Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Secondhand Smoke Contributed To Nearly 1.7M Deaths Globally In 2023
Medical Xpress: Second-Hand Smoke Causes Nearly 1.7M Deaths Globally: Study
More than 2.7 billion people, including children, were exposed to secondhand smoke globally, contributing to nearly 1.7 million deaths in 2023, according to a study published Tuesday in The Lancet Public Health. (9/8)
Medical Xpress: Why Is Smoking Linked To A Lower Risk Of Parkinson's?
The researchers say both smoking history and exhaled carbon monoxide were linked to a lower risk of Parkinson's disease. While smokers generally had higher carbon monoxide levels in their breath, the researchers say nonsmokers with high carbon monoxide levels also had a lower risk of Parkinson's—suggesting carbon monoxide may independently protect against the disease. (9/8)
The Hill: Smoking Tobacco Linked To Fertility Issues In New WHO Report
Smoking at any point in your life could cause fertility issues, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative issued the report, summarizing research linking tobacco smoking and infertility, with the agency citing decades of evidence. The organization defines infertility as failing to get pregnant after 12 or more months of regular, unprotected sexual intercourse, estimating that 1 in 6 people globally suffers from infertility. (Whiteside, 9/9)
On narcolepsy and sleep —
The New York Times: A New Drug Lifts The Fog Of Sleepiness For Those With Narcolepsy
Many people have a cartoonish idea of narcolepsy, perhaps picturing someone falling asleep standing up. What people don’t understand is that sleepiness can infiltrate every aspect of daily life, said Julie Flygare, 42, who was diagnosed with the sleep disorder in 2007, during her second year of law school. It interferes with memory, attention and weighs down everyday existence like a “heaviness on the skull,” she said. (Johnson, 9/9)
NBC News: House Democrat Asks Regulators To Investigate Tesla Over Sleeping Drivers
A House Democrat called on the Trump administration on Wednesday to investigate Tesla drivers intentionally falling asleep at the wheel of their moving cars. (Ingram, 9/9)
On H. pylori, cancer, and anemia —
MedPage Today: H. Pylori Exposure And Colorectal Cancer: The Evidence Grows
Exposure to Helicobacter pylori, known for its role in gastric cancer, may also play a role in colorectal cancer (CRC), according to results from a risk-attribution modeling study. (Bassett, 9/9)
Medical Xpress: Immune Protein Loss May Drive Rare Stomach Lymphoma In H. Pylori Infections
Roughly half the world's population is infected with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for about 90% of gastric cancers. However, until now, it has been unclear why some H. pylori infections lead to a rare form of lymphoma in the stomach while others don't. (9/9)
Medical Xpress: Dual-Drug Approach Burns Out Leukemia Cells By Pressing Accelerator And Brake Simultaneously
Pushing the accelerator and the brake at the same time is rarely a good idea. But researchers at the University of Gothenburg are using this approach to treat leukemia. A new drug forces cancer cells to keep working hard even though they have run out of energy. The first study in mice shows very promising results. (9/8)
Medical Xpress: Certain DNA Signatures May Reveal Which Prostate Cancers Are Most Likely To Spread
"We have effectively created a map of the biological processes that drive prostate cancer," says Joachim Weischenfeldt, professor at the Biotech Research & Innovation Center (BRIC) at the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet, and lead author of the study, which has just been published in the journal Nature. The biggest challenge in prostate cancer is not detecting the disease, but determining which patients have a harmless form of cancer and which are at risk of developing a life-threatening disease. (9/9)
Medical Xpress: This Is How Dense Breast Tissue May Lead To Cancer
Breast cancer often grows in tissue that is unusually dense. That's why clinicians flag women with this kind of breast tissue for follow-up after a mammogram. A UC San Francisco study has uncovered a mechanism that could help explain how this dense environment promotes breast cancer. (9/8)
CNN: First On CNN: Routine Blood Testing May Hold Hidden Clues To Colorectal Cancer Before Age 45
When you have blood drawn in a routine doctor’s visit, some of the markers that get tested could hold unexpected clues to how likely you are to develop colorectal cancer at a young age, new research suggests. Adults younger than 45 who had lower levels of two liver enzymes – aspartate transaminase, or AST, and alanine transaminase, or ALT – were more likely to be diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer compared with their peers in an analysis released Wednesday by Epic Research, which is owned by the health-care software company Epic. (Howard, 9/9)
MedPage Today: Borderline Anemia Linked To Higher Mortality Risk
Borderline anemia was associated with a higher risk of mortality in a prospective cohort study, according to researchers. (Bassett, 9/9)
Also —
The New York Times: August Ties The Record For Earth’s Hottest Month On The Books
Last month tied July 2023 as the planet’s hottest month on record, European scientists said on Thursday, as human-caused warming pushes the Northern Hemisphere’s muggiest, most uncomfortable time of year into new realms of stickiness and discomfort. August tied the record for the oceans’ hottest month in history as well, scientists said, as El Niño conditions caused warm water to accumulate at the surface of the tropical Pacific. This extra warmth will spread to the rest of the planet in the months ahead, making the globe’s average temperatures likely to break more records through the end of the year and into 2027. (Zhong, 9/9)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Jackie Fortiér reads the week’s news: Laser cataract surgery, which can be pricier, may not be worth the extra cost. Plus, the federal government is pulling funding for test strips that can help users detect fentanyl in drugs in favor of other public health approaches. (9/10)
