Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'I Felt Like I Had Been Kicked In The Gut': A Look At The Man Behind One Of Those Many Disappointments In Alzheimer's Research
Stat: A Celebrated Drug Hunter Went After Alzheimer's. Here's How He Lost
The fate of the most promising Alzheimer’s drug in decades was sealed with a text message. It was sent to Al Sandrock, one of the most celebrated drug developers of his generation. He and his employer, Biogen, the pioneering biotech firm, had spent a dozen years and hundreds of millions of dollars developing the drug. It was the talk of neuroscience; it had been featured on the cover of Fortune — a sign of hope for the entire field. The text message said his team needed to see him urgently. He didn’t know why. He didn’t know that Biogen’s head of research was getting the same message, and would be calling into the meeting on a secure line from an international trip. (Herper, 6/6)
Los Angeles Times: Hitting Paris Climate Goals Would Save 759 Lives In L.A. During Huge Heat Wave, Study Finds
For decades, climate scientists have been designing models to predict global warming’s long-term ecological effects: sea level rise, coral bleaching, extinctions of entire species. Researchers have now taken a step that hits closer to home, characterizing for the first time how various climate scenarios outlined in the Paris agreement could affect heat-related deaths in humans. (Baumgaertner, 6/5)
The New York Times: Putting The Glam In Mammogram
When Shawna Peters, a cybersecurity recruiter in St. Paul, Minn., heard about a V.I.P. night including chair massages and goody bags with mints, lip balms and pedicure accessories, she signed right up. Nevermind that she’d have to get a mammogram to earn those perks. Mammograms are such a literal pain — unless you are the kind of person who likes having her breast smashed against squeezing plates — that Ms. Peters, 44, said she always puts off getting one. (Clifford, 6/6)
Marketplace: How Debt Takes A Toll On Psychological Well-Being
People who are currently paying student loans have a much higher score on the Marketplace-Edison Research Economic Anxiety Index® than those who don’t have student loans — about two thirds higher. This is pretty much in line with what we know about indebtedness and psychological well-being: they don’t go hand in hand. (Ben-Achour, 6/5)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kids In Crisis: Bullying Is Everywhere, But Data On It Isn't. Could Tracking Help?
In response to a USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin online questionnaire, parents across Wisconsin and across generations shared stories of how bullying had torn their child apart and consumed their family’s attention. They talked about issues on the playground, in the classroom, on the bus and online. They talked about schools with great support mechanisms and those where they felt helpless. (Shastri and Litke, 6/5)
California Healthline: Keeping Kids Healthy And Sane In A Digital World
Smartphones, tablets and video consoles can be addictive. They interfere with sleep. They draw kids into an alternate universe, often distracting them from more productive — and healthier — real-world activities. And they are linked to anxiety and depression, learning disabilities and obesity. That’s according to a growing body of research emphasizing the physical and psychological dangers of heavy screen use.“Nobody should spend eight or nine hours doing anything except sleeping and working,” says Dr. Sina Safahieh, medical director of ASPIRE, the teen mental health program run by Hoag Hospital in Orange County, Calif. (Wolfson, 6/5)
