Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Men Do Get Breast Cancer, But There's Little Research To Show What Treatments Are Safe, Effective
The New York Times: Who’s Missing From Breast Cancer Trials? Men, Says The F.D.A.
In recent years, health officials have pushed aggressively to include more women in clinical trials of new drugs. Gone is the ban that once excluded women of childbearing age from participating in studies. Even scientists who work with animals are now encouraged to include mice and rats of both sexes. But when it comes to breast cancer, it is men who get short shrift. They are often excluded from clinical trials of new treatments. (Rabin, 9/9)
The New York Times: Seeking An Obesity Cure, Researchers Turn To The Gut Microbiome
Dr. Elaine Yu, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, was inundated with volunteers when she put out a call a few years ago for overweight people who were willing to take part in a study of obesity and the microbiome. People as far away as Alaska and Hawaii were eager to enroll. But the most surprising part was what they were willing to do. The study required them to swallow capsules containing stool to test whether gut bacteria from lean donors could improve their metabolic health. (O'Connor, 9/10)
Reuters: Malaria Can Be Eradicated By 2050, Say Global Experts
Malaria can be eradicated within a generation, global health experts have said. In a major report on Sunday, 41 specialists said a future free of malaria - one of the world's oldest and deadliest diseases - can be achieved as early as 2050. (9/9)
The Associated Press: Americans Love Snacks. What Does That Mean For Their Health?
Americans are addicted to snacks, and food experts are paying closer attention to what that might mean for health and obesity. Eating habits in the U.S. have changed significantly in recent decades, and packaged bars, chips and sweets have spread into every corner of life. In the late 1970s, about 40 percent of American adults said they didn't have any snacks during the day. By 2007, that figure was just 10 percent. (9/9)
Georgia Health News: Sick Kids’ Siblings Need Help And Comfort, Too
When a child is diagnosed with cancer or another major disease, it can be devastating to the entire family. “It has been very difficult,’’ says Alivia’s mom, Denise Linnekin of Dallas, a northwestern suburb of Atlanta. Older sister Carly has visited Alivia during the child’s hospitalizations. During one of those stays, Carly, 11, took part in a specially designed program called SibZonely, which focuses on the siblings of hospitalized children. (Miller, 9/9)
MPR: Summer Rains Drive Rare Fungal Disease In Northern Minnesota
Reported cases of a rare fungal infection are on the rise in northern Minnesota. So far this year, more than 45 people and 150 animals have been diagnosed with blastomycosis. By this time last year there were only 31 human cases and fewer than 100 animal infections. (Enger, 9/9)
