Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on CRISPR, MDMA therapy, dementia, gun violence, climate change, and more
Stat:
The CRISPR Companies Are Not OK
Gene editing promised a revolution, but biotech layoffs, stock slumps, and industry struggles reveal a stark reality: CRISPR is hard to do profitably. (Mast, 2/6)
The New York Times:
How An Activist Group Helped Torpedo MDMA Therapy
After more than three decades of planning and a $250 million investment, Lykos Therapeutics’ application for the first psychedelic drug to reach federal regulators was expected to be a shoo-in. Lykos, the corporate arm of a nonprofit dedicated to winning mainstream acceptance of psychedelics, had submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration showing that its groundbreaking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder — MDMA plus talk therapy — was significantly more effective than existing treatments. (Jacobs and Nuwer, 2/4)
The New York Times:
These Settings Aren’t Real. But For Dementia Patients, What Is?
The nursery at RiverSpring Residences in the Bronx is a sunny, inviting space outfitted with a bassinet, a crib with a musical mobile, a few toys, bottles, picture books for bedtime reading and a rack of clothing in tiny sizes. The other morning, Wilma Rosa was there trying to soothe one of its cranky, small charges. “What’s the matter, baby?” she crooned, patting the complainer’s back. “You OK? I want you to go to sleep for a little while.”Ms. Rosa, 76, a memory care resident in assisted living, visits the nursery daily. She has had plenty of experience with babies. (Span, 2/1)
The New York Times:
How Weight-Loss Drugs Can Upend a Marriage
Doctors warn about their physical side effects, but they can also have unexpected effects on intimacy. (Miller, 2/2)
NBC News:
What Everyone Should Know On Tracking Blood Sugar Levels With Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Is there a benefit for healthy people to track their blood sugar? Measuring blood sugar has joined sleep and exercise tracking as wellness trends, with some longevity experts claiming that reducing fluctuations throughout the day can help protect against heart disease, even for people who don’t have diabetes. Continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, are small devices that track blood sugar in real time and can tell wearers how their bodies are reacting to stress, food, sleep or exercise. (Syal, Venkatesan and Tobia, 2/2)
The Washington Post:
Children Joked About School Shootings. Then The Sheriff Sent Them To Jail.
An analysis of news reports by The Washington Post found that at least 477 people — 90 percent of them students — were arrested in the two weeks after the Georgia massacre at Apalachee High. That’s nearly 100 more than in the aftermaths of the three previous mass school shootings combined. (Cox and Natanson, 2/3)
The New York Times:
The Way Hurricanes Kill Is Changing. Helene Shows How.
Over the last three months, The New York Times collected data on Helene’s deaths from county coroners and state officials, and interviewed family members. The findings revealed that rain, which led to flooding and landslides, was the most deadly part of the storm, followed by wind, which toppled trees. And they showed that most of the deaths happened in counties where the risk of hurricane fatalities had been considered low, according to data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Fortin, Nostrant, Taft and Underwood, 2/4)
