High Protein Levels May Signal Lower Lung Function
Higher levels of proteins called ICAM-1 (intracellular adhesion molecule) are associated with lower lung function. That’s according to a study co-authored by David Jacobs, Mayo Professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.
The protein exists in endothelial cells that line the arteries and help initiate the immune system's inflammatory response to “invaders” such as cholesterol deposits.
“We found a fairly substantial decline in lung function in people with the highest levels of ICAM, compared with people with lower levels, regardless of their weight,” Jacobs told Florida’s Sun Sentinel.
The study used data from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) observational cohort.
Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs that affects about 20 million Americans. And since the early 1980s Asthma has been on the rise, although researchers and health professionals are not sure why.
John Adgate, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota, says that the causes of asthma are not clear. But he says that there are prevention steps that people can take to reduce their risk of asthma.
These include keeping your home clean—encasing your pillows and mattresses, for example—and not smoking. Indoor allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, and pet dander can trigger attacks in people with asthma.
For more, listen to Adgate by clicking play below:
The rate of obesity in U.S. children has remained stable since 1999, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers reported that the about 32 percent of U.S. children were overweight or obese in 2006—the same as in 1999.
It's not clear why the obesity rate has remained stable and the rate remains high. Yet the news provides hope to public health researchers that awareness efforts may be making a difference.
"Parents, governments, schools, businesses and communities are really working hard to do something about obesity. It shows obesity is not an unstoppable force," said Mary Story, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist.
There are significantly fewer blood donors available in the United States than previously estimated, according to a University of Minnesota study conducted by Dr. Jeffrey McCullough (Medical School) and William Riley (School of Public Health), pictured.
May is American Stroke Month, a campaign to increase awareness to the risk factors of stroke.
About 780,000 Americans each year suffer a stroke. And stroke kills more than 150,000 people a year, making it the No. 3 cause of death behind heart disease and cancer.
Who is at risk? People with high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, smokers, heavy drinkers, and those who are obese.
Dr. Kamakshi Lakshminarayan, a University of Minnesota neurologist and an adjunct professor of public health, explains what you should do to lower your risk.
Listen to Lakshminarayan on Public Health Moment. Click on the play button below:
David Jacobs (right) and colleagues have discovered that people with high oxidation levels of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle that carries cholesterol throughout the blood are much more likely to develop metabolic syndrome.
Ancel Keys, who graced the cover of Time in 1961 and was dubbed "Mr. Cholesterol" for demonstrating the relationship between a fatty diet and heart disease, was included in Gourmet magazine's listing of "The 25 People Who Changed Food in America."
Keys, a renowned physiologist at the University of Minnesota, was also known for inventing K-Rations for the U.S. Army in World War II.
Teens who regularly eat meals with their family have a healthier diet, according to Nicole Larson, a nutrition researcher at the University of Minnesota. The findings were part of the University of Minnesota's Project Eat study, or Eating Among Teens.
Larson was featured in a video news story on "Critical Mention," an online news source.
Michael Osterholm warned Rochester, Minn. residents Wednesday that they should not count on the federal government for help should a pandemic flu break out.
"The current national disaster response system will collapse in a minute," Osterholm told more than 200 people at the third annual Noel R. Peterson Founders Lecture Series.
Local readiness, even personal readiness, will decide how things go, he said.
This month is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, an annual campaign sponsored by the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Melissa Nelson, a University of Minnesota expert in physical fitness, tells Public Health Moment how much fitness is enough. She also offers tips to parents on how to get kids more active.
Measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox—childhood diseases against which many of us have been immunized.
But the new worry is that since there is no natural "booster" shot for these diseases, older adults may find themselves unexpectedly vulnerable to them. It seems no one knows for sure how long immunity from such diseases will last. That's according to a story at The Daily Gleaner.
University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael T. Osterholm (pictured) says scientists should be doing long-term immunity studies—following groups of people for decades—in the way cancer researchers track groups of people to try to discern what causes cancer.
"That would help us understand at what point does the level of protection drop for a population. Not any one individual," he says.
After hearing about potential developmental and reproductive problems associated with Bisphenol A (BPA)—a chemical that can leach out of hard, clear plastic containers such as a sippy cup—many parents are switching to alternatives.
Although no study has yet revealed direct BPA impact on humans, lab tests on rodents have shown adverse reproductive and developmental effects, such as onset of Type 2 diabetes or obesity.
That's according to William Toscano (pictured), head of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Adolescent smokers who reduce their cigarette smoking are still inhaling considerable amounts of cancer-causing chemicals, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center.
Researchers say the goal should be to quit completely.
“These results suggest that reduction of smoking may be a way to engage adolescents who are unable or unwilling to quit, but quitting, not reduction, should be the end goal,� said Karen Hanson, Ph.D., lead researcher on the study. “It further shows that smoking even a relatively few cigarettes a day is potentially harmful.�
At least 60 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. That’s according to a survey of blood tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The percentage could be higher in Minnesota and other northern climates because exposure to the sun is one way that our body generates vitamin D. But, obviously, sun exposure in northern climates such as Minnesota is in limited supply.
But given that this is National Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, University of Minnesota nutritionist Kim Robien recommends against sun exposure and instead offers advice on how to boost your vitamin D level through diet and/or supplements. She also explains the importance of vitamin D to our health.
Minnesota lawmakers may mandate sex education in schools
An increase in the number of Minnesota teens having sex has prompted state legislators to push for a statewide mandate for sex education in public schools.
The latest survey of school kids by the education department found that for the first time in more than a decade, more kids say they're having sex. And more of them are engaging in sex without birth control.
"Teachers are getting more afraid, or at least unsure, of what they can and cannot teach, and some of the most contentious topics, like homosexuality, how to use a condom, are not being taught much at all," Lynn Bretl, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, told Minnesota Public Radio. "Because a lot of the abstinence-only rhetoric at the federal level, it's really making people unsure of what they can teach," she says.
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Higher levels of proteins called ICAM-1 (intracellular adhesion molecule) are associated with lower lung function. That’s according to a study co-authored by David Jacobs, Mayo Professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.
Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs that affects about 20 million Americans. And since the early 1980s Asthma has been on the rise, although researchers and health professionals are not sure why. 
There are significantly fewer blood donors available in the United States than previously estimated, according to a University of Minnesota study conducted by Dr. Jeffrey McCullough (Medical School) and William Riley (School of Public Health), pictured. 
May is American Stroke Month, a campaign to increase awareness to the risk factors of stroke.
Ancel Keys, who graced the cover of Time in 1961 and was dubbed "Mr. Cholesterol" for demonstrating the relationship between a fatty diet and heart disease, was included in Gourmet magazine's listing of "The 25 People Who Changed Food in America."
Teens who regularly eat meals with their family have a healthier diet, according to Nicole Larson, a nutrition researcher at the University of Minnesota. The findings were part of the University of Minnesota's Project Eat study, or Eating Among Teens.
Michael Osterholm warned Rochester, Minn. residents Wednesday that they should not count on the federal government for help should a pandemic flu break out. 
This month is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, an annual campaign sponsored by the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. 
After hearing about potential developmental and reproductive problems associated with Bisphenol A (BPA)—a chemical that can leach out of hard, clear plastic containers such as a sippy cup—many parents are switching to alternatives.
At least 60 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. That’s according to a survey of blood tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Last modified on