It was an extraordinary year at the American Public Health Association’s (APHA’s) 141st Annual Meeting in Boston, as the association introduced a new logo, tag line and framework to help guide its path forward. However, the real focus was the health discoveries presented at more than 1,000 scientific sessions. The mission of the APHA is to improve the health of the public and achieve equity in health status.
The Boston Globe, CBS News, Forbes, Huffington Post and Men’s Journal were among major news outlets to chronicle the latest research. Visit APHA’s recap of the meeting to read the stories in entirety, including:(1) • Light drinking mixed with acetaminophen increases your risk of kidney disease by 123 percent;(2)
• Women who exhibit “risky behaviors” are more than four times as likely to transfer HPV from their genitals to their mouth;(3) • Secondhand smoke varies dramatically in the workplace, from just 3 percent in professional fields to 37 percent among trade workers; • Overall, 15 percent of people do not believe bisexuality is a real sexual orientation;(4) • Women who are obese as they near retirement age have a higher risk of early death — and have a three to six times greater likelihood of being disabled;(5) • Hospitals spend more than $2 billion per year on gunshot victims, while the average victim costs roughly $75,000 to treat;(6) • Public health funding works everywhere, but makes more impact in lower-income areas; • Fewer than 1 percent of all kids’ meals meet recommended nutrition standards set by the Institute of Medicine; • An online toolkit helped lower rates of childhood obesity by educating mothers.(7,8) New “Guidelines for Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk” have been published.(9) The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force based these recommendations on a comprehensive report from an Expert Work Group convened by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The Work Group was asked to develop an approach to quantitative risk assessment for cardiovascular disease that could be used to guide care; and address key questions in risk assessment using systematic review methods. This document replaces guidelines published by the ACC/AHA in 2010.(10) (NEJM JW Cardiol Feb 9 2011). Notable changes from the previous guidelines include the endorsement of a specific model for global risk assessment and a diminution of the role of CIMT measurement.(11) Stay well in 2014!References 1. http://storify.com/APHA/apha-141st-annual-meeting-in-review. 2. http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/health/another-reason-tylenol-and-alcohol-dont-mix-20131107. 3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/give-hpv-to-yourself-oral-genital_n_4260538.html?utm_hp_ref=college&ir=College. 4. http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2013/11/04/despite-workplace-ban-many-blue-collar-workers-still-exposed-secondhand-smoke/0CerkVLSsW6D2d5WVGQYEL/story.html. 5. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/11/11/more-evidence-ties-obesity-to-disability-in-older-women. 6. http://www.medicaldaily.com/gun-injuries-2003-2010-totals-19b-hospital-costs-261917. 7. http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/11/06/web-intervention-helps-moms-keep-kids-slim/61663.html. 8. http://www.healthykidshealthyfuture.org/welcome.html. 9. Goff DC Jr et al. 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines on the assessment of cardiovascular risk: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013 Nov 12; [e-pub ahead of print]. (http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1770220). 10. Greenland P et al. 2010 ACCF/AHA guideline for assessment of cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic adults: A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010 Dec 14/21; 56:e50. - See more at: http://www.jwatch.org/jc201102090000003/2011/02/09/cardiovascular-risk-assessment-asymptomatic#sthash.I072u9iJ.dpuf. 11. http://www.jwatch.org/na32830/2013/11/12/guidelines-assessment-cardiovascular-risk#sthash.le2L027s.hzMpt42E.dpuf.
