public health news stories on Newser

TB Patient Jailed for Refusing Medication

Rob Quinn — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:55:00 CDT

A tuberculosis patient in California who refused to take medication to stop his condition from becoming contagious has been locked up to protect the public. Armando Rodriguez, 34, missed eight out of nine doses in the space of 47 days. He told health officials who visited his home that he...

Raising 'Good Cholesterol' Might Not Help

John Johnson — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:42:00 CDT

If you've been diligently working to raise your levels of "good cholesterol" to maintain a healthy heart, a study in the Lancet has some sobering news: You might be wasting your time. It's true that high levels of the cholesterol, called HDL, are associated with a lower risk of heart...

Treatable Infections Cause 1 in 6 Cancers

Rob Quinn — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:59:43 CDT

A sixth of all cancers worldwide are the result of potentially treatable or preventable infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites, according to a new study. Researchers found that that almost 2 million new cancer cases in 2008 were caused by the human papilloma virus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and...

42% of Americans Will Be Obese by 2030

Rob Quinn — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:01:54 CDT

The once-explosive growth in the proportion of Americans who are obese has slowed, but it's still expected to grow to 42% by 2030, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control study. The study found that if the obesity rate stays at the current level—34%—then some $550 billion...

US Measles Cases Spike

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:25:25 CDT

Last year was the worst year for measles in the US in 15 years, say health officials. The 222 cases marks a big jump from the 60 or so seen in a typical year. Most of the cases were imported, either by foreign visitors or by US residents who picked...

Need Your Appendix Out? Not So Fast

John Johnson — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:03:05 CDT

Having your appendix taken out may be a common, ho-hum procedure as far as surgeries go, but a new study suggests it may be too common. British researchers say antibiotics could be a better alternative, reports the BBC . Their study found that two-thirds of patients treated with the drugs for...

60 Minutes Asks, 'Is Sugar Toxic?'

John Johnson — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:29:34 CDT

Crank up the sugar lobby. The sweetener will get the 60 Minutes treatment tomorrow night, with a spate of doctors arguing that it's essentially poison. One UC endocrinologist uses the word "toxic," and thinks the big debate between sugar and high-fructose corn syrup is a waste of breath. "They are...

Ruling Might End Use of Antibiotics in Animal Feed

John Johnson — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:16:37 CDT

A decision yesterday by a federal judge could mean that farmers have to stop mixing antibiotics into animal feed, reports the OnEarth blog. The judge ordered the FDA to warn drug-makers of the coming change and give them a chance to prove that the antibiotics are safe and won't raise...

1 in 6 Americans Is a Binge Drinker

Rob Quinn — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:40:00 CST

Federal health officials have released their most detailed study yet of America's binge drinkers—and if you're a college-educated, high-earning young white man from Wisconsin, you may already be drunk by the time you read this. Researchers found that 38 million Americans, roughly a sixth of the adult population, are...