Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Palo Alto VA Medical Center To Become First Full-5G Enabled Hospital In US
Axios: First In Axios: VA Hospital Goes Fully 5G
The Palo Alto VA Medical Center is set to become the first completely 5G-enabled hospital in the U.S. this week, officials told Axios first. 5G is expected to be a game changer when it comes to enabling smart technology in and around hospitals. But setting up that infrastructure to move massive amounts of data around a facility like a large health system is no small undertaking. (Reed, 7/24)
Also —
The Boston Globe: Rise In Cancer Among Younger People Worries And Puzzles Doctors
An array of cancers — colorectal chief among them — are striking people younger than 50 at higher rates than in previous decades, prompting new screening guidelines, new research, and growing concern. Why is this happening? That’s “the very hard question that none of us really know the answer to,” said Timothy Rebbeck, professor of cancer prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School Of Public Health. Theories abound, although none has firm data behind it. (Freyer, 7/22)
Stat: Statins Reduce Cardiovascular Risk In People Living With HIV
A statin a day reduces the risk of heart disease in younger people living with HIV, according to a new study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine. “What the study is saying is if you add a statin treatment to antiretroviral therapy … that will now prevent to a large degree, the excess cardiovascular risk associated with HIV,” said Steven Grinspoon, lead author of the study, and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. (Balthazar, 7/23)
Fox News: Alzheimer’s Disease May Be Detected By A Finger Prick Blood Test For Earlier Diagnosis And Treatment
A simple finger prick blood test may help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, according to research revealed this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam. The blood test is similar to the glucose testing method used by people with diabetes. Instead of sugar, however, it measures Alzheimer’s-related proteins in the brain, according to a news release from the Alzheimer’s Association. (McGorry, 7/23)
ABC News: Watching TV As A Kid Linked To High Blood Pressure And Obesity As An Adult: Study
The amount of time that young people spend watching screens -- instead of physical activity like sports, hikes or gardening -- could be linked to health issues in adulthood, according to a new study. Children and teenagers who spent more time watching television had less efficient oxygen use during exercise, higher blood pressure, and higher rates of obesity in mid-adulthood, even when accounting for sex, childhood body mass index and the family's economic situation, the study published in Pediatrics says. (Hwang, 7/24)
CIDRAP: Exposure To Resistant Aspergillus Is Widespread Across UK, Study Finds
A study by scientists in the United Kingdom suggests at least 40% of antifungal-resistant Aspergillus infections in UK patients are linked to environmental exposure, according to findings published today in Science Advances. (Dall, 7/21)
On research into covid —
CIDRAP: Study: 1 In 6 Kids Have Persistent COVID Symptoms For 3 Months After Infection
A systematic review today in Pediatrics of 31 studies published through December 2022 reveals that persistent symptoms 3 months after confirmed COVID-19 infections, or "long COVID," affect 16% of children and adolescents. The 31 studies included 15,000 children, and researchers recorded more than 20 persistent symptoms. For the first months of the pandemic, there was a dearth of research and understanding on how and if children could suffer from long COVID. (Soucheray, 7/21)
Fortune: COVID In Your House? Isolating From Sick Family Members May Not Do Much Good, According To A New Study
Avoiding your spouse, kids, and other household members for days on end when you’re sick with COVID—it might not do much good, according to a new study published this week in the journal eLife. For the record, not all experts agree. (Prater, 7/21)
CIDRAP: Low Levels Of Resistance To Paxlovid Seen In SARS-CoV-2 Isolates
A study today in JAMA Network Open offers reassurance that resistance to one of the most effective COVID-19 therapeutics is rare. The study was based on SARS-CoV-2 isolates collected from March 2020 to January 2023 in Ontario, and it demonstrates very low levels of resistance to Paxlovid, the antiviral drug most commonly used to limit the duration and severity of COVID-19 infections. (Soucheray, 7/21)
On news relating to AI —
Fox News: AI Heart Scan Aims To Catch Blockages Years Before Symptoms: ‘Unbelievable Breakthrough’
Nearly half of all heart attacks are "silent," which means the person experiences no symptoms at all before the cardiac event, studies have shown. Now a medical technology company aims to catch those pre-symptomatic heart conditions using the power of artificial intelligence. Fountain Life, a health technology company, offers an AI coronary artery scan that purports to detect heart attack risk three, five or even 10 years before symptoms begin. (Rudy, 7/24)
CBS News: AI Could Revolutionize Dentistry. Here's How
New forms of artificial intelligence are already changing how we write, communicate with our doctors and even create art. But the rapidly evolving technology could soon have a permanent fixture in a more sensitive environment: our mouths. Hundreds of dental offices across the U.S. are now using AI-powered X-ray imaging technology from Boston-based VideaHealth. The software helps dentists deal with routine procedures, such as identifying cavities, as well as spot more serious conditions, including periodontal disease, or bone loss within the mouth often linked with diseases like diabetes or Alzheimer's. (Bangalore, 7/21)
The Wall Street Journal: At Startup That Says Its AI Writes Medical Records, Humans Do A Lot Of The Work
Hundreds of doctors across the U.S. have entrusted recordings of their private talks with patients to a startup promising to turn the conversations into usable medical records through artificial intelligence. (Walker, 7/23)
