Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Many Adult Americans Dying Of Excessive Alcohol Use
CNN: 1 In 5 Deaths Of US Adults 20 To 49 Is From Excessive Drinking, Study Shows
A beer, glass of wine or cocktail may feel so common place that you don’t even think about pouring another, but a new study suggested it may be important for everyone to be mindful of their alcohol use. An estimated 1 in 5 deaths of people ages 20 to 49 were attributable to excessive alcohol use in the United States, according to the study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. (Holcombe, 11/1)
The New York Times: Alcohol Deaths Claim Lives Of Working-Age Americans
An estimated one in eight deaths of Americans ages 20 to 64 in the years 2015-19 was the result of injuries or illness caused by excessive alcohol use, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study, published on Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open, assessed the effects of alcohol on people of working age, who accounted for nearly two-thirds of the country’s annual average of 140,000 alcohol-related deaths. (Alcorn, 11/1)
In other health and wellness news —
The Washington Post: Why Daylight Saving Time Is Worse For Your Body Than Standard Time
Within days, 48 states and the District of Columbia will reset their clocks and fall back into standard time. From a health standpoint, most sleep and circadian experts say we should stay there. Experts say early-morning sunlight is key to maintaining our circadian rhythms, sleep-wake cycles and overall health. Phyllis Zee, a neurologist and chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said without that sunlight, we can slip into circadian misalignment — “when your internal body clocks fall out of sync with that of the sun clock and your social clocks.” (Steckelberg and Bever, 11/2)
The Washington Post: Just 11 Extra Pounds Can Ruin Healthy Knees
Gaining even a small amount of weight may not only damage your knees — leading to pain, stiffness and mobility issues — but also increase your odds of needing knee replacement surgery, according to research presented last month at the International Congress on Obesity. (Searing, 11/1)
CNN: High Blood Pressure Went Up Even More Early In The Pandemic, Study Finds
People in the US with high blood pressure saw their levels rise during the first eight months of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study says. ... Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the world, and well-controlled blood pressure is the leading modifiable risk factor, according to the researchers on the new study, published Tuesday in the journal Hypertension. (Christensen, 11/1)
Fox News: A Stressful Marriage May Harm Your Heart Health, Study Finds
There may be a link between distress in marriage and a poorer outcome after a heart attack for people who are under 55, according to a new study. "Our findings support that stress experienced in one’s everyday life, such as marital stress, may impact young adults’ recovery after a heart attack," said the study's lead author, Cenjing Zhu, in a press release published on Monday, Oct. 31, announcing the results. (Rousselle, 11/1)
Axios: The Latina Taking On The Hispanic Oral Health Crisis
Research shows Latino adults are the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to seek dental care, but dental hygienist Amber Lovatos is on a mission to change that. (Moreno, 11/1)
The Washington Post: Aerosol Hair Products Tainted By Benzene May Still Be On Store Shelves
It’s not clear how widespread the problem is, and the major companies involved have refused to answer questions or provide additional details. ... On Tuesday, the news got worse. Valisure, an independent lab in New Haven, Conn., published a new analysis testing 148 batches of dry shampoo products from 34 different brands, and found that 70 percent contained benzene. The highest level of benzene detected was 340 parts per million in 10 seconds of spray. By comparison the Food and Drug Administration has said that the acceptable level of benzene in a drug is two parts per million. (Amenabar, 11/1)
Stat: What Does Musk's Twitter Takeover Mean For Health Misinformation?
In the years since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many health care professionals have turned to Twitter as a way to share news and advice about public health. But Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, which closed last week, is raising concerns that the self-described “free speech absolutist” could change the social-media platform in ways that promote, rather than curb, the spread of mis- and disinformation. (Trang, 11/1)
