Tag Archives: research

From Other Blogs: Vaccination and cancer, ALS, Winter Olympics & more

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A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.

Vaccination Nation: A Real Shot at Preventing Cancer

Suppose someone tells you there are quick, easy ways to help keep people from getting some kinds of cancer. Would you believe it?

Luckily, you can. You already know vaccines stop you from getting dangerous diseases from bacteria and viruses. You don’t even realize you have some viruses because they may not cause any symptoms. But a few of them can lead to cancer if left untreated. — From The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) The Topic Is Cancer blog

National ALS Biorepository – A Component of the National ALS Registry

The National ALS Biorepository is a component of the National ALS Registry that will increase the number of biological samples from persons with ALS available for research.  These samples, along with the extensive epidemiologic data collected by the National ALS Registry, are a valuable resource in the fight to identify the causes of ALS. — From the CDC’s Your Health — Your Environment blog

Traveling to South Korea for the Olympics? Bring Back Great Memories, Not a Pest or Disease

The Winter Olympics begin shortly in South Korea, bringing us two weeks of incredible athletic performances. While many of us will watch the games from our TVs, computers or phones, some lucky individuals will travel to witness the games in person. And when traveling, people often bring back items as souvenirs or as gifts for those of us at home. If you are traveling to the Olympics (or anywhere outside the country), keep in mind there are rules about agricultural products being brought into the U.S. — From the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) blog

USDA Agencies Band Together to Assist Producers Impacted by 2017 Hurricanes

Just as families, friends and communities came together to respond to damages that occurred during the hurricanes of 2017, so did government agencies.

When hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria made landfall, the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), Rural Development (RD), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) worked together, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other intergovernmental groups, to provide information and recovery resources to agricultural producers who experienced losses. — From the USDA blog

DHEC in the News: Tire recycling, Hilton Head beaches, new treatment for heart failure

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

Homeland Park residents cheer closing of tire recycling business

Homeland Park resident Steve Allen’s wife suffers from respiratory problems. But he said she can breathe better now that the tire recycling business near their home has closed.

Dave Homesley, who also lives close to the now-defunct Viva Recycling on Abbeville Highway, says the dust, fumes and noise created by business were a “catastrophe.”

“It has been very, very, very traumatic,” Homesley said.

Viva Recycling’s facilities in Anderson County and Monck’s Corner north of Charleston both shut down a few months ago. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control revoked the operating permits for both sites in September.

3 weeks after Irma, are Hilton Head waters safe to swim in yet?

Three weeks after Tropical Storm Irma, there’s some good news for Hilton Head Island residents and visitors.

The beaches are safe to swim in, according to water quality test results from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The department collected beach monitoring samples in the Hilton Head on Sept. 20 and the results were “satisfactory,” according to a DHEC spokesperson.

General Interest

New treatment for heart failure sought in research led by Clemson University

CLEMSON — Heart-attack damage could be repaired with stem cells and tiny “nanowires” as part of a new research project that involves all three of South Carolina’s major research universities and is backed by $1.5 million from the National Institutes of Health.

Ying Mei, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Clemson University, is leading the project.

Award-Winning Diabetes Research

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By Kate Callahan, DrPH MPH, DHEC Chronic Disease Epidemiologist

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was well represented at the 21st Annual Fall Diabetes Symposium in North Charleston on September 17 and 18. Staff from the Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology contributed six of the 13 scientific posters at the symposium, and their graduate assistants were awarded first and second place in the poster competition for their impressive diabetes research.
Dana AlHasan received 1st place
Dana AlHasan received 1st place for her research that examined how the presence of different food outlets, such as fast food restaurants, contributed to the risk of diabetes.Second place Winners (2) 700w

Andrew Fogner and Charity Breneman received 2nd place for their research that evaluated trends of hospitalization rates for diabetes among individuals with additional comorbidities.

Other research that was displayed by the Chronic Disease Epidemiology staff addressed the burden of pre-diabetes among adults in South Carolina, the burden of diabetes among children in South Carolina, the impact of neighborhood-level characteristics on emergency department use among patients with diabetes, and the association between parent diabetes status and the health behaviors and outcomes of their children.

The Annual Fall Diabetes Symposium is an important, local venue that provides updates and trends in diabetes care, research, and burden that are needed to drive relevant care and research that makes an impact on diabetes in South Carolina. The Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology staff were honored to be given the opportunity to contribute such a large amount of diabetes research to the symposium.