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 sickle cell anemia, Xanax, microplastics, covid, and more.
CBS News:
Long Island Man Is First In New York History To Be Cured Of Sickle Cell Anemia
A patient on Long Island is the first in New York to be cured of sickle cell anemia, doctors say. They credit state-of-the-art genetic treatment. For 21 years, Sebastien Beauzile suffered chronic pain from debilitating sickle cell anemia. "Sickle cell was like a blockade for me, but now it's just like a wall that I just jumped over," he said. He is now making medical history in New York state. (McLogan, 3/13)
The Wall Street Journal:
Generation Xanax: The Dark Side Of America’s Wonder Drug
Amid rising concerns about benzodiazepines, some patients who try to quit are suffering extreme anxiety, memory loss and intense physical pain. (Ramachandran and McKay, 3/13)
The Washington Post:
How Microplastics Could Be Affecting Our Food Supply
Microplastics are floating in the air around us, surging through rivers and streams, and burrowing deep into soils. And now, a new study suggests that all those tiny pieces of plastic are also disrupting the growth of plants. A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday found that the tiny plastic particles could be slashing photosynthesis rates globally. Microplastics, the scientists estimated, are responsible for a reduction in photosynthesis of 7 to 12 percent worldwide in plants and algae. That cut in photosynthesis, the researchers warned, could also impact large-scale crops that humans depend on, such as wheat, corn and rice. (Osaka, 3/13)
The New York Times:
Do We Age Steadily, Or In Bursts? What Scientists Know So Far
New technologies are giving scientists a better understanding of how the process actually works. (Ravindranath, 3/6)
The New York Times:
‘Let’s Not Talk About It’: 5 Years Later, China’s Covid Shadow Lingers
People who endured the longest Covid restrictions in the world are still grappling with what they lost: their loved ones, their livelihoods, their dignity. (Wang, 3/13)
