Study finds genetic variant that confirms shared genetic risk for kidney disease among Hispanics, American Indians
January 31, 2017
A new study, led by Drs. Nora Franceschini and Jianwen Cai, has found an Amerindian-specific genetic variant that influences a kidney trait in Hispanics/Latinos, thereby confirming shared genetic risk for kidney disease among Hispanics/Latinos and American Indians.
Study confirms that more activity, less sitting, reduces mortality risk
January 31, 2017
A new study led by Dr. Kelly Evenson reinforced findings that regular physical activity and less sedentary behavior reduces the risk of mortality.
The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, used an accelerometer to assess participants' physical activity and sedentary behavior.
JAMA editorial: Geography, income need to be part of effective cancer solutions
January 27, 2017
According to a new study, U.S. cancer mortality rates have decreased -- but not uniformly across geographic regions. Successful outcomes often remain dependent upon where patients live and on their economic conditions. Dr. Stephanie Wheeler is co-author of a JAMA editorial that elaborates upon the study.
Study finds diet as effective and less expensive than drugs in treating esophageal inflammation
Dr. Daniel Erim and colleagues found that a six-food elimination diet was as effective as topical corticosteroids -- and less expensive -- in treating eosinophilic esophagitis, a condition in which inflamed esophageal tissue leads to a person’s difficulty in swallowing solid foods. Erim is a doctoral student in health policy and management.
Obesity prevention education has positive impact on college students, study finds
Dr. Leslie Lytle led a weight-gain prevention intervention program for people in their first and second years of college. The results, reported in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, show that online social networking and support can help prevent weight gain in this group of young adults. Lytle is professor and chair of health behavior at the Gillings School.
Ribisl co-authors Surgeon General’s report on e-cigarette use by youth and young adults
Dr. Kurt Ribisl, professor of health behavior at the Gillings School, is a co-author of the 2016 Surgeon General’s report, “E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults.” Published by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, the report calls for improved regulation of e-cigarettes and increased education about health risks related to e-cigarette use.
Faculty member says high school football is not worth health risk to young players
In an article in the journal Pediatrics, Dr. Lewis Margolis argues that high school football programs should be disbanded, given the risks to young players of the sport. Margolis is associate professor of maternal and child health at the Gillings School.
From health-care providers, announcements do more than conversations to improve HPV vaccination rates
In an effort to increase uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, researchers at UNC evaluated the effectiveness of training health-care providers either to make presumptive announcements about the vaccine or to engage in participatory conversations with families. Study results showed that only the announcement training led to a meaningful increase in vaccine initiation.
UNC researchers create first model of MERS-CoV virus in mouse populations
Researchers from UNC have announced a new mouse model for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. This publication marks the first time that an animal model has successfully reproduced the MERS-CoV disease symptoms seen in human patients.
UNC, Duke-NUS team identifies first step to neutralizing Zika
A team of researchers from the UNC Gillings School and the Duke-NUS Medical School has discovered the mechanism by which C10, a human antibody previously identified to react with the Dengue virus, prevents Zika infection at a cellular level.
