Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to spend some time with over the long weekend. Today's selections are on infant testing, cancer, ultra-processed foods, and consumer health.
The New York Times:
The Ethical Minefield Of Testing Infants For Incurable Diseases
In every postpartum hospital unit across the country, 1-day-old babies undergo the same ritual: A nurse pricks the newborn’s heel and stamps tiny drops of blood onto a paper filter, which is then sent off for a standard screening panel. Today, that panel checks for unusual bio-markers that may indicate a rare but treatable disease like sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis. But what if that same dried blood spot could tell you about the baby’s risk of developing certain conditions later in life — some with no method of prevention or cure? (Baumgaertner Nunn, 6/5)
Newsweek:
How Dinosaurs Could Help Us Fight Cancer
Dinosaurs might be more than just fascinating relics of the past—they could help pave the way towards new and better treatments for cancer. This is the conclusion of a new study by researchers from the Anglia Ruskin University and Imperial College London, both in England, that reveals that dinosaur fossils still carry biological clues—specifically, preserved proteins—that can teach us how ancient species dealt with diseases like cancer. (Patrick, 6/2)
The Wall Street Journal:
Why Some Ultra-Processed Foods Go Down So Easily, So Fast
New research is helping to answer an important question about ultra-processed foods: Which ones might be healthier? One reason many ultra–processed foods often lead us to eat big meals and heavy snacks is because of their texture, which makes them go down easily and quickly, according to a new study presented this week at a conference in Orlando, Fla., of the American Society for Nutrition. (Petersen, 6/3)
The Texas Tribune:
In Texas, An Unlikely Coalition Unites Over Consumer Health
Months ago, when Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chair Lois Kolkhorst first held a hearing on Senate Bill 25 — requiring among other things, warning labels on foods containing certain additives — the first person to speak was Calley Means, a top adviser to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. “Texas can really lead here…These bills represent a Texas way that prioritizes transparency, prioritizes good education and prioritizes incentive change,” said Means, a former food and pharmaceutical consultant, who spearheaded the federal Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. He’s also the brother of Casey Means, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Surgeon General. (Langford and Huff, 6/2)
