Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Black Men Have Higher Melanoma Risk Than Other Racial Groups: Study
NBC News: Black Men Are At An Increased Risk For Melanoma, Study Finds
Black men are at a higher risk of death from melanoma than other racial groups, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). Across 205,125 cases of male patients diagnosed with cutaneous invasive melanoma from 2004 to 2018 tracked by the National Cancer Database, the five-year survival rate was the lowest for Black men at 51.7%. The rate of survival was the highest for white men, at 75.1%, compared to the other racial groups in the study. (Bellamy, 7/11)
On discrimination and health —
USA Today: Racism Has 'Huge' Implications For Childhood Obesity, Study Finds
Racism contributes to childhood obesity, according to a new study that found children as young as 9 were more likely to meet the definition of obesity if they faced racism a year earlier. While the link between racism and obesity has long been assumed, this was a clear confirmation in young children, said co-author Adolfo Cuevas, an expert on racism and health at the NYU School of Global Public Health. (Weintraub, 7/11)
Bloomberg: US Veterans In ‘Redlined’ Areas Face Greater Heart Death Risks, Study Shows
US military veterans living in areas with a history of economic discrimination face an increased risk of death, according to a study that adds to the evidence of social factors’ impact on health. (Webb Carey, 7/11)
In other health and wellness news —
KFF Health News: Excessive Drinking During The Pandemic Increased Alcoholic Liver Disease Death Rates
Excessive drinking during the covid-19 pandemic increased alcoholic liver disease deaths so much that the condition killed more Californians than car accidents or breast cancer, a KFF Health News analysis has found. Lockdowns made people feel isolated, depressed, and anxious, leading some to increase their alcohol intake. Alcohol sales rose during the pandemic, with especially large jumps in the consumption of spirits. (Reese, 7/12)
CNN: A Little Exercise Counters Depression In People With Chronic Conditions, Study Finds
As little as 20 minutes of moderate activity a day for five days a week can significantly lower the risk of depressive symptoms for people over 50 who have conditions often linked to depression, such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain, a new study found. People without chronic disease in the study, however, needed to do moderate to vigorous exercise two hours a day to see improvement in depressive symptoms, according to lead study author Eamon Laird, a researcher at the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland. (LaMotte, 7/10)
The 19th: Disability Rights Advocate Eleanor Smith Aims To Make All New Homes Visitable
At 80, longtime disability rights advocate Eleanor Smith is still pushing to enact change. Since the late 1980s, Smith has been advocating to make new homes more accessible for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The idea was born from the profound isolation experienced by Smith, who got polio as a child and was unable to easily visit many other people’s homes because they were not wheelchair accessible. (Luterman, 7/11)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: A proposed rule change to telehealth prescriptions worries some rural Americans, and a look at racial inequities in medical bill crowdfunding campaigns. (7/11)
Stat: One Year Into 988 Hotline, Staff Push For Fixes To System
One year after 988 launched as the new number for the national U.S. mental health hotline, the people behind the system say they’re still working out some kinks. In an ideal world, for example, a caller in New York looking to talk would be routed to a New York call center, so that hotline workers could direct them to the most relevant information on local resources. But right now, calls are routed to the system by area code — meaning someone based in New York, but whose phone has a Massachusetts area code, will be routed to a Massachusetts call center. (Gaffney, 7/12)
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