Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Giving Up Alcohol Can Take A Fatal Toll, Yet Few People Seem To Understand How Dangerous Process Is, Doctors Warn
USA Today: Hundreds In The United States Die Each Year From Alcohol Withdrawal
About 16 million people in the United States have alcohol use disorder, which the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism define as "compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake, and a negative emotional state when not using." For those experiencing the most serious symptom of withdrawal – the shaking, shivering, sweating and confusion of delirium tremens, or the DTs – the death rate has been estimated as high as 4 percent, or 1 in 25. Of patients admitted to one hospital in Spain with alcohol withdrawal syndrome from 1987 to 2003, a research team there found, 6.6 percent died. That's roughly 1 in 15. (O'Donnell, 11/27)
Health News Florida: We're Living Longer ... But A Medical Journal Sees Many Causes For Alarm
The editorial accompanies reports from a massive research project called Global Burden of Disease, which counts cases of disability, illness and death around the world. In sobering words, the editorial warns that mortality rates from various conditions are no longer decreasing, new epidemics (think opioids and dengue) are occurring, and we shouldn't be complacent. The studies themselves show an increase in obesity and a stall in life expectancy increases in countries such as the U.S. and U.K. as well as increasing rates of some conditions such as liver cancer and hypertensive heart disease. (Silberner, 11/27)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Childhood Obesity: Study Finds Moms Weight More Influential Than Dad
After examining the activity levels of 4,424 children and their parents over an 11-year period, scientists learned that children closely followed their mother’s weight loss habits. For example, researcher Kristi Kvaløy pointed out in a university article, a mother dropping two to six kilos (about four to 13 pounds) was linked to lower body mass index in children. (Pirani, 11/27)
The New York Times: The Best Foods For Athletes
More fat? More carbs? What kind? How much? When? Questions about what constitutes an ideal and practical diet for competitive athletes consume and confuse many athletes, as well as their coaches and families. But a new, comprehensive review about the science of sports nutrition published recently in Science provides a lucid overview of what currently is known — and not known — about how athletes should eat. (Reynolds, 11/28)
The Washington Post: Workplace Wellness Programs Work Best When Bosses Buy Into Them
Studies have shown that successfully adopting a culture that promotes health and wellness can help companies reduce health-care costs, cut absentee rates and perhaps attract top talent. One decade-long analysis by the research organization Rand Corp. of a Fortune 100 employer’s wellness program found that the disease management component generated savings of $136 per member every month, driven largely by a 30 percent reduction in employees’ hospital admissions. (Heubeck, 11/27)
The Washington Post: Hector Hernandez's 'Beer Belly' Was A 77-Pound Cancerous Tumor
It seemed that each pound was going straight to his gut. Hector Hernandez said he has always been “a big guy,” so he did not notice a problem until a couple years ago when his arms and legs seemed to be getting smaller, while his stomach was getting bigger. The 47-year-old from Downey, Calif., said that he also started struggling with heartburn and constipation and noticed that, at times, he had a hard time catching his breath. (Bever, 11/27)
