Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dietitians Struggle To Find Ethical Balance In Navigating Ties To Food Industry
Stat: How The Food Industry Shapes America's Diet
But whether the trade group should be hawking it at an assembly of the nation’s dietitians — as it did here at a conference this month — has become a point of contention.The event in question is the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, and it is a veritable feast of food-related promotion. But the event is also made possible by vast sums of money from companies and trade groups, in some cases reinforcing the perception that “Big Food” brands are corrupting the guidance provided to millions of Americans every year. Over the years, the group hosting the event, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has exacerbated those concerns. (Kaplan, 10/31)
Los Angeles Times: Can Too Much Halloween Candy Kill You? This Is How Much It Would Take
If you’ve inhaled so many “fun size” Halloween candies that you feel like you could die, scientists have some good news: That is extremely unlikely. Of all the ways to go, overdosing on candy might not seem so bad. But death by candy is actually pretty hard to pull off. (Kaplan, 10/31)
And in other public health news —
The Washington Post: New Data Shows A Deadly Measles Complication Is More Common Than Thought
A complication of measles that kills children years after they have been infected is more common than previously thought, according to disturbing data released Friday. ... The complication is a neurological disorder that can lie dormant for years and then is 100 percent fatal. Researchers don't know what causes the virus to reactivate, and there is no cure once it does. The only way to prevent the disorder is by vaccinating everyone possible against measles. (Sun, 10/28)
Stat: Insight Into Tired Immune Cells Opens Door For Cancer Therapy
The body’s immune T cells fight off foreign invaders, but in patients with cancer and chronic diseases, they get tired from that constant battle. And it’s not just the body’s natural T cells that get exhausted. Engineered cells known as CAR-T cells — which aim to home in on and attack tumor cells — can get worn out, too. Now, scientists have a clearer picture of what’s happening inside those tired T cells. We talked to researcher Dr. Nick Haining of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute about the work, published this week in Science. (Thielking, 10/28)
Reuters: Kids Believe E-Cigs Less Dangerous Than Cigarettes
A majority of U.S. middle and high schoolers say that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes and that such products as smokeless tobacco and cigars fall somewhere in between, according to national surveys. They’re not necessarily wrong, but that comes with caveats, experts say. (10/28)
Columbus Dispatch: Tests Can Be Lifesavers For Men With Family History Of Prostate Cancer
After skin disease, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States, affecting 1 in 6. It also is the second-leading cause of death from cancer among men. Nearly 3 million men in the United States currently live with prostate cancer, with a new case occurring every 2.4 minutes and a death occurring every 19.1 minutes. ... Prostate cancer has no early warning signs. But a test that involves a digital rectal exam and a blood test can help identify cancer early on, when treatment is most effective, says Dr. Ronney Abaza, a urologic surgeon at OhioHealth. (Pyle, 10/30)
Miami Herald: A Simple Cheek Swab May Save A Person’s Life
Co-founded by Jay Feinberg, who found himself in need of a donor 25 years ago, Gift of Life has facilitated more than 3,000 transplants since its inception in 1991. It has added 275,000 names to Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide, a database of 28 million donors ... [Robby] Holroyd says that being a donor is one of the most gratifying — and easiest — things he has ever done. (The procedure, which involves a machine draining blood from your arm, has much become much easier over the years.) (Rhodes, 10/28)
