Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
988 Hotline Curbed Youth Suicide Rates More Than Expected, Data Show
The New York Times: Youth Suicides Declined After Creation Of National Hotline
Over the two and a half years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11 percent below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found. The findings, published today as a research letter in JAMA, compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 with sophisticated mathematical projections that were based on historical trends. This yielded good news, with 4,372 fewer suicides of adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 34, than had been projected. (Barry, 4/22)
HealthDay: Bullying, Politics Harm Mental Health Of Gender-Diverse Teens
Gender-diverse teenagers who are bullied are more likely to suffer escalating psychological distress than other teens, particularly if they live in a state with repressive gender identity laws, a new study says. These teens are more likely to experience psychotic-like episodes – feeling unusually suspicious of others, thinking others are laughing at them, feeling threatened or hearing sounds that others do not, researchers reported April 21 in JAMA Network Open. (Thompson, 4/22)
MedPage Today: Novel Antipsychotic Shows Promise In Acute Schizophrenia
The investigational benzamide antipsychotic N-methyl amisulpride (LB-102) led to significant symptom improvement among hospitalized adults with acute schizophrenia, a randomized trial showed. (Monaco, 4/22)
The Washington Post: How To Let Go Of Grudges — And Why It Could Be Good For Your Health
Psychologists have long been interested in why some slights refuse to fade, and how those lingering injuries can settle in — reshaping a person’s thoughts, mood and sense of self over time. ... Led by Richard Cowden, a social-personality psychologist at Harvard, researchers found that individuals more inclined to forgive — not just in response to a single event, but as a consistent pattern over time — reported higher levels of well-being across a number of categories. “Going through the process of forgiveness in a habitual sense can be beneficial to different aspects of our lives,” Cowden said. (Cha, 4/23)
On aging —
The Conversation: HEPA Air Purifiers May Boost Brain Power In Adults Over 40
Using an in-home HEPA purifier for one month spurs a small but significant improvement in brain function in adults age 40 and older. That's the result of a new study we co-authored in the journal Scientific Reports. (Pellegrino, Brugge and Eliasziw, 4/22)
The New York Times: 4 Medications That May Increase Dementia Risk
If you look inside your medicine cabinet, there’s likely some good news and bad news when it comes to brain health. A few common medications, like statins or drugs to treat high blood pressure, appear to help lower the risk for dementia. But others, including some you can buy over the counter, may increase the risk. (Smith, 4/22)
NBC News: What Does It Take To Protect Brain Health? 10 Habits To Start Now
Brain health is of paramount importance to nearly all Americans, yet few are aware of the latest science on how to nurture it. The Alzheimer’s Association released its annual report Tuesday, which included a survey of more than 3,800 adults 40 and older, 99% of whom indicated brain health is at least as important as physical health. (Leake, 4/21)
The New York Times: Aging In Place: How Technology Might Help You Grow Old At Home
The budding field is turning dreams into reality for older adults who are eager to age in place, filling caregiving gaps and easing minds as America ages rapidly. (Shain, 4/22)
In other health and wellness news —
MedPage Today: Study Linking Fruits, Veggies To Lung Cancer Raises Eyebrows
Outside experts expressed caution about a study suggesting a link between early onset lung cancer and diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Survey data on 187 lung cancer patients ages 50 and younger with molecular subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer mostly seen in low-risk groups -- such as women and non-smokers -- revealed that these patients on average had higher-quality diets than the general U.S. population, based on Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores. (Bassett, 4/22)
CNN: Tap Water Safety: 1 In 5 People May Drink Nitrate Contaminants
Over 62 million Americans — roughly 1 in 5 people — may be exposed to potentially dangerous levels of nitrates in their tap water, a new report has shown. (LaMotte, 4/23)
NBC News: Rectal Cancer Rates Rising Rapidly Among People In Their 30s And 40s: 'A Medical Crisis'
Deaths from rectal cancer are rising rapidly among younger adults, an alarming trend that is confounding scientists trying to understand why millennials are so hard-hit. “The rate of rectal cancer seems to be increasing more than two to three times compared to colon cancer,” said Mythili Menon Pathiyil, lead author of a new study and a gastroenterology fellow at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. (Edwards, 4/23)
