Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Threatens To Prosecute Companies That Make Bogus Claims About Cancer Cures
The Washington Post: FDA Cracks Down On Companies Pushing Fraudulent Cancer Claims
The Food and Drug Administration ordered 14 companies to stop making bogus claims about cancer cures — including asparagus extract, exotic teas and topical creams for pets — or face possible product seizures and criminal prosecution. The letters covered more than five-dozen unapproved products that the companies touted as preventing, treating or curing cancer, a violation of federal law, the agency said. The items included pills, ointments, oils, drops, teas and diagnostic devices. (McGinley, 4/25)
The Associated Press: 'Superbug' Fungus New Menace In US Hospitals, Mostly NY, NJ
A 'superbug' fungus is emerging as a new menace in U.S. hospitals, mostly in New York and New Jersey. First identified in Japan in 2009, the fungus has spread to more than a dozen countries around the globe. The oldest of the 66 cases reported in the U.S. dates back to 2013, but most were reported in the last year. (Stobbe, 4/25)
Boston Globe: The Cost Of Economic Inequality To The Nation’s Physical Health
After its unsuccessful push to reconfigure the US health care system, the Trump administration has signaled that it will turn its attention to tax reform. While the details of the administration’s plan are still unclear, President Trump has indicated in the past a willingness to embrace measures that would greatly favor the wealthy, including tax cuts for the rich and a repeal of the estate tax. (Bor and Galea, 4/25)
NPR: Binge Drinkers Beware: Study Finds Link Between Alcohol And Heart Arrhythmias
Researchers in Germany have found that getting drunk is associated with abnormal heart rhythms. Their study was conducted in a place teeming with potential research subjects. "Basically we were sitting over a beer or two, ironically, and talking about how to design a study about relevance of alcohol consumption on heart rate," remembers Dr. Moritz Sinner, an assistant professor of medicine at University Hospital Munich. "This was summer [2015], and Oktoberfest happens in the fall." (Hersher, 4/26)
USA Today: Marijuana May Be A Miracle Treatment For Children With Autism
Noa [Shulman] is part of the first clinical trial in the world to test the benefits of medicinal marijuana for young people with autism, a potential breakthrough that would offer relief for millions of afflicted children — and their anguished parents. Calling all frequent travelers! Join our new travel insights panel, Embark There is anecdotal evidence that marijuana’s main non-psychoactive compound — cannabidiol or CBD — helps children in ways no other medication has. Now this first-of-its-kind scientific study is trying to determine if the link is real. (Schwartz, 4/25)
The Washington Post: Your Child Is Sick And The Doctor’s Office Is Closed. What Do You Do?
It was the middle of the night on a Saturday when Rob and Jessica Lott’s daughter, Shuli, awoke with deep, ragged coughs and trouble breathing. The Lotts were visiting Philadelphia for the weekend from D.C., and neither parent wanted to wait until Monday to see their pediatrician. But would this rise to the level of an emergency-room visit? And would an ER experience upset their sick toddler even more? (Gale, 4/25)
The New York Times: Learning To Talk Like A Woman (Or Man)
In her 30s, Sophie Marat, now 42, used to record herself reading poetry aloud, then play it back to hear if she sounded like a woman. Ms. Marat, who is transgender, had spent years trying to remake her voice in private by speaking in a higher pitch but ultimately felt that her efforts were hopeless. “I was feeling like changing my voice to match my gender identity was almost impossible,” she said. “It was terrible.” (Saint Louis, 4/25)
