Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Researchers Link Adult Depression To Higher Dementia Risk Later
USA Today: Depression In Young People Linked To Dementia Late In Life
A study of more than 1.4 million Danish adults found those diagnosed with depression were more than twice as likely to get dementia later in life, a link that suggests depression may increase dementia risk, researchers said. The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology reported the risk of dementia more than doubled for men and women diagnosed with depression, even if diagnosed as young or middle-aged adults. (Alltucker, 7/24)
Stat: New Alzheimer's Drugs Heat Up Race For Early Detection Blood Tests
Currently, diagnosing Alzheimer’s is slow. The standard confirmation test is an amyloid-PET scan, but by the time the disease is evident on the PET scan, the disease has already progressed, said Valerie Daggett, a bioengineering professor at the University of Washington. “A lot has to happen before you get there and you see those deposits,” she said. Enter: blood tests. A glut of these tests — some used in clinical trials for Leqembi and donanemab — have received FDA breakthrough device designation, though none have been authorized yet. Newer tests and biomarkers are even trying to diagnose patients before they develop Alzheimer’s symptoms. (Trang, 7/25)
In other research, innovation developments —
USA Today: Gut Bacteria Protect Host From Hyperuricemia, Gout And Cardiovascular Disease
Beer is rich with organic chemicals, called purines, that can crystalize and accumulate in the blood, which could lead to gout and cardiovascular disease. A study estimated that between 2015 and 2016, 9.2 million people in the United States experienced gout. And cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death for people over 45. But don’t say goodbye to your favorite craft beer just yet. (Truong, 7/24)
The Washington Post: Low-Dose Aspirin Linked To Higher Anemia Risk For Seniors In Study
Older people who take a low-dose aspirin daily may be 20 percent more likely to develop anemia than those who do not, according to research published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Anemia develops when a person has an inadequate number of healthy red blood cells, which are needed to carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body. People with anemia often feel tired and out of breath. (Searing, 7/24)
CIDRAP: Hepatitis C Infection During Pregnancy Rose Sharply During Opioid Epidemic
The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection during pregnancy increased 16-fold between 1998 and 2018, fueled by the opioid epidemic, which has increased the odds of poor fetal outcomes, researchers from Johns Hopkins University recently reported in JAMA Network Open. The group's goal was to gauge how common HCV infections in pregnancy are and flesh out maternal and fetal outcomes to help with health policy decisions against the backdrop of rising opioid use, including in younger women of childbearing age. (Schnirring, 7/24)
The Boston Globe: To Better Understand Alcohol Addiction, New Research Is Turning To Fruit Flies
While the common fruit fly is typically viewed as an inconvenience, buzzing around your ripened fruit, these lowly insects share the majority of the genes that cause diseases in humans and have long been a crucial tool to scientific studies. As the most studied organism in genetic research, fruit flies are now becoming useful to local researchers who are looking for ways to better understand how alcohol addiction occurs from the perspective of the brain. (Gogosz, 7/24)
AP: Gene Therapy Eyedrops Restored A Boy's Sight. Similar Treatments Could Help Millions
Dr. Alfonso Sabater pulled up two photos of Antonio Vento Carvajal’s eyes. One showed cloudy scars covering both eyeballs. The other, taken after months of gene therapy given through eyedrops, revealed no scarring on either eye. Antonio, who’s been legally blind for much of his 14 years, can see again. (Ungar and Frisaro, 7/24)
Fox News: AI Appears More Human On Social Media Than Actual Humans: Study
"The most surprising discovery was that participants often perceived information produced by AI as more likely to come from a human, more often than information produced by an actual person. This suggests that AI can convince you of being a real person more than a real person can convince you of being a real person, which is a fascinating side finding of our study," Germani said. With the rapid increase of chatbot use, tech experts and Silicon Valley leaders have sounded the alarm on how artificial intelligence can spiral out of control and perhaps even lead to the end of civilization. One of the top concerns echoed by experts is how AI could lead to disinformation to spread across the internet and convince humans of something that is not true. (Colton, 7/25)
Also —
Kansas City Star: Long COVID Can Cause Mental Decline, New Study Says
Those with long COVID symptoms for months or years after becoming infected may also face significant cognitive decline, a new study suggests. A group of researchers with King’s College London studied the impact of COVID-19 on brain function through a series of cognitive tests on people who had COVID-19 and recovered quickly or had COVID-19 and are still dealing with symptoms years later. (Wright, 7/24)
CIDRAP: Long-COVID Patients Performed Worse On Cognitive Tests For Up To 2 Years
Cognitive deficits equivalent to a 10-year increase in age were more common in COVID patients who still had symptoms 3 months or more after infection, according to a study published late last week in eClinicalMedicine. A King's College London-led team evaluated performance on 12 tasks that tested working memory, attention, reasoning, processing speed, and motor control among previously infected participants and never-infected controls with and without persistent symptoms (eg, psychological distress, fatigue, functional impairment) in the UK COVID Symptom Study Biobank. (Van Beusekom, 7/24)
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