Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Public Education, Increased PrEP Use Credited For Big Drop In HIV Rates
The Washington Post: CDC Reports More Progress Against HIV, But Gay Latinos Contracted More Infections
The government reported more evidence of progress against HIV on Tuesday, citing an 18 percent decline in the number of U.S. infections between 2008 and 2014 and even sharper drops among heterosexuals and people who inject drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the estimated number of infections fell from 45,700 in 2008 to 37,600 in 2014, after remaining at roughly the same level for more than a decade. Heterosexuals saw a 36 percent decline in HIV diagnoses during the same period, and intravenous-drug users experienced a 56 percent drop despite a burgeoning opioid epidemic. (Bernstein, 2/14)
In other public health news —
NPR: Cold Caps Reduce Hair Loss From Chemotherapy
It's no surprise that most women with breast cancer consider hair loss one of the most traumatic aspects of chemotherapy. That has led to a big market for cooling caps, which are purported to limit hair loss. But cooling caps haven't been extensively studied in the U.S., and womens' experiences with the caps have been hit or miss. And just one cooling cap, the DigniCap, is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. (Neighmond, 2/14)
Miami Herald: Eating Less Slows Down Aging, Makes Mice Healthier, Medical Study Says
Scientists at Brigham Young University have published research that show cutting calories affects aging inside a cell. They found that ribosomes— the cell’s protein maker — slow down when calories were cut and that, in turn, this calorie-restriction led to longer, healthier lives in mice. (Veciana-Suarez, 2/14)
