Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
The Conversation: St. Patrick's Day: How Your Body Deals With Green Beer
On St. Patrick’s Day, most will celebrate the holiday in its traditional revelry, including drinking glasses of whiskey and green beer. While you’re at it, raise those glasses and cheer to the metabolic wonders of—your liver. (Hasne, 3/12)
The Washington Post: A Little Anxiety Can Be A Good Thing
A concept called the Yerkes-Dodson curve shows that when people have very high levels of anxiety, they don’t tend to perform well. They might be so worried about a big work project that they avoid getting started, for example. But at very low levels of anxiety, performance also suffers: They might be so relaxed that they rush through the project to watch Netflix. “There’s actually the sweet spot in the middle, where anxiety is really adaptive,” or helpful, says Shannon Sauer-Zavala, a clinical psychology professor at the University of Kentucky. (Richardson, 3/16)
CBS News: How Taking Care Of Your Teeth Could Protect Your Heart And Brain Health
With nearly 700 species of bacteria inhabiting the human mouth, experts say maintaining good oral hygiene could benefit both heart and brain health. There is growing evidence suggesting good oral health could help prevent Alzheimer's disease. One study in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that people who flossed regularly had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who did not. (Novak, 3/14)
The Wall Street Journal: The Hologram Doctor Will See You Now
A Tennessee cancer clinic is beaming doctors out to rural areas, a new model of telehealth that goes beyond clunky videoconferencing systems. (Bousquette, 3/11)
The Washington Post: They Went To Prom Together In 1988. She Just Donated A Kidney For Him.
Shawn Moyer’s high school prom date bailed on him. Although it stung at the time, he’s now grateful she did. “A week before prom, she had gotten a better offer,” said Moyer, now 55. He ended up asking Elena Hershey — who was a year younger and in his brother’s class at Dallastown Area High School in York County, Pennsylvania — to be his date. To his delight, she said yes. He had no idea, then, that 37 years later, his fill-in prom date would be the reason he received a life-saving kidney donation. (Page, 3/11)
The Washington Post: Teacher Gives $20 To Her Students With One Rule: Use It For Kindness
Kristina Ulmer does the kindness challenge each year in memory of her sister who died in a car crash. She said students run with it. Free, 3/15)
