Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Billion Young People Are At Risk Of Hearing Loss, Study Finds
NPR: Devices, Loud Venues Could Cause Hearing Loss In 1 Billion Young People
More than 1 billion young people could be at risk of facing hearing loss, a new study shows. "It is estimated that 0.67–1.35 billion adolescents and young adults worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss from exposure to unsafe listening practices," according to the study, which was published in BMJ Journal on Tuesday. (Archie, 11/16)
CNN: Hearing Loss: 1 Billion People At Risk From Unsafe Listening
Turning down the racket isn’t just for disgruntled parents — a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people at risk for hearing loss. (Holcombe, 11/15)
In other health and wellness news —
The New York Times: Frustrations Grow Over Philips’s Response To CPAP Device Recalls
By 2015, Philips Respironics knew its breathing devices had a problem: Foam inside the CPAP machines, which help people with sleep apnea breathe at night, was breaking off into black flecks and blowing into the mouths and noses of users. The company did nothing at the time. Years went by as complaints mounted, and the company made cursory efforts to examine the problem, according to an investigation conducted later by the Food and Drug Administration. (Jewett, 11/15)
The Washington Post: For Sleep Apnea, Cut Back On Junk Food And Alcohol, Research Shows
Every night, millions of people lose sleep because of obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disorder that causes periodic disruptions in nighttime breathing. But a growing body of research suggests that improving your eating habits by cutting out ultra-processed foods, cutting back on alcohol and increasing your daily steps can reduce symptoms of sleep apnea and potentially even eliminate it. (O'Connor, 11/15)
The Boston Globe: Teens And Young Adults Are Self-Diagnosing Mental Illness On TikTok. What Could Go Wrong?
But too often, experts say, suggestible people mistake having one or two symptoms with having the disorder itself. “If I were to go through the DSM” — the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — ”and take a tiny snapshot of every diagnosis, we would all relate and self-diagnose,” said Alex Chinks, a licensed clinical psychologist in Needham. “A symptom of depression is fatigue. Well, I was fatigued all week.” (Teitell, 11/15)
Axios: Axios Finish Line: The Power Of Pets
Humans have had pets for tens of thousands of years — but the research on whether dogs and other pets can actually boost our mental and physical health is still relatively new. There are a slew of recent studies that have shown dog ownership can relieve stress and anxiety and push us to exercise more. (Pandey, 11/15)
Houston Chronicle: Clinical Trials Offer Hope For Treatment Of Pancreatic Cancer
When Houston resident Edgar Salazar began experiencing back pain, he didn't pay a lot of attention. When he began having trouble eating, he became more concerned. When his stomach became swollen, he couldn't keep food down and he began losing weight, he and his wife Joanna knew it was time to seek medical attention. (Kyle Morgan, 11/15)
