Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Good News For Athletes? Torn ACLs May Not Need Surgery To Heal
The Washington Post: Torn ACL Injuries Can Heal Without Surgery, New Study Finds
In the new study published this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, 90 percent of 80 ruptured ACLs studied showed signs of healing and repair on scans about three months later. The patients had followed a newly developed protocol of bracing and physical therapy. (Reynolds, 6/28)
In other health and wellness news —
The Washington Post: Living Near Green Spaces Could Add 2.5 Years To Your Life
Want to live longer? Living near more green spaces could be part of the answer. A study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances suggests that if you have long-term exposure to more greenery where you live, on average you may be adding 2.5 years to your life. (Chiu, 6/28)
NBC News: Tick And Mosquito Season Is Shaping Up To Be Severe This Year
Summer is peak tick and mosquito season, and the insects may pose a particularly acute threat this year, experts say. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert about the first locally acquired cases of malaria in the U.S. in 20 years, detected in Florida and Texas. (Pandey, 6/28)
NBC News: Have A Summer Cold? Common Viruses Return From Pandemic Hiatus
After retreating during the pandemic, colds are back in full force in some parts of the U.S. this summer. Rhinoviruses — the most frequent cause of the common cold — circulate year-round, but summer gatherings such as weddings, barbecues and graduations may have accelerated their spread, according to disease experts. (Bendix, 6/28)
Fox News: Uterine Cancer Deaths Could Soon Outnumber Deaths From Ovarian Cancer, Oncologist Says: ‘We Need To Do Better’
The most common type of gynecologic cancer in the U.S. has been on the rise in recent years — and there’s no standard screening for it. Uterine cancer will affect about 66,200 women in 2023 in the U.S. — and around 13,000 will die from the disease, per the American Cancer Society (ACS). (Rudy, 6/29)
Axios: Gen Z’s Mental Health Divide
Older members of Gen Z who are lesbian, gay or bisexual are more anxious and less happy than their straight counterparts, per a Gallup-Walton Family Foundation American Youth Survey released Thursday. Why it matters: Studies have shown that the cohort born between the late 1990s and early 2010s is experiencing a sustained decline in mental health, but the poll indicates stigma and harassment is placing an extra burden on lesbian, gay and bisexual members. (Moreno, 6/29)
On the gun violence epidemic —
The Washington Post: More Americans See Gun Violence As Major Problem, Poll Finds
A growing number of Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, now view gun violence as a significant problem, and a majority expect it to get worse over the next five years, according to a new poll released Wednesday from Pew Research Center. While the poll found that twice as many Democrats as Republicans said gun violence is a “very big” problem in the nation, at 81 percent of Democrats compared with 38 percent of Republicans. Pew noted that, over the last year, the number of people in both parties who said gun violence is a “very big” problem has increased 11 percent. (Alfaro, 6/28)
NPR: Growing View Of Gun Violence As An Epidemic May Help U.S. Limit It
Six months into the year, more than 21,000 people have died because of gun-related injuries in the United States. Doctors and public health officials have a word to describe the rising number of people killed or hurt by guns in recent years: epidemic. (Adams, 6/29)
