Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Blood Test Gives Alzheimer's Diagnosis With 90% Accuracy: Study
The New York Times: A Blood Test Accurately Diagnosed Alzheimer’s 90% Of The Time, Study Finds
Scientists have made another major stride toward the long-sought goal of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease with a simple blood test. On Sunday, a team of researchers reported that a blood test was significantly more accurate than doctors’ interpretation of cognitive tests and CT scans in signaling the condition. The study, published Sunday in the journal JAMA, found that about 90 percent of the time the blood test correctly identified whether patients with memory problems had Alzheimer’s. Dementia specialists using standard methods that did not include expensive PET scans or invasive spinal taps were accurate 73 percent of the time, while primary care doctors using those methods got it right only 61 percent of the time. (Belluck, 7/28)
NPR: A Protein Called Reelin May Help Protect Brains Against Aging And Alzheimer’s
A key protein that helps assemble the brain early in life, also appears to protect the organ from Alzheimer’s and other diseases of aging. A trio of studies published in the past year all suggest that the protein Reelin helps maintain thinking and memory in ailing brains, though precisely how it does this remains uncertain. The studies also show that when Reelin levels fall, neurons become more vulnerable. (Hamilton, 7/29)
In other health and wellness news —
The New York Times: Pediatricians Warn Against Overuse Of Tongue-Tie Surgeries
In recent years, more and more women struggling to breastfeed have taken their babies to a dentist to sever the tissue under the tongue. But little evidence supports the use of these “tongue-tie releases” for most babies, according to a report published on Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents 67,000 doctors. The tongue procedures, which often cost several hundred dollars, should be done only to the small fraction of infants with severely tethered tongues, the report said. (Kliff, 7/29)
Detroit Free Press: Study: Even Slight Increase In Systolic Blood Pressure Ups Stroke Risk
If your systolic blood pressure — the top number of your blood pressure reading — consistently edges above normal, new research from the University of Michigan suggests you're at an increased risk for stroke. A study published in JAMA Open Network found that if a person's systolic blood pressure hovers 10 points above the 120 mmHg threshold over a sustained period of time, that person's risk for ischemic stroke is 20% higher and the chances of an intracerebral hemorrhage climbs by 31%. (Jordan Shamus, 7/27)
Bloomberg: Kratom Users Warned By FDA Against OPMS Black Liquid After Death Reported
The top food and drug regulatory agency in the US is warning consumers to stop using a kratom product after it was linked to a death. OPMS Black Liquid Kratom, a plant-extract drink that is sold online and in certain stores, shouldn’t be consumed, the US Food and Drug Administration said in an advisory issued on Friday. “OPMS Black Liquid Kratom has been linked to serious adverse health effects, including death,” according to the statement on the FDA’s website. (Milton, 7/26)
NBC News: Vegetables And Herbs Sold At Walmart And Aldi Recalled Due To Possible Listeria Contamination
More than a dozen vegetables including peppers, cucumbers and squash have been recalled due to possible contamination with listeria. The recall affects produce sold at select Walmart and Aldi stores, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a news release Monday. It is an expansion of the Wiers Farm July 12 recall. The original recall was for a limited number of whole cucumbers and bagged salad cucumbers. (Burke, 7/26)
NBC News: Boar's Head Recalls More Than 207,000 Pounds Of Meat Due To Listeria Concerns
Boar’s Head has recalled more than 207,000 pounds of deli meat, including liverwurst and ham products sold nationwide, because they may contain the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The company initiated the recall after liverwurst at a store in Maryland tested positive for listeria. The sample was collected as part of an investigation into a multistate listeria outbreak that had sickened 34 people across 13 states as of Thursday. (Bendix, 7/26)
