Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Number Of US Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes Hits All-Time Low, But Vaping Is Up
AP: US Adult Cigarette Smoking Rate Hits New All-Time Low
U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released Thursday. Meanwhile, electronic cigarette use rose, to about 1 in 17 adults. The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are based on survey responses from more than 27,000 adults. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death. (Stobbe, 4/27)
In other health and wellness news —
USA Today: Uterine Cancer Rapidly Rising In Young, Hispanic Women In The US
For six years, Martha Dejulian Ronquillo suffered severe anemia and depression. The mother of two in her late 30s often called out of work as a housekeeper because of fatigue and pain. During those years, Ronquillo bled daily and heavily outside of her periods. The blood loss led to chronic depression and so much iron deficiency that she needed three iron transfusions. (Hassanein, 4/26)
Miami Herald: Havana Syndrome’s Victims Reject U.S. Intelligence Assessment
“Patient Zero,” an American official stationed at the U.S. embassy in Cuba, was in his Havana apartment one night in December 2016 when he heard a strange sound and felt what he described as a “head-crushing pressure” and a “massive ear pain.” The sound stopped after he moved to another residence, but the symptoms remained, he told the Miami Herald: “I would wake up with nosebleeds that wouldn’t stop.” (Torres, 4/26)
American Homefront Project: Navy Beefs Up Mental Health Care For Sailors Dealing With 'Rude Awakening' Of Military Life
The Embedded Mental Health Clinic at Naval Base San Diego is just steps away from the bustling waterfront that’s home to 51 Navy surface vessels. The clinic, which opened in October, serves the thousands of sailors stationed on those ships. San Diego’s clinic is one of several now in operation across the Navy’s surface fleet concentration areas around the world. Capt. Tara Smith, the mental health officer for Surface Force Pacific Fleet in San Diego, said the clinic’s 20 providers have been busy since it opened. Sailors working on ships experience stressors unique to their jobs, she said. (Dyer, 4/26)
Also —
Bloomberg: Amazon Is Winding Down Its Halo Health Trackers In Latest Cut
Amazon.com Inc. is pulling the plug on its line of Halo health devices as Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy seeks to wind down marginal programs and streamline the retail and cloud-computing giant’s businesses. (Day, 4/26)
The Washington Post: Keto, Paleo Diets Aren’t Helping Your Heart, Report Says
Ketogenic and paleo diets may be trendy, but they won’t do your heart any favors. That’s the conclusion of a report from the American Heart Association, which analyzed many of the most popular diets and ranked them based on which approaches to eating are best and worst for your heart. (O'Connor, 4/27)
Fox News: Secret Of Keeping The Brain Young? Learn To Play A Musical Instrument, Says New Study
A new study has found that learning to play a musical instrument could be the secret to keeping our brains young. Scientists connected to the new study also shared a second benefit: They found that the ability to play music can make us better listeners as we get older. (Mackey, 4/26)
The Washington Post: Jogging And Weight Training Can Help Addiction Recovery, Study Shows
At a moment when substance-use disorders and overdoses are on the rise, new research offers hope for the addicted: People who exercised as part of their addiction treatment programs were substantially more likely to reduce their substance use than those who didn’t. The study, published Wednesday in PLOS One, found that incorporating simple workouts such as jogging or weight training into treatment improved the likelihood of recovery from a variety of substance-use disorders, including to cocaine, opioids, cannabis and alcohol. (Reynolds, 4/26)
KFF Health News: As US Life Expectancy Falls, Experts Cite The Health Impacts Of Incarceration
After spending 38 years in the Alabama prison system, one of the most violent and crowded in the nation, Larry Jordan felt lucky to live long enough to regain his freedom. The decorated Vietnam War veteran had survived prostate cancer and hepatitis C behind bars when a judge granted him early release late last year. “I never gave up hope,” said Jordan, 74, who lives in Alabama. “I know a lot of people in prison who did.” At least 6,182 people died in state and federal prisons in 2020, a 46% jump from the previous year, according to data recently released by researchers from the UCLA Law Behind Bars Data Project. (Clasen-Kelly, 4/27)
