Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Measles Cases Reported So Far This Year Than In All Of 2022: CDC
CBS News: U.S. Measles Cases Reach 125 This Year, Topping 2022's Large Outbreaks
At least 125 measles cases have been reported across 17 states so far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, up from 121 cases last week. More cases have now been reported this year than in all of 2022, the most recent annual peak of measles infections. Cases of measles had surged that year from outbreaks linked to unvaccinated Afghan refugees. (Tin, 4/19)
On PFAS and pesticides —
Reuters: US Designates PFAS Chemicals As Superfund Hazardous Substances
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday designated a pair of widely used industrial chemicals as hazardous substances under the country's Superfund program, accelerating a crackdown on toxic compounds known as "forever chemicals." The rule will require companies to report leaks of two of the most commonly used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, and help pay to clean up existing contamination. (Mindock, 4/19)
Colombia Missourian: Missouri House Gives Initial OK To Bill Protecting Pesticide-Makers
The Missouri House gave initial approval this week to a bill that could protect pesticide manufacturers from some cancer lawsuits. The debate on the House floor wasn’t split along party lines, however, as several Republicans cautioned against the risk of cancers caused by pesticides. (Coffman, 4/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: Six Fruits And Vegetables Worth Buying Organic: Consumer Reports Study
Nearly one in five of all fruits and vegetables Americans consume carry an “unhealthy dose of dangerous pesticides,” according to a new study. But there is a way to mitigate the risk by opting for the organic versions of the six biggest offenders on the list. In what is billed as its most comprehensive review of pesticides in food to date, Consumer Reports analyzed 59 varieties of fruits and vegetables in their fresh, canned, dried and frozen forms. The findings were disconcerting, to say the least. (Vaziri, 4/19)
In other health and wellness news —
The New York Times: Some Older Women Need Extra Breast Scans. Why Won’t Medicare Pay?
Mammograms can miss tumors in women with dense breast tissue. So for these patients, doctors often include a second scan — ultrasound, for example, or an M.R.I. — which is more likely to turn up cancers at early stages. But some older patients are running into an unexpected twist. Though many women see the extra scan as a routine form of prevention, Medicare won’t pay for it, and some patients are left to pick up a hefty tab. (Rabin, 4/19)
Axios: Doctors Are Taking Women's Pain More Seriously
There are growing efforts in medicine to correct a major blind spot: women's pain. The impact of social media testimonies and a greater systemic focus on women's health are helping drive a shift in how providers treat women's pain, especially for reproductive care. (Reed, 4/22)
The Washington Post: Your Spouse’s Stroke Could Raise Your Risk Of Depression, Study Indicates
The spouses of people who have heart attacks, strokes and heart failure may be at elevated risk of depression, an analysis published this month suggests. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, looked at 277,142 married couples enrolled in the Japan Health Insurance Association program, which covers about 40 percent of Japan’s working-age adults. Researchers matched married adults whose spouses experienced stroke, heart failure or myocardial infarction (heart attack) between 2016 and 2022 to a control group of similar married couples whose spouses did not experience such events. (Blakemore, 4/20)
CNN: Here’s When Your Weight Loss Will Plateau, According To Science
In a recent study, Kevin Hall, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health who specializes in measuring metabolism and weight change, looked at when weight loss typically stops depending on the method people were using to drop pounds. He broke down the plateau into mathematical models using data from high-quality clinical trials of different ways to lose weight to understand why people stop losing when they do. The study published Monday in the journal Obesity. (Goodman, 4/22)
KFF Health News: Journalists Take Stock Of Opioid Settlement Payouts And Concierge Care Trend
KFF Health News staff made the rounds on state and local media in recent weeks to discuss stories they and their colleagues reported. Here’s a collection of their appearances. (4/20)
