Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Efforts To Diagnose Symptomless Alzheimer's Early Are In The Spotlight
Los Angeles Times: Inside The Plan To Diagnose Alzheimer’s In People With No Memory Problems — And Who Stands To Benefit
In a darkened Amsterdam conference hall this summer, a panel of industry and academic scientists took the stage to announce a plan to radically expand the definition of Alzheimer’s disease to include millions of people with no memory complaints. Those with normal cognition who test positive for elevated levels of certain proteins that have been tied to Alzheimer’s — but not proven to cause the disease — would be diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s Stage 1, the panel members explained. (Petersen, 2/20)
WUFT: The Brain Bus Connects Rural Communities To Needed Alzheimer’s Assistance
It’s a Thursday afternoon in Gainesville and there’s a 40-foot-long purple bus parked inside the lot of a busy Publix grocery store. Rob Harris yells, “Hi, come on in.” This is the Brain Bus and it’s run by the Alzheimer’s Association. Rob Harris drives the bus up and down the entire state of Florida giving out information on Alzheimer’s and dementia to people looking for help. (Penello, 2/20)
In other public health news —
Newsweek: Too Much TV May Cause Nighttime Urination Problem
People who spend too much time glued to movies, TV shows, or YouTube videos may be more prone to needing to pee during the night, research has found. Nocturia, or the need to pee multiple times during the night, may be linked to spending 5 or more hours a day watching movies, TV, or videos online, according to a new paper in the journal Neurourology and Urodynamics. (Thomson, 2/21)
Newsweek: Dangerous Sleep Problems May Be Caused By Your Diet
Your diet could be increasing your risk of dangerous snoring and sleep problems, a new study has warned. ... As many as 1 billion people around the world suffer from sleep apnea, studies have shown. It affects roughly 1 in 5 individuals with obesity. Sleep apnea is often accompanied by loud snoring, unexplained fatigue and mood swings. However, in the long run it has also been linked to heart disease and metabolic conditions like diabetes, Johns Hopkins Medicine reports. (Dewan, 2/20)
On news about measles —
Reuters: More Than Half The World Faces High Measles Risk, WHO Says
More than half the world's countries will be at high or very high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year unless urgent preventative measures are taken, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday. Measles cases have been increasing across most regions mainly due to missed vaccinations during the COVID-19 years when health systems were overwhelmed and fell behind on routine vaccinations for preventable diseases. (2/21)
Health News Florida: Measles Cases Confirmed At Broward Elementary School Prompt Investigation
The Florida Department of Health said it investigating after a Broward County elementary school confirmed a fifth case of the measles on Monday. The Broward school district said it conducted a deep cleaning of Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston over the weekend and replaced its air filters. (Cabrera, 2/20)
CIDRAP: Flu Remains Elevated In The Northern Hemisphere
Flu activity remains elevated in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, though detections have declined at the global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest update, which roughly covers the last week of January and the first days of February. Hot spots include parts of Europe and Central Asia, with very high activity reported from Russia and Slovakia. The 2009 H1N1 virus is dominant, and hospitalizations are elevated but stable. In North America, flu levels are still elevated, with slight influenza B rises in the United States and Canada. (Schnirring, 2/20)
Axios: More Than Half Of U.S. Newborns Got RSV Protection
More than half of U.S. newborns now appear to be protected by new RSV vaccines, according to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The virus is considered the second leading cause of death worldwide during the first year of a child's life. The data suggests demand was strong despite broader vaccine skepticism and the potential for confusion over more childhood immunization options. (Bettelheim, 2/20)
Also —
The Wall Street Journal: For Marijuana Users, Even Legalization Doesn’t Guarantee Safety
Marijuana contaminated with arsenic, lead or mold is causing serious, even life-threatening illnesses around the country as use of cannabis products explodes. People who have used marijuana have higher levels of heavy metals in their blood and are more likely to develop fungal infections, according to studies. Researchers have linked contaminants found in marijuana to cases of sudden-onset numbness, fatal lung bleeding and artery disease that resulted in amputations. (Armour, 2/20)
CNN: A Quarter Of Smokers Quit Within A Year Or Two Of Menthol Bans, Researchers Find
The US Food and Drug Administration has said that a menthol ban is a “top priority,” but public health advocates have accused the Biden administration of dragging its feet, and the ban has gotten caught up in election-year politics despite research showing clear health benefits. The new research, published Wednesday in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, looked at studies that have examined the effects of bans in more than 170 US localities, two states, several countries and the European Union. (Christensen, 2/21)
The Washington Post: They Take Kratom To Ease Pain Or Anxiety. Sometimes, Death Follows
A Washington Post review of federal and state statistics shows that medical examiners and coroners are increasingly blaming deaths on kratom — it was listed as contributing to or causing at least 4,100 deaths in 44 states and D.C. between 2020 and 2022. The vast majority of those cases involved other drugs in addition to kratom, which is made from the leaves of tropical trees. Still, the kratom-involved deaths account for a small fraction of the more than 300,000 U.S. overdose deaths recorded in those three years. (Ovalle, 2/20)
USA Today: Methamphetamine Plays Increasing Role In Addiction Crisis
Illicit fentanyl, the driving force behind the U.S. overdose epidemic, is increasingly being used in conjunction with methamphetamine, a new report shows. The laboratory Millennium Health said that 60% of patients whose urine samples contained fentanyl last year also tested positive for methamphetamine. Cocaine was detected in 22% of the fentanyl-positive samples. (Alltucker, 2/21)
KFF Health News: ‘Fourth Wave’ Of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled By Fentanyl And Meth
The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave,” which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation’s drug problem. These waves, according to a report out today from Millennium Health, began with the crisis in prescription opioid use, followed by a significant jump in heroin use, then an increase in the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. (DeGuzman, 2/21)
