After Last Year’s Deadly Flu Season, Doctors Focus On The Vaccine; At An Airport Near You … Dogs Diagnosing Malaria?

Columbus Dispatch: Doctors Urge Flu Vaccinations After Last Year's Deadly Season
During the 2017-18 season, the flu virus and its complications claimed an estimated 80,000 American lives — the highest number in at least four decades. Health-care providers are stressing the importance of getting vaccinated as a new flu season takes off. Certain people are more at risk of catching the flu bug and suffering serious complications, so it behooves all of us to get vaccinated to protect ourselves and the most vulnerable among us, doctors say. (Viviano, 11/4)

NPR: Why Scientists Are Teaching Dogs To ID Malaria From Sniffing Socks
So [British entomologist Steve Lindsay] set out to create the ultimate disease watchdogs — canines that can smell parasites living inside people. Then, as people hop off international flights, these watchdogs could take a few sniffs at each person's skin and paw at the people who might be carrying a parasite. "The person can be taken aside and possibly tested for the disease with a blood test," Lindsay explains. Sound far-fetched? Well, it might not be as far from reality as you would think. (Doucleff, 11/2)

Bloomberg: Juul Is So Hot It’s Set The Vaping Debate On Fire 
The Juul e-cigarette was created to help adult smokers quit, according to the company that makes it. Its developers wanted to make the experience of getting a stimulating hit of nicotine dramatically better than sucking on a stinky, smoking stick of burning tobacco. Their success made Juul the top-selling e-cigarette in the U.S. in two years, but it achieved that position in part by attracting a huge following among kids younger than 18, who aren’t legally allowed to purchase such products. Concerns about the hazards of vaping for the young have provoked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to warn that it will tighten regulations on e-cigarettes unless their makers convince the agency they will combat use by minors. (Edney, Alexander and Zaleski, 11/5)

Politico: The Diabetes Epidemic: Opportunities And Missed Opportunities
One in 3 adults in the United States, about 100 million people, are living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to the CDC. Another case is diagnosed every 21 seconds. The American Diabetes Association estimates the total cost of diagnosed diabetes, including lost productivity, reached $327 billion in 2017, a big jump from $245 billion just five years earlier. That’s roughly one-tenth of the astronomical $3.5 trillion in annual U.S. health expenditures. People with diabetes are at risk for other chronic conditions such as heart disease, as well as dangerous conditions including stroke, amputation, kidney failure and blindness. The challenge is finding ways of preventing diabetes when possible and managing it optimally when prevention fails. (11/2)

The Washington Post: Yes Exercise Really Does Play A Role In Weight Loss
“Exercise isn’t really important for weight loss” has become a popular sentiment in the weight-loss community. “It’s all about diet,” many say. “Don’t worry about exercise so much.” This idea crept out amid infinite theories about dieting and weight loss, and it quickly gained popularity, with one article alone citing 60 studies to support and spread this notion like wildfire. The truth is that you absolutely can — and should — exercise your way to weight loss. So why is anyone saying otherwise? (Prologo, 11/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Therapy For Pregnant Women With Anxiety Offers Alternative To Medication
The group is part of Dr. Green and her colleagues’ treatment program for perinatal anxiety at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. It is one of a small but growing number of psychological therapy programs that are specifically designed for pregnant and postpartum women who struggle with anxiety and depression. They address a critical need. While scientific studies have generally found that antidepressant medications are safe to use during pregnancy and breast-feeding, there are still some concerns about their impact on babies. Some doctors encourage women to avoid the drugs during the perinatal period, especially those patients with mild illness. And many women, even some with severe depression and anxiety disorders, simply refuse to take them while pregnant or breast-feeding. (Petersen, 11/3)

Stat: Low Income Explains Poorer Survival After A Heart Attack More Than Race, Study Finds 
A new study examining how long black or white people survive after a heart attack concludes that it’s socioeconomic status, far more than race, that explains who fares better. Previous studies have focused on black patients being less likely than white patients to receive the standard of care both before and after having a heart attack, placing them at higher risk for another heart attack, another hospitalization, and death. Some of those disparities in care and outcomes have narrowed, but inequalities persist between how ill black and white patients are after a heart attack and how many die. (Cooney, 11/2)

Boston Globe: Study Hints That A Certain Gene May Worsen CTE
In a paper published Saturday, a team from the Boston University School of Medicine identifies a new clue in understanding an illness that has raised worrisome questions about the long-term risks of playing contact sports. Genes had been suspected of playing a role in CTE, and the study is the first to suggest a specific culprit: a common variant of a gene known at TMEM106B. (Freyer, 11/4)