Nearly 10% of rural counties in the South are losing hospitals
July 18, 2023 A new study led by Dr. Arrianna Planey found that approximately 10% of rural counties in the U.S. South lost one or more hospitals to a closure between 2007 and 2018. Rural areas with a higher proportion of Black and Latinx residents had longer travel times to access the second nearest acute care hospital.
Hearing aids slow cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss and at risk for cognitive decline
July 18, 2023 Results from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders study found that hearing aids slowed cognitive decline in older adults with mild to moderate hearing loss by 48% in a pre-specified set of participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.
Up in the air
July 14, 2023 Doctoral candidate Haley Plaas works with local communities to uncover how algal blooms affect air quality.
UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke to be awarded up to $50 million from the FDA for new research center
July 11, 2023 Triangle CERSI will work with FDA scientists to perform cutting edge scientific research to better inform and support the FDA’s needs.
The Abstract: July 10, 2023
July 10, 2023 New research from biostatistics, health behavior and nutrition, plus a new grant to study lung cancer screening.
Pandemic policy changes may have helped sustain access to treatment for opioid use disorder
June 16, 2023 A new study led by Dr. Anna Austin shows that overall receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) remained relatively stable early in the pandemic among Medicaid patients, possibly due to changes in policy restrictions. However, there was a decrease in the number of people newly beginning MOUD treatment through in person visits that was only partially offset by telehealth.
The Abstract: June 12, 2023
June 12, 2023 New biostatistics awards and research for Garcia and Montoya, a new book from a nutrition alumna, and a list of honors for Gillings researchers.
Researchers highlight opportunities to improve cancer care for trans patients
June 7, 2023 To help envision cancer care standards that are inclusive of trans people and sensitive to their needs, researchers from UNC and the Center for Applied Transgender Studies published a commentary that pinpoints areas where providers and researchers can confront inequity.
Gillings epidemiologists: Undermining FDA authority on mifepristone regulation puts drug safety at risk
June 6, 2023 Drs. Juan Hincapie-Castillo and Michele Jonsson-Funk are co-authors on a new commentary expressing concern that legal challenges to the regulatory approval of mifepristone could have significant impact on the system that has ensured access to safe and effective medication in the U.S. for more than 60 years.
Marketing ban tackles TV ads for unhealthy foods in Chile
June 1, 2023 A new study finds that children in Chile saw 73% fewer television ads for unhealthy foods and drinks following trailblazing marketing restrictions.