Legal marijuana sales creating escalating damage to the environment
February 20, 2017 By 2020, legal marijuana sales in the U.S. will generate more annual revenue than will the National Football League. However, growing the plant has serious repercussions for the environment, according to a new study by Dr. William Vizuete and a U.K. colleague.
Maternity waiting homes bring help to vulnerable women in Malawi
February 16, 2017 Dr. Kavita Singh led a study, published in the International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, showing that maternity waiting homes (MWHs) offer a promising strategy to reduce maternal mortality in Malawi and other low-income countries. MWHs allow women who live in rural areas or who have high-risk pregnancies to live closer to a health facility toward the end of their term.
Gillings School is top public health school at public university for NIH funding
February 16, 2017 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that the Gillings School was the top public health school at a public university in receiving NIH funding during fiscal year 2016. The School received 107 awards, for a total of $65,454,312 in funding.
Breast cancer mortality risk associated with eating smoked or grilled meats
February 12, 2017 A recent study led by Gillings School researchers found that women who survive breast cancer may increase their risk of mortality if they have consumed high levels of grilled, barbecued and smoked meat. Drs. Humberto Parada and Marilie Gammon are co-authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Diabetes mellitus associated with increased risk of death from ovarian cancer
February 12, 2017 A new study led by epidemiology doctoral student Dr. Dongyu Zhang suggests that ovarian cancer patients who also have diabetes mellitus (DM) have higher mortality rates than those without DM.
Study investigates role of cadmium and microRNAs in preeclampsia
February 10, 2017
Drs. Rebecca Fry and Samira Brooks have explained an underlying biological mechanism by which exposure to cadmium may increase the risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy. Their study was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology.
Daily sugar-sweetened beverage intake alters human brain and behavior, study finds
February 10, 2017 Research by Dr. Kyle Burger, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that daily consumption of a high-sugar juice beverage altered brain responses while subjects drank the beverage and looked at its logo – and produced behavioral responses when seeing the logo alone.
Maps in new UNC-led study show each state’s stroke risk factors at a glance
February 8, 2017 A new study led by Dr. Matthew Loop has produced data-rich maps of the United States that show the geographic distribution of key stroke-causing factors. On the maps, the Southeast, especially the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, display some of the highest prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among whites and blacks.
NEJM ‘Perspective’ explores use of patient-reported outcomes in improving clinical care
February 2, 2017 Dr. Ethan Basch authored a ‘Perspective’ column published in the Jan. 12 New England Journal of Medicine. The article calls for digitized patient-reported outcomes to be more fully available to physicians as a means of improving patients’ care.
Experts recommend 7-8 hours of sleep for better brain health
January 31, 2017
A new report, issued on Jan. 10 by the Global Council on Brain Health, recommends ways to maintain brain health, including getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Dr. Peggye Dilworth-Anderson is a Council member.
