Invasive Group A Strep Infections Are Rising In US, CDC Study Shows

NBC News: Invasive Strep Infections Have More Than Doubled In The U.S., CDC Study Finds
Severe, possibly life-threatening strep infections are rising in the United States. The number of invasive group A strep infections more than doubled from 2013 to 2022, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Prior to that, rates of invasive strep had been stable for 17 years. Invasive group A strep occurs when bacteria spread to areas of the body that are normally germ-free, such as the lungs or bloodstream. (Bendix, 4/7)

In other health and wellness news —

Newsweek: Scientists Find MRI Scans Could Leave Toxic Metal Behind In Your Body
A new study has found why MRI scans may leave harmful metals behind in a person's body. The University of New Mexico (UNM) study explored health risks caused by toxic rare earth metal gadolinium, which is used in MRI imaging. Gadolinium-based contrast agents, which create sharper images of the scan, are injected into the body before an MRI to explore any potential issues in the body. (O'Connor, 4/7)

CNN: ‘Amazing’ Reduction In Alzheimer’s Risk Verified By Blood Markers, Study Says 
The preliminary data, presented Monday at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in San Diego, analyzed biomarkers on 54 participants in an ongoing preventive neurology study called the Biorepository Study for Neurodegenerative Diseases, or BioRAND. (LaMotte, 4/7)

MedPage Today: Comorbidities In Midlife Tied To Cancer Risk
Comorbidities in midlife were associated with a modestly higher risk of cancer overall and more strongly associated with a risk for multiple individual cancer types, according to a secondary analysis of the prospective Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) screening trial. ... None of the other comorbidity classifications (gastrointestinal, liver, and metabolic) had a significant association with the risk of cancer overall. (Bassett, 4/7)

The Hill: Marathon Running Depletes Brain Myelin, But Reversible
Running 26.2 miles can do some damage to the brain, according to a recent study, though the impact is temporary and reversible. A group of researchers studied how marathon running impacts the brain by conducting MRIs on 10 runners within two days of a run. In a study published in the Nature Metabolism Journal on March 24, scientists observed eight men and two women and found their myelin levels “diminished by severe exercise.” (Soriano, 4/7)

KFF Health News: For Opioid Victims, Payouts Fall Short While Governments Reap Millions 
Christopher Julian’s opioid journey is familiar to many Americans. He was prescribed painkillers as a teenager for a series of sports injuries. He said the doctor never warned him they could be addictive. Julian didn’t learn that fact until years later, when he was cut off and began suffering withdrawal symptoms. At that point, he started siphoning pills from family members and buying them from others in his southern Maine community. After his brother died of brain cancer in 2011, Julian used opioids to cope with more than physical pain. (Pattani with Zuraw and Larweh, 4/8)

KFF Health News: Public Health Risks Of Urban Wildfire Smoke Prompt Push For More Monitoring
When the catastrophic Los Angeles fires broke out, John Volckens suspected firefighters and residents were breathing toxic air from the burning homes, buildings, and cars, but it was unclear how much risk the public faced. So, the professor of environmental health at Colorado State University devised a plan to get answers. Volckens shipped 10 air pollution detectors to Los Angeles to measure the amounts of heavy metals, benzene, and other chemicals released by the flames, which burned more than 16,000 homes, businesses, and other structures, making it one of the country’s costliest natural disasters. (Gammon, 4/8)