A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank Group report reveals a dismal state of affairs for global health: approximately 400 million people do not have access to essential health services and 6% of people in low- and middle-income countries are tipped into or pushed further into extreme poverty because of health spending.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finalized its determination that artificial trans fat is no longer generally recognized as safe for use in food. Health advocacy organizations are hailing the long-expected move as a major victory for public health.
Of your five senses, which one are you most afraid of losing? If you're like most people, your answer is your ability to see. Because our eyesight is so precious, it's no wonder that myths abound about what can damage our eyes — and what can protect them. Here, we debunk five common myths — and tell you how to truly keep your eyes healthy.
Researchers from four institutions are exploring the differences that exist and improvements that need to be made when it comes to treating culturally diverse patients for heart disease and stroke.
Melanoma rates doubled between 1982 and 2011 but comprehensive skin cancer prevention programs could prevent 20 percent of new cases between 2020 and 2030, according to this month’s Vital Signs report.
Silicosis is a potentially fatal but preventable occupational lung disease caused by inhaling respirable particles containing crystalline silicon dioxide (silica). Quartz, a type of crystalline silica, is the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust and workers across a wide range of occupations and industries are exposed to silica-containing dusts.
Lots of confusion over heart failure v. heart attack
June 18, 2015
Nearly six million Americans currently live with heart failure, yet a recent national survey found potentially dangerous misconceptions and knowledge gaps about the disease. In fact, nearly half of those surveyed got fundamental facts about heart failure wrong and two-thirds of respondents confused signs of heart failure with signs of a heart attack.
ACA removes financial barriers for low-income people
June 17, 2015
Screening for colorectal cancer increased in lower socioeconomic status (SES) individuals after 2008, perhaps reflecting the Affordable Care Act’s removal of financial barriers to screening according to a new analysis. The study, by American Cancer Society investigators, appears online in the journal Cancer.
National costs for RA absenteeism exceed $250 million per year
June 16, 2015
Employees with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to have work absences, leading to high excess costs for employers, reports a study in the June Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
When it comes to fatal poisonings, car crashes and falls, where you live could make a difference
June 11, 2015
The National Safety Council released its annual list of states with the lowest and highest rates of unintentional injury-related deaths[i], which include poisonings – largely from drug overdoses – car crashes and falls. For the second straight year, Maryland has the lowest rate of unintentional injury death, with 26.9 deaths per every 100,000 people – far below the national rate of 40.6. West Virginia has the highest rate for the third time in four years.