Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Roundup: Link Between Chronic Fatigue And Gut Bacteria? Lyme Symptoms Can Mirror Those Of Early Alzheimer's
The Washington Post: New Study Shows Chronic Fatigue Syndrome May Have To Do With Gut Microbes
Chronic fatigue syndrome, perhaps more than any other disease, has a bad rap. It makes you debilitatingly tired from normal tasks but no amount of rest can help. There's no blood test or other easily read biomarkers, so many doctors are reluctant to diagnose the condition no matter how bad things get. Scientists have finally shed some light on the condition, finding that your gut bacteria and inflammatory agents in the blood may have something to do with it. (Cha, 6/30)
Rome-News Tribune: Untreated Lyme Disease Can Mimic Early Alzheimer’s Symptoms
While Lyme disease can lead to serious health problems, confirmed cases are relatively rare in Northwest Georgia. Logan Boss, a spokesman for the Northwest Georgia Health District, said no cases have been confirmed so far this year in Northwest Georgia. There were fewer than five cases reported in 2015 and two cases reported in 2014 and 2013. (Walker, 6/30)
California Healthline: For This Man, Reducing Gun Violence Is A Life’s Mission
As the ancient Chinese proverb says, from crisis comes opportunity. That is certainly true for Garen Wintemute, a leading gun-violence researcher and emergency room doctor who finds “teaching moments” in the grief-filled days and weeks following mass shootings in America. He is currently seizing a window of opportunity recently opened by the recent mass shooting in Orlando, Florida. Wintemute, once named a “hero of medicine” by Time magazine, has led the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis Medical Center for 25 years. (Craft, 7/1)
KQED: Epigenetics: The Woes Of Your Ancestors May Remain For Generations To Come
The most notable effect from the experiment: The rats put under restraint whose great-great-grandparents were exposed to toxic chemicals fared much worse than the rats who were restrained but whose legacy was toxic-free. Rats with toxicity in their ancestry and who got restrained suffered altered brain anatomy and performed poorly on anxiety tests. The experiment falls within the field of epigenetics; this is the study of molecular changes that don’t alter DNA code but, rather, influence which genes get turned on or off—in other words, which genes get expressed. (Lovett, 6/30)
NPR: For Centuries, A Small Town Has Embraced Strangers With Mental Illness
At the center of Geel, a charming Belgian town less than an hour's drive from of Antwerp, is a church dedicated to Dymphna, a saint believed to have the power to cure mental disorders. It's a medieval church with stone arches, spires and a half-built bell tower, and it has inspired an unusual centuries-old practice: For over 700 years, residents of Geel have been accepting people with mental disorders, often very severe mental disorders, into their homes and caring for them. It isn't meant to be a treatment or therapy. The people are not called patients, but guests or boarders. They go to Geel and join households to share a life with people who can watch over them. Today, there are about 250 boarders in Geel. (7/1)
