The Guardian reports that trials of two potential Ebola vaccines began in Liberia in early February and the following day, the trial of another potential Ebola vaccine was cancelled due to falling numbers of new Ebola cases. All three vaccines were developed and manufactured by different companies, but the ending of the trial of the… Continue Reading
Data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study seem to suggest that joggers who engage in moderate-intensity (5 mph), moderate-frequency (2-3 days per week) jogging have a significantly lower overall mortality rate (30% decrease) than non-joggers. Interestingly, high-intensity, high-frequency joggers show no significant decrease in overall mortality rates vs. non-joggers. The data seems to suggest that… Continue Reading
A study out of the University Health Network (UHN) of Toronto found that the amount of time a person sits during the day is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death, regardless of regular exercise. The full study is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. While the negative effects… Continue Reading
An article in the February 15, 2015 issue of The Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases details what herd immunity is, how it is cultured and maintained, how immunity thresholds are calculated, and how those thresholds can be problematic for public health managers. The article provides “brief historical, epidemiologic, theoretical, and pragmatic health perspectives on the… Continue Reading
The Health Alert network of the Centers for Disease Control discusses the current “Disneyland” measles outbreak. The dates of exposure and locations of current confirmed cases are listed, along with statistics detailing the ages of those who contracted measles and the vaccination status of the sick. The disease signs, symptoms,and transmission details are outlined, along… Continue Reading
GlobalData epidemiologists are forecasting that the diagnosed prevalent cases of DME will increase by 34.2% between 2013 and 2023. The DME EpiCast Report provides an overview of risk factors, comorbidities, and the global and historical trends for DME in the 7MM (seven major markets of US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and Japan.) It includes… Continue Reading
A report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal highlights some of the problems with relying on surrogate markers such as tumor size for cancer drugs or blood cholesterol levels for heart disease. These markers are usually unrelated to other significant health measures such as Surrogate measures allow for shorter and cheaper clinical trials that do not… Continue Reading
The New York times is reporting that public health authorities are hoping to begin trials of Ebola vaccines in West Africa as early as December. There are seven different vaccines headed for human trials at this time. Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny of the WHO had previously announced that trials may begin in early 2015. Vaccinations are… Continue Reading
Evidence continues to mount supporting the need for animal or cell research studies to include data on sex/gender differences. The Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University has published a list of publications and reports that explore why considering sex/gender variables in animal/cell research is crucial. Continue Reading
The CDC website has the most up-to-date information on the current state of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as well as information on the first travel-associated case of Ebola in the United States. The site also outlines the signs and symptoms of Ebola, how it is transmitted, who is at risk of contracting the… Continue Reading
