Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Concepts About Mental Health Of Vets: Bad War Experiences Might Not Be What's Leading To So Many Suicides
The Wall Street Journal: For Many Soldiers, Mental-Health Issues Start Before Enlistment
Combat experience is often blamed as the root cause of suicidal behavior among veterans. But ongoing Army studies show that many troops with mental-health problems can trace them back to trauma experienced before they joined the military. “There is a significant and growing proportion of soldiers who enter the military with psychiatric disorders, increasing the risk over time for suicide behaviors within the Army,” according to a paper released earlier this year from University of Washington researchers that used data from Army-funded studies. (Kesling, 12/5)
The New York Times: Government Studying Widely Used Chemicals Linked To Health Issues
Two decades after concern emerged about a class of chemicals used in everything from Teflon pans to firefighting foam, the federal government has started the first in a series of detailed studies of the impact the chemicals have had on human health. The goal is to determine what role the chemicals, known generally as PFAS, play in a long list of health conditions including thyroid, kidney, liver, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, among other ailments. (Lipton, 12/5)
NPR: Protein Waves In Blood Linked To Aging Process
Scientists know that if they transfuse blood from a young mouse to an old one, then they can stave off or even reverse some signs of aging. But they don't know what in the blood is responsible for this remarkable effect. Researchers now report that they've identified hundreds of proteins in human blood that wax and wane in surprising ways as we age. The findings could provide important clues about which substances in the blood can slow aging. (Harris, 12/5)
The Associated Press: Phone-In-Cheek: Spike Seen In Cellphone-Linked Face Injuries
Add facial cuts, bruises and fractures to the risks from cellphones and carelessly using them. That's according to a study published Thursday that found a spike in U.S. emergency room treatment for these mostly minor injuries. The research was led by a facial plastic surgeon whose patients include a woman who broke her nose when she dropped her phone on her face. (12/5)
Los Angeles Times: Time-Restricted Eating Improved Health For Metabolic Syndrome Patients
What if a clock did a better job than a scale at promoting weight loss, improving sleep and preventing diabetes? New research suggests it’s about time to consider that possibility. In an early effort to explore the benefits of daily fasting in humans, researchers have found that people who are at high risk of developing diabetes improved their health in myriad ways when they ate all of their meals over a span of just over 10 hours, then fasted for the remainder of their 24-hour day. (Healy, 12/5)
Kaiser Health News: Black Mothers Get Less Treatment For Postpartum Depression Than Other Moms
Portia Smith’s most vivid memories of her daughter’s first year are of tears. Not the baby’s. Her own. “I would just hold her and cry all day,” Smith said. At 18, Smith was caring for two children, 4-year-old Kelaiah and newborn Nelly, with little help from the partner in her abusive relationship. The circumstances were difficult, but she knew the tears were more than that. (Feldman and Pattani, 12/6)
MPR: Measles Numbers Were Bad In 2018. This Year, They're Even Worse
After decades of progress against one of the most contagious human viruses, the world is seeing measles stage a slow, steady comeback. The World Health Organization and the CDC say in a new report that there were nearly 10 million cases of measles last year, with outbreaks on every continent.An estimated 140,000 people died from measles in 2018, WHO says, up from an all-time low of 90,000 in 2016. (Beaubien, 12/5)
CBS News: Speaking Frankly: Raising Boys
Now that the #MeToo movement has brought conversations about toxic masculinity and sexual consent to the forefront of public discourse, parents are grappling with how to encourage their sons to reject some of the more traditional notions of manhood. But many say they struggle with reinforcing those values in a society that still largely adheres to deeply-rooted stereotypes. It raises the question: How do we raise our boys? (12/4)
The New York Times: Premature Babies At Higher Diabetes Risk
Premature babies are at increased risk for diabetes, a large new study reports. In previous studies, preterm birth has been associated with insulin resistance, but this is the first large study to track the risks of diabetes from childhood into adulthood. The researchers followed 4,193,069 singleton babies born in Sweden from 1973 to 2014 for an average of 23 years, some as long as 43 years. (Bakalar, 12/5)
California Healthline: Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence
When Mary Prehoden gets dressed for work every morning, her eyes lock on the bite-shaped scar on her chest. It’s a harsh reminder of one of the worst days of her life. Prehoden, a nurse supervisor at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, was brutally attacked last year by a schizophrenic patient who was off his medication. He lunged at her, threw her to the ground, repeatedly punched and kicked her, and bit her so hard that his teeth broke the skin and left her bleeding. (De Marco, 12/5)
