Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Links PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' To Decreased Bone Density In Kids
CNN: PFAS Chemicals Linked With Lower Bone Density In Kids
The “forever chemicals” known as PFAS are increasingly known to potentially pose many threats, the latest of which may be child bone health, according to a new study. (Rogers, 3/17)
More health and wellness news —
The Wall Street Journal: Eating A Lot Of Ultraprocessed Food Raises The Risk Of Heart Attacks, Strokes
People who eat around nine servings a day of ultraprocessed foods like chips and doughnuts have about a 67% higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and dying from heart disease compared with those who eat about one serving a day, according to a new study. The risks rose with each additional serving a person ate, according to the study published Tuesday in JACC: Advances, a journal of the American College of Cardiology. (Petersen, 3/17)
CNN: Brain Aging Slowed By Over 2 Years With Unique Diet
Eating a combination of two award-winning diets slowed aging in key structures inside the brain by over two years, according to a new study. (LaMotte, 3/17)
The Hill: Cancer Helpline Adopts Famous 867-5309 Number From Tommy Tutone Song
It likely won’t be hard to remember the new phone number for a cancer support line: CSC-867-5309. The seven digits, made famous by the 1981 Tommy Tutone hit, “867-5309/Jenny,” now directs callers to the nonprofit organization, the Cancer Support Community (CSC), which provides information, support and advice from trained specialists to people affected by cancer. Securing the earworm-inducing number for the free and confidential calls was part of a joint effort by CSC, Gilda’s Club locations and the health marketing agency Klick Health, according to organizers. (Kurtz, 3/17)
In global news —
Bloomberg: Progress In Reducing Child Mortality Has Slowed, UN Report Finds
Reductions in child mortality have slowed around the world and even stalled in some places, with communities in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia particularly at risk, a United Nations report has found. Nearly 7 million people died before turning 25 in 2024, with 4.9 million children dying before the age of 5, according to an analysis released late Tuesday by the UN entities that estimate child and adolescent mortality. (Del Valle, 3/18)
Politico: ‘Worst-Case Scenario’: Middle East Nuclear Concerns Haunt Top Health Officials
World Health Organization officials are preparing for a nuclear catastrophe if the U.S.-Israel war with Iran escalates further. U.N. staff are monitoring the fallout of U.S-Israeli attacks on Iran’s atomic sites and remain "vigilant" for any type of nuclear threat, Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, told POLITICO. (O'Neill, 3/17)
