Expert: Relax, There’s No Need To Panic Over Antibiotic-Resistant Superbug

The Washington Post: Nightmare Superbug: What Is It? And Should You Worry?
The news Thursday that researchers have found a person in the United States carrying bacteria resistant to antibiotics of last resort has caused alarm among public health and infectious disease experts. ... In the short term, experts say there is no need to panic. (Sun, 5/27)

The Washington Post: Cancer Deaths Rose During The Recession. But Why?
Wealthy countries experienced a small uptick in cancer deaths during the global economic crisis, according to a new study — an estimated 260,000 excess deaths between 2008 and 2010. The analysis, published in the medical journal the Lancet, found intriguing evidence that access to medical care might explain the rise: Increases in the unemployment rate were associated with additional cancer deaths except in countries with universal health care, where access to health care coverage would not have depended on employment. (Johnson, 5/26)

NPR: Hidden Heart Disease Is The Top Health Threat For U.S. Women
Tracy Solomon Clark is outgoing and energetic — a former fundraiser for big companies and big causes. As she charged through her 40s she had "no clue," she says, that there might be a problem with her heart. It was about six years ago — when she was 44 — that she first suffered severe shortness of breath, along with dizziness. She figured she was overweight and overworked, but never considered heart disease. "That was the furthest thing from my mind," Solomon Clark says. "I was young!" (Neighmond, 5/30)

NPR: Could Thinking Positively About Aging Be The Secret Of Health?
The dictionary defines ageism as the "tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment." But research indicates that ageism may not just be ill-informed or hurtful. It may also be a matter of life and death. Not that it's literally killing people. Researcher Becca Levy, a professor of epidemiology and psychology at the Yale School of Public Health, says it depends on how much a given individual takes those negative ideas to heart. (Jaffe, 5/28)

The Associated Press: Guarding Against Deadly Blows To The Chest In Kids' Sports
A blow to the chest sometimes knocks the heart out of rhythm, and can kill. Fortunately it's rare. But most victims are otherwise healthy kid athletes. And survival hinges on fast use of heart-zapping defibrillators that not every athletic league or school keeps near the playing fields. Now a U.S. organization that oversees athletic equipment has proposed the first performance standard for chest protectors to reduce the risk. (Neergaard, 5/30)

Meanwhile, federal regulations over public health issues could get some tweaks —

The Hill: Federal Cellphone Guidelines Could Undergo 'Tweaks' After Cancer Study
Federal cellphone guidelines for consumers could undergo "tweaks" after a major government study found a link between tumors and exposure to cellphone-type radiation in rats, according to a head of the agency that oversaw the study. John Bucher, the associate director of the U.S. National Toxicology Program, said the decision will ultimately be up to other agencies like the Food and Drug Administration or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (Trujilo, 5/27)

Chicago Tribune: Sleep Apnea A Tough Problem For Government, Transportation Industry
This spring, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration are collecting public comments as a first step toward making rules on testing and treatment for sleep apnea for truck drivers and rail operators. Currently, no regulations address the subject except to say you can't drive if you have untreated apnea. A comment session was held in Chicago this month. (Wisniewski, 5/29)