Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'The Danger Of Polio Is Present': New York Health Officials Warn Public
AP: Polio Fears Rise In New York Amid Possible Community Spread
New York state health officials issued a more urgent call Thursday for unvaccinated children and adults to get inoculated against polio, citing new evidence of possible “community spread” of the dangerous virus. The polio virus has now been found in seven different wastewater samples in two adjacent counties north of New York City, health officials said. (8/4)
The New York Times: Health Chief Warns Polio Case Could Be ‘Tip Of The Iceberg’
New York State health officials on Thursday intensified their push for people who have not been immunized against polio to get vaccinated “right away,” saying the one confirmed case of the disease found in the state may be “the tip of the iceberg” of a much wider threat. (Shanahan, 8/4)
In other health and wellness news —
The New York Times: Just 2 Minutes Of Walking After A Meal Is Surprisingly Good For You
Walking after a meal, conventional wisdom says, helps clear your mind and aids in digestion. Scientists have also found that going for a 15-minute walk after a meal can reduce blood sugar levels, which can help ward off complications such as Type 2 diabetes. But, as it turns out, even just a few minutes of walking can activate these benefits. (Fairbank, 8/4)
Stat: New Research Digs Into The Genetic Drivers Of Heart Failure
When coronary arteries are blocked, starving the heart of blood, there are good medications and treatments to deploy, from statins to stents. Not so for heart failure, the leading factor involved in heart disease, the top cause of death worldwide. (Cooney, 8/4)
Fortune: Eating Disorders Increasingly Affect Kids As Young As 9. How Parents Talk About Food Matters
Eating disorders already affect 28 million Americans—those aged 12 through 25 make up 95% of cases. A new study, published this week in JAMA Pediatrics, shows how those even younger than 10 are affected by eating disorders. The research studied roughly 12,000 nine and ten-year-olds between 2016 and 2018 and found that 5% took part in binge eating behaviors and 2.5% took measures to avoid gaining weight, including self-induced vomiting, which experts say many parents don’t know children are capable of doing. (Mikhail, 8/4)
The Hill: Climate Change Causing Poorer Fitness In Children: Study
Warming global temperatures — fueled by climate change — are making children less physically fit and more obese than ever before, a new study has found. And it’s a two-way street: physical fitness is also key to tolerating higher temperatures. A less active lifestyle caused by higher temperatures is putting kids at greater risk of suffering from heat-related health problems, including dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, according to the study, published in the journal Temperature on Friday. (Udasin, 8/5)
KHN: Skin Cancer Is A Risk No Matter The Skin Tone. But It May Be Overlooked In People With Dark Skin.
Brykyta Shelton found herself standing in a checkout line of a big-box retailer, uncomfortably aware as a woman ahead of her stared at her sandaled feet. Shelton had been taking medication for months for what her doctor said was toenail fungus, but one nail still looked gross. After Shelton completed her purchase, the woman pulled her aside and said that, while she wasn’t a doctor, she thought Shelton was dealing with something more serious than fungus. (West, 8/5)
In surgical news —
The Washington Post: Surgeons Use Virtual Reality Techniques To Separate Conjoined Twins
After emerging from a final risky surgery, Brazilian twin brothers Arthur and Bernardo Lima were met with an emotional outpouring of applause, cheers and tears from medical staff and family members. For the first time, the boys lay separated, face-to-face and holding hands in a shared hospital bed in Rio de Janeiro, after doctors there and almost 6,000 miles away in London worked together using virtual reality techniques to operate on the conjoined 3-year-olds. (Suliman, 8/3)
NBC News: One In 5 People Waiting For A Transplant Are Latino. There's A Call For More Donors
There are over 100 million people waiting for transplants in the U.S., and 60% are minorities, according to One Legacy Foundation, a group created in 2011 that advocates for organ donations. Kidneys are the organ in highest demand. Although the Hispanic population is among the groups that most need transplants, they are among the most reluctant to register to become donors. (Flores, Telemundo and Sesin, 8/4)
