Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Finds Twice-Yearly Shot 100% Effective At Blocking HIV
The Washington Post: Twice-A-Year Shot Offers 100 Percent HIV Protection, Study Finds
A twice-yearly injection could help prevent HIV infections, according to the results of a new study described by medical experts as a breakthrough. In a randomized trial involving more than 5,000 young women and girls in South Africa and Uganda, none of those who received the prevention shots contracted HIV. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. (Pannett, 7/25)
NPR: HIV Preventive Strategy Sparks Interest -- And Protests -- At AIDS Conference
A new way to prevent HIV infection is generating great buzz -- and more than a bit of controversy -- at this week’s AIDS 2024 Conference in Munich. ... These results were significant enough for the Data Monitoring Committee -- an independent group of experts appointed to assess the progress of clinical trials -- to recommend that Gilead halt its blinded trial and offer lenacapavir to all study participants. On June 20, Gilead announced these results, and now, all participants can choose to receive the injection. (Barros Guinle, 7/24)
In other health and wellness news —
Bloomberg: What The Temperature Doesn’t Tell You About Extreme Heat’s Hazards
After its nationwide rollout on Earth Day, the HeatRisk forecasting tool is getting a real-world test as deadly temperatures stress much of the US. Created by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, HeatRisk combines public health data and weather forecasts to create a map of threatening heat across the country. Similar to how tornadoes and hurricanes are categorized, the tool ranks heat waves on a scale of 0 to 4 based on how dangerous they are. (Battle Abdelal, 7/24)
Fox News: Seniors More Likely To Miss Doctors’ Appointments In Extreme Heat Or Cold, Study Finds
Whether it’s the dog days of summer or a cold snap in the dead of winter, extreme temperatures tend to bring people’s activities to a halt — including doctors’ appointments. Seniors in particular are more likely to skip their scheduled medical visits if it’s too hot or too cold, according to a study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. On days that are 90 degrees or hotter, for every 1 degree increase in temperature, the rate of missed appointments rises by 0.64%, as reported by researchers at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Rudy, 7/24)
USA Today: What Is The Fittest City In America? New Rankings Revealed
Living near parks, bike trails and green space is as important as being motivated when it comes to achieving your fitness goals, experts say. Not all communities provide such amenities. Those that hit all the marks showed up in the annual American Fitness Index released Tuesday by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Elevance Health Foundation. The index ranks the nation’s 100 largest cities on 33 personal and community health indicators. (Alltucker, 7/23)
USA Today: Diamond Shruumz Mushroom Recall: 2 Possible Deaths, Cases In 28 States
Health officials are investigating a possible second death linked to a brand of recalled microdosing mushroom-infused edibles. Since the Food and Drug Administration's initial June warning about Diamond Shruumz-brand Microdosing Chocolate Bars – and some users having bad reactions including seizures and vomiting – the agency has tracked 74 cases in 28 states. (Snider, 7/24)
