Health risks for urban kids exposed to traffic pollution, experts warn

Urban childcare centres should be built away from busy urban roads to minimise kids’ exposure to traffic pollution, experts warn. In a commentary paper published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, University of Melbourne researchers have analysed childcare locations and road vehicle density in inner-city Melbourne. The paper highlights increasing evidence that exposure to traffic-related air […]

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Are near-death experiences hallucinations? Experts explain the science behind this puzzling phenomenon

In our never-ending quest to understand what happens to us after we die, humans have long seen the rare phenomenon of near-death experiences as providing some hints. People who’ve had a brush with death often report seeing and experiencing life-altering events on “the other side,” like a bright white light at the end of a long tunnel, or being reunited […]

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Experts call for a targeted approach to cancer prevention

Policymakers around the world should consider introducing more targeted early interventions in a bid to tackle cancer, according to experts at the University of Stirling. A new paper – published in the International Journal of Healthcare Policy – analysed data from 162 countries to examine the relationship between economic growth and cancer incidence. Dr. Bryan McIntosh, of the Faculty of […]

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Pediatric and law experts define abusive head trauma

Abusive head trauma (AHT), a medical diagnosis of infants and young children who suffer from inflicted intracranial and associated spinal injuries, is often misrepresented in legal proceedings of child abuse, according to a consensus statement supported by nine pediatric and radiology international organizations published in Pediatric Radiology. The statement outlines consensus of evidence-based medical opinion on AHT to confirm the […]

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How low is too low? Experts debate blood pressure targets in post-SPRINT era

Following the landmark SPRINT trial, there is a growing body of evidence for reducing systolic blood pressure targets, resulting in the development of new US guidelines. However, this has led to many questions about the impact of such fundamental changes in blood pressure management, and whether they should be implemented in other constituencies. Two new studies published in the Canadian […]

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Tenacious invasive tick survived winter in N.J. Experts are worried

The East Asian longhorned tick, previously unknown in the United States, is likely now an unwanted permanent resident of New Jersey that concerns federal, state and local officials. The National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed last week that the arachnid, discovered in the state in the fall, has successfully made it through the harsh winter. The state’s Department of Agriculture is […]

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Super drug-resistant gonorrhea coming to U.S., experts say

(HealthDay)—Americans should expect that a super-resistant form of gonorrhea like that found in the United Kingdom will soon reach these shores, health experts say. Earlier this year, doctors diagnosed a man in England with a case of gonorrhea that could not be cured with antibiotics commonly deployed against the sexually transmitted bacteria. This was shocking to the public, but not […]

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