Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Critics Slam Leading Concussion Group For Not Linking CTE To Head Trauma
CNN: Experts Say Influential Group’s Guidance On CTE Is Too Weak
In a statement Wednesday, the Concussion in Sport Group, a panel of the world’s leading experts on concussion and head trauma, stopped short of definitively linking the brain disease CTE with repeated head trauma. ... “The CISG statement on CTE, and their refusal to clearly acknowledge a causal relationship between contact sports participation and CTE, is a danger to the public,” Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, said in a statement to CNN. (Kounang, 6/14)
Nature: Concussion Guidance For Sports Sidesteps Brain-Disease Link — Critics Are Baffled
“The CTE literature is almost exclusively case series studies,” says clinician Bob Cantu, a co-author of the consensus report at the Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. “And that literature did not meet the inclusion criteria for the systematic review.” ... The authors’ review concluded that amateur athletes were not at greater risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases than the general population. However, they says that studies of professional American football and soccer players show a greater mortality rates from the neurodegenerative disease ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (The link between ALS and CTE has been suggested but is not clear.) (Sanderson, 6/14)
USA Today: Hockey Hall Of Famer Henri Richard Had CTE At Time Of His Death
Henri Richard, the Hockey Hall of Famer who holds the NHL record of 11 Stanley Cup titles as a player, has been diagnosed posthumously with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Richard died in March 2020 at age 84 and the diagnosis of Stage 3 (out of 4) CTE was made by Dr. Stephen Saikali at Laval University in Quebec City, according to a news release from Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada. (Brehm, 6/14)
In other health and wellness news —
Wyoming Public Radio: Feds Are Raising Awareness About Black Lung Disease In Wyoming Coal Miners
According to the Northwest Community Action Programs (NOWCAP) Black Lung Clinic, more people in Wyoming likely have black lung disease than is actually reported, and a federal event this week is trying to raise awareness. Black lung disease comes from inhaling coal dust. It is incurable, as it chars the lungs – making breathing extremely difficult. It is a progressive disease, meaning it gets worse with time. Often, miners will not realize they have the disease until retiring from the mines. (Tan, 6/14)
The New York Times: New Obesity Drugs Come With A Side Effect Of Shaming
The belief persists — fed by diet gurus, influencers and an industry selling supplements and diet plans — that if people really really tried, they could shed pounds. So those who take a drug like Wegovy often end up in uncomfortable situations that are influenced by the common view that obesity is a lifestyle choice. (Kolata, 6/14)
Scientific American: How To Protect Yourself From Ticks And The Dangerous Diseases They Spread
Roughly the size of a sesame seed, these semimobile sacks of blood trail closely behind mosquitoes for the top transmitters of disease. Ticks are responsible for about 75 percent of the 650,000 vector-borne disease cases that occur annually in the U.S. New England and the Upper Midwest have seen the lion’s share of increase in tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Last month Maine recorded its first-ever death from the rare, tick-associated Powassan virus. But over the past few decades, various species of ticks have been migrating to new regions, leading to an increase in Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases throughout the South and mid-Atlantic. (Broderick, 6/14)
NBC News: Collagen Supplement Promoted By Jennifer Aniston Recalled
Tens of thousands of canisters of Collagen Peptides powder from the brand Vital Proteins, for which Jennifer Aniston is a spokesperson, have been recalled out of fear that shards of a broken plastic lid contaminated the product. The 24-ounce supplement canisters were distributed to Costco stores in 20 states and Puerto Rico, according to a voluntary recall notice from Vital Proteins posted on the Food and Drug Administration website. (Planas, 6/14)
Axios: Strawberry Recall: Frozen Strawberries Sold At Walmart, Costco Recalled
Multiple brands of frozen strawberries and fruit products sold at Walmart, Costco and HEB stores are being recalled after being linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened nine people. (Tyko, 6/14)
