Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Trial Targeted Children At Risk Of Developing Diabetes. But Funding Cuts Send Families Spinning.
NPR: Children At Risk Of Type 1 Diabetes Get Limited Screenings In Large Trial
At first, 19-year-old Sarah Hornak ignored the tingling in her hands and feet. She also ignored the 20 pounds of weight she shed, the constant hunger and thirst, the time she threw up after a tough workout. She went to her doctor only when she began to see halos everywhere. A pinprick on her finger revealed that her blood sugar was in the 400s — about four times as high as a healthy person's should be. She checked into the hospital and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes within days. It has been nearly 15 years since she learned she has the disease, a condition in which the body's immune cells attack the pancreas, the gland that regulates blood glucose levels by secreting insulin. What causes Type 1 diabetes and how to stop it are still a mystery. (Madhusoodanan, 10/30)
Boston Globe: Amid BC Suicide Case, A Look At How Texting Can Empower Abusers
The story of the Boston College student accused of inducing her boyfriend to kill himself stands as an appalling tale of what prosecutors described as domestic abuse. But one aspect seems especially emblematic of our time: The couple exchanged an average of 1,200 texts a day, including messages that allegedly goaded Alexander Urtula to take his own life. Specialists in abusive relationships say that texting, by its nature, can add firepower to the usual weapons of domestic violence: control, isolation, and secrecy — especially when they occur with such astounding frequency. (Freyer, 10/29)
The Washington Post: The Average Time Young People Spend Watching Videos — Mostly On YouTube — Has Doubled Since 2015
More than twice as many young people watch videos every day as did four years ago, and the average time spent watching videos — mostly on YouTube — has roughly doubled, to an hour each day. That’s according to a survey released Tuesday by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that tracks young people’s tech habits. The report found that overall screen time among young people hasn’t changed much since 2015. On average, American 8-to-12-year-olds spent 4 hours and 44 minutes on screen media each day. And teens average 7 hours and 22 minutes — not including time spent using screens for school or homework. (Siegel, 10/29)
The Wall Street Journal: Heart-Failure Deaths Rise, Contributing To Worsening Life Expectancy
Deaths from heart failure, one of the nation’s biggest killers, are surging as the population ages and the health of younger generations worsens. The death rate from the chronic, debilitating condition rose 20.7% between 2011 and 2017 and is likely to keep climbing sharply, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Cardiology. (McKay, 10/30)
The New York Times: How Walking Might Affect Our Sleep
Taking more steps during the day may be related to better sleep at night, according to an encouraging new study of lifestyle and sleep patterns. The study, which delved into the links between walking and snoozing, suggests that being active can influence how well we sleep, whether we actually exercise or not. Sleep and exercise scientists have long been intrigued and befuddled by the ties between physical activity and somnolence. To most of us, it might seem as if that relationship should be uncomplicated, advantageous and one-way. You work out, grow tired and sleep better that night. (Reynolds, 10/30)
The New York Times: Why Did The Young Mother Have Searing Head Pain And A Racing Heart?
“Please find something wrong with me,” the 28-year-old woman pleaded. For nearly a year, she’d been looking for a reason for the strange symptoms that now dominated her life. Dr. Raphael Sung, a cardiologist specializing in finding and fixing abnormal heart rhythms at National Jewish Health hospital in Denver, was surprised by her reaction to the news that her heart was normal. Most patients are happy to get that report. For this patient, it seemed like just one more dead end. (Sanders, 10/30)
The Washington Post: Expert: There’s No Evidence That The Fortune Being Spent To ‘Harden’ Schools Against Shooters Will Work -- But Here’s What Will
Last April, a study came out from researchers at the University of Toledo and Ball State University that said the fortune being spent to “harden” public schools to make students safer from gun violence is creating a “false sense of security.” The study, published in the journal Violence and Gender, looked at the literature on the subject from 2000 to 2018 and could not find any program or practice with evidence that it reduced firearm violence. (Strauss, 10/29)
