Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study Has Been Digitized For Public Use
The Washington Post: Records From Notorious Tuskegee Syphilis Study Now Available Online
A cache of documents related to the Tuskegee syphilis study — a 40-year experiment that tracked infected Black men without treating them — has now been digitized for public use, the National Library of Medicine announced. The documents concern one of medical history’s bleakest chapters. In 1932, officials from the U.S. Public Health Service recruited 600 impoverished Black men in Macon County, Ala., promising them years of free medical care, burial insurance and treatment for an ailment known as “bad blood.” (Blakemore, 11/5)
In other health and wellness news —
CNN: Emergency Room Visits For Firearm Injuries Among Children Doubled During The Pandemic
America’s gun epidemic has become deadlier than ever for children since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and firearm-related injuries are driving children to emergency rooms at significantly higher rates than before. Pediatric emergency department visits for firearm injuries became twice as common during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research published Monday, in the journal Pediatrics. (McPhillips, 11/6)
Bloomberg: Daily Cannabis Use Linked To Higher Risk Of Severe Heart Disease In Studies
Using cannabis every day raises many of the same risks of severe heart disease that affect frequent cigarette smokers, new research shows. Daily use of the recreational drug was linked to a 34% increased risk of developing heart failure in a study that followed more than 150,000 Americans over almost four years. Marijuana use was also linked to life-threatening brain and heart complications in older hospitalized patients with pre-existing cardiac and metabolic problems, a separate study found. (Millson, 11/6)
NPR: Tyson Recalls 30,000 Pounds Of Dino-Shaped Chicken Nuggets
About 30,000 pounds of dinosaur-shaped frozen chicken nuggets are being recalled after consumers reported finding metal pieces in the product, U.S. food safety officials said. "A limited number of consumers have reported they found small, pliable metal pieces in the product," Tyson said in a news release about the voluntary recall issued Saturday. (Bowman, 11/5)
NBC News: Science Of Fainting: New Research Showing Link Between Brain And Heart Offers Clues
New research in mice, published this week in the journal Nature, offers a closer understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind fainting. The researchers theorize that the activation of neurons that link the heart and brain can induce a fainting spell. "This is the first step to show there is much more to fainting than just reduced blood flow," said Vineet Augustine, an assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego, and one of the study's authors. (Bendix, 11/3)
NPR: Tai Chi, A Form Of Slow-Moving Martial Arts, Helps Boost Memory, Study Finds
There's plenty of evidence that exercise can help protect our bodies and brains. ... In fact, a new study finds tai chi, a form of slow-moving martial arts, can help slow down cognitive decline and protect against dementia. As part of the study, all the participants took a 10-minute test, called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, to gauge cognitive function. The study found that people who practiced a simplified form of tai chi, called Tai Ji Quan twice a week for about six months improved their score by 1.5 points. (Aubrey, 11/6)
CNN: Retro Walking — Or Going Backward — Is Good For You, Experts Say
Head into any gym, and you may find someone walking backward on a treadmill or pedaling in reverse on an elliptical machine. While some may be employing reverse motion as part of a physical therapy regimen, others may be doing so to boost their physical fitness and overall health. (McManus, 11/3)
Politico: Sen. Chris Murphy Wants To Solve The Loneliness Epidemic
Sen. Chris Murphy looks at us and doesn’t like what he sees. We don’t get out enough and it’s no wonder considering the amount of time we spend on our phones. We haven’t gotten back to our pre-pandemic social routines and it shows: While 1 in 2 Americans reported being lonely prior to 2020, Covid turbocharged the problem. The Connecticut Democrat calls loneliness “one of the most important political issues of our time” and he’s at the head of an unspoken alliance of policymakers who see it as a key post-pandemic public health issue. The surgeon general, a Republican House member from small-town Nebraska, and the GOP governor of Utah are among those on a mission to help us reconnect. (Schumaker, 11/5)
KFF Health News: Science Says Teens Need More Sleep. So Why Is It So Hard To Start School Later?
High school classes start so early around this city that some kids get on buses at 5:30 in the morning. Just 10% of public schools nationwide start before 7:30 a.m., according to federal statistics. But in Nashville, classes start at 7:05 — a fact the new mayor, Freddie O’Connell, has been criticizing for years. “It’s not a badge of honor,” he said when he was still a city council member. (Sweeney, 11/6)
