Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
IUDs After Birth: These Placement Options Can Lower Expulsion Risks
The Washington Post: Timing Matters When Implanting IUDs In New Mothers, Researchers Say
New mothers who want intrauterine devices (IUDs) for long-acting contraception after giving birth should know that the risk of the implant being expelled is tied to how soon after delivery it is inserted, researchers say. The best option is either to place the IUD immediately after delivery, when there is only a 10 percent risk of the uterus expelling the device, or to wait at least four weeks afterward, when the risk drops to 4 percent, an analysis of existing research found. (Rapaport, 10/23)
The Associated Press: Experts Caution Study On Plastics In Humans Is Premature
Scientists in Austria say they've detected tiny bits of plastic in people's stool for the first time, but experts caution the study is too small and premature to draw any credible conclusion. Presenting their findings at a congress in Vienna on Tuesday, researchers from the Medical University of Vienna and the Environment Agency Austria said their pilot study detected nine types of so-called microplastic in all samples taken from eight volunteers living in Europe, Russia and Japan. (Jordans, 10/23)
Stat: CDC Director Says He Pushed To Keep U.S. Experts In Ebola Zone But Was Overruled
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that he argued that American experts should stay in the outbreak zone of the latest Ebola epidemic but was overridden by others in the Trump administration because of security concerns. “Those decisions are security decisions that really are outside the realm of my public health expertise,” said the director, Robert Redfield, who said he made a case to the Department of Health and Human Services about why public health experts should remain in the outbreak area but that, at the end of the day, his argument didn’t win out. (Swetlitz, 10/23)
The New York Times: Boy Talk: Breaking Masculine Stereotypes
“In here, we get to say stuff we wouldn’t normally say in front of other people. And we don’t judge each other,” said a seventh grader with dark curls. “Boys should have a safe space to talk about things that matter to us,” said another seventh grader with a hint of a Canadian accent. The two were veterans of a weekly lunch time boys’ group at the Sheridan School, a K-8 private school in Northwest Washington, D.C., explaining the group’s purpose to new members. (Reiner, 10/24)
The New York Times: Aspirin May Be A Good Option To Prevent Blood Clots After Knee Surgery
Surgeons often prescribe expensive anticoagulant drugs after knee surgery to prevent blood clots, but a new study has found that plain aspirin can work just as well. Blood clots are not common after knee surgery, but the consequences can be serious and even fatal. There are a number of prescription blood thinners, including the oldest, warfarin (Coumadin), and several new ones with varying mechanisms of action. (Bakalar, 10/23)
The New York Times: Even A 10-Minute Walk May Be Good For The Brain
Ten minutes of mild, almost languorous exercise can immediately alter how certain parts of the brain communicate and coordinate with one another and improve memory function, according to an encouraging new neurological study. The findings suggest that exercise does not need to be prolonged or intense to benefit the brain and that the effects can begin far more quickly than many of us might expect. We already know that exercise can change our brains and minds. The evidence is extensive and growing. (Reynolds, 10/24)
KQED: Want A Whole New Body? Ask This Flatworm How
Nelson Hall wants you to know that the googly-eyed flatworm he just sliced into four pieces is going to be OK. In fact, it’s going to be great. Three of the flatworm’s four pieces have started to wriggle away from each other; its head is moving in circles under Hall’s microscope. (Quiros, 10/23)
The New York Times: Can Eating Organic Food Lower Your Cancer Risk?
People who buy organic food are usually convinced it’s better for their health, and they’re willing to pay dearly for it. But until now, evidence of the benefits of eating organic has been lacking. Now a new French study that followed 70,000 adults, most of them women, for five years has reported that the most frequent consumers of organic food had 25 percent fewer cancers over all than those who never ate organic. Those who ate the most organic fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat and other foods had a particularly steep drop in the incidence of lymphomas, and a significant reduction in postmenopausal breast cancers. (Rabin, 10/23)
