Insidermedicine In 60 – November 2, 2011
From London – A do-it-yourself test may dramatically improve cervical cancer screening, according to a report published in the Lancet. Researchers studied over 20000 women, half of whom took a DIY screening test for cervical cancer while the other half had a smear test. Results showed that, not only was the DIY test preferred among women, but the test also detected 4x as many cervical cancers as the smear test. From Wisconsin – A new report published in Environmental Health Perspectives finds that biking instead of driving can save a significant amount of lives and money. Researchers estimated that replacing short car trips with bicycle trips in the warmest six months of the year could save up to 7 billion dollars and 1100 lives annually, due to improvements in air quality and physical fitness. And finally, from Rhode Island – Legalization of medicinal marijuana does not appear to affect use among youth, according to a report presented at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting. Examining nearly 33000 students, researchers found that Rhode Island’s legalization of medical marijuana in 2006 did not adversely increase use among the youth
