Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Catching Influenza Possibly Tied To Higher Heart Attack Risk
Fox News: Flu Diagnosis Could Significantly Raise Heart Attack Risk, New Study Finds
People who get influenza could be six times more susceptible to having a heart attack in the days following a flu diagnosis, a new study from the Netherlands has found. The study’s conclusions were scheduled to be presented on April 18 at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen, Denmark, as reported by Medscape. (Rudy, 4/23)
In other health and wellness news —
CNN: Kids Under 6 Ingesting Illicit Substances Rose After Covid-19 Outbreak, Study Shows
The outbreak of Covid-19 presented many dangers for children, and a new study suggests increased illicit substance ingestions were among them. In the first month of the pandemic in 2020, a 25% increase in overall ingestions occurred among children under 6 years old in the United States, according to the study published Friday in JAMA Network Open. (Holcombe, 4/21)
The Washington Post: Scientists Identify Thousands Of Unknown Viruses In Babies’ Diapers
Research involving Danish babies’ dirty diapers has provided a plethora of information on previously unknown viruses — and the best view yet of the makeup of the infant gut microbiome. Writing in the journal Nature Microbiology, an international team of researchers reports it has uncovered 10,000 new viruses in infant feces. (Blakemore, 4/23)
USA Today: Future Of IVF? Scientists Work To Create Babies Without Egg, Sperm
Scientists are getting closer to the possibility of making a new person from skin or blood cells, without the need for sex. This approach goes well beyond in vitro fertilization — which combines egg and sperm in a test tube — because it doesn't require natural eggs or sperm. (Weintraub, 4/23)
NBC News: Leg-Lengthening Surgery Gains Popularity Among Men Seeking To Be Taller
At 5'7", Alex considered himself short. The 26-year-old, who asked that his real name not be used to maintain his privacy, said he was sick of insults and jeering comments about his height. Shorter men “routinely get spoken down to just because of this trait that they can’t control,” Alex said. (Ede-Osifo, 4/23)
Reuters: 'It Totally Backfired': The Pitfalls Of Alzheimer's Genetic Testing
Wendy Nelson watched her mother slowly die of Alzheimer's disease, unable to move or swallow at the end. "All her pleasures of life were gone," Nelson said. Grief-stricken, terrified of facing the same death, Nelson ordered 23andMe DNA test kits for Christmas 2020 for herself and three adult daughters. A Boston-based biotech executive who is now 52, Nelson hoped the kits would provide reassurance. They delivered the worst possible result. Nelson has two copies of the APOE4 gene variant that increases the risk of Alzheimer's, which means her risk of developing the disease is eight to 12 times higher than people with the most common version of APOE. "It totally backfired," she said. (Steenhuysen, 4/22)
KFF Health News and ESPN: Pain, Hope, And Science Collide As Athletes Turn To Magic Mushrooms
The boxer felt broken. Every day, he was waking up in pain. Some days, it was debilitating headaches. Other times, it was his back. Or his fists. His ribs. His nose. On top of that, he had mood swings. Depression. Anxiety. Mike Lee didn’t regret his career. He had been one of the best professional fighters in the world in his weight class. He’d gone 21-1 professionally and fought in Madison Square Garden and in front of millions on TV. (Hawryluk and Van Valkenburg, 4/24)
On the gun violence epidemic —
Politico: Gun Violence Is Actually Worse In Red States. It’s Not Even Close
Listen to the southern right talk about violence in America and you’d think New York City was as dangerous as Bakhmut on Ukraine’s eastern front. In October, ... In reality, the region the Big Apple comprises most of is far and away the safest part of the U.S. mainland when it comes to gun violence, while the regions Florida and Texas belong to have per capita firearm death rates (homicides and suicides) three to four times higher than New York’s. (Woodard, 4/23)
