A protein may be able to help treat autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, Georgia Regents University researchers report. The protein, known as “STING,” can turn down an immune response or actually block its attack on the body, says Dr. Andrew Mellor, immunologist at the Medical College of Georgia at…
January will mark the 50th anniversary of a seminal moment in public health. That’s when the first U.S. Surgeon General’s report on smoking was released, focusing public awareness on the dangers of tobacco use. Dr. David Satcher, who served as surgeon general from 1998 to 2002, spoke Thursday about the big change in attitudes toward…
Leading public health and global health organizations such as the CDC. World-class medical schools and universities. A health care IT industry that’s called the biggest in the country. Atlanta and Georgia have tremendous assets in the field of health. But is there any teamwork among them, any synergy, any collaboration? Russ Lipari, who runs Validus…
Editor’s note: Diabetes is taking an increasing toll in Georgia. From 1995 to 2010, Georgia experienced a 145 percent increase in its rate of diabetes. About 10 percent of Georgians have been diagnosed with the disease, and there are thousands of undiagnosed cases in the state, according to experts. In a new GHN Commentary, Dr….
Millions of Americans play “fantasy football,” with NFL players’ points and yardage producing a fantasy team’s weekly score. An online website exclusively for physicians, meanwhile, features a different type of football contest. Sermo, which has more than 100,000 doctor members, is offering prizes in its “Pro Football Injury Challenge.” One of the questions is for…
Brunswick drug raids have resulted in the arrests of four people on charges related to the sale of suspected synthetic marijuana, law enforcement officials said Wednesday. The Brunswick area has seen more than 20 people sickened from the drug, believed to be “synthetic cannabinoid’’ and commonly referred to as “spice’’ or “herbal incense.’’ The investigation…
The number of Georgians suspected of being sickened by a synthetic drug has increased to 25, state public health officials said Tuesday. Almost all the cases have occurred in the Brunswick area, on the southern end of the Georgia coast, said Dr. Patrick O’Neal, the director of health protection for the Georgia Department of Public…
Sixteen Georgians have been sickened recently by potentially lethal synthetic drugs, state officials say. The Brunswick area has seen all but two of the cases, with most of the victims having smoked an “herbal incense’’ marketed as “Crazy Clown.’’ In this new GHN Commentary, state Sen. Buddy Carter says Georgia must keep up the fight…
Planning ahead for a public health emergency is a daunting task. From the H1N1 flu to West Nile virus, or even a possible biohazard, each state is mandated to have a plan in place. Every state must inform its citizens when the public’s health is at risk. In Georgia, the Department of Public Health has…
Four more Georgians may have been sickened by a potentially lethal form of synthetic marijuana, state officials said Friday. Two of the new cases occurred in the same Brunswick area that already had 12 victims, said Rick Allen, director of the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency. Two Brunswick patients remain hospitalized and gravely ill, Allen…