Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dental Floss Makers Begin To Shy Away From Forever Chemicals
The Washington Post: Dental Floss Is Shedding Potentially Harmful Chemicals
The question popped up earlier this year in a Reddit discussion on dental hygiene: Anyone notice that Oral-B floss suddenly seemed different? “It feels more plastic-like, rougher, less smooth,” the Reddit user noted. ... Some dental floss manufacturers have indeed been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth. Their decisions follow studies raising concerns as well as consumer worries and state regulation of consumer products containing PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” (Hetherman, 10/18)
More health and wellness news —
Los Angeles Times: Microplastics And Water Create Free Radicals, New Study Finds
Scientists have found microplastics in virtually every part of the human body. Yet many questions remain about what exactly these infinitesimal flecks of synthetic polymers do to human health, and how they might cause disease. A new paper looking at the chemical reactions between water and disintegrating plastic offers a potential hypothesis for how microplastics might make us sick. (Purtill, 10/17)
The Washington Post: Researchers Have Uncovered A Likely Origin Of Our Allergies
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, a move to a far-flung location can deliver a reprieve from the pollens and molds that caused you torment. But in many cases, it’s only a matter of time before this new environment’s changing seasons elicit itchy eyes and a runny nose. Researchers have uncovered a probable origin story for emerging and reemerging allergies. (Eisenstein, 10/19)
HealthDay: Frequent Napping Linked To Higher Dementia Risk, Study Finds
For the new study, researchers followed over 990 Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older for up to 10 years starting in 2013. All of the participants were free of dementia at the beginning of the study. Results showed that people who napped most days or every day had a 48% higher risk of dementia compared to those who rarely or never napped. (Thompson, 10/16)
San Francisco Chronicle: Why Men Struggle To Make Friends — And How Experts Say To Change That
When Jonathan Mandel attended his first gathering of the Men’s Circle at Ocean Beach nearly two decades ago, he hardly imagined that he was embarking on an Aristotelian path toward forging lasting friendships. Rather, Mandel said recently, he was drawn to the organization’s reputation for creating a space in which men could speak openly with peers about their doubts, concerns, areas of their lives they wanted to improve — and then be held accountable for making positive changes in those areas. (Kreidler, 10/18)
Katie Couric Media: Schools Could Teach Children How To Be Happy — But They Foster Competition Instead
In the United States, mental health challenges affect millions of school-age children. According to the CDC, approximately 11 percent of children ages 3 to 17 had a current anxiety diagnosis in 2023–2024, while 4 percent had depression and 8 percent had a behavioral disorder. While home life, friends, social media, and body image all have an impact on the mental health of children, school itself can also be a source of unhappiness. Yet a growing body of research from around the world shows that schools can actually help children lead happier lives — if they value such outcomes. (Urbina-Garcia, 10/16)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘Letters To The Editor’: Readers Are Pleading To Make American Healthcare Greater
Why doesn’t world-class medicine produce world-class health? Hayat Norimine’s reporting gets at something that has bothered me for a long time about American healthcare (Priced Out: “As Health Insurance Costs Soar, Healthcare Workers Also Feel the Pinch,” Sept. 22). We are very proud of U.S. medicine, and we should be. We are at the forefront of new treatments, our clinician workforce is unmatched, and we deploy technologies that seemed impossible just a few years ago. Yet we are in the middle of the pack compared with other countries, in terms of healthy lifespan and many markers of quality care.
In global health news —
The New York Times: Kenya Confirms Four New Ebola Cases
Kenya confirmed four new cases of Ebola on Saturday, as the country’s Health Ministry sought to assuage fears that the virus could spread among the public at large. The new infections, which bring the total in Kenya to seven, come days after the country announced its first-ever Ebola case on Oct. 6. A relative of the first patient and three health workers who treated him are among those infected, the Health Ministry said. (Baskar and Otieno, 10/17)
AP: Pope Leo XIV Greets Faithful At St. Peter’s Square After Surgery
Pope Leo XIV thanked thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for their prayers while he was hospitalized for an operation to remove a malignant tumor, and said he plans to gradually return to his usual duties. The crowd erupted in cheers when the pontiff showed himself in the window overlooking the square. (Barry and Thomas, 10/18)
