Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'End Family Fire': Advocates Want To Curb Children's Deaths From Accidental Shootings By Giving The Problem A Name
The Washington Post: A Gun Control Group Is Trying To Make A Phrase Viral. How Does It Happen?
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence is launching a public education campaign to warn of the dangers of having unlocked and loaded guns in a house, particularly in one where there are children. Called “End Family Fire,” the campaign seeks to prevent unintentional deaths by urging gun owners to take steps that would prevent children or guests from accessing firearms. They include storing a gun in a place where it is not accessible to those who do not own it, storing a firearm and ammunition separately from one another and using a gun lock. (Zezima, 8/8)
The Washington Post: Online Dating Study Quantifies What’s ‘Out Of Your League'
Online dating is now one of the primary ways people meet partners, and researchers can use data from dating apps to observe and quantify romantic attraction and pursuit. In other words, all of those terrible online messages and first dates are being donated to science. A study out Wednesday in the journal Science Advances described “a hierarchy of desirability” in the messaging tactics of online daters. It also found that both men and women messaged potential partners who were on average 25 percent more attractive than they were. (Furby, 8/8)
The New York Times: Dizziness On Standing May Be A Risk Factor For Dementia
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded when you stand up may be a risk factor for stroke and dementia years down the road, a new study reports. The condition, known as orthostatic hypotension, is caused by a sharp drop in blood pressure when rising from a supine position. It can be a symptom of various diseases or a side effect of medicine but often has no known cause. (Bakalar, 8/8)
NPR: Sperm Counts Lower In Men Wearing Tight Undies
If you've ever seen someone with testicles get kicked in the groin, then you probably know that male genitals — often portrayed as a symbol of male strength and virility — aren't actually that tough. But can testicles — or rather, the sperm they produce — be harmed by something as seemingly innocent as a pair of briefs? (Chisholm, 8/8)
The New York Times: Margot Kidder’s Death Was A Suicide, Coroner Says
When Margot Kidder died in May, she was remembered as the actress who brought the fictional reporter Lois Lane to life in a series of blockbuster Superman movies in the 1970s and ’80s. Her obituary in The New York Times did not specify a cause of death. But on Wednesday the Park County coroner’s office in Montana, where she lived, revealed that the cause was suicide. A statement provided by the coroner to The Associated Press said that Ms. Kidder “died as a result of a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose.” (Fortin, 8/8)
The Associated Press: No Easy Answers On Best Heart Check-Up For Young Athletes
What kind of heart check-up do young athletes need to make the team? A large study of teenage soccer players in England found in-depth screening didn't detect signs of trouble in some athletes who later died — yet allowed others at risk to get treated and back in the game. At issue is cardiac arrest, when the heart abruptly stops beating. It is rare in young people, especially athletes thought to be at the peak of health. (Neergaard, 8/8)
Kaiser Health News: Learning To Live Well With Dementia
Imagine your doctor telling you have Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. Then, imagine being told, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do. You might want to start getting your affairs in order.” Time and again, people newly diagnosed with these conditions describe feeling subsequently overcome by hopelessness. In their new book, “Better Living With Dementia,” Laura Gitlin and Nancy Hodgson — two of the nation’s leading experts on care for people with cognitive impairment — argue forcefully that it’s time for this “cycle of despair” to be broken. (Graham, 8/9)
