Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Men Who Vape Nicotine Have Twice Risk Of Erectile Dysfunction: Study
CNN: Vaping Doubled The Risk Of Erectile Dysfunction, Or ED, In Men Age 20 And Older, Study Finds
Healthy men between the ages of 20 and 65 who vaped nicotine daily were more than twice as likely to report experiencing erectile dysfunction, commonly known as ED, than men who did not vape, a recent study discovered. This association held true even for men without any other health concerns or habits connected to sexual dysfunction, including smoking, a known contributor to erectile dysfunction. (LaMotte, 12/10)
In other public health news —
The Boston Globe: The US Has The Highest Rate Of Pregnancy-Related Deaths Of Industrialized Nations. The Biden Administration Is Pushing To Address That — But Its Efforts Might Not Be Enough
The Biden administration is making a major push to expand Medicaid coverage for new mothers from two months to a full year in an effort to address a shocking reality: the United States has the highest rate of pregnancy-related deaths of any industrialized nation. Starting in the spring, states have the option to expand Medicaid postpartum benefits over the next five years as part of the American Rescue Plan enacted in March. Money for further expansion is included in the Democrats’ other big legislative priority, the social safety net and climate change bill known as Build Back Better. (Thanikachalam, 12/9)
Louisville Courier Journal: More Than 1/3 of Americans Are Obese. Here's Why Many of Us Can't Break Bad Eating Habits
The implications of our horrible eating habits are obvious. More than a third of Americans are obese (36.5%), and another 32.5% are overweight, which means two out of three of us has a weight problem. This contributes to Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Can the message be more clear? What we eat creates health problems and kills us prematurely. (Stamford, 12/9)
The New York Times: How Tech Is Helping Poor People Get Government Aid
In making his case that safety net programs should be easier to use, Jimmy Chen, a tech entrepreneur, recalled visiting a welfare office where people on food stamps endured long waits to submit routine paperwork. They passed the time as people in lines do, staring at their phones — which had the potential to do the work online with greater convenience, accuracy and speed. ... “Too much bureaucracy prevents people from getting the help they need,” said Mr. Chen, whose start-up, Propel, offers a free app that five million households now use to manage their food stamp benefits. (DeParle, 12/8)
KHN: Sex Apps For Gay Men Join Forces To Fight Online Insults
Corey Baker, a gay man in Columbus, Ohio, has seen many dating app profiles that include phrases like “Blacks — don’t apply.” Sometimes when he declines invitations, he said, men lash out with insults like “you’re an ugly Black person anyway.” And some of his friends have been slammed with the N-word in similar situations. Many of these events occurred “when I didn’t think I was attractive or deserving of love,” he said. And they took an emotional toll. “If you’re experiencing a wall of people saying they’re not attracted to you, I think that does impact your mental health,” said Baker, who is 35 and a school librarian. (Tuller, 12/10)
In updates about the flu —
USA Today: Flu On The Rise During COVID: Experts Urge Americans To Get Flu Shots
The U.S. may have dodged a ‘twindemic’ last year, but health experts say the country may not be so lucky this season. While the U.S. continues to report more than 800,000 coronavirus cases per week, flu cases and hospitalizations are also steadily increasing. Flu is back, said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “We talked about a ‘twindemic’ last year, but I think we’re going to see it now this year because there’s been a relaxation of masks and social distancing," he said. (Rodriguez, 12/10)
The Wall Street Journal: Did Covid-19 Cause Flu Strain To Go Extinct?
Australian researchers who have spent much of the past two years studying Covid-19 recently turned their attention to another public-health mystery: the possible disappearance of one of the four main strains of flu that infect humans. Around the world, labs that use genetic sequencing to determine which flu strain has sickened a patient upload their findings to an international database known as GISAID. Since early last year, none of those labs have confirmed the presence of the influenza B Yamagata lineage, the technical name for one of the four strains. (Cherney, 12/9)
Also —
The Wall Street Journal: Peloton: Don’t Blame Us For What Happened In ‘And Just Like That…’
Spoiler alert: Mr. Big dies in the “Sex and the City” reboot. Surprised? So was Peloton Interactive Inc., according to a company spokeswoman. Peloton said it knew the company’s stationary bike would be used in the new show and approved one of its instructors to appear in “And Just Like That…” But it didn’t know Mr. Big would drop dead after a 45-minute ride in the first episode. Peloton insisted it wasn’t to blame for his demise. “Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle—including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks—and was at serious risk,” said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist on Peloton’s health and wellness advisory council, in a statement from the company. (Pisani and Graham, 12/9)
