http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. State and local health departments face significant barriers and usually do not get involved when confronted with public health concerns resulting from food animal production sites, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-health-departments-hindered-animal-production.html Health Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:56:35 EST news279194178 (HealthDay)—Exposure to traffic-related air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter less than 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5 and PM10), during gestation and the first year of life is associated with a significantly increased risk of autism, according to research published in the January issue of JAMA Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-exposure-traffic-related-air-pollution-linked.html Autism spectrum disorders Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:32:33 EST news276874347 A new study led by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) has found an association between reductions in fine particulate matter and improved life expectancy in 545 counties in the U.S. from 2000 to 2007. It is the largest study to date to find beneficial effects to public health of continuing to reduce air pollution levels in the U.S. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-declining-air-pollution-life.html Health Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:50:02 EST news273775225 Research conducted by University of Southern California (USC) and Children's Hospital Los Angeles scientists demonstrates that polluted air – whether regional pollution or coming from local traffic sources – is associated with autism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-autism-children-exposed-air-pollution.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:23:40 EST news273169412 Just 10 minutes spent in the back seat of a car with a smoker in the front, boosts a child's daily exposure to harmful pollutants by up to 30%, reveals research published online in Tobacco Control. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-minutes-car-smoker-boosts-pollutants.html Health Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:30:04 EST news272743137 Living in areas of high air pollution can lead to decreased cognitive function in older adults, according to new research presented in San Diego at The Gerontological Society of America's 65th Annual Scientific Meeting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-bad-air-news-seniors-brainpower.html Health Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:45:08 EST news272295825 Smoking during car journeys pumps harmful particulate matter into the indoor air space at levels that far exceed World Health Organization guidance—even when the windows are open or air conditioning is switched on—finds the largest study of its kind, in Tobacco Control. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-cars-pollutants-indoor-air-quality.html Health Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:30:04 EST news269515001 Exposure to ambient air pollution from traffic during infancy is associated with lung function deficits in children up to eight years of age, particularly among children sensitized to common allergens, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-exposure-traffic-air-pollution-infancy.html Health Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:50:11 EST news269236203 A published study by researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and School of Public Health is the first of its kind to suggest that exposure to air pollution particles from mountaintop mining sites may impair the blood vessels' ability to dilate, which may lead to cardiovascular disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-exposure-air-pollution-particles-mountaintop.html Cardiology Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:52:49 EST news269077962 Researchers from the University of Alicante (Spain) have analysed ten brands of cigarettes and found that the concentrations of certain harmful and carcinogenic substances vary significantly from one brand to another. Until now legislation has not covered these compounds and only establishes limits for nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. Scientists have also developed catalysts to reduce the harmful products in tobacco. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-tobacco-highly-toxic-compounds-law.html Health Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:57:55 EST news268311464 With the World Health Organization categorising diesel fumes as carcinogenic a Queensland University of Technology (QUT) scientist said if fumes had a stronger smell they would be easier to avoid. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-traffic-pollution.html Health Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:54:01 EST news259401216 Satellite images, air quality measurements and smoke forecasting models are useful tools to help individuals and public health professionals prepare for smoke episodes in areas at risk from forest fire smoke, according to University of British Columbia researcher Michael Brauer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-climate-forest-health.html Health Sun, 19 Feb 2012 08:47:37 EST news248863651 Short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack, according to a review and meta-analysis of previous studies appearing in the February 15 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-short-term-exposure-major-air-pollutants.html Health Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:00:09 EST news248448728 A large, prospective study led by a researcher at Rush University Medical Center indicates that chronic exposure to particulate air pollution may accelerate cognitive decline in older adults. The results of the study will be published in the Feb. 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-association-air-pollution-cognitive-decline.html Health Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:08 EST news248370798 Air pollution, even at levels generally considered safe by federal regulations, increases the risk of stroke by 34 percent, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers have found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-moderate-air-pollution.html Health Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:01 EST news248370937 (Boston) -The incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension increases with cumulative levels of exposure to nitrogen oxides, according to a new study led by researchers from the Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC) at Boston University. The study, which appears online in the journal Circulation, was led by Patricia Coogan, D.Sc., associate professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health and the SEC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-air-pollution-linked-diabetes-hypertension.html Cardiology Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:20:01 EST news244994555 New analysis casts doubt on results of tobacco industry studies into safety of cigarette additives http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-analysis-results-tobacco-industry-safety.html Health Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:00:01 EST news243621885 After monitoring firefighters working at prescribed burns in the southeastern U.S., University of Georgia researchers found that lung function decreased with successive days of exposure to smoke and other particulate matter. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-uga-documents-lung-function-declines.html Health Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:31:58 EST news242476309 A Californian-based study has looked in detail at air quality and the impact of traffic-related air pollution on premature birth. Published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health, results from this study show that traffic-related air pollution, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), is associated with up to a 30% increase in premature births, and that seasonal changes and vicinity to the coast affected concentration of toxic pollutants in the air. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-pregnant-mothers-air-pollution.html Health Fri, 07 Oct 2011 04:13:50 EST news237179614 Emissions from livestock farms cause asthma and COPD patients living nearby to experience more exacerbations, according to research presented today at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-environmental-health-livestock-farming.html Health Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:20:01 EST news236324765