American journal of preventive medicine
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Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U. S., yet cigarette health warnings in the U. S. are among the weakest in the world. ⋯ The FDA will have a high likelihood of prevailing in legal challenges to the warnings if there is evidence demonstrating that graphic warnings are necessary to counter past industry deception or that graphic warnings affect smoking behavior better than textual warnings. Even without evidence of the impact of graphic warnings on behavior, strong evidence that they affect behavioral intent, and that intent predicts behavior, should be sufficient for the warnings to be upheld. Alternatively, evidence that graphic warnings lead to more accurate consumer assessment of smoking risks should also be sufficient.
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Increasing active travel (walking, cycling, public transport) is increasingly seen as integral to strategies to raise physical activity levels. ⋯ There are wide variations in the mode of travel to work across regions and sociodemographic groups in the UK. The protective association between active travel and cardiovascular risk demonstrated in this nationally representative study adds to growing evidence that concerted policy focus in this area may benefit population health.
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Access to health care, particularly effective primary and secondary preventive care, is critical for cancer survivors, in order to minimize the adverse sequelae of cancer and its treatment. ⋯ Although access and preventive care use in cancer survivors is generally equivalent or greater compared to that of other individuals, disparities for uninsured and publicly insured cancer survivors aged 18-64 years suggest that improvements in survivor care are needed.
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Lifetime direct medical cost of treating type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications in the U.S. is unknown. ⋯ Over the lifetime, type 2 diabetes imposes a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems. Effective interventions that prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and diabetic complications might result in substantial long-term savings in healthcare costs.