Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Belly Fat Linked To Greater Prostate Cancer Death Risk, Study Finds
Fox News: Belly Fat May Increase Death From Prostate Cancer: Study
Researchers at the University of Oxford found that fat concentrated around the belly and waist has been linked to an increased risk of death from prostate cancer. The study involved more than 200,000 men from the U.K., and is being presented this week at the European and International Conference on Obesity (ECOICO). The team of researchers followed the subjects, who were between the ages of 40-69, for a 10-year period, according to a media release. The volunteers for the study were cancer-free at the time. (McGorry, 9/3)
Fox News: 'Ultra-Processed' Foods Could Accelerate Biological Aging, Study Finds
Three or more servings per day of what researches call “ultra-processed food” – mass-manufactured foods containing oils, sugars, fats, starch and little nutrients – may lead to changes in chromosomes linked to aging, scientists at the European and International Conference on Obesity reported at an online medical conference Tuesday. The research, from a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that having multiple daily servings of junk food, like cookies, chips, fast-food burgers or other processed meals, doubles the chance that certain strands of DNA, called telomeres, would be shorter than those who ate healthier. (Settembre, 9/3)
Fox News: Drinking 1 Or More Alcoholic Beverages Daily Increases Chance Of Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome
Drinking more than two alcoholic beverages a day can increase risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome by more than 30% in some people, according to a recent report that was presented this week during the European and International Congress on Obesity. The study also found consuming as little as half a typical alcoholic drink each day, which is equivalent to 7g of pure alcohol, can increase the chances of metabolic syndrome and obesity in men and women, according to a study. (McGorry, 9/3)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Study: There Is No Link Between Home Hair Dyes And Cancer
Your social media timeline is likely filled with photos of friends and family showing off their gray tresses. During the coronavirus pandemic, many people have chosen to forgo trips to the salon and opted to return to their natural hair color. When the time comes to return to society, those who opt to once again color their locks can do so without fear, a new study finds. Home hair dyes do not cause most cancers, researchers say. (Clanton, 9/3)
Kaiser Health News: As Threat Of Valley Fever Grows Beyond The Southwest, Push Is On For Vaccine
One New Year’s Day, Rob Purdie woke up with a headache that wouldn’t quit. Vision problems, body aches and a slight fever followed. At the emergency room, the Bakersfield, California, resident was given antibiotics, which didn’t touch his symptoms. His headache turned into cluster headaches and the fatigue became worse.“I was not really functional,” he said in a recent interview, recalling the beginning of his eight-year struggle with the mystery illness. (Robbins, 9/4)
