Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First-Time ADHD Diagnoses On The Rise In People Over 30
The New York Times: ADHD Diagnosis In Older People Has Increased
An analysis by Truveta, a health care data and analytics company, shows that the rate of first-time A.D.H.D. diagnoses has been on the rise since 2021, but the increase has occurred only among people 30 and older. From January 2021 to October 2024, the rate of first-time diagnoses rose about 61 percent among those ages 30 to 44 and 64 percent among those ages 45 to 64. As a result, about 31 percent of first-time diagnoses are now among people ages 30 to 44, the largest proportion of any age group. (In 2018, younger adults took the top spot.) (Caron, 12/11)
In other health and wellness news —
The Guardian: Americans Spend More Time Living With Diseases Than Rest Of World, Study Shows
Americans spend more time living with diseases than people from other countries, according to a new study. On Wednesday, the American Medical Association published its latest findings, revealing that Americans live with diseases for an average of 12.4 years. Mental and substance-use disorders, as well as musculoskeletal diseases, are main contributors to the years lived with disability in the US, per the study. (Yang, 12/11)
CNN: Certain Foods May Disrupt Your Body’s Fight Against Cancer Cells, Study Says
The food you eat may be affecting your body’s ability to fight cancer cells in the colon, according to a new study. The potential culprit: an overabundance of certain omega-6 fatty acids — perhaps from ultraprocessed foods in your diet — that may hinder the anti-inflammatory and tumor-fighting properties of another essential fatty acid, omega-3. (LaMotte, 12/11)
CBS News: Stanford Researchers Look Into AI Tool To Help Fight Cancer And Other Diseases
Researchers at Stanford University believe a newly developed AI tool could help in the fight against cancer and other diseases. Olivier Gevaert, a biomedical data scientist at Stanford Medicine, showed CBS News Bay Area an example of a breast cancer tissue. Identifying and understanding the prevalence of specific genes within that tissue is just one hurdle in the fight against certain cancers. (Choi, 12/11)
BBC: Canada Euthanasia Now Accounts For Nearly One In 20 Deaths
The rate of medical assistance in dying - also known as euthanasia - has grown in Canada for the fifth straight year, albeit at a slower pace. The country released its fifth annual report since legalising assisted dying in 2016, which for the first time included data on the ethnicity of those seeking euthanasia. Around 15,300 people underwent assisted dying last year, accounting for 4.7% of deaths in the country. Canada lawmakers are currently seeking to expand access to euthanasia to cover people with mental illnesses by 2027. (Yousif, 12/11)
