Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Jehovah’s Witnesses To Allow Use Of Blood Donation Derivatives For Medical Use
AP: Jehovah’s Witnesses Partly Ease Ban On Medical Use Of Donated Blood
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have partly eased their longstanding prohibition on the medical use of donated blood, allowing members to receive products derived from blood but maintaining a ban on transfusions of whole blood. The policy, announced Friday, is the second revision this year in what has long been one of the most controversial and distinctive teachings of the religious organization. (Smith, 9/18)
On kidney disease, fatigue, cancer, and sunscreen —
The Hill: Kidney Disease Of Unknown Origin Spreads In US. Who Is At Risk?
Doctors in Texas say they have seen an increasing number of otherwise healthy young men coming in on the brink of organ failure. The health care practitioners told Texas Monthly they believe the culprit is CKDu, or chronic kidney disease of unknown origin, an unexplained form of kidney disease that can quickly turn deadly. (Martichoux, 9/20)
Fox News: CDC New Report Finds 71% Of U.S. Adults Experience Fatigue Regularly
Exhaustion has become the default state for a vast majority of Americans. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics shows that more than seven in 10 U.S. adults experience fatigue over any given three-month period — a drain that public health officials say is taking a heavy toll on work and daily life. (Quill, 9/17)
Phys.org: Loss Of Y Chromosome In Men Could Be An Early Warning Sign Of Cancer
A study initiated by Dr. Dan Theodorescu, a physician-scientist at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, revealed that the loss of the Y chromosome in men's body tissue could pave the way for cancer to develop. According to research recently published in JCI Insights, the loss of the chromosome, which is common in men as they age, creates a preneoplastic field effect, a hidden zone of genetic vulnerability in normal tissue that provides fertile ground for cancer to develop. (9/19)
The Washington Post: A Melanoma Vaccine Was Hailed As A Breakthrough. Which Cancers Are Next?
The reported success of an experimental drug that uses messenger RNA to deliver personalized skin cancer vaccines could herald a wave of new treatments that harness the potent technology for a range of cancers, researchers say. Drugmakers Moderna and Merck this summer announced that a cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene, had succeeded in a Phase 3 clinical trial in preventing the recurrence of melanoma, a result experts celebrated as a breakthrough for mRNA-based cancer treatments. (Wu, 9/19)
STLPR: A New Sunscreen Ingredient Is Coming To A Store Near You. Here’s Why That’s A Big Deal
By the end of the year, U.S. consumers will see a new sun protection option on store shelves. The products will be especially beneficial to those with fair skin and hair, as well as light-colored eyes, autoimmune conditions like lupus and a predisposition to skin cancer, in addition to those wanting to curb the aging effects of sun exposure. (Cha, 9/18)
On autism and Down syndrome —
CIDRAP: Study Uncovers No Evidence Of Autism Epidemic, Despite Claims
Many people, including US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., say that autism rates have reached epidemic proportions. But while the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen since the 1980s, experts say that greater awareness and improved testing are behind the increase in diagnoses. Indeed, a study published this week in JAMA Pediatrics examining birth cohorts finds that the number of children with ASD has held steady. (Holohan, 9/18)
Medical Xpress: Study Reveals Surprising Cause Of Immune Challenges In People With Down Syndrome
Getting sick can look very different for people with Down syndrome (DS); illnesses that are mild for most people may lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, hospitalization or the need for intensive care. (Lock, 9/20)
In other mental healthcare news —
The New York Times: Patrick Clancy Describes Grief In First Interview Since Mistrial
In an interview broadcast on CBS on Sunday, Patrick Clancy, the former husband of Lindsay Clancy, described the weight of his grief in the years since Ms. Clancy killed their three children in January 2023. (Spoto and Russell, 9/20)
KFF Health News: It’s Hard To Predict Who Will Be Suicidal. It’s Easier To Ensure People Can’t Shoot Themselves
Paul Nestadt is about as steeped in suicide prevention as a person can be. He treats suicidal patients as a psychiatrist, has co-authored scores of research papers on how and why people kill themselves, and teaches graduate courses on the subject. But he’ll be the first to admit: “I can’t tell you which of my patients is likely to die by suicide in the next six months.” Almost nobody can. (Pattani, 9/21)
