Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
About 15 Percent Of Americans Still Smoke -- A Look At Who They Are
NPR: Who Still Smokes? A Look At The Numbers
Advertising campaigns, tobacco taxes and public bans have lowered rates of smoking significantly in the U.S. since the 1960s. And for people who never smoke or manage to quit, there are major health benefits: lower risk of cancer, heart problems and stroke. But 15 percent of Americans — about 40 million people — continue to smoke. Who are they? And why are they still smoking? (Wilhelm, 1/31)
Stat: Not Just Zika: Other Mosquito-Borne Viruses Are Tied To Birth Defects
When scientists discovered that the Zika virus was causing birth defects, it seemed to catch the world off guard. The mosquito-borne virus could slip from mother to fetus and damage the developing brain, leaving newborns with a range of serious complications. But what if other viruses spread by insects also pose a threat to fetuses? On Wednesday, scientists reported that two viruses, West Nile and Powassan, attacked mouse fetuses when pregnant mice were infected, killing about half of them. The viruses also successfully infected human placental tissue in lab experiments, an indication that the viruses may be able to breach the placental barrier that keeps many maternal infections from reaching the fetus. (Joseph, 1/31)
NPR: Anxiety Neurons Found In Brains
Scientists have found specialized brain cells in mice that appear to control anxiety levels. The finding, reported Wednesday in the journal Neuron, could eventually lead to better treatments for anxiety disorders, which affect nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. "The therapies we have now have significant drawbacks," says Mazen Kheirbek, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco and an author of the study. "This is another target that we can try to move the field forward for finding new therapies." (Hamilton, 1/31)
The New York Times: Hits To The Head May Result In Immediate Brain Damage
When a teenager is hit in the head, his brain can begin to show signs, within days, of the kind of damage associated with degenerative brain disease, according to an unsettling new study of young men and head injuries. The findings, which also involve tests with animals, indicate that this damage can occur even if the hit does not result in a full-blown concussion. (Reynolds, 1/31)
The New York Times: Migraines Increase The Risk Of Heart Attacks And Strokes
Having migraine headaches increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases, a new study has found. Using the Danish National Patient Registry, researchers matched 51,032 people with migraines, 71 percent of them women, with 510,320 people in the general population without migraines. The subjects were, on average, age 35 at the start of the study, and researchers followed them for 19 years. (Bakalar, 1/31)
The New York Times: Pelvic Massage Can Be Legitimate, But Not In Larry Nassar’s Hands
The case of Lawrence G. Nassar, the former doctor for the American gymnastics team who was sentenced last week for systemic sexual abuse of his young patients, raises many uncomfortable questions. One of the more troubling is the way the team doctor duped patients, parents and other physicians into believing that his “treatments” were medically appropriate, even after complaints were lodged. It wasn’t entirely implausible. A form of physical therapy called pelvic floor physical therapy uses internal vaginal soft tissue manipulation, or massage, to relieve pelvic pain by accessing muscles that cannot be reached any other way. (Rabin, 1/31)
The New York Times: Omega-3 Supplements Don’t Protect Against Heart Disease
Supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids, the oils abundant in fatty fish, are ineffective for the prevention of heart disease, a large review of randomized trials has found. The analysis, in JAMA Cardiology, pooled data from 10 randomized trials in people who had had cardiovascular disease or were at high risk for it. There were 77,917 people in the trials, 61 percent men, and their average age was 64. Studies lasted, on average, 4.4 years, and the dose of omega-3’s ranged from 226 to 1,800 milligrams a day. (Bakalar, 1/31)
The Baltimore Sun: Groups Seek Better Diagnosis And Treatment Of Debilitating Muscle Loss In Seniors
As people age, their muscle mass inevitably starts to decline. Everyone starts to lose muscle beginning at age 30, a natural process known as sarcopenia. The lean muscle mass in firm biceps and abs gradually becomes soft layers of fat. For some older people the muscle loss can be severe and debilitating, causing functional decline and loss of independence. ...A group of aging experts and medical organizations hopes to change that. They have formed The Aging in Motion Coalition and are trying to bring more awareness of the disease and are pushing for better treatments, which now focus mostly on diet and exercise. (McDaniels, 2/1)
