Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite Tremendous Progress, America Still Lags Behind On Teen Birth Rates
Los Angeles Times: Teen Birth Rate In The U.S. Hits Record Low For 7th Consecutive Year
The birth rate for U.S. teenagers hit an all-time low in 2015, the seventh straight year a new record has been set. Overall, there were 22.3 births for every 1,000 young women between 15 and 19, according to a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents an 8% drop in just one year. (Kaplan, 9/28)
The New York Times: High Blood Pressure May Limit Children’s Cognitive Skills, Study Suggests
Increasing numbers of children have high blood pressure, largely as a consequence of their obesity. A growing body of evidence suggests that high blood pressure may impair children’s cognitive skills, reducing their ability to remember, pay attention and organize facts. (Saint Louis, 9/29)
WBUR: Could Your DNA Serve As Clock To Gauge How You Age And When You'll Die?
UCLA geneticist Steve Horvath led a team of 65 scientists in seven countries to record age-related changes to human DNA, calculate biological age and estimate a person’s lifespan. A higher biological age — regardless of chronological age — consistently predicted an earlier death. The findings are published in today’s edition of the journal Aging. (Goldberg, 9/28)
Kaiser Health News: Large Danish Study Links Contraceptive Use To Risk Of Depression
Aside from pesky side effects like nausea and headaches, hormonal contraceptives are generally considered quite safe and effective. But researchers Wednesday identified a heightened risk of an unintended consequence: depression. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry found women using hormonal contraception faced a higher rate of developing depression and using antidepressants than women who did not use the drugs. Oral contraceptives that combine two key hormones, a type widely used by Americans, increased women’s rate of taking antidepressants by 23 percent. Among teens using these contraceptives, the rate nearly doubled. (Heredia Rodriguez, 9/28)
