Public Health

Non-invasive prenatal testing for Down syndrome is feasible, acceptable to parents, and could be introduced into the National Health Service (NHS), researchers in the United Kingdom say.  The results of a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) study carried out by the first NHS laboratory to provide  non-invasive prenatal testing  testing were reported to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics Saturday.  Presenting the findings, Professor Lyn Chitty, from the University College London Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street…

Modified "good" cholesterol (HDL) and the activation of specific genes are causes of damage to the vascular system in chronic renal disease. A new project specifically examined the effect of cyanate, a decomposition product of urea, on the functioning of the vascular system.The issue is important because the average age of the general population is increasing and with it the number of patients with chronic renal disease. Their mortality increases sharply in particular as a result of secondary cardiovascular disease. To date, however, little is known about how these sequelae occur. Patients…

New York City is one of the most walkable cities in the nation, providing many opportunities for physical activity, and New Yorkers are more likely to exercise regularly than the average U.S. adult - but instead they are also sitting far more than what is considered healthy.  According to a new study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its journal Preventing Chronic Disease, the average New York City resident sits more than seven hours a day--greatly exceeding the three hours or more per day that is associated with decreased life expectancy. In what is the…

Corn infected by the fungus Aspergillus which can produce aflatoxin (Iowa State IPM) There is a trend in the organic food industry with the potential to damage the entire Organic brand.  This risk was highlighted by a recent Canadian Food Inspection Authority decision to institute mandatory mycotoxin screening of corn imported from India.  This began after CFIA found dangerous levels of aflatoxin in shipments intended for organic chicken feed. A little background on aflatoxin. It is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic chemicals known.…

Every May 31st, the W.H.O. endorses a "World No Tobacco Day." This is in keeping with their utopian, fundamentalist worldview in which not only smoking, but also tobacco and nicotine can, at last, be eradicated from our midst, the "endgame for tobacco." This approach, which brooks no compromise with nicotine use from any source (except of course those FDA-approved patches, gums and inhalers), has left us in the current situation, with "public health" officials everywhere lying to smokers and the public about illusory "potential" harms of e-cigarettes/vapor products. The prohibitionist “quit…

Every May 31st, the W.H.O. endorses a "World No Tobacco Day." This is in keeping with their utopian, fundamentalist worldview in which not only smoking, but also tobacco and nicotine can, at last, be eradicated from our midst, the "endgame for tobacco." This approach, which brooks no compromise with nicotine use from any source (except of course those FDA-approved patches, gums and inhalers), has left us in the current situation, with "public health" officials everywhere lying to smokers and the public about illusory "potential" harms of e-cigarettes/vapor products. The prohibitionist “quit…

Have you been avoiding Taco Bell because of the Yellow No. 6 dye in its nacho cheese?  Of course not. And if removing that or carmine from its red tortilla chips means you will suddenly think their food is healthy, you are being educated by advertising. Which is just what they are hoping. There is nothing healthy about Taco Bell or Pizza Hut or Chipotle yet they have all delivered similar intellectual placebos to the public in order to boost sales. And it's working, or at least they think it is working, since more and more junk food chains attach this health halo to their products…

Many of us have a tipple on special occasions but including these drinks in official data has been found to increase England’s alcohol consumption by 12 million bottles of wine per week. According to a new study published in BMC Medicine, alcohol consumption figures account for only 60% of alcohol sold in England, due to a discrepancy between self-reported consumption data and retail figures. The new research has discovered where the missing alcohol can be found. Researchers interviewed 4,604 current drinkers in England, and found that alcohol consumption during holidays or special…

Most people associate osteoporosis with women. But the truth is, one in four men over the age of 50 will break a bone as a result of this condition. That's more men than will have prostate cancer, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. A new paper is calling for men to be included in the screening guidelines for osteoporosis while the government is trying to do even less testing to reduce the runaway costs incurred after the Affordable Care Act. Elizabeth Regan, MD, PhD, a researcher at National Jewish Health, studied more than 3,000 smokers and former smokers ages 45 to 80 and…

A recent study from the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that UK obesity rates are set to continue rising for the foreseeable future, with many experts branding the rise as approaching crisis stage. Additionally, and in accordance with what many experts have already suggested, there is very little that can be done to prevent such a crisis from occurring. The figures, which took into account figures and trends from across Europe, predict some shocking statistics which will see 89% of Irish men and 77% of Greek men overweight by 2030. Many countries can apparently expect to see over…