Flint Just ‘Tip Of Iceberg’ On Lead In Schools

The Washington Post: A Legal Loophole Might Be Exposing Children To Lead In The Nation’s Schools
Children drinking from water fountains at the nation’s schools — especially in aging facilities with lead pipes and fixtures — might be unwittingly exposing themselves to high levels of lead, which is known to cause brain damage and developmental problems including impulsive behavior, poor language skills and trouble remembering new information. Under federal law, the vast majority of schools don’t have to test the water flowing out of their taps and drinking fountains, and many states and districts also do not mandate water testing at schools. Even when districts do test their water, they don’t always tell parents about the problems they find. (Brown, 3/18)

In other public health news —

NPR: Aspirin Both Triggers And Treats An Often-Missed Disease
A few unusual symptoms helped Allison Fite eventually figure out that she had a little-known disease shared by 1 to 1.5 million Americans. She has asthma, a loss of smell and taste, and a strong, adverse reaction to alcohol. "Before I could finish [a drink], I started to get these really bad headaches," she says. "I really am allergic to fun." And she had nasal polyps, which are benign growths in the sinus cavities. When she was 20, she had them surgically removed for the first time. At age 25, she flew back from where she was living in Thailand to the U.S. for a second operation. But this time the polyps reappeared even faster, a mere eight weeks after the surgery. ... But the doctor mentioned that aspirin can cause nasal polyps. This was Fite's first real clue about her illness. It's called aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, or AERD. (Chen, 3/21)

The Kansas City Star: Medical Team Studies When An Effective But Sometimes Risky Stroke Drug Should Be Used
Count RoseMary Lee among the fortunate ones. When Lee suffered a stroke a few weeks ago, she was rushed to a hospital with an advanced stroke program and she received state-of-the-art care. Two days later, Lee, 79, was back home in Gladstone, and back to normal. “It’s amazing how it worked,” Lee said. Amazing, yes. But it happens far less often than it should, many doctors say. (Bavley, 3/20)

The Tampa Bay Times: Prediabetes Can Be The Wake-Up Call That Prevents Type 2 Diabetes, But Patients Need To Act
Dianne Muncey's doctor first talked with her about prediabetes in 2013. With a family history of Type 2 diabetes and blood glucose levels that had been creeping up for years, the doctor explained that Muncey was at high risk for diabetes herself. She was told to lose some weight, exercise and change her diet, but was given no specific instructions on exactly how to do that. She was on her own. "And, I just didn't do it," said Muncey, a retired teacher's assistant from Tampa, whose parents and four siblings had Type 2 diabetes. "They didn't give me any guide or a plan to follow, just general recommendations." (Maher, 3/17)

The Baltimore Sun: Nutritional Value Of Fish Might Be Reduced By Farming, Study Finds
About half the seafood that people eat around the world now comes from farms, but efforts to make fish a sustainable food source by raising it in a tank could be reducing its main nutritional selling point. Omega-3 fatty acids found naturally in fish have been shown to improve cardiovascular health and possibly stave off other maladies such as cancer. However, levels of those fats likely are being altered by a shift from feed made from fish meal and oil to plant-based feed, according to an analysis by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (3/19)