Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Analysis Throws Cold Water On Health Claims Of Blue Light-Blocking Glasses
NBC News: Blue Light-Blocking Glasses Don't Protect Eyes Or Improve Sleep, Study Finds
Despite their popularity, blue light-blocking glasses probably don’t do much to reduce eyestrain, help keep people alert or improve sleep, according to a meta-analysis looking at 17 studies published Thursday. The glasses, which sellers claim protect the eyes from potentially harmful blue light coming from screens, first hit the scene in the early 2000s. Search interest skyrocketed in the first year of the pandemic. (Sullivan, 8/18)
In other health and wellness news —
ABC News: Norovirus Outbreak That Sickened More Than 300 People Linked To An Ill Food Handler At Restaurant
The source behind a norovirus outbreak that sickened a few hundred people last year has been identified, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ... Investigators with the Tazewell Health Department and Illinois Department of Public Health concluded the outbreak was likely caused by a sick food handler at the restaurant who had ungloved contact with salad, toppings and dressings during food preparation. (Kekatos, 8/17)
The Washington Post: What We Know About Rare Flesh-Eating Bacteria That’s Killed 3 In NY Area
Many of the people infected with Vibrio vulnificus require intensive care or limb amputations to survive, according to the CDC. Vibrio vulnificus is described as a flesh-eating bacteria because it can lead to what’s called necrotizing fasciitis, a severe infection in which the flesh around an open wound dies. The consequences can be deadly. (Bella, 8/17)
Stat: Lung Cancer Is America's Deadliest Cancer. Yet So Few Get Screened
It was Thanksgiving 2021, and Michael Young was at Target buying a turkey baster. “I’m in the parking lot, and my chest starts to feel like somebody’s sitting on me,” Young recounted. But he didn’t think too much of it and waited until February to tell the doctor about these on-and-off chest pains. “8:30 a.m. Monday morning, the cardiologist calls me and says, ‘We have a problem; we need to talk,’” Young said. The heart scans had found lung cancer. (Bajaj, 8/18)
The Washington Post: Negative Thoughts About Aging Can Be Harmful. Here’s How To Reduce Them
Age bias doesn’t show up only as blatant discrimination (“We want someone younger for that job.”) or snarky birthday cards. One of the most potent sources of ageism comes from older people themselves, and like other forms of ageism, the self-inflicted kind is associated with lower levels of emotional and physical health and can slash years off people’s lives. (Laber-Warren, 8/17)
Stat: Living With Hashimoto's And Celiac Disease, And Med School, Too
A third-year med school student, Brianna Celix doesn’t get a lot of free time. Even with the one afternoon off she gets each week at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Celix is being challenged to take care of herself. Her cat, Frankie, dense as a log, offers plenty of cuddles. But managing two autoimmune conditions requires more than animal affection. Celix, 25, has to keep up with the demands of medical school while keeping Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and celiac disease in check. (Cueto, 8/18)
