U.S. Adult Cigarette Smoking Rate Rose in 2008

Staff / Truthdig Nov 13, 2009 Blame it on the recession? Cigarette smoking among American adults had been on the decline for about 15 years, but in 2008 the smoking rate rose, bumping up slightly from 19.8 percent the previous year to just under 21 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Researchers Find Key Clue in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Mystery

Staff / Truthdig Oct 9, 2009 What exactly is chronic fatigue syndrome? Anywhere from 1 million to 4 million Americans suffer from the disease, which announces itself in the form of chronic pains and, well, fatigue. Its origins have been difficult to trace, but it looks as if that's about to change, thanks to the discovery of a possible link between a retrovirus called XMRV and the syndrome. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Fighting Swine Flu With Elmo, Obama

Staff / Truthdig Sep 2, 2009 As American schoolkids clamber back onto buses and funnel into classrooms, the federal government is working on ways to squelch the swine flu virus, which may not be as ferocious as health officials first feared but is proving to be pretty tenacious. President Obama, as well as a familiar red fuzzy friend, are on the case in this clip from The Associated Press. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Swine Flu Cases in U.S. Top 1 Million

Staff / Truthdig Jun 29, 2009 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 1 million Americans have contracted swine flu this year. That figure dwarfs the 27,717 confirmed and probable U.S. cases, but it also means the odds of surviving the disease -- 127 people have died -- are much better than previously thought. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Napolitano ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Swine Flu

Staff / Truthdig May 5, 2009 This will come as no surprise to Ron Paul (remember him?), but it looks like swine flu may be no worse than your garden-variety influenza virus, according to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Swine Flu Comes to the U.S.

Staff / Truthdig Apr 25, 2009 After infecting perhaps hundreds of people and killing scores in Mexico, eight cases of swine flu have been diagnosed in the U.S. -- six in California and two in Texas. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Study: U.S. HIV Infection Rates Drastically Underreported

Staff / Truthdig Aug 3, 2008 The United States is in far worse shape when it comes to HIV infection rates than researchers previously thought, according to a new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that attributes the whopping 40 percent adjustment to more precise research methods. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Official Says Cheney Pushed EPA Censorship

Staff / Truthdig Jul 9, 2008 A former EPA official alleged Tuesday that the vice president's office influenced congressional testimony about the public health effects of climate change. Last October, it was revealed that six of 14 pages of the proposed testimony of the director of the Centers for Disease Control were deleted because so many references to global warming had been cut. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

White House ‘Eviscerated’ Climate Report

Staff / Truthdig Oct 24, 2007 When Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control, went before Congress to testify on the effects of global warming on Americans' health, she was about 10 pages lighter than planned. According to a source within the CDC, the White House "eviscerated" Gerberding's prepared remarks, slashing 10 of the original 14 pages. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sunsara Taylor–CDC to Women: Prepare to Give Birth!

Sunsara Taylor / Truthdig Jun 7, 2006 A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control recommends classifying all women as pre-pregnant--whether they intend to conceive or not. It's an audacious leap along the logical fault line that values women as mere fetal incubators. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Study: Men Getting Fatter, Women Holding Steady

Staff / Truthdig Apr 7, 2006 OK, don't pop out the champagne--or the pork rinds--yet, but scientists think the leveling off of obesity rates in women may signal a turning point in the nation's epidemic. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )