UCLA and partners receive $81.3 million science award
Charles R. Drew University and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center among recipients
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The National Institutes of Health awarded $81.3 million to UCLA and several partners for research into conditions that cause disability and early death in Los Angeles County.
Rates of premature death and disability related to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, AIDS, depression, violence and other preventable conditions in the county far exceed national averages, according to Dr. A. Eugene Washington, UCLA’s vice chancellor for health sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Language barriers, cultural beliefs, poverty and access to care also play a part in the high numbers, according to UCLA.
“The NIH’s investment in Los Angeles County will enable UCLA and its partners to more effectively pursue our transformative mission—to improve the health status of Los Angeles in a measurable way and enhance the quality of life for a significant number of our fellow Angelenos,” Washington said.
The funds will go to UCLA’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, in partnership with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Nearly 14 percent of adults surveyed in Los Angeles County said they had been diagnosed with depression, up from about 9 percent in 1999, the county's top health official said today.
Reducing salt consumption below the currently recommended 2,300 milligrams — about 1 1/2 teaspoons— per day maybe unnecessary, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
The news follows a decades-long push to get Americans to reduce the amount of salt in their diet because of strong links between high sodium consumption and hypertension, a known risk factor for heart disease.
PASADENA, Calif.—Children who are overweight or obese have a significantly higher prevalence of psoriasis, and teens with psoriasis, regardless of their body weight, have higher cholesterol levels, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study findings suggest that higher heart disease risk for patients with psoriasis starts in childhood in the form of higher cholesterol levels.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.—People suffering from depression are less likely to stick to a medication regimen to treat chronic health problems, putting them at increased risk of more serious health issues, according to a study released by the Santa Monica-based RAND Corp.
The study found that depressed patients suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease were 76 percent less likely to adhere to their medication schedule, when compared to patients who are not depressed.
Los Angeles police say two suspects have been arrested for the murder of 5-year-old Aaron Shannon, and are being held without bail. Leonard Hall Jr., 21, was taken into custody today (Friday) about at 2:10 a.m. at an apartment in the 200 block of West. 27th Str. Marcus Denson, 18, was arrested Thursday evening by Sheriff’s deputies in the 1100 block of East 83rd Street. Law enforcement officials say both suspects are active gang members.
