December 6, 2019

Twenty-three percent of middle and high school students in the U.S. – a total of 6.2 million youth – have used a tobacco product in the past 30 days, according to the The National Youth Tobacco Survey results released yesterday. Why that matters: Most long-term tobacco product use begins during adolescence – and tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in this country and many others.

Europeans increase efforts to reduce occupational cancer risk

December 3, 2019

The European Roadmap on Carcinogens – an initiative first launched in May 2016 in Amsterdam under the Dutch EU Presidency – was extended last week in Helsinki by organizations that included the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The roadmap is a voluntary effort to raise awareness among workers and employers about the risks of exposure to carcinogens in the workplace.

Study connects air pollution to Alzheimer’s-like brain changes

December 2, 2019

Women in their 70s and 80s who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution experienced greater declines in memory and more Alzheimer’s-like brain atrophy than their counterparts who breathed cleaner air, according to USC researchers. The findings of the nationwide study, published in the journal Brain, touch on the renewed interest in preventing Alzheimer’s disease by reducing risk as well as hint at a potential disease mechanism.

Just in time for Thanksgiving: A multi-state E. coli outbreak

November 27, 2019

The CDC says it has not yet determined the source of an outbreak of E. coli that has so far sickened people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Montana, Washington and Wisconsin. The CDC is coordinating with public health and regulatory officials in those states, along with the FDA, in its investigation into the outbreak.

Who is still smoking?

Great American Smokeout draws attention to "hidden epidemic"

November 19, 2019

Although smoking rates have dropped dramatically in the U.S. - from 42% in 1965 to 14% in 2017 - some groups continue to have high prevalence of cigarette smoking. That’s according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), which is using the upcoming Great American Smokeout as an opportunity to highlight this “hidden epidemic.”

Antibiotic-resistant infections in U.S. kill 35K a year

CDC: Significant progress since 2013 could be lost without more action

November 18, 2019

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi cause more than 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths in the United States each year, according to a report released recently by the CDC. That means, on average, someone in this country gets an antibiotic-resistant infection every 11 seconds and every 15 minutes someone dies.

“Fattest states” IDd in new report

November 5, 2019

With November being National Diabetes Awareness Month and Americans collectively spending nearly $200 billion per year on obesity-related health costs, the personal-finance website WalletHub released a report on 2019's Fattest States in America. To determine which states contribute the most to America’s overweight and obesity problem, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 29 key metrics.

Anti-cancer cookbook published by ACS

October 28, 2019

"There is no question, what we eat has a tremendous impact on our health, including reducing the risk of many different types of cancer," says Colleen Doyle, MS, RD. "Eating well is a key component of living an overall healthy lifestyle, and there are simple steps we can take each and every day to eat well and improve our health." Doyle is managing director of nutrition and physical activity at the American Cancer Society, which has just published Quick & Healthy: 50 Simple, Delicious Recipes for Every Day.

A FairWarning Story

Embattled Johnson & Johnson recalls some of its baby powder after the FDA finds asbestos

Jessica McKenzie

October 24, 2019

Tainted love: Johnson & Johnson recalled 33,000 bottles of baby powder after the Food and Drug Administration found asbestos in one container, The New York Times reports. The company, which once marketed its baby, body, and wellness products as being “for all you love,” has long denied that its talc-based products ever contained cancer-causing asbestos, but it faces more than 15,000 lawsuits from customers who say their products caused them to develop ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, a rare cancer linked to asbestos.

Want to stay healthy? Wash your hands!

October 22, 2019

It may seem too simple, but keeping your hands clean with soap and water is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy. That’s according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has issued a reminder about the importance of washing hands – and backed it up with a toolkit to encourage handwashing within your community.