** Latest News ** - The Office of Minority Health

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	Alcohol Ads Affect Black Women A study out of Columbia University’s School of Public Health has found that outdoor ads for alcoholic beverages in New York City, increased survey participants’ drinking by about 13 percent.
	Significant Others impact Prostate Cancer Screenings A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, found that men who lived with a significant other were more likely to be screened for prostate cancer than men living alone, even if the single men had a higher risk of developing the disease.
	Preventing Kidney Stones Physicians are sending out reminders for people to make sure they get enough water during the holidays to prevent kidney stones. Small, but painful kidney stones develop when salts and chemicals crystallize and build up inside the kidneys so they are not able to leave the body with a person’s urine. The rate of kidney stones is higher in men.
	Views of Alcohol, Coercion Vary Greatly for Boys, Girls A UK study found that boys and girls opinions varied greatly when presented with different scenarios about teens having sex and when it may be acceptable to for a person to be forced into having intercourse. The use of alcohol as a means to getting a person’s way was viewed as acceptable in the boys’ focus groups.
	Messages lead to Unwanted Results Ads meant to increase the number of minorities seeking cancer screening have backfired due to negative messages, according to research published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
	Study Reveals Increases in Cancer Disparities A study from the American Cancer Society finds that a decrease in cancer disparities is due to progress in cancers related to smoking. However, disparity rates related to screening and treatment may be on the rise.
	Testosterone shows Promise for Waning Libidos In a study of 800 post-menopausal women, a skin patch administering doses of testosterone improved the libido without any additional hormone treatments.
	Diabetes linked to Language Delays in Children According to an article in Pediatrics, children of women with pregnancy-related diabetes are twice as likely to experience language development problems.
	Other Foods offer Protection against Bone Loss A diet high in fruit and vegetable consumption can also strengthen the bones, according to a new study being prepped for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
	Health Literacy Alters Transplant Rates The lower the health literacy rate of a person with kidney disease, the less likely that person is to receive a kidney transplant, according to a study in the January 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
	Gene Therapy Shows Promise Scientists have successfully injected a corrective gene into a mouse with a form of sickle cell that later showed no difference from a normal mouse, according to an article in Molecular Therapy.
	Fertility Patients shows Concerns about Unused Embryos In a study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center, more than 1,000 fertility patients were surveyed and found to have varying viewpoints of what should be done with their frozen embryos after having successful pregnancies.
	Hepatitis C Treatment Reduces the Virus but Liver Damage Continues A study funded by NIH found that even when Hepatitis C was treated in patients, the progression of serious liver disease continued despite a decrease in a person’s viral count and inflammation of the liver.
	Researchers find Target for Sickle Cell Therapy Researchers have pinpointed the gene that impacts the formation of hemoglobin and could modify the production of the oxygen-carrying protein in people with sickle cell disease and thalassemia. The study is in the online Dec. 4 issue of Science.
	Study offers Clues to Human Immune System A study out of the University of California-San Francisco has found that a pregnant mother’s cells pass through the placenta to create the beginning of a response meant to suppress any attacks against the mother.
	Secondhand smoke raises odds of fertility problems in women Females exposed to secondhand smoke, at any age, are more likely to be infertile and experience miscarriages, according to a report from scientists at the University of Rochester.
	Eating Eggs during Pregnancy Affects Offspring Biologists at Boston University have found that eating eggs while pregnant seems to protect and alter the offspring’s future. In the study, choline, a nutrient in eggs, seemed to delay the growth of tumors in the offspring of mice who received choline, according to the article in the FASEB Journal.
	Exposed Newborns More Difficult to Soothe Research from the Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI found that the same babies who experience low birth weight and a higher risk of SIDS because of exposure to cigarette smoke while in the womb, are also less likely to be self soothe and are more irritable. The study, which looked at 56 babies, is published in the online edition of the Journal of Pediatrics.
	Vitamin D found to fight placental infection UCLA researchers have found that Vitamin D can promote immune responses in the placenta, according to the online article in the Biology of Reproduction.
	Monitoring Needed for Kidney Injuries People who have experienced damage to their kidneys or those who have had kidney surgery can be a increased risk for chronic kidney disease, according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
	Culprits of Bone Loss Identified Loyola University Researchers have found that bone loss in breast cancer survivors can be attributed to more than drug treatments, but also a Vitamin D deficiency, an overactive gland and the body’s dumping of calcium. Their study appears in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	Good Genes Make a Difference A study appearing in the November issue of the Journal of American Geriatric Society found that people whose parents lived to be 97, had decreased chances of developing chronic diseases.
	U.S. Prematurity Rate Close to Failing The March of Dimes slapped the U.S. with a grade of D Wednesday, Nov. 11 after comparing states premature birth rates with the goals for Health People 2010.
	Deterrents May Fuel Disparities A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine finds that black women from lower economic backgrounds were deterred from getting their mammograms because of fears, misconceptions and past experiences.
	Gender plays a Role A study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology suggests that a persons’ gender helps determine the likelihood of survival for patients with lung cancer.
	Obese Women More Impulsive A study out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that obese women were more impulsive than obese men and men and women with healthy weights.
	Social Factors Affect Pregnancy Research presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia recommends including rural living as a risk factor for higher blood pressure in pregnant women.
	Mother’s Mental Health Linked to Pregnancy Results A study out of the University of Manchester found that women who had a history of serious mental illness were more likely to have a stillborn birth or give birth to a child that dies within the first few months.
	Removing Sodas from School doesn’t Affect Consumption A study published in the November/December issue of Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that even when sodas were removed from a Maine high school, the level of children’s soda consumption was similar to students in high schools where soda was available.
	Extra Pregnancy Weight Raises Risks Women who gained 40 pounds or more during their pregnancy are more likely to have a heavy baby, according to an article published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Heavy babies can lead to complications during the birth and the likelihood of obesity later in the child’s life.
	The risk of flaxseed At the University of Montreal, researchers have found that the consumption of flaxseed oil, during the last two trimesters by pregnant women, quadrupled their risk of giving birth prematurely.
	Breastfeeding and Obesity Link Temple researchers conducted a study to find out how breastfeed is linked to lower obesity rates in children. They found that children who are breastfed were able to tell when they were full, while children who were bottle fed were less likely to know they were full and had a higher BMI rate.
	Hypertension Linked to Environment A study out of John Hopkins University and published in the November issue of Social Science and Medicine found that disparities in hypertension were decreased when the groups being compared to each other came from the same environments.
	Low-Carb Diets alter Liver Fuction A study appearing in the November issue of Hepatology has found that if a person is on a low-carbohydrate diet, the liver will rely on other substances to produce glucose at an increased rate.
	Birth Control as a Deterrent Use of oral contraceptives seems to lower women’s risk of developing uterine and ovarian cancers later in life, but researchers from Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine have found that contraceptives could be affecting the way the body processes estrogen.
	Extra Cash leading to more calories A cash-incentive program begun by the Mexican government and modeled in the US is aimed at alleviating poverty. And while the outcomes have been positive for children, a UC Berkley study shows that the results have had a downside for parents and even led to greater risks of obesity.
	3-D Doppler may detect breast cancer In the November issue of Radiology, researchers found that using a three-dimensional power Doppler scan of the breast tissue is more accurate in identifying malignant breast tumors.
	MRI Technique may spot cervical cancer According to a study published in the November issue of Radiology, researchers have shown that by using a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging with a special vaginal coil, the MRI may be able to pick up even the smaller tumors.
	Rate of Suicide Increases A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that the suicide rate have increased for the first time in a decade with middle-age Caucasian women showing the greatest increase.
	Study of boys who commit dating violence A qualitative study, which appeared in the September issue of the American Journal of Men’s Health, focuses on the lives of teen boys who are violent toward girls. Several common themes among the boys studied were witnessing violence in the home, failing in school and family troubles.
	Symptoms Related to Stress A study presented at the 20th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, found that symptoms related to heart disease were often attributed to women’s stress levels and men’s symptoms were perceived as originated from actual physical occurrences.
	The Link between Cancer and Caffeine After studying more than 38,000 women over the age of 45, researchers found that the rate of developing invasive breast cancer was not statistically significant to link caffeine consumption to breast cancer, according to an article in the Oct. 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
	Hypertension in Americans at all-time high Rates of hypertension, or chronic high blood pressure, are up among all Americans regardless of race or gender, according to the American Heart Association. However, they note that treatment rates are up as well.
	Women Get more Cavities than Men A professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon is studying how women develop more cavities than men and the influence of an agrarian lifestyle on women’s dental health by using clues from the past.
	The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep A study of older African Americans out of North Carolina State University has found a link between the quality of sleep elderly receive and their cognitive abilities. The study showed that participants who had more trouble falling asleep were also more likely to experience problems in memory.
	Families Benefit from Sports This study involving more than 2,000 students and 800 parents found that communication is often better in families whose children play sports and that girls living in urban settings are less likely to have opportunities to play.
	Immune Systems Tracks Herpes Virus In the Oct. 10 issue of Science, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine challenge the idea that the Herpes Simplex Virus I, which can cause cold sores, blindness and lethal encephalitis, is invisible to the immune system. Instead, the scientists believe the virus is constantly watched by the immune system, which keeps it from spreading.
	Movement Necessary for Patients Researchers at John Hopkins University Medical School are recommending further study into the effects of prolonged bed rest for patients in intensive care units. In an Oct. 8 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers note that keeping patients sedated while on bed rest can lead to weakened muscles and possibly physical impairment after being released from the hospital.
	Plastics May Protect Cancer Cell In a study published in the Oct. 8 issue of <Environmental Health Perspectives, University of Cincinnati researcher finds that exposure to BPA, a chemical found in plastics, may protect cancer cells from chemotherapy.
	Guidelines Advise Exercise during Pregnancy According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines, pregnant women should participate in at least 150 minutes of physical activity during the week. The new guidelines also suggest that women continue exercising during the postpartum phase in order to lose weight and improve her mood.
	Nature’s Remedy for Hot Flashes Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia are trying to see if it is possible for women at risk for breast cancer to use the herb black cohosh to treat menopausal symptoms while using a breast cancer prevention drug. Older women who may be at increased risk for developing breast cancer are not able to receive hormone replacement therapy if they are using the prevention drug.
	Soothing Music Promotes Healthy Pregnancy In a study of 241 similar women, researchers at Kaohsiung Medical University, found that the group who listened to soothing music showed improvements in stress, anxiety and depression levels.
	Women at Greater Risk with Less Exposure In research presented at the American Scientists of Gastroenterology’s annual conference, results showed that women require less exposure to tobacco before developing a greater risk of colorectal cancer.
	Exercise Helps despite Size (or Exercise Proven to Always Help) According to researchers at Duke University, their study finds that any amount of exercise is beneficial for the severely obese. Of the 1,200 participants, the average length of exercise was a little less than one hour a week. The individuals who had even a little more than an hour said they felt they had a better quality of life that allowed them to participate in daily activities, such as tying their shoes, getting up from chairs and feeling better overall.
	Breast Cancer Cells Fight to Survive Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia have found that breast cancer cells, which thrive off of estrogen, become idle while anti-estrogen methods are being used to treat the disease. Once the treatment stops, the cells begin to grow again, causing researchers to find a way to increase the likelihood of cell death.
	Solutions for menopausal hot flash Several offices under NIH are banding together to study and conduct clinical trials to address the hot flashes women experience during menopause. The five-year $4.4 million project will gather trial participants through several centers across the United States.
	Study finds about a quarter of women have weakened pelvic muscles An NIH study published in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association revealed that 24 percent of women in the United States deal with the effects of pelvic floor disorders. Weakened pelvic muscles can lead to incontinence, discomfort and the shifting of organs so they rest on the vagina. The chances of developing pelvic floor disorders seem to increase with each subsequent pregnancy, according to the study results.
	Regulating Wax Removal Approximately 12 million people seek removal for compacted earwax a year in the United States. However, people seek services from a variety of medical physicians, prompting to publish national guidelines for an issue that affects 10 percent of adults, 5 percent of children and more than 33 percent of adults.
	Diabetes Drugs May Pose Heart Risks In an online editorial in Heart, two Wake Forest University professors voice their concern for oral medications taken for Type 2 diabetes. The two believe a particular class of meds increases the risk of cardiovascular problems.
	Growing Strong Bones A study released in the Aug. 26 edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explains the work of engineers at Georgia Tech University. The engineers used skin cells to create artificial bones and found that their slower development allowed the bones to blend better with ligaments and tendons.
	Downside to Antiretrovirals Side effects In a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers found that a popular antiretroviral used by people infected with HIV may also lead to more bone fractures.
	Women's Changing Oral Health The Pennsylvania Dental Association is reminding women to be mindful of their oral health needs, which can change throughout the lifespan. Oral health is tied to women?s hormone levels.
	Added Benefits of Magnesium Sulfate During a 10-year study involving 18 centers, researchers tried to see if there was a link between magnesium sulfate and cerebral palsy. What they found was that the offspring of women at risk for premature birth who received doses of magnesium sulfate, were 50 percent less likely to develop cerebral palsy.
	Making the VA Mobile Representatives of the Department of Veteran Affairs announced Wednesday, Aug. 27 that the VA will launch its new four-unit mobile clinic to serve veterans in rural areas. The units will circulate around 24 counties, offering primary care and mental health care.
	Tobacco Control Program Saves Billions During a 15-year timeframe, the state of California saved $86 billion (in 2004 dollars), according to a study published in the Aug. 25, 2008 online issue of PLoS Medicine. The program, which cost $1.8 billion, translated into reductions in smoking, disease and expenditures on health care.
	Scientists find link between infections and prematurity Researchers at Stanford University studied the amniotic fluid of women who had preterm labor only to find that 15 percent of the samples revealed evidence of bacteria and fungus. The more bacteria or fungus present in the fluid, the more likely a woman was to have a younger and sicker baby.
	C-section Babies may have Increased Risks Researchers from the Queen’s University Belfast conducted a study of 10,000 children from 20 published studies and found the children had an increased chance of developing Type I diabetes if they were delivered via C-section.
	Varied Factors Influence Cancer Type In a study published in the Oct. 1, 2008 issue of Cancer, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, researchers reported finding a link between factors, such as breastfeeding and age at the onset of menopause and the type of breast cancer identified during diagnosis.
	Medication Sharing Apparently more than one-third of women, ages 18 to 44, share prescription medications and may be unaware of the side effects, according to a report published in the August 2008 issue of the Journal of Women’s Health.
	Effects of Alcohol on Unborn Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia are looking to find out what quantity of alcohol and how the timeframe of the drinking leads to malformations of the face of babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome and other lifelong disabilities.
	Alcohol dependence linked to delayed childbearing Researchers at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences have found a relationship between the amount of alcohol females consume and dysfunctions in their reproductive system.

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