Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Weekly Shot Of New Drug Hailed As Functional Cure For Hep B
The New York Times: Scientists Find A Potential Cure For Chronic Hepatitis B
A new drug has essentially cured 1 in 5 patients with chronic hepatitis B infections, researchers reported on Thursday, a feat that has stymied scientists for years. “It’s the first major advance in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in decades,” said Dr. William Jarnagin, a surgeon and liver specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. (Kolata, 5/28)
Colon cancer screening guidelines are updated —
ABC News: New Guidelines Could Help Millions More Americans Get Colon Cancer Testing
New guidelines from the American Cancer Society are expanding colon cancer screening options beyond colonoscopies and established stool-based tests. The recommendations still call for colorectal cancer screening in people at average risk starting at age 45 and continuing through age 75 for those with a life expectancy of 10 more years. And colonoscopy is still considered the gold standard test. But for the first time, the updated guidelines now include a blood-based screening test done in a doctor’s office. They also add new stool sample kits and a recently FDA-approved at-home test that looks for blood and different molecular markers in stool samples. (Goldstein, 5/27)
On autism —
Los Angeles Times: Parental Mental Health — Not Medication — Drives Autism Correlation, Study Finds
A sweeping new review of prenatal antidepressant use underscores a finding that has surfaced repeatedly throughout the last decade: While parental depression is strongly linked to child neurodevelopmental disorders, taking antidepressants during pregnancy does not appear to significantly increase a child’s risk of autism. In an analysis of 37 separate studies covering more than 25 million pregnancies, a research team from the University of Hong Kong found that children born to women who took antidepressants while pregnant were indeed more likely to later be diagnosed with autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (Purtill, 5/27)
In other health and wellness news —
NBC News: At The Enhanced Games, Drugs Don’t Get Athletes Banned. They Could Get Them Rich
When Shania Collins was first approached about taking performance-enhancing drugs last year, it made her nervous enough to contact two members of the Drug Enforcement Administration — her parents. ... Then organizers of the Enhanced Games, a controversial sports startup, got in touch last fall with an offer. The organizers were planning a one-day competition of sprinting, swimming and weightlifting in Las Vegas that would not only allow but encourage doping. And it paid the kind of money that might take some athletes years to make — six-figure salaries, on top of prize money of up to $250,000 for event winners and $1 million for a world record. (Greif, 5/26)
Bloomberg: Gyms Are Replacing Bars Bars In Gen Z's Social And Dating Lives
At 7 p.m. on a Friday in London, the lobby of Third Space in Soho looks more like a members’ club than a gym. There’s a humming smoothie bar, twenty- and thirtysomethings in color-coordinated workout sets and a steady stream of arrivals heading to reformer Pilates classes. A decade ago, this crowd might have been outside the pub, drinking anything but a smoothie. Across the UK and US, younger consumers are redirecting their discretionary income from nightlife to fitness. (Rappaport, 5/27)
The Sacramento Bee: Meal Sequencing: How Food Order Affects Your Blood Sugar
A simple shift in how you sequence your dinner — vegetables and protein first, carbs last — may meaningfully lower blood sugar spikes, according to multiple studies and dietitians weighing in on the trend. (Agate, 5/26)
