2011 Houston Heat Wave Led to Significant Rise in Emergency Department Visits

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Newswise HOUSTON (Feb. 10, 2015) Houston experienced its hottest summer on record in 2011, resulting in 278 excess emergency department visits per day during the August heat wave, according to research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) published recently in Environmental Health.

The 2011 heat wave led to significantly more emergency department visits than would be typical of that period; however, mortality rates did not change much, said Kai Zhang, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences at UTHealth School of Public Health.

For 30 out of 31 days in August, temperatures exceeded 100 degrees in Houston. Emergency department admissions among those ages 65 and older rose by 8.9 percent during the heat wave. Studies have shown that the elderly are especially affected by excess heat.

Previous research has established that heat waves in California and Chicago led to high mortality rates and emergency department visits, especially in Chicago where a heat wave caused 692 fatalities.

It could be that the mortality rate did not change much in Houston because 98 percent of residents had air conditioning and were acclimated to the hot weather. In Chicago, only 76 percent of residents had air conditioning, which may have been a factor for the number of heat wave-related deaths there, said Zhang.

A health-based heat warning system may help prevent emergency department admissions in the future in Houston, Zhang says. According to the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office, the criteria used for heat advisories is having two consecutive days with a heat index at 108 degrees or higher, either forecast or observed. Heat index is a combination of temperature and relative humidity.

These findings could provide insights for local government agencies and communities to design better preparation to reduce adverse health effects of future heat waves, said Charles Begley, Ph.D., co-author of the study and professor in the Department of Management, Policy & Community Health at UTHealth School of Public Health.

The research was funded by UTHealth School of Public Health. Co-authors include Tsun-Hsuan Chen, Ph.D., graduate assistant in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences.

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2011 Houston Heat Wave Led to Significant Rise in Emergency Department Visits

Is it time for a revolution in health innovation? Dean Clay Johnston, Jan 23, 2015 – Video

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Is it time for a revolution in health innovation? Dean Clay Johnston, Jan 23, 2015
Texas Enterprise Speaker Series, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, January 23, 2015 Clay Johnston, M.D., Ph.D., the inaugural Dean of the Dell Medical School at The...

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Standard & Poor’s U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Feb. 9) – Video

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Standard Poor #39;s U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Feb. 9)
In this segment of Standard Poor #39;s U.S. Consumer, Retail, and Health Care Weekly Review, Managing Director Robert Schulz highlights sector trends and the actions we recently took on Altegrity...

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Standard & Poor's U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Feb. 9) - Video

New Ways to Care: How Family Caregivers Can Use New Technologies at Home – Video

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New Ways to Care: How Family Caregivers Can Use New Technologies at Home
Beginning the Conversation: How can technologies make life easier for caregivers? January 14th, 2015 This is a practical overview of how technology can help you care for a frail or ill loved...

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New Ways to Care: How Family Caregivers Can Use New Technologies at Home - Video

Mass Public Health Blog | Promoting public health …

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Feb 11 2015

Did you know that good oral hygiene is essential for your child from the very start? Thats because healthy gums and teeth help your child chew properly and speak clearly. In addition, teeth and gums also shape your childs face and make way for adult Continue Reading Save that Smile!

Feb 06 2015

The latest weekly flu report shows a slight decrease in rates of flu-like illness in the Commonwealth over the past 7 days. Its too soon to saywhether this is a temporary drop or if we may have seen the peak of flu season time Continue Reading Weekly Flu Report, February 6, 2015

Feb 03 2015

During times of stress, relief may literally be at the tip of your nose. Intentionally engaging our five senses hearing, touch, smell, taste, and sight are incredibly powerful tools in providing instant relief in a hectic world. Plus, theyre free! Are you a Continue Reading Relax With the Help of Your 5 Senses

Jan 30 2015

The latest weekly flu report shows another increase in rates of flu-like illness in the Commonwealth, a sign that flu season is in full swing in this part of the country. You can take steps to reduce the spread of flu in our communities through Continue Reading Weekly Flu Report, January 30, 2015

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Health care needs in rural areas addressed with physicians scholarship program

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JACKSON, MS (WDAM) -

This is a news release from Magnolia Health

Magnolia Health - a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation - has committed to funding a four-year, $120,000 scholarship with the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program (MRPSP), which aids medical students who are passionate about delivering primary care to underserved patients across the state.

The Magnolia Health scholarship was awarded to Elizabeth Fike in 2014 at $30,000 annually through 2018. Fike is a graduate of Delta State University and a Raymond, Miss. native, and will use the scholarship for her medical training at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The MRPSP was launched in 2007 through state funding and contributions from private organizations. Each scholarship contributes $120,000 per student for medical school training, and the MRPSP provides $1.5 million in scholarships each year.

"As we explore innovative ways to provide better health across the state, it is imperative to focus our resources on strengthening rural health care to counties outside our major metropolitan areas, where the neediest patients live," said Dr. Jason B. Dees, president and CEO of Magnolia Health. "We must fortify the next generation of rural physicians with the education and training they need to change lives, and we are excited to award this scholarship to Elizabeth, who will do just that."

During medical school, each MRPSP scholar receives $30,000 per year based on available funding. Consistent legislative support of MRPSP translated to 50 medical students receiving a total of $1.5 million to support their education last year. In addition to the legislative support, four privately funded scholarships are awarded to medical students. Additional benefits include personalized mentoring from practicing rural physicians and academic support.

"We applaud the commitment from Magnolia Health to our future physicians, and its dedication to improving health care across Mississippi," said Wahnee Sherman, executive director of MRPSP. "The program is a long-term promise to health care and economic development in Mississippi."

The impact of MRPSP goes further than just providing health care to underserved areas - it's about being an active member of their communities and playing a role in making that community a better place to live, Sherman said.

Upon completion of medical training, MRPSP scholars must enter a residency program in one of five primary care specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, medicine-pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology or pediatrics. The MRPSP scholar must provide four years of service in a clinic-based practice in an approved Mississippi community of 20,000 or fewer population located more than

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Health care needs in rural areas addressed with physicians scholarship program

In final week, health care enrollment push is on

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Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 5:11 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 5:11 p.m.

But after his retirement 10 years ago, Batts, now 64, and his wife, Wanda, eventually found themselves in a coverage gap. He paid out of pocket for insurance for a while but saw a steep rise in the cost for the plan and had to cancel it when he was still a few years away from turning 65 and qualifying for Medicare.

So they turned to the Affordable Care Act, an option Wanda Batts said they gave up a little bit on last year because of the difficulties signing up when the HealthCare.gov website first rolled out.

During a Jan. 24 enrollment event at The Wooly in downtown Gainesville, they were among the more than 40 people who enrolled in an ACA health care plan for 2015.

Its a great relief, Telia Batts said as he walked out of the venue onto North Main Street.

Local enrollment is up this year, according to figures released by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in January.

At least nine local ZIP code areas had higher enrollment numbers for the first two months of this years sign-up period, which began in mid-November, than for the full six-month enrollment period last year.

By contrast, the 32641 ZIP code in east Gainesville saw 612 people sign up during last years enrollment period and 570 during the first two months of this period.

People who signed up for coverage last year and re-enrolled this year count in each years figures.

In both years, the highest local enrollment numbers were in three densely populated ZIP codes: 32608 and 32607 in southwest Gainesville and 32605 in northwest Gainesville. In 2014, 32608 had 1,328 people enrolled in 2014 and 1,721 through Jan. 16. There were 1,075 in 32607 in 2014 and 1,248 through Jan. 16. Last year, 32605 had 886 and it had 1,178 through Jan. 16.

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In final week, health care enrollment push is on

Doctors push for health care for those in 'coverage gap'

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'Texas Way' plan aims to cover 100,000 residents in Bexar County

Posted TODAY, 1:01 PM Updated TODAY, 1:01 PM

SAN ANTONIO - A group of area doctors has spearheaded a push to provide health care coverage for those who fall into an insurance coverage gap.

Doctors for Social Responsibility have come up with a solution called "Texas Way."

"The enrollees are going to have to come up with some co-pays, they're going to have to make contributions to health savings accounts, and so it depends on how it's implemented," said Dr. Jaime Estrada, president of Doctors for Social Responsibility.

Estrada was among a group of health care leaders joined by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who revealed their plan during a press conference at the Bexar County Courthouse Wednesday morning.

The insurance coverage gap is a problem that strongly affects the working poor. Those in the group earn too much for Medicaid coverage and too little for coverage under the Affordable Care Act and can't afford high premiums on their own.

"That gap is about 100,000 folks in Bexar County," said George Hernandez, president and CEO of University Health System. "That's a lot."

Doctors say a big concern is the fact that those without insurance don't tend to get proper health care and often go to hospitals instead.

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Doctors push for health care for those in 'coverage gap'

Health Care Sector Update for 02/11/2015: ANTH,HTBX,DCTH

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Top Health Care Stocks

JNJ -0.15%

PZE +0.06%

MRK -0.03%

ABT -0.22%

AMGN +0.21%

Health care stocks were little changed in late Wednesday trading with the NYSE Health Care Sector Index rising less than 0.1% and shares of health care companies in the S&P 500 also climbing less than 0.1% as a group.

In company news, Anthera Pharmaceuticals ( ANTH ) rallied to a 19-month high Wednesday after saying it was again in compliance with Nasdaq Stock Market rules requiring all of the outstanding stock of a listed company to total at least $50 million for 10 trading sessions in a row.

Shares of the drugmaker working on treatments for inflammatory and auto-immune diseases were up almost 19% at $3.86 each shortly before today's closing bell, earlier climbing to their best share price since Sept. 27, 2013, at $4.00 a share. Prior to today's rise, the stock already had posted a 5% gain over the past year.

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An International Genetic Study Confirms the History of the Druze Community

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Newswise A first of its kind genetic study confirms the history of the Druze community: The community began to form genetically in the 11th century AD, and there has since been no genetic impact of other ethnic groups on the community. This is according to a new study conducted by a team of researchers led by Prof. Gil Atzmon of the University of Haifa, Prof. Jamal Zidan of the Ziv Medical Center, Zefat, and Prof. Eitan Friedman of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer. This is the first genetic study to discover that the Druze community has genetic origins in the 11th century AD, said Professor Atzmon of the University of Haifa. This genetic finding correlates with the Druze communitys beliefs regarding their origin.

Traditionally, the Druze people believe that their community was founded in the 11th century AD as a new religious movement under the sixth caliph of the Fatimid Dynasty of Egypt. There are currently 1.5 million Druze around the world, residing mainly in Syria and Lebanon, with the remainder in Israel and Jordan. According to Druze tradition, marriages take place only within the Druze community.

An international team of researchers was formed to perform this current study, published in the European Journal of Human Genetics Nature, which sought to examine whether the Druze people of today have a similar gene pool and if so, when that gene pool began to take shape. The head of the team, Prof. Atzmon of the University of Haifas Department of Human Biology and of the Department of Medicine and Genetics, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, together with Prof. Zidan, the director of the oncology department at Ziv Medical Center and of the Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University and Prof. Eitan Friedman of the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, were joined by Dr. Dan Ben-Avraham of the Department of Medicine and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, Dr. Shai Carmi of the Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, NY, and Dr. Taiseer Maray of the organization, Golan for Development.

The study included 120 participants from forty families. Twenty families were from the village of Beit Jan located in the Upper Galilee and twenty were from Majdal Shams, in the Golan Heights. The families were selected according to the origins of their extended families (clans), based on their family names and on information that was passed down orally from generation to generation. The mother, father and son of each family were genetically tested. All the families who participated in the study were from different clans so that the sample would be representative and it excluded first- or second-degree family relationships to any other participants in the study. These characteristics all significantly increased the studys genetic accuracy. In this study, we incorporated data that was published on the Druze of Lebanon, the Carmel Mountain region and various other populations in order to test the genetic structure of the Druze population relative to other populations, said Prof. Zidan.

The results indicated that the Druze do indeed share a high genetic similarity that significantly distinguishes them from member of other groups and communities in the Middle East. When the researchers went back in time to discover when this genetic similarity began, they reached the 11th century AD, about 22-47 generations ago (there are differences of opinion over the duration of a generation). During this period a genetic bottleneck was formed, i.e., the genetic origin of many descendants came to an end, the communitys population decreased and the individuals in the population became more alike genetically. According to Prof. Atzmon, their research findings limit the ancestors of the Druze community to several hundred families, who founded the community in the 11th century AD. The researchers also found that there is no evidence of new genes entering the Druze gene pool over the last 1,000 years. In other words, no additional groups from the outside joined this community. In addition, the researchers found evidence of genetic differences between Druze populations from different regions: Lebanon, the Golan Hights, the Upper Galilee and the Carmel Mountain. This strengthens the evidence that marriages take place only within each clan.

When they went further back in time, the researchers discovered another interesting finding. It came to light that, 500 years prior to the beginning of the Druze religion, around the 6th century AD and at the time of the birth of Islam, a genetic group began to take shape that formed the genetic basis of the Druze communitys ancestors. According to this study, the Druze genome is largely similar to the genome of other Arab populations in the Middle East. They also found a few genetic elements in the Druze genome that originated from Europe, Central and South Asia (the Iran region) and Africa.

Our next step is to try to identify the genetic component of common diseases in this sector using the traditional family structure in a study that will allow genetic decoding of regular genetic diseases and provide data on diseases that have a genetic basis, such as cancer and diabetes. We are also planning similar studies in the future of the Muslim and Christian populations in Israel, Prof. Friedman concluded.

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New Genes Mean the Future of Obesity Treatment Could Get Personal

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TIME Health Obesity New Genes Mean the Future of Obesity Treatment Could Get Personal Getty Images Scientists have uncovered a trove of new genetic targets that could lead to better treatments for obesity

It took the genomes of nearly 340,000 people and more than 400 researchers in two dozen countries, but we now have the most comprehensive picture so far of the genetic contributors to obesity.

Two new papers in the journal Nature describe the results of two studies that connected the obesity-related factors of body mass index (the ratio between height and weight) and fat distribution to their potential genetic drivers. The studies did not isolate specific genesat least not yetbut identified areas in the human genome where people with different BMIs and different patterns of fat distribution varied in their genetic code. Those variants will lead scientists to the genes they code for, and eventually to how those genes work in contributing to obesity.

MORE: Healthy-Obesity Gene FoundBut Genes Arent Everything

I think we have so many more opportunities now to learn about the biology of obesity through genetic contributions to these traits, says Karen Mohlke, professor of genetics at University of North Carolina and the senior author of the report focusing on body fat distribution.

Those genetic clues may yield new weight-management treatments that are both more powerful and more personalized. What the data supports is the fact that there are a lot of different causes of obesity, says Dr. Elizabeth Speliotes, assistant professor of internal medicine and computational medicine and bioinformatics at the University of Michigan and senior author of the paper on body mass index. If youre hoping for one cause of obesity, thats not reality. What causes you to be obese is probably slightly different from what causes me to be obese.

Currently, however, all obesity is treated pretty much the same way. With the new knowledge gleaned from the genetics of whats driving different types of obesity, that may change.

MORE: Gym vs. Genes: How Exercise Trumps Obesity Genes

In the study involving factors contributing to BMI, Speliotes and her team discovered 97 genetic regions, or loci that account for nearly 3% of the variation among people on BMI. Of those, 56 are entirely new. Many of the regions are in areas that code for nervous system functions, or brain systems. Some arent so surprisingthey confirm previous studies that have implicated genetic regulators of areas that control appetite, for examplebut others were more unexpected. They involved regions responsible for learning, memory and even emotional regulation, hinting that some of weight and obesity may be tied to the addiction and reward pathways that help to reinforce behaviors like eating with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. There were definitely a lot more loci involving the brain than I would have guessed, says Dr. Joel Hirschhorn, director of the center for basic and translational obesity research at Boston Childrens Hospital and Harvard Medical School and one of the co-authors. That makes obesity much more of a neurobehavioral disorder than just the fact that your fat cells are more efficient or less efficient.

MORE: Study Identifies Four New Genetic Markers For Severe Childhood Obesity

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New Genes Mean the Future of Obesity Treatment Could Get Personal

Largest Ever Genome-Wide Study Strengthens Genetic Link to Obesity

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Newswise ANN ARBOR, Mich. There are many reasons why people gain different amounts of weight and why fat becomes stored in different parts of their bodies. Now researchers are homing in on genetic reasons. Their findings, part of the largest genome-wide study to date, were published in two companion papers today in the journal Nature.

By analyzing genetic samples from more than 300,000 individuals to study obesity and body fat distribution, researchers in the international Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium completed the largest study of genetic variation to date, and found over 140 locations across the genome that play roles in various obesity traits.

By applying novel computational methods to the genetic results, they discovered new biological pathways that are important in controlling body weight and fat distribution.

This work is the first step toward finding individual genes that play key roles in body shape and size. The proteins these genes help produce could become targets for future drug development.

Obesity is a global public health burden that affects millions of people. Yet, there are no long-term treatments.

Waist-to-hip ratios key for health risk One paper focused on where fat is stored in the body, one determinant of health risk. One of the observable traits linked to the genetic locations was waist-to-hip circumference ratio. People with waistlines larger than hip circumferences have more belly fat surrounding their abdominal organs. This makes them more likely to have metabolic conditions, such as type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular problems than do people with body fat concentrated more in the hip area or distributed equally throughout the body.

We need to know these genetic locations because different fat depots pose different health risks, says Karen Mohlke, Ph.D., professor of genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and senior author of the paper that examined waist-to-hip ratio of fat distribution. If we can figure out which genes influence where fat is deposited, it could help us understand the biology that leads to various health conditions, such as insulin resistance/diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.

The genetic locations associated with fat depots are associated with genes previously identified as being important for the creation of adipose tissue. Researchers also determined that 19 of the fat distribution genetic locations had a stronger effect in women; one had a stronger effect in men.

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Largest Ever Genome-Wide Study Strengthens Genetic Link to Obesity