Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'A Concerning Trend': More Adults Ages 65-74 Aren't Having Their Care Needs Met, Study Finds
San Francisco Chronicle: Study Finds Troubling Trend Among Older Adults: ‘Earlier Onset’ Of Unmet Care Needs
A growing proportion of Americans ages 65 to 74 are facing activity limitations and unmet care needs, according to a study published this week in the journal Health Affairs that portends rising challenges in caring for older adults in the years ahead. The increase is concentrated among the youngest older adults, according to the research. Older cohorts — ages 75 to 84, and 85 and over — did not experience the same worsening trends. (Ho, 7/11)
On weight loss drugs —
The Washington Post: CVS Exec Explains Why Your Health Plan Won't Cover GLP-1s For Weight Loss
Consumers will have to wait for broader insurance coverage of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs until prices come down and clear evidence emerges that they will reduce health care costs, the CEO of CVS Health, which includes Aetna insurance, said in an interview. Aetna’s corporate customers who pay for private employee health insurance are not ready to swallow the high costs of the enormously popular drugs, CEO David Joyner said. (Rowland, 7/12)
CNBC: GLP-1 Implant From Vivani Medical Aims To Help Patients Stay On Treatment
Losing weight with GLP-1 drugs is only half the battle. Keeping it off long term has proved even harder. Factors such as side effects, high out-of-pocket costs, injection fatigue and stigma around obesity treatment drive troves of patients – some studies estimate roughly half or more – to stop GLP-1s within a year and risk regaining the weight they lost. Years from now, Vivani Medical believes a tiny GLP-1 implant placed under the skin could help address that problem. (Constantino, 7/11)
More health and wellness news —
AP: Meta Appeals Jury Verdict In Social Media Addiction Lawsuit
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, challenging the jury’s determination that the company designed its platforms to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Lawyers representing Meta filed a notice of appeal Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawyers will provide their arguments related to the appeal in subsequent court filings. (Huamani, 7/11)
San Francisco Chronicle: Can 2 Drugs Work Better Than 1 Against Alzheimer’s? UCSF Aims To Find Out
UCSF has launched a nationwide clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease that is taking the unusual approach of looking at more than one drug, in hopes that a multipronged attack will have a greater impact on slowing down or even stopping memory loss and other cognitive decline. The first potential participant was screened last week in the new trial, which is focused on people with no symptoms or very early signs of illness. Scientists hope to enroll 825 people in more than 70 study centers across the United States. (Allday, 7/12)
San Francisco Chronicle: Your Smartwatch Might Be Making Your Sleep Worse
The use of sleep tracking devices is exploding, with nearly half of U.S. adults saying they’ve used a smartwatch, app or other device to monitor their sleep — up from 35% in 2023, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The uptick is part of a growing interest in sleep among researchers and the public, which is helping drive the recent “sleepmaxxing” trend on social media. (Ho, 7/12)
CNN: Soccer, Not Just American Football, May Affect Long-Term Brain Health
While research around sports and brain impacts has tended to focus on American football, soccer players may be at risk as well. Retired professional soccer players show signs of potential neurological impacts in midlife, according to new research. (Holcombe, 7/12)
The 19th: What SZA's Autism Diagnosis Means For Autistic Black Women
This week Grammy-winning singer SZA, née Solána Imani Rowe, shared that she had received a formal autism diagnosis. In a now-deleted Instagram post, she joked that the diagnosis meant she was “smarter than u.” (Luterman, 7/10)
CNN: Doctors Warn That Children Are Microwaving NeeDoh, Risking Burns
Whitney Hand was in her laundry room when she heard her daughter scream from the kitchen. “It was a sound I’d never heard her make before, and she just kept screaming, ‘Mom!,’ so I went in there, and I didn’t really understand what was going on at first, but she was clearly in a ton of pain,” said Hand, who lives in Atlanta. (Haulund, 7/12)
On the medical tech featured in "The Pitt" —
Modern Healthcare: HBO’S "The Pitt" Features Devices From Philips, Stryker
From large medtech companies like Philips and Stryker Corp. to startups, manufacturers are getting their devices onto one of television’s most medically realistic dramas — HBO Max’s “The Pitt.” The show received 25 Emmy nominations Wednesday, further elevating its profile as an attractive platform for companies looking to showcase their technologies. (Dubinsky, 7/10)
