Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The New York Times: Biden Wants To Be President Into His 80s. How Might Age Affect His Health?
As people enter their 80s, and even their mid-to-late 70s, some standard age-related shifts tend to occur, like muscle loss and a drop in bone strength, that make people more prone to disease and injury. Here’s a head-to-toe snapshot of the body and mind of an octogenarian and the potential problems doctors look out for. (Wenner Moyer, 4/25)
The Washington Post: Alzheimer’s Patients Are Fighting Disease Earlier With New Treatments
For years, doctors and patients thought there was little to do when dementia was diagnosed, even at an early stage. Now, potentially sweeping changes loom. (McGinley, 4/24)
CNN: These Women Ran An Underground Abortion Network In The 1960s. Here’s What They Fear Might Happen Today
The voice on the phone in 1966 was gruff and abrupt: “Do you want the Chevy, the Cadillac or the Rolls Royce?” A Chevy abortion would cost about $200, cash in hand, the voice explained. A Cadillac was around $500, and the Rolls Royce was $1,000.“You can’t afford more than the Chevy? Fine,” the voice growled. “Go to this address at this time. Don’t be late and don’t forget the cash.” The voice disappeared. (LaMotte, 4/23)
The Washington Post: Sexual Side Effects Of Cancer, Treatments Rarely Discussed By Doctors
Brenna Gatimu, 34, of Casper, Wyo., was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2020. She quickly had chemoradiation, and both her breasts and ovaries were removed. She now takes a medication that suppresses any remaining estrogen in her body. “I feel as if my body has betrayed me, like all the things that make me biologically a woman — the estrogen, the progesterone, my ovaries and my breasts — everything had to be removed and stopped,” Gatimu said. (Markovitz, 4/24)
Stat: Other Mammals' DNA Unlocks Human Genome Secrets
Despite decades of advancements in genomics, we still don’t know what most of our DNA does. But an ambitious international research collaboration is providing new answers about how genetics shapes human health and disease, with help from an unlikely source — a menagerie of mammals. (Wosen, 4/27)
The New York Times: Can Africa Get Close To Vaccine Independence? Here’s What It Will Take
Just 3 percent of all Covid-19 vaccine doses delivered in 2021 went to Africa, home to a fifth of the world’s population, according to the World Health Organization. In the vast debacle of global vaccine inequity, it was Africa that was left furthest behind as the pandemic raged, and that had the least leverage to negotiate contracts. African leaders vowed to make sure that never happened again. (Nolen, 4/25)
AP: ‘Joint’ Venture: Ben From Ben & Jerry's Starts Pot Nonprofit
One of the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s has gone from ice cream to ‘blunts,’ promising a line of marijuana products with a social mission. Ben Cohen has started Ben’s Best Blnz, a nonprofit cannabis line with a stated mission of helping to right the wrongs of the war on drugs. The company says on its website that 80% of its profits will go to grants for Black cannabis entrepreneurs while the rest will be equally divided between the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and the national Last Prisoner Project, which is working to free people incarcerated for cannabis offenses. (4/25)
The Washington Post: How To Be A Good Weed Tourist
As more states and countries legalize recreational marijuana, incorporating weed into your vacation is becoming as normal as sampling craft beer at a brewery or a flight of wine at a local vineyard. However, unlike bars and wineries, the weed culture is governed by a set of manners and rules that you likely won’t pick up from your grandparents. (Sachs, 4/25)
