Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Breast Density Changes Possibly Linked To Cancer Risks: Study
The New York Times: Researchers Identify Possible New Risk For Breast Cancer
Scientists have long known that dense breast tissue is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in women. A study published on Thursday in JAMA Oncology adds a new twist, finding that while breast density declines with age, a slower rate of decline in one breast often precedes a cancer diagnosis in that breast. (Rabin, 4/28)
In other health and wellness news —
The New York Times: Bilingualism May Stave Off Dementia, Study Suggests
Speaking two languages provides the enviable ability to make friends in unusual places. A new study suggests that bilingualism may also come with another benefit: improved memory in later life. Studying hundreds of older patients, researchers in Germany found that those who reported using two languages daily from a young age scored higher on tests of learning, memory, language and self-control than patients who spoke only one language. (Padmanabhan, 4/28)
AP: Deadly Heat Waves Threaten Older People As Summer Nears
Paramedics summoned to an Arizona retirement community last summer found an 80-year-old woman slumped inside her mobile home, enveloped in the suffocating 99-degree (37 C) heat she suffered for days after her air conditioner broke down. Efforts to revive her failed, and her death was ruled environmental heat exposure aggravated by heart disease and diabetes. In America’s hottest big metro, older people like the Sun Lakes mobile home resident accounted for most of the 77 people who died last summer in broiling heat inside their homes, almost all without air conditioning. Now, the heat dangers long known in greater Phoenix are becoming familiar nationwide as global warming creates new challenges to protect the aged. (Snow, 4/30)
AP: General Mills Issues Flour Recall After Salmonella Discovery
General Mills has issued a nationwide recall of its bleached and unbleached flour after discovering salmonella during a sampling of a 5-pound (2.3-kilogram) bag. The company is recalling 2-, 5- and 10-pound (0.9-, 2.3- and 4.5-kilogram) bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour with a “better if used by” date of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024, according to a notice posted Friday on its website. (4/29)
The Washington Post: Michael J. Fox Talks Mortality, Parkinson’s: ‘I’m Not Gonna Be 80.’
In a revealing interview, the actor Michael J. Fox spoke about his own mortality and the challenges of living with Parkinson’s disease for more than 30 years, including his experiences with falling and breaking bones. The interview, with Jane Pauley of “CBS Sunday Morning,” was to promote his new documentary “Still,” to be released May 12. (Parker-Pope, 4/30)
