Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Sheds Light On Why Colon Cancer Is Trickier To Treat In People Under 50
The Washington Post: Clues Emerge On Why Colon Cancer May Be Harder To Treat In Young People
The rise of colorectal cancer in patients under 50 continues to stump researchers, who are still trying to work out why, in younger people, the cancer is more aggressive and carries a worse prognosis even with more intensive treatment. A study last week shed light on a possible answer: tumors in younger people are different on a cellular level, displaying traits that might explain why they are more resistant to treatment and more likely to metastasize and spread throughout the body. (Wu, 11/1)
Knowable Magazine: Can Odors From Our Bodies Signal Alzheimer’s, Cancer And Other Diseases?
When social anthropologist Hanna Marie Ihlebæk interviewed nurses at a Norwegian cancer ward for her PhD dissertation, she was surprised to learn that many of them relied on their sense of smell in their work. “Urine infection is really distinct, I can recognize that smell in the corridor!” one of the nurses said. Another claimed to be able to pick out digestive bleeding and cell necrosis. “I don’t know what I would have done without my ability to smell,” said a third. (Zaraaska, 11/1)
More health and wellness news —
HealthDay: Heated Tobacco: A New Trend That Is Raising Heart Health Concerns
Heated tobacco is gaining popularity around the world, marketed as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. But new research is raising red flags — finding that just one session can affect cardiovascular function. These devices heat processed tobacco instead of burning it and produce an inhalable nicotine aerosol. (10/30)
Fox News: Walking Speed May Predict Longevity Risk In Older Adults, Study Finds
The speed a person normally walks could offer a simple clue about their overall health and longevity, new research suggests. A study published in JAMA Network Open followed 4,067 adults in the U.K., who were about 69 years old on average, to see whether their usual walking pace was linked to their risk of death over time. (McGreal, 11/1)
The Hill: New Autism Study Complicates Trump Administration’s Search For Cause
A recently published found associations between certain maternal health conditions during pregnancy and autism diagnoses across racial and ethnic groups, underscoring how much remains unknown as the Trump administration searches for a cause of autism. Researchers from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine published a study earlier this month that included 224 ,353 children born at Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals between 2010 and 2017. (Choi, 10/31)
The Washington Post: Are GLP-1s Leading To Divorce? The Answer Is Complicated.
Taken for weight loss, the drugs can dramatically change people’s marriages, for better and worse. (Izadi, 11/1)
The New York Times: F.D.A. Warns Of Tractor Wheels Snack Bar Linked To Choking Hazard
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned parents not to buy a soft-baked snack bar after receiving reports that it had completely blocked toddlers’ airways. The bars, sold as Tractor Wheels by Once Upon a Farm, were linked to episodes in which toddlers ages 18 to 30 months experienced what the agency called “the inability to breathe.” The F.D.A. did not specify how many reports it had received. (Walker, 10/31)
