Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Racing Legend Kyle Busch, 41, Dies Suddenly From 'Severe Illness' After Collapsing In Simulator A Day Earlier
AP: 2-Time NASCAR Champ Kyle Busch Dies At 41 After Being Hospitalized With A 'Severe Illness'
Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, has died. He was 41. The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given. Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family. (Reed, 5/22)
In health and wellness news —
HealthDay: Quitting Smoking May Lower Dementia Risk, Study Finds
Quitting smoking might protect your future brain health, a new study says. People who quit smoking had a lower risk of developing dementia, especially if they didn’t gain excess weight afterward, researchers reported May 20 in the journal Neurology. (Thompson, 5/22)
Jacksonville Today/ WJCT: UNF Lab Will Test The Effects Of Extreme Heat On Athletes, Military And Workers
A new lab at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville will test how extreme weather affects athletes, workers and members of the military. The Perry Weather Heat Lab is part of the Korey Stringer Institute’s UNF satellite location. The institute is named for the Minnesota Vikings' offensive tackle who collapsed and died 25 years ago of heatstroke from exertion during training camp. (Scanlan, 5/20)
KFF Health News: 3 Medical Routines That Older People May Not Need
Enough time had passed since the patient’s previous colonoscopy that she met the criteria to undergo another, said Steven Itzkowitz, a gastroenterologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She was in “reasonably good health,” and the risks of the procedure — bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, perforation of her colon — were fairly low. But she was 85. And she would need to briefly discontinue the blood thinners she took because of the cardiac stents keeping her arteries open; doing so could increase the risks. (Span, 5/22)
The Hill: Squeeze Toys Sold At Walmart, Ollie's Recalled Over Asbestos Concern
A popular squeeze toy sold at Walmart and Ollie’s Bargain Outlet stores is being recalled over concerns of “serious injury or death” because of the potential presence of asbestos. A recall notice shared by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday warns that certain Orb Funkee Squeeze Toys — specifically, two models of Funkee Monkees — may have asbestos in the sand they are filled with. (Bink, 5/21)
