Childhood obesity has been a source of deep concern for at least a generation. But after years of widening bike lanes and forcing jicama on elementary school kids, public health officials seem to be making progress. The national childhood obesity rate has leveled off in recent years. And in some parts of the country, research suggests, a decline is underway. Matthew Gillman, HMS professor of population medicine, is a co-author of the study.
In the first year of an experimental program to refashion Medicare, four of five Massachusetts networks of hospitals and physicians were able to slow spending by better coordinating medical care for patients. Donald Berwick, HMS lecturer on health care policy, is quoted.
Studies presented Wednesday at an Alzheimer’s Association conference in Boston showed that people with some types of cognitive concerns were more likely to have Alzheimer’s pathology in their brains, and to develop dementia later. Rebecca Amariglio, HMS instructor in neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led one of the studies. Reisa Sperling, HMS professor of neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will be leading an upcoming study.
The rate of addiction to cigarettes is extremely high among Americans who are homeless, experts say, and this population needs better access to methods of helping them quit. Travis Baggett, HMS instructor in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, led the study.
Researchers have shown that it is possible to do what had once seemed unthinkable — shut down the extra chromosome that causes the developmental problems and intellectual disabilities in people with Down syndrome. Brian Skotko, HMS assistant professor of pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
American children may be in the midst of a blood pressure problem. A new study from the American Heart Association shows that over the past 13 years, children and adolescents have seen stark rises in their risk for high blood pressure. Bernard Rosner, HMS professor of medicine (biostatistics) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the lead author.
Transforming fat cells into calorie-burning machines may sound like the ultimate form of weight control, but the idea is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Unexpectedly, some fat cells directly sense dropping temperatures and release their energy as heat, according to a new study; that ability might be harnessed to treat obesity and diabetes, researchers suggest. Bruce Spiegelman, the Stanley J. Korsmeyer Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, led the study.
Higher amounts of fat in your liver, muscle and blood could lead to weakened bones, according to a new study. Miriam A. Bredella, HMS associate professor of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the study researcher.
