Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Treatment Using Patient's Own Immune Cells To Fight Cancer May Take Step Forward Wednesday
The Washington Post: First Gene Therapy — ‘A True Living Drug’ — On The Cusp Of FDA Approval
When doctors saw the report on Bill Ludwig’s bone-marrow biopsy, they thought it was a mistake and ordered the test repeated. But the results came back the same: His lethal leukemia had been wiped out by an experimental treatment never before used in humans. “We were hoping for a little improvement,” remembered the 72-year-old retired New Jersey corrections officer, who had battled the disease for a decade. He and his oncologist both broke down when she delivered the good news in 2010. “Nobody was hoping for zero cancer.” (McGinley, 7/11)
USA Today: Syphilis Rates Are Rising, And Dating Apps May Be Playing A Role, Experts Say
Syphilis, a disease most people associate with the past, has returned with a roar, and public health experts think the rise in rates can be attributed at least partly to social media. Infection rates are the highest they have been in 20 years, said David Harvey, the executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. From 2014 to 2015 alone, the number of syphilis cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rose by 17.7%, from 63,453 to 74,702. (Toy, 7/11)
NPR: Paid Peer Support Is Helping To Fill Treatment Gaps For Some With Serious Mental Illness
Recovery coaches and peer mentors – known in Alcoholics Anonymous as "sponsors" — have for decades helped people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. Now, peer support for people who have serious mental illness is becoming more common, too. Particularly in places like Texas, where mental health professionals are in short supply, paid peer counselors are filling a gap. (Silverman, 7/11)
USA Today: Mental Health Day Tweet Shows What's Wrong With Mental Health Care
The Internet is fixated on a boss’s reply to an employee who took time off for her mental health, and the viral response reveals much of what is right and wrong about mental health care in America. Madalyn Parker, a Michigan web developer at live-chat platform Olark, who suffers from depression and anxiety, sent an email to her team saying she’d be off for two days to focus on her mental health. Afterward, her boss thanked her for the candor. She shared the exchange on social media in late June, and it's now been retweeted more than 12,000 times. (Dastigar, 7/11)
Kaiser Health News: Women With High-Risk Pregnancies Far More Prone To Heart Disease
Women who have high-risk pregnancies or complications in childbirth are up to eight times more likely to suffer heart disease later in life. And many mothers — and their doctors — are unaware of the danger. Emerging research shows heart disease is a long-term threat for women who develop diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy, for example, or those whose babies are born prematurely or precariously small. (Gorman, 7/12)
USA Today: Nelsan Ellis Tragedy Shows How Alcohol Withdrawal Can Be Deadly
It seemed like a good idea. Rather than remain addicted to alcohol and drink in large quantities, actor Nelsan Ellis, who starred in the HBO series True Blood, decided to quit. And it killed him. (Diebel, 7/11)
The New York Times: High-Intensity Workouts May Be Good At Any Age
Abbreviated, intense workouts may help people of any age become healthier, a new study of old mice that ran on treadmills suggests. Although the experiment involved rodents, not humans, the study found that old mice can tolerate high-intensity interval training and rapidly gain fitness and strength, even if they start off frail and exercise for only a few minutes a week. (Reynolds, 7/12)
The Washington Post: Real-Time Testing Of Drugs At Music Festivals Shows ‘Molly’ Often Isn’t ‘Molly’
Scientists, public health experts and volunteers working with them have started to show up at music festivals, concerts, raves and other public gatherings where illicit drugs are frequently used. Equipped with special chemical testing kits, they help attendees test pills and powder for purity in real time so that people can make better-informed decisions about whether to take them. (Cha, 7/11)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: High-Tech Vest May Help Heart Failure Patients Avoid Hospital Stays
OSU is one of 41 medical centers across the United States participating in the randomized study looking for proof that the vest, called a Sensi-Vest, can reduce hospital re-admissions for heart failure patients... More than 350 patients across the country are part of the trial, with half using the vest and half serving as a control group. (Washingon, 7/11)
