Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Can Diagnose Diseases Just On People's Behavior While Searching Internet
The Wall Street Journal: Clues To Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s From How You Use Your Computer
How you type or move a mouse could help detect whether you have a serious disease like Parkinson’s. A Duke University doctor working with Microsoft researchers sifted through data on the physical movements of computer users that came from millions of internet searches. Their study found links between some behaviors—such as tremors when using a mouse, repeat queries and average scrolling velocity—and Parkinson’s disease. They used artificial intelligence, or a computer analysis, to identify which of the metrics separated a control group from those searching for Parkinson’s disease symptoms. (Reddy, 5/29)
Stat: Research In Mice May Explain CAR-T Therapy's Toxic Side Effects — And How To Block Them
CAR-T therapy is a potent new tool for several cancers, but its toxic side effects have put a damper on some of the enthusiasm around its use. Scientists, however, are beginning to unravel why these dangerous toxicities crop up — and are proposing potential interventions that could make CAR-T therapy safer. Their work was published in two papers in Nature Medicine. While the research is based on rudimentary mouse models, it outlines the mechanisms that cause deadly side effects like cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. (Keshavan, 5/29)
Bloomberg: Is There A Doctor On The Plane? Airlines Often Hope Not
In May 2016, Lewis Christman was flying from Chicago to Rome when he suffered a bout of acute pancreatitis. He curled into a fetal position on the floor. He spent the next seven hours in agony while the plane flew on. The next three months, he spent in hospitals. This month, Christman sued, accusing United Continental Holdings Inc. of ignoring a recommendation from a doctor on board to divert the flight and failing to contact medical consultants on the ground. It was another round of bad publicity for United and one that draws scrutiny to how U.S. air carriers treat passengers in distress and the pressure to keep flights in the air. (Levingston, 5/29)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Weak Oversight Of Medical Devices Jeopardizes Patient Safety
[Doris] Jones’ lawsuit, being heard this week, is the latest of hundreds of thousands involving medical devices blamed for sickening or killing patients, cases that point to a weak federal oversight system for some sensitive devices. The cases are so many and so routine that federal courts have funneled many into a special multi-district system to consolidate them. (Hart, 5/25)
The New York Times: Lowe’s Drops Paint Strippers Blamed In Dozens Of Deaths
Lowe’s, the large home improvement retailer, announced Tuesday that it will no longer sell paint strippers that contain the chemicals methylene chloride and NMP, which have been blamed in dozens of accidental deaths. The Obama administration, in its final days, concluded that the two chemicals represented “unreasonable risks” and moved to ban them for use as paint strippers. But the Environmental Protection Agency has not enacted the ban. (Lipton, 5/29)
Kaiser Health News: Veterans Find The Comfort Of Home In Foster Care, An Alternative To Nursing Homes
Ralph Stepney’s home on a quiet street in north Baltimore has a welcoming front porch and large rooms, with plenty of space for his comfortable recliner and vast collection of action movies. The house is owned by Joann West, a licensed caregiver who shares it with Stepney and his fellow Vietnam War veteran Frank Hundt.“There is no place that I’d rather be. … I love the quiet of living here, the help we get. I thank the Lord every year that I am here,” Stepney, 73, said. (Kime, 5/30)
The Washington Post: A Doctor Removed Her Ovaries Because They Were ‘In The Way.’ Her Family Says It Led To Her Death.
The removal of her ovaries never came up during her surgery consultations. Lucinda Methuen-Campbell was considering treatment for a bowel disorder at the Spire Hospital in Bristol, England, in 2016. A surgeon there, Anthony Dixon, had gained international recognition for fixing patients’ bowel problems with vaginal mesh implants. Methuen-Campbell went ahead with the surgery — and was shocked to learn afterward that Dixon had removed her ovaries. She asked him why. “He said he thought he’d done me a favor. And he said, ‘I thought you know, a woman of your age wouldn’t really need her ovaries,’ ” Methuen-Campbell told the BBC. (Eltagouri, 5/29)
