Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Heart Disease Kills Fewer, Obesity-Linked Heart Deaths Rise: Study
Stat: Obesity-Related Cardiovascular Deaths Tripled In Last Two Decades
Heart disease is killing fewer Americans overall, however, cardiovascular deaths where obesity was listed as a key contributing factor have tripled between 1999 and 2020, according to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association. And, Black women had the highest mortality rate out of all the population groups studied. (Balthazar, 9/8)
More health and wellness news —
Fox News: Want A More Accurate Blood Pressure Reading? Try Lying Down When It's Taken, New Study Suggests
Lying down while getting your blood pressure taken could result in a more accurate reading, according to new findings presented at the American Heart Association (AHA)'s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2023 on Saturday in Boston. Researchers found that among people with high blood pressure, the readings more accurately predicted future stroke, heart issues and death when people were lying down compared to those who were sitting, according to a press release from the AHA. (Rudy, 9/10)
The Washington Post: Big Babies Are More Likely To Grow Up To Have Big Babies, Study Finds
Parents who were big babies are likelier to have children with high birth weights, new research from Norway suggests. In an analysis published in Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, researchers link parental birth weight to that of their children. (Blakemore, 9/9)
AP: Rocks, Insects, Plastic And Other Foreign Objects Often End Up In Our Food. Here's How It Happens
Food safety experts and federal agencies use the terms “extraneous” or “foreign” materials to describe things like metal fragments, rubber gaskets and bits of bugs that somehow make it into packaged goods. “Extraneous materials” triggered nine recalls in 2022 of more than 477,000 pounds of food regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service — triple the number of recalls tied to food contaminated with toxic E. coli bacteria. (Aleccia, 9/10)
NPR: Fostering Friendship To Chip Away At The 'Epidemic Of Loneliness'
A growing body of research shows loneliness has profound implications for physical and mental health. People who are socially disconnected have a 29% higher risk of heart disease, a 32% greater risk of stroke and a 50% increased risk of dementia for older adults. Loneliness can increase the risk of premature death as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's office. The country is contending with an "epidemic of loneliness," according to that report — and the medicine to treat the problem is social connection. (Dayal McCluskey, 9/11)
The Washington Post: Silicon Valley’s Quest To Live Forever Now Includes $2,500 Full-Body MRIs
Jessica Jensen always thought of herself as a healthy enough person. The Silicon Valley executive ate well and worked out once a week — all while juggling a job managing 500 people and her daughter, a soon-to-be middle-schooler. But in spring 2021, she heard about Prenuvo, a boutique clinic offering a “full-body MRI.” While MRIs are typically used to diagnose a particular problem, Prenuvo touts the service as a routine preventive measure, like a colonoscopy or a mammogram. Jensen was intrigued, and her husband persuaded her to try the scan on the eve of her 50th birthday. The day after the scan, which cost $2,499 out of pocket, a Prenuvo nurse called to tell Jensen the MRI had detected a hard-looking two millimeter cyst on her pancreas. Doctors confirmed her fears: She had stage 1 pancreatic cancer. (Dwoskin, 9/10)
Axios Austin: Austin Loves Electrolyte Powders, But They Don't Work
Electrolyte supplements have become a shockingly big market in Austin, even though they're supported by limited scientific evidence. Although influencers and marketers consider electrolyte powders hydration hacks, doctors say that regularly drinking them instead of plain water is a waste of money. (Mallenbaum and Hurt, 9/8)
In obituaries —
AP: Dr. Richard Moriarty, Who Helped Create 'Mr. Yuk' Poison Warning For Kids, Dies At 83
Dr. Richard W. Moriarty, a retired pediatrician from Pittsburgh who helped create the bright green Mr. Yuk sticker that warns kids away from poisonous substances, has died. He was 83. ... Moriarty was involved in establishing and developing the Pittsburgh Poison Center, where he served as director. (9/8)
