Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Researchers Find Possible Drug For Treating Glioblastoma
Southern California News Group: USC Researchers Identify Drug That May Treat Cancerous Brain Tumors
The identification of a small molecule drug that can target the brain’s circadian clock proteins may prove effective for treating glioblastoma, the most common cancerous brain tumor in adults, researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC announced Monday. (Rosenberg, 9/27)
Axios: Study Finds Gaps In Reporting Harms From U.S. Cancer Screenings
Reporting on the physical and psychological harms from cancer screenings is inconsistent, making it hard to compare risks with rewards and potentially exposing patients to unnecessary hazards, according to new research published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (Gonzalez, 9/27)
The CDC issues an update on enterovirus D68 —
Bloomberg: Polio-Like Viral Infection Causing Muscle Weakness In Children Flagged By CDC
Young children with respiratory illnesses and muscle weakness may be infected with enterovirus D68, a lung virus strain that’s been linked to rare, serious cases acute flaccid myelitis, a nervous system ailment, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report Tuesday. The most common signs and symptoms seen in hospitalized children have been shortness of breath or rapid, shallow breathing, wheezing, coughing and nasal congestion. Infections can also worsen asthma symptoms. (Muller, 9/27)
In other health and wellness news —
AP: Study Tries To See If Child Vaccines And Asthma Are Linked
A number of scientists have wondered if aluminum, a vaccine additive that has been used for decades, had a role in allergies and asthma in children. A new federally funded study has found a possible link, but experts say the research has important shortcomings and is not a reason to change current vaccine recommendations. The study doesn’t claim aluminum causes the breathing condition, and officials say more work is needed to try to confirm any connection, which hadn’t been seen in earlier research. (Stobbe, 9/27)
San Francisco Chronicle: EPA To Reconsider Approval Of Herbicide Linked To Parkinson’s Disease
After complaints from farmworkers and environmentalists, the Biden administration says it is reconsidering its 15-year re-approval of paraquat, a widely used herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson’s disease in many studies. (Egelko, 9/27)
The Washington Post: Short Menstrual Cycle Could Be Linked To Early Menopause
A shorter-than-average menstrual cycle — 25 days or fewer between periods — might predict early onset of menopause and more menopausal symptoms, including more severe issues, according to research published in the journal Menopause. Researchers found that, as women approached menopause in midlife, those with short cycles were more likely to have sleep problems, heart discomfort, depression, and physical or mental exhaustion than those whose menstrual cycles were closer to either a normal or longer length (26 to 34 days from the first day of one period to the first day of the next). The findings were based on data from 634 women who were tracked for nearly two decades. (Searing, 9/27)
Fox News: FDA Warning About NyQuil Chicken TikTok Challenge May Have Spiked Interest
A statement issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking people to stop combining NyQuil with chicken after a "Sleepy Chicken" challenge went viral on social media earlier may have unintentionally spiked interest in the trend. There were fewer than five searches for NyQuil chicken content on TikTok a day prior to the Sept. 15 statement from the FDA, according to data provided to Fox News Digital by the social media app. By Sept. 21, around 7,000 searches were recorded. (Casiano, 9/27)
KHN: ‘American Diagnosis’: When Indigenous People Move To Cities, Health Care Funding Doesn’t Follow
Over 70% of Indigenous people in the United States live in urban areas. But urban Indian health makes up less than 2% of the Indian Health Service’s annual budget. While enrolled members of federally recognized tribes can access the Indian Health Service or tribally run health care on their reservations, Indigenous people who live in cities can find themselves without access to the care they’re entitled to. (9/28)
Food bank demand is up—
Bloomberg: Hunger In America: Inflation's Driving Up Need For Food Banks
Nursing aides, maintenance workers, store clerks and roofers are among the Americans already turning to food banks for help, the consequence of political opposition to the administration’s efforts to extend temporary pandemic benefits and a spike in inflation that has been especially hard on families near the precipice of poverty. (Dorning, 9/27)
The Chronicle of Philanthropy: White House Conference Puts Spotlight On Hunger Relief
For months, Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas has had to waitlist families hoping to join a food pantry program, as the nonprofit and other charities have struggled to meet soaring demand amid rising food prices and the end of federal pandemic relief aid. (Herschander, 9/27)
