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Support For Health Overhaul Slipping
A USA Today/Gallup Poll found that "most Americans say it"s important to overhaul health care this year," but "they are less enthusiastic about some of the proposals to pay for it," USA Today reports. "And while a majority say controlling costs should be the legislation"s top goal, more than nine in 10 oppose limits on getting whatever tests or treatments they and their doctors think are necessary." But some good news for President Obama: "A third of those surveyed say they trust him and congressional Democrats most when it comes to changing health care, compared with 10% who choose congressional Republicans. Another 45% trust doctors and hospitals the most."
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HIV Testing Can Save Thousands Of Lives, CDC Official Says
"Although HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious threat to the nation"s health, HIV testing is a powerful weapon against the disease," Kevin Fenton, director of CDC"s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, writes in a CNN.com opinion piece. Fenton writes that every 9 1/2 minutes someone in the U.S. becomes infected with HIV. "That"s 56,000 people every year," Fenton writes, adding, "But there"s something we can all do to help protect ourselves and our partners from this disease - get tested for HIV." He continues, "By increasing the number of people who know their HIV status, we can decrease the number of new HIV infections, and help save thousands of lives" (Fenton, CNN.com, 6/26).
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Childhood Health Disparities Can Have Life-Long Health Effects
Research indicates that physical and mental stress in childhood may have life-long adverse health effects and policy initiatives are needed to emphasize the importance of starting health promotion and disease prevention early in life, according to an article in the June 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on child and adolescent health.
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Environmental Cues Control Reproductive Timing And Longevity, University Of Minnesota Study Shows

When humans and animals delay reproduction because food or other res are scarce, they may live longer to increase the impact of reproduction, according to a new study by University of Minnesota researchers published in the June 25 issue of PLoS (Public Library of Science) One. The discovery, which explains why starvation can lead to longer life, has important implications for improving human health and lengthening lifespan. The basic premise is that individuals use environmental cues to predict population declines, causing them to delay reproduction until the decline has occurred, when each offspring will make a bigger contribution to the gene pool. Conversely, if bad times turn to good times and the population is on the verge of a boom, reproducing sooner rather than later will help their genes thrive. "If the population is decreasing, future kids make a bigger splash in the gene pool than current kids," explains Will Ratcliff, a College of Biological Sciences graduate student who came up with the idea for the study. "So, if there are tradeoffs between current and future reproduction, delaying reproduction can be a good idea, even if it reduces the number of kids you have during your lifetime." Fluctuations in testosterone levels provide an example of how the environment and organisms interact to guide reproduction, explains R. Ford Denison, adjunct professor in the College of Biological Sciences and Ratcliff"s adviser. Testosterone suppresses the immune system. So when environmental conditions trigger high levels, reproduction is high but longevity drops. Environmental factors also control the age of menarche. In African countries with chronic food shortages, girls experience menarche much later than in the U.S., where rich diets trigger early menarche. Food scarcity is a signal that population is likely to decline, so reproduction is delayed, while an abundance of rich food signals an increase, causing reproductive age to drop. "Our hypothesis may explain hormesis, the mysterious health benefits of low doses of toxins - including those that plants like broccoli make to defend themselves from insects," says Denison. " When their usual foods are scarce, organisms turn to plants containing chemicals that can suppress reproduction and consequently increase longevity "These toxins may be abundant in "famine foods" that are eaten only when meat and fruit are not available" Denison adds. Graduate student Peter Hawthorne and professor Michael Travisano also co-authored the paper. All four co-authors are in the College of Biological Sciences" Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. Patty Mattern University of Minnesota


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