Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Links Cold, Flu And Allergy Drugs To Dementia
CBS News: Popular Drugs For Colds, Allergies, Sleep Linked To Dementia
Taking over-the-counter medications for colds, flu and allergies may seem harmless, but a new study warns that certain drugs are linked to an increased risk of dementia. The class of medications, called anticholinergics, are sold over-the-counter and by prescription for many chronic conditions. They include sleep aids, hay fever pills, and flu symptom relievers. (Marcus, 4/21)
NPR: Half Your Brain Stands Guard When Sleeping In A New Place
When you sleep in unfamiliar surroundings, only half your brain is getting a good night's rest. "The left side seems to be more awake than the right side," says Yuka Sasaki, an associate professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown University. The finding, reported Thursday in the journal Current Biology, helps explain why people tend to feel tired after sleeping in a new place. And it suggests people have something in common with birds and sea mammals, which frequently put half their brain to sleep while the other half remains on guard. (Hamilton, 4/21)
The Seattle Times: Seattle Experts To Help Launch Largest-Ever Autism Research Study In U.S.
Autism experts at the University of Washington are bracing for a flood of interest starting Thursday as they help launch the nation’s largest-ever autism research study, which will seek DNA and other information from 50,000 U.S. families. (Aleccia, 4/21)
Kaiser Health News: Cities Begin To Count The Scars Of Childhood, And Try To Prevent New Damage
Kimberly Cervantes has spent much of her young life learning to outwit the perils of Compton. At 19, she’s street smart and savvy, but Cervantes’ maturity was born out of a violent childhood. In high school, she was assaulted on a public bus. In middle school, she witnessed the deaths of two students. The steady exposure to violence has led Cervantes to some dark places — including crippling anxiety and thoughts of suicide. ... In an unprecedented move, Cervantes and four other students are suing the Compton Unified School District, arguing that the trauma they have faced makes it difficult to learn and demanding that the district offer them additional support, in much the same way schools must accommodate students with autism, dyslexia and other disabilities. (Varney, 4/21)
Meanwhile, a researcher delves into the effects of second-hand marijuana smoke and scientists find an association between a particular genome and the age a person first has sex —
The Sacramento Bee: Second-Hand Pot Smoke Can Give You More Than Just A Contact High
Matthew Springer, a researcher in cardiovascular disease, was attending a Paul McCartney concert at AT&T Park in San Francisco in 2010 when he took particular note of the “haze of smoke over the whole audience.” Springer, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, had studied the effects of second-hand tobacco smoke on heart and vascular function. But this smoke was marijuana, a fact that McCartney noted from the stage as the performer commented on the familiar herbal scented San Francisco air, Springer recalled. (Hecht, 4/21)
The Orlando Sentinel: How DNA Influences Your Sex Life
Your DNA doesn’t determine when you lose your virginity, but it may play a larger role in the matter than scientists had thought. A new study identifies 38 specific places in the human genome that appear to be associated with the age at which people first had sex. These spots affect a range of genes, including some that seem to affect the timing of puberty and others that have been linked with risk-taking behavior. (Kaplan, 4/21)
