Study: 60 Percent of Uterine Cancer Cases are Preventable
Approximately 60 percent of U.S. uterine cancer cases are preventable thorough regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight, according to a new study from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and World Cancer Research Fund International. That comes out to nearly 30,000 cases per year; endometrial cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system, ahead of both ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. "Body fat can produce hormones that promote cancer development," said Alice Bender, nutrition communications manager for AICR. "We also know that body fat is linked to chronic inflammation, which produces an environment that encourages cancer development." The study also found various dietary choices that influence cancer risk because of the way they influence hormones such as estrogen and insulin. For example, drinking one cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of endometrial cancer by 7 percent, while eating sugary items and processed grains can increase it. Read more on cancer.

Overweight, Obese People More Likely to Suffer from Migraines
Migraines can now be added to the long list of medical conditions more likely in people who are overweight or obese, according to a new study in the journal Neurology. Researchers found the painful, often-debilitating headaches were twice as common for obese people as they were for people of normal weight. As many as 15 percent of people suffer from episodic migraines and approximately 32 percent of people with the migraines were obese. "This suggests patients and doctors need to be aware that obesity is associated with an increased risk of episodic migraine and not wait until a patient has chronic migraine to address healthy lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, and to choose medications that impact weight with care," said lead researcher Lee Peterlin, MD, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, according to Reuters. While further research is needed to determine causation, the study results do provide yet one more reason to make healthy lifestyle changes. Read more on obesity.

Anger, Irritability May Be Signs of More Severe, Chronic Depression
Irritability and anger may indicate more complex, chronic and severe forms of major depression, according to a new study in JAMA Psychiatry. Symptoms of irritability and anger during a major depressive episode (MDE) appear to be clinical markers for a significantly more complex, chronic, and severe form of major depressive disorder, a new study indicates. Researchers found that people with MDEs who also exhibit anger and irritability were more likely to have increased severity of their depression, longer bouts of depression, lower impulse control and a more chronic long term course of illness. The findings indicate that people who exhibit these behaviors need closer clinical monitoring that "should include specific strategies to address anger management issues, as well as the frequently associated problems of comorbid anxiety disorder, substance abuse disorder, poor impulse control, and psychosocial impairment when these are present." Read more on mental health.

EHRs Linked to Lower Rates of Hospitalization
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) is linked to lower rates of hospitalization, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers tracked approximately 170,000 people treated for diabetes between 2005 and 2008, finding that changing from paper records to EHRs was associated with a decrease in hospitalizations of between 5 and 6 percent. There was no link to a change in the number of overall doctors’ office visits. The U.S. government has committed about $30 billion for the widespread implementation of EHRs. Rainu Kaushal, MD, director of the Center for Healthcare Informatics and Policy at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, who was not involved in the study, said while the study shows that investment in EHRs is important, it is also just one piece of what needs to be done to improve overall care. "An EHR is a critical infrastructural tool to change the way in which healthcare is delivered, but it is one of a set of tools that needs to be employed," she said. "It's when you start getting those pieces together…that you really start finding some significant changes in utilization." Read more on technology.

FDA Proposes Stronger Safety Labels of Opioids
In response to the growing public health problem of opioid-related overdose and death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling for stronger safety labeling for long-acting and extended-release opioids. New labeling will emphasize both the dangers of abuse and possible death—there were 16,651 in 2010, according to FDA—and the risk for women who are pregnant. "The FDA is invoking its authority to require safety labeling changes and postmarket studies to combat the misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose and death from these potent drugs that have harmed too many patients and devastated too many families and communities," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg in a release. “Today’s action demonstrates the FDA’s resolve to reduce the serious risks of long-acting and extended release opioids while still seeking to preserve appropriate access for those patients who rely on these medications to manage their pain.” Read more on prescription drugs.

IOM: Nation Faces Looming ‘Cancer Crisis’
An aging population, rising health care costs, the complexity of care and other issues are leading the United States toward a future cancer crisis, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Current estimates predict as many as 2.3 million new cancer diagnoses per year by 2030, with the total cost of cancer care expected to climb to $173 billion by 2020. The report concluded that what’s needed is a shift toward patient-centered, evidence-focused care. "Most clinicians caring for cancer patients are trying to provide optimal care, but they're finding it increasingly difficult because of a range of barriers," said Patricia Ganz, chairwoman of the committee that wrote the report and a professor at the School of Medicine and School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. "As a nation, we need to chart a new course for cancer care. Changes are needed across the board, from how we communicate with patients to how we translate research into practice to how we coordinate care and measure its quality." Read more on cancer.

Study: E-cigarettes May Be as Effective as Nicotine Patches at Aiding Tobacco Cessation
E-cigarettes may be as effective as nicotine replacement therapy patches at helping people to reduce or quit smoking, according to a new study in the journal The Lancet. E-cigarettes are a hotly contested subject, with some seeing them as a “gateway” to nicotine use, and others seeing them as a way to actually help smoking cessation efforts. Researchers put participants who wanted to quit smoking on e-cigarettes, nicotine patches or placebo e-cigarettes for 13 weeks. After the time period they found that 7.3 percent of the e-cigarette users had successfully quit smoking, followed by 5.8 percent for the nicotine patch users and 4.1 percent for participants on the placebo e-cigarettes. "While our results don't show any clear-cut differences... in terms of quit success after six months, it certainly seems that e-cigarettes were more effective in helping smokers who didn't quit to cut down," said study leader Chris Bullen of New Zealand's University of Auckland. "It's also interesting that the people who took part in our study seemed to be much more enthusiastic about e-cigarettes than patches, as evidenced by the far greater proportion of people...who said they'd recommend them to family or friends." For more information on e-cigarettes, read the recent NewPublicHealth post, "Recommended Reading: A Closer Look at E-Cigarettes." Read more on tobacco.

HHS: $69.7M to Bolster Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Services in 13 States
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing approximately $69.7 million in grants to 13 states under the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. The funds will expand on each state’s efforts under the program, which helps deliver critical health, development, early learning and family support services to children and families. The program began in 2010 and has since served approximately 15,000 families in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories. “This program plays a crucial role in the national effort to build comprehensive statewide early childhood systems for pregnant women, parents and caregivers, and children from birth to 8 years of age – and, ultimately, to improve health and development outcomes,” said Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration. Read more on maternal and infant health.

Most Breast Cancer Deaths in Younger Women, Calling into Question Screening Guidelines
While in 2009 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force revised its recommendations to say that women ages 50 to 74 should receive screening mammograms once every two years and women under 50 should decide on a schedule only after talking over all the details with their doctors, the American Cancer Society and other organizations continued to recommend screening beginning at age 40. A new study in the journal Cancer seems to support the need to start earlier for women of even average risk. Researchers found that half of all breast cancer deaths occur in women under the age of 50, and 71 percent of all deaths are among unscreened women. About 40,000 U.S. women die of breast cancer each year. One factor in the earlier deaths is that young women tend to have faster-growing, more aggressive tumors. "[The study] presents a very compelling argument in favor of screening beginning at age 40 on an annual basis. It corroborates what we have known for a long time," said Barbara Monsees, MD, chairwoman of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission, who was not involved in the study, adding “Screening doesn't reduce the risk of getting breast cancer, but it does reduce the risk of dying from it." Read more on cancer.

‘Hyper-vigilance’ Over Racial Disparities May Be a Factor in Higher Hypertension Rates for Black Americans
“Hyper-vigilance” related to race consciousness may be a factor in why black Americans have a disproportionately high rate of hypertension, according to a new study in the American Journal of Hypertension from researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. While it’s long been known that blacks have, on average, higher blood pressure, the exact environmental factors that contribute to the higher rates are not fully understood, according to Lisa A. Cooper, MD, MPH, a professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study’s senior author. “Hyper-vigilance [is] a heightened awareness of their stigmatized status in society and a feeling that they need to watch their backs constantly,” she said. “African-Americans have higher blood pressure, and it has been difficult to explain why this is true. It doesn’t appear to be genetic, and while things like diet, exercise and reduced access to health care may contribute, we think that a tense social environment, the sense of being treated differently because of your race, could also possibly explain some of what’s behind the higher rates.” Read more on health disparities.

Survey: Most Women Don’t Know their Personal Breast Cancer Risk
A new survey of more than 9,000 women shows that far too few have an accurate idea of their personal risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Study researcher Jonathan Herman, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ Medical School in New Hyde Park, N.Y., found that only 9.4 percent knew their risk level, nearly 45 percent underestimated their level and nearly 46 percent overestimated their level. The survey also found that about four in 10 women had never even discussed their personal breast cancer risk with a physician. On average, women have a 12 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer, with that number climbing 20 percent if their mother had breast cancer. The BRCA mutations that increase breast cancer risk push the risk to about 70 percent. Mary Daly, MD, chair of clinical genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center, in Philadelphia, and director of its risk assessment program, said it is critical that women researcher their family history related to breast cancer in order to determine whether they are following the best possible screening schedule. Read more on cancer.

Harsh Verbal Discipline of Teens Only Makes Behavior Worse
Harsh verbal discipline of teenagers not only isn’t effective at changing bad behaviors, but can in fact make them worse, according to a new study in the journal Child Development. "Most parents who yell at their adolescent children wouldn't dream of physically punishing their teens," said study author Ming-Te Wang, an assistant professor with the department of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. "Yet, their use of harsh verbal discipline—defined as shouting, cursing or using insults—is just as detrimental to the long-term well-being of adolescents.” A recent survey indicates that about nine in 10 parents have admitted to such behavior. The study found that the emotional pain and discomfort cause by harsh parental verbal abuse can increase anger while dropping inhibition, which in turn can promote behaviors such as lying, cheating, stealing and fighting. It also found that the concept of “parental warmth”—as in a parent was yelling out of love or for the child’s own good—didn’t make things any better. "Parents who wish to modify their teenage children's behavior would do better by communicating with them on an equal level…and explaining their rationale and worries to them,” said Wang. “Parenting programs are in a good position to offer parents insight into how behaviors they may feel the need to resort to, such as shouting or yelling, are ineffective and or harmful, and to offer alternatives to such behaviors." Read more on pediatrics.

CDC: U.S. School Districts Seeing Improvements in Multiple Health Policies
U.S. school districts are seeing continued improvements in measures related to nutritional policies, physical education and tobacco policies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The findings are part of the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study, a periodic national survey assessing school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. "Schools play a critical role in the health and well-being of our youth," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. "Good news for students and parents – more students have access to healthy food, better physical fitness activities through initiatives such as ‘Let’s Move,’ and campuses that are completely tobacco free."

Among the key findings:

• The percentage of school districts that allowed soft drink companies to advertise soft drinks on school grounds decreased from 46.6 percent in 2006 to 33.5 percent in 2012.
• Between 2006 and 2012, the percentage of districts that required schools to prohibit junk food in vending machines increased from 29.8 percent to 43.4 percent.
• The percentage of school districts that required elementary schools to teach physical education increased from 82.6 percent in 2000 to 93.6 percent in 2012.
• The percentage of districts with policies that prohibited all tobacco use during any school-related activity increased from 46.7 percent in 2000 to 67.5 percent in 2012.

Read more on school health.

Poor Oral Health Linked to Increased Risk for Oral HPV Infection
Poor oral health is associated with increased risk of the oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection responsible for as many as 80 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, according to a new study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. Researchers found that people who reported poor oral health had a 56 percent higher prevalence oral HPV, people with gum disease had a 51 percent higher prevalence and people with dental problems had a 28 percent higher prevalence. “The good news is, this risk factor is modifiable—by maintaining good oral hygiene and good oral health, one can prevent HPV infection and subsequent HPV-related cancers.” said Thanh Cong Bui, MD, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Other factors also increased the risk, such as being male, smoking tobacco or using marijuana. Read more on cancer.

Study: Hospital Pediatric Readmission Rates Not an Effective Measure of Quality of Care
Hospital readmission rates for children are not necessarily an effective measurement of the quality of care, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. "As a national way of assessing and tracking hospital quality, pediatric readmissions and revisits, at least for specific diagnoses, are not useful to families trying to find a good hospital, nor to the hospitals trying to improve their pediatric care," study author Naomi Bardach, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, Benioff Children's Hospital. "Measuring and reporting them publicly would waste limited hospital and health care resources." After analyzing 30- and 60-day readmission rates for seven common pediatric conditions, researchers found that at 30 days readmission for mood disorders was most common, at 7.6 percent, followed by 6.1 percent for epilepsy and 6 percent for dehydration. Readmission rates for asthma, pneumonia, appendicitis and skin infections were all below 5 percent. Bardach said the low rates leave “little space for a hospital to be identified as having better performance.” Further study could improve the way readmission rates are utilized to assess the quality of pediatric care. Read more on pediatrics.

Malpractice Worries Mean More Tests, Higher Costs for Patients
Concern over malpractice suits increases the number of diagnostic tests ordered by physicians and referrals to emergency rooms, which in turns adds significantly to the costs of health care, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs. This problem of “defensive medicine” cost the nation approximately $55.6 billion in 2008, or 2.4 percent of all U.S. health care spending. "It's an area where we can chip away at healthcare costs without causing pain to the patient, since these are services ordered not primarily because doctors think they're medically necessary," said Michelle Mello, senior author and professor of law and public health at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Researchers examined the records of approximately 29,000 people who experienced chest pain, lower back pain or headache, but were not later diagnosed with a serious illness related to the complaint. The found that physicians with high levels of concern over malpractice suits ordered additional testing for people with headaches about 11 percent of the time (compared to 6 percent for doctors with low levels of concern) and for patients with lower back pain ordered additional tests about 30 percent of the time (compared to 18 percent). Read more on access to health care.

Poll: 10% of Americans Take Drugs Prescribed for Someone Else
Approximately 1 in 10 Americans has taken prescription drugs prescribed to somebody else, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. About 6 in 10 say they did it for pain relief, while 1 in 5 said it was to sleep or manage stress and anxiety. The poll also found that it was generally not difficult to for people to get their hands on non-prescribed medications, with two-thirds of users saying they were given the drugs by a family member, friend or acquaintance. With prescription drug misuse already the second most abused category of drugs in the United States, this ease of access and casual approach to taking major narcotics is a serious public health issue with severe potential problems. Wilson Compton, MD, a division director at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said that because prescription drugs are tailored to a person’s particular needs, it can be dangerous for someone else to take them. "Simply because it's a medicine that comes from a pharmacy does not mean it is without risk," he said. "There's a reason they require a prescription." Read more on prescription drugs.

Drug for Enlarged Prostate, Baldness Improves Ability to Identify Prostate Cancer Early
A recently completed study on the effects of a drug used to treat enlarged prostates and male pattern baldness also reduces the risk of prostate cancer by making it easier to identify and treat early, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine. It also refutes concerns that finasteride, found in the prostate drug Proscar and the hair-loss drug Propecia, promotes more virulent prostate cancers."You take Proscar for six months to a year and it halves the size of your prostate, but the cancer inside your prostate does not shrink," said Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. "If I'm performing a biopsy on a smaller prostate, I'm more likely to hit that cancer than if I am sticking into a larger prostate. This drug wasn't causing more prostate cancer. It's causing more prostate cancer to be diagnosed." Approximately 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, with 3 to 5 percent dying from the disease. Read more on cancer.

CDC: Excessive Alcohol Consumption Costs States Billions
Excessive alcohol use cost states and the District of Columbia a median of $2.9 billion in 2006. On a state by state basis, those costs range from a low of $420 million in North Dakota to a high of $32 billion in California, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Binge drinking—five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women—was responsible for about 70 percent of that; an estimated 18 percent of U.S. adults report binge drinking. “Excessive alcohol use has devastating impacts on individuals, families, communities, and the economy,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. “In addition to injury, illness, disease, and death, it costs our society billions of dollars through reduced work productivity, increased criminal justice expenses, and higher healthcare costs. Effective prevention programs can support people in making wise choices about drinking alcohol.” Read more on alcohol.

Poll: After Jolie’s Mastectomy, More Women Inclined to Discuss Issue with Doctors
In the wake of actress Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy, more women have decided to seek medical advice on that procedure or ovary removal, according to a new poll from HealthDay. The survey found that 86 percent of women knew about Jolie’s decision and 5 percent would speak with their own doctors about the issue. That translates to about 6 million U.S. women. Jolie’s decision was made because she carries a mutation in a gene called BRCA1, which increases her risk of developing breast cancer to about 60 percent and her risk of developing ovarian cancer to as much as 40 percent. The U.S. averages are 12 percent for breast cancer and 1.4 percent for ovarian cancer. Still, doctors stress that genetic testing is only recommended for women deemed at “high risk,” which includes those with a personal history or a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancers. The American Cancer Society (ACS) Board of Directors has stated that "only very strong clinical and/or pathologic indications warrant doing this type of preventive operation," and ACS says the procedure is not 100 percent effective. Read more on cancer.

Stimulant-related ER Visits Up 300 Percent for Younger Adults
Emergency department visits due to central nervous system (CNS) stimulants rose by about 300 percent for younger adults from 2005 to 2011, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). There were 22,949 such visits in 2011, with about 30 percent of the visits also involving alcohol. There were also about 1.24 million visits related to the nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals. “Nonmedical use of any drug, even an over-the-counter drug, can be dangerous, but these CNS stimulants can potentially cause significant and lasting harm, including heart problems and addiction,” said SAMHSA Chief Medical Officer Elinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhD. “We must raise awareness of this public health risk and do everything possible to prevent it.” Nonmedical use of CNS prescription drugs—which include those used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder—is linked to heart and blood vessel problems, as well as drug abuse or dependence. When paired with alcohol they can increase the risk of alcohol poisoning or alcohol-related injuries. Read more on substance abuse.

Who better to offer up advice on summer sun protection than the Los Angeles County Health Department? Recently the department warned its residents to “practice summer sun smarts” to protect themselves from skin cancer, which, at 1 million diagnoses per year according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is now the most common form of cancer among Americans.

July is recognized as "UV Safety Month" to encourage everyone—not just those in Los Angeles—to protect themselves from ultraviolet (UV) rays, a major risk factor for most skin cancers, by using sunscreen and avoiding prolonged sun exposure during peak hours. “Simple sun safeguards can go a long way in protecting the health of you and your family this summer,” says Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, the departments’ director of public health.

In other summer sun safety news, this week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and SAFE KIDS Worldwide partnered up to promote National Heatstroke Prevention Day this past Wednesday, July 31. NHTSA and their partners used this opportunity to educate parents on the dangers of leaving children in unattended vehicles in the summer heat, as there have already been over 20 heat-related deaths of children in cars this summer. Children’s body temperatures can spike three to five times faster than an adult’s, and even cool temperatures in the 60s can cause the temperature in the car to rise well above 110 degrees Fahrenheit—so safety steps are critical at all times.

Task Force Calls for Regular Lung Cancer Screening for Older, High-risk Patients
New recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force call for annual lung cancer screenings for people ages 55-79 who smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years, or the equivalent (e.g., two packs a day for 15 years). Low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans utilize an X-ray machine to take a series of detailed pictures that can help identify smaller tumors earlier, allowing for earlier treatment and improved health outcomes. “Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and a devastating diagnosis for more than two hundred thousand people each year,” says Task Force chair Virginia Moyer, MD, MPH. “Sadly, nearly 90 percent of people who develop lung cancer die from the disease, in part because it often is not found until it is at an advanced stage. By screening those at high risk, we can find lung cancer at earlier stages when it is more likely to be treatable.” Lung cancer kills about 160,000 Americans each year. Read more on tobacco.

Study Links Breastfeeding, Higher Intelligence in Kids
Children who breastfeed score higher on intelligence tests later in life, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers found that for each month spent breastfeeding there were slightly higher results on the intelligence tests at ages three and seven, though not on tests of motor skills or memory. Mandy Belfort, MD, who led the study at Boston Children's Hospital, said the study accounted for parental intelligence and other home factors and provides parents with one more piece of important information when making a decision on the complex question of whether to breastfeed. "Given the size of the benefit, I think this should be helpful for women who are trying to make decisions about how long to breastfeed… because there are many factors that go into that decision," said Belfort. "You have to weigh that against the time that it takes, maybe the time that it takes away from work and your other family duties." Previous studies have linked breastfeeding to lower risk of ear and stomach infections, as well as eczema. Read more on infant and maternal health.

NCI: ‘Cancer’ May Need to Be Redefined
The dramatic increase in cancer screenings over the past few decades has resulted in overdiagnosis and overtreatment, in part because of confusion—by both patients and physicians—over which types of cancer are actually lethal and require immediate treatment. As a result, a panel of experts commissioned by the U.S. National Cancer Institute has recommended that the word “cancer” may need to be redefined to differentiate between lethal and indolent cancers. The recommendations were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "We're still having trouble convincing people that the things that get found as a consequence of mammography and PSA testing and other screening devices are not always malignancies in the classical sense that will kill you," said Harold Varmus, MD, director of the National Cancer Institute, to The New York Times. "Just as the general public is catching up to this idea, there are scientists who are catching up, too." Over the past several years the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has also called for an end to regular mammography screening for women under 50, as well as the widespread use of PSA tests to identify prostate cancer. Read more on cancer.

MERS Unlikely to Cause Pandemic; Global Cooperation Still Needed
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which emerged last year in Saudi Arabia, was compared to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and found to be less infectious, in a new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The study examined the question of whether MERS has the potential to cause a pandemic, and how quickly. The study authors concluded that MERS does not yet have pandemic potential, and in fact appears to be less infectious than SARS. There have been 81 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS infections, 45 of which were fatal. MERS is more likely to affect older men with chronic disease, and were most often transmitted in health care settings—but unlike SARS, the virus was less likely to also infect healthy health care workers. Researchers call for healthcare facilities to prepare to provide safe care for patients with acute respiratory infections, and take measures to help prevent the spread of the disease. Read more on infectious disease.

CDC: HPV Vaccination Rates for Adolescent Girls Remain Stagnant
Just over half (53.8%) of girls age 13-17 years old received the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in 2012, with no increase over the rate in 2011. Since 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended routine vaccination of adolescent girls at ages 11 or 12 years with 3 doses of HPV vaccine. HPV causes 70 percent of cervical cancers. If HPV vaccine had been offered during healthcare visits when girls were already in the office to get a different vaccine, HPV vaccination coverage could have reached 90 percent. Approximately 79 million persons in the United States are infected with HPV, and approximately 14 million will become newly infected each year. Each year, 26,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed that can be traced back to HPV infection. Read more on vaccines.

New Breathalyzer-like Device Tells You If Your Workout is Working
New technology being prototyped in Japan measures how well you're burning body fat and help you gauge the success of your diet and exercise program, using a smartphone and pocket-sized, bluetooth enabled device. The device measures exhaled breath for acetone, a metabolite produced from fat burning. The researchers tested the device in 17 healthy men and women, reporting their findings online July 25 in the Journal of Breath Research, and finding that the device was as effective as more established "gold standard" measures. Further research is needed on larger, more diverse populations, but if it pans out, "Enabling users to monitor the state of fat burning could play a pivotal role in daily diet management," Hiyama said in a journal news release. Read more on technology.