Higher education and income levels keys to better health, according to annual report on nation’s health; health groups calls on President Obama to strengthen calorie labeling rules; Philadelphia Department of Public Health encourages public to get tested for Hepatitis C. Those tops stories and more in today’s public health headlines for, Thursday, May 17, 2012.
CDC – Health, United States, 2011
People with higher levels of education and higher income have lower rates of many chronic diseases compared to those with less education and lower income levels, according to Health, United States, 2011 – the government’s annual comprehensive report on Americans’ health. Health, United States, 2011 is the 35th annual report prepared by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and includes a compilation of health data through 2010 from a number of sources within the federal government and in the private sector.
MedPage Today – CDC Lowers the Bar for ‘Lead Poisoning’
The CDC has lowered by half the danger threshold for lead levels in children’s blood, one of more than a dozen advisory committee recommendations that the agency has accepted in principle. From now on, blood levels of lead exceeding 5 mcg/dL will identify children “living or staying for long periods in environments that expose them to lead hazards,” according to a CDC statement released Wednesday. And the CDC now flatly states that any level of lead in the blood is a potential health hazard.
Center for Science in the Public Interest – Health Groups Urge Obamas: Don’t Water Down Calorie Labeling Rules
The nation’s leading health and consumer organizations are calling on the Obama Administration to provide calorie labeling at chain movie theaters, supermarkets, and for alcoholic beverages, and to provide clear labeling for vending machines. If those are exempted, consumers would have no clue about the often-surprising calorie counts in buckets of movie theater popcorn, alcoholic drinks, and ready-to-eat food sold at supermarkets and convenience stores.
AIDS.gov – HRSA Seeks Public Input on Ryan White Reauthorization
As part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) efforts to plan for the 2013 reauthorization of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has launched a number of activities to collect ideas from stakeholders that will inform our policy deliberations.
Health Policy Solutions – Opinion: Death by sitting
Have you been worried about the fact that you are a mortal being? Here’s some comfort sent by way of Seneca, some 2000 years ago: “You will not die because you are sick, but because you are alive.” Now, don’t you feel better? Well, Seneca almost got it right. After reading a particularly upsetting article in the New York Times recently, I took the liberty of editing Seneca’s timeless words: “Gena, you will not die because you are sick, but because you are alive… and sitting in a chair.”
The Public’s Health – Hepatitis C: A silent epidemic (you can help stop on Saturday)
More than 3 million Americans are infected with the Hepatitis C virus, and half of them don’t even realize it? You could be one of them. Hepatitis C is a viral infection that attacks the liver, causing liver damage and sometimes liver failure or liver cancer. It is the most common cause of cirrhosis of the liver and the reason for most liver transplants. Fifteen thousand Americans die of the disease each year.
