Many electronic recycling companies put workers, environment at risk
Companies need to better protect workers and the environment from exposure to heavy metals and toxic chemicals generated during the recycling of electronics such as computers, printers, TVs, cameras, and batteries, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of…
Despite more regulations, texting while driving remains growing safety concern
While 46 states ban texting when driving and police are getting more clever in ways to try to stop drivers from using the internet when behind the wheel, safety experts agree that this form of distracted driving is…
China facing epidemic of heart disease, stroke
Cardiovascular problems propelled by increases in high blood pressure and obesity For immediate release: August 15, 2016 Boston, MA – A 20-year rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China appears to have been spurred largely by increases in…
Brazil’s Olympic preparations highlight challenge of slums, pollution
Challenges faced by Brazil to reduce pollution and upgrade the slums of Rio de Janeiro prior to the August 2016 Summer Olympics illustrates the struggles faced when trying to protect the respiratory health of approximately a billion people…
Shooting of eight Ohio family members not a typical case
While mass shootings occur fairly often in the U.S., the killing of eight members of a Pike County, Ohio, family April 22, 2016 was not a typical case, Deborah Azrael, director of research at the Harvard Injury Control…
Longevity gap between rich and poor expanding
Despite medical, technological, and educational advances in the U.S. over the last 50 years, the longevity gap between the rich and poor continues to grow, said Lisa Berkman in an interview on PBS NewsHour Weekend. Berkman, Thomas D.…
CDC may have underestimated prevalence of obesity in U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may have underestimated the number of obese adults in the U.S. in its 2013 Obesity Prevalence Maps by at least 12 million because of reliance upon self-reported height and weight…
‘Binge-watching’ TV not good for the waistline
Sitting glued to the TV for hours at a time – or “binge-watching” – appears to encourage overeating and obesity, according to Lilian Cheung, lecturer and director, health promotion and communication for the Department of Nutrition at Harvard…
COPD heightens deadly lung cancer risk in smokers
Smokers who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) may face nearly twice the risk of getting small cell lung cancer (SCLC)—the deadliest form of lung cancer—than smokers who don’t have COPD, according to a large worldwide study led…
States with tighter gun laws have fewer armed youth on the streets
When states have strict gun laws, teens are less likely to carry guns on the streets, according to a new study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston University researchers. The authors also found youth…