Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Magnetic Stimulation Creates 'Frankenstein Effect' For Memories Thought Lost To Void
NPR: Magnetic Pulse Jump-Starts Short-Term Recall In Memory Study
Forget where you just left your car keys? A magnetic pulse might help you remember. Some dormant memories can be revived by delivering a pulse of magnetic energy to the right brain cells, researchers report Thursday in the journal Science. The finding is part of a study that suggests the brain's "working memory" system is far less volatile than scientists once thought. (Hamilton, 12/1)
NPR: Time For Homeopathic Remedies To Prove That They Work?
Homeopathy has been around since the 1700s, but despite having devoted followers, there is no scientific evidence that it works. Soon, packages for homeopathic products might say just that. On Nov. 15, the Federal Trade Commission released an enforcement policy statement about labeling for over-the-counter homeopathic products. Homeopathic treatments have increasingly been marketed in drug store and supermarket aisles, alongside Food and Drug Administration-approved over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Mucinex. (Ross, 12/2)
NPR: Photographer Reveals Life Inside An Alzheimer's Ward
Inside the walls of a geriatric hospital in France, time stands still. Light falls across two stockinged feet on a bed. The fading floral pattern on a swath of wallpaper is interrupted by an unused corkboard. And between these scenes of stillness, residents approach a pair of locked doors with modest curiosity, expectation and even anger. Swedish photographer Maja Daniels says those doors, which were locked to prevent the residents from wandering, were crucial early in the project. (Rizzo, 12/1)
Richmond Times Dispatch: 'Tidal Wave Of Hep. C Coming,' Health Commissioner Warns
As the state lingers in the grip of its ongoing opioid epidemic, Virginia’s top health official is warning that the state soon may also be dealing with skyrocketing rates of hepatitis C and HIV. During a Virginia Board of Health meeting Thursday, the state health commissioner, Dr. Marissa Levine, said that as opioid use continues, the two deadly infections “will rear their ugly heads.” (Demeria, 12/1)
Health News Florida: Despite Skeptics, Alternative Doctors ‘Detoxifying’ Blood With UV Rays
A blood treatment that was popular 75 years ago but faded away when antibiotics came along may be making a comeback with the increasing popularity of “integrative medicine.” Historically called “ultraviolet blood irradiation” (UBI), the treatment appeals to alternative practitioners, especially those who give regular IV treatments for energy boosts and “detoxification.” (Gentry, 12/1)
The Associated Press: Public Housing Smoking Ban Sparks Mixed Reviews In NYC
Elba Acosta was distressed to learn that her morning habit of coffee and a smoke inside her New York City Housing Authority apartment will be banned under new federal rules prohibiting smoking in public housing. “I have my black coffee and a cigarette at home,” Acosta, 67, said Thursday outside the Chelsea-Elliot Houses. “I mean, that’s my freedom. You do whatever you want to do because it’s your body. The government has no business in your personal choice.” (Matthews, 12/1)
