Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists: Getting Flu Shots Can Lower Your Heart Attack Risk
CIDRAP: Study: Flu Vaccination Reduces Risk Of Heart Attack
A meta-analysis published yesterday in Scientific Reports involving 9,059 patients shows a 26% decreased risk of heart attacks in people who received a flu vaccine and a 33% reduction in cardiovascular deaths. "These findings highlight the potential of influenza vaccination as an adjunctive strategy in cardiovascular disease prevention," the authors write. (Soucheray, 11/20)
Reuters: Indian Researchers Find No Link Between Sudden Death And COVID Shots
Indian researchers found no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination was behind "unexplained sudden deaths", a medical organisation said on Tuesday, instead pointing to the disease itself, binge drinking and intense exercise as risk factors. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted a study following what it called "anecdotal reports about sudden unexplained deaths among apparently healthy adults" aged 18 to 45 between October 2021 and March 2023. (11/21)
CNN: Eating Plant-Based Foods Instead Of Meat May Cut Diabetes And Heart Disease Risk
Replacing animal-based food such as red and processed meat or eggs with plant-based options such as nuts or legumes may reduce the risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes, a comprehensive review has found. The review, published November 16 in the journal BMC Medicine, analyzed the results from 37 earlier studies, and its findings “emphasize the potential health advantages of incorporating more plant-based foods into the diet,” Sabrina Schlesinger, head of the systematic reviews research group at the German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf, told CNN. (Ronald, 11/20)
The 19th: Paternity Leave Alters The Brain — Suggesting Daddies Are Made, Not Born
Most parents won’t be surprised to learn that the transition into parenthood, quite literally, alters the brain. But after decades of research focused on the maternal brain, new studies are now emerging that show how those early months can alter fathers’ brains. And as it turns out, daddies are made — not born. (Carrazana, 11/20)
