Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pediatrics Group Advises Suicide Risk Screening For All Adolescents
Fox News: Pediatricians Recommend All Adolescents Be Screened For Suicide Risk
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is advising depression and suicide risk screenings for all adolescents age 12 and older, according to their updated schedule for preventative care released online this week. The screening for suicide risk was added to the existing depression screening recommendation consistent with the AAP's Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care, which were released in 2018. (Brown, 6/23)
USA Today: Insomnia, Sleep Issues Hit Young Adults The Worst, Health Survey Finds
More than 1 in 4 adults ages 18 to 24 experience insomnia every night; it's the highest rate of insomnia out of any age group in the U.S., according to a recent survey from Norwegian health and wellness publication Helsestart. The company conducted a Google survey among 2,000 U.S. adults age 18 and up, asking respondents how often they struggle to fall asleep, as well as their genders and their ages. Half of respondents said they experienced insomnia at least once a month, while nearly a quarter said they struggle to fall asleep every night. (Martin, 6/23)
In other health and wellness news —
ABC News: Newly Diagnosed HIV Cases Dropped During The Pandemic – Here’s Why That’s Bad News
New HIV diagnoses dropped 17% during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but researchers warn disruptions brought by the pandemic’s early lockdowns mean that far fewer people got tested. (Salzman, 6/23)
Los Angeles Times: Many Use Philips Respironics Ventilators Despite Recall
In Rochester, N.Y., Diane Coleman has relied on a machine to help her stay alive, but she worries that it might be slowly undermining her health. Her ventilator was among millions of breathing devices that Philips Respironics recalled last summer over safety concerns about numerous models of its ventilators, BiPAP and CPAP machines. (Reyes, 6/23)
Houston Chronicle: Houston Physicians Shed Light On Causes Of Congenital Heart Disease
Houston scientists are beginning to understand the underlying cause of congenital heart disease, according to a study published Wednesday that sheds new light on the illness. Physician-scientists from the Texas Heart Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine together documented the first reported evidence of unique differences in the heart muscle cells and immune systems of patients who suffer from congenital heart disease — one of the leading causes of death in children and adults. The findings create a kind of genetic road map that could lead to targeted therapies for the tens of thousands of children born with the disease each year. (Gill, 6/23)
Los Angeles Times: Daily Harvest Says 470 Sickened By This Meal-Kit Item
Since late May, at least 470 consumers of Daily Harvest’s lentil and leek crumbles, a recalled accompaniment included in some of its meal kits, have gotten sick, the company said Thursday in a press release. Daily Harvest — a direct-to-consumer provider of vegan-friendly smoothies, bowls and other foods that are typically shipped through the mail — has stopped production and distribution of the product and is conducting “a root cause investigation” in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (D'Zurilla, 6/23)
KHN: Seniors With Prediabetes Should Eat Better, Get Moving, But Not Fret Too Much About Diabetes
Almost half of older adults — more than 26 million people 65 and older — have prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How concerned should they be? Not very, say some experts. Prediabetes — a term that refers to above-normal but not extremely high blood sugar levels — isn’t a disease, and it doesn’t imply that older adults who have it will inevitably develop Type 2 diabetes, they note. (Graham, 6/24)
KHN: Readers And Tweeters Weigh In On America’s Medical Debt, Obesity Epidemic, And Opioid Battles
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories. (6/24)
More on the infant formula shortage —
The Wall Street Journal: Latest Report Of Baby’s Death After Consuming Formula Mentions Cronobacter Bacteria
The latest report notifying federal health regulators that a baby died after it had consumed Abbott Laboratories’ baby formula mentions the cronobacter bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration said. Cronobacter is the same bacteria that previously sickened at least four other infants, including two who died, between September 2021 and February after they had consumed Abbott formula. The bacteria occurs naturally in the environment and can live in dry, powdered foods. It can be fatal in infants, causing sepsis or meningitis. (Newman and Loftus, 6/23)
