Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Excess Deaths On The Rise, Remain Higher Than Tallies In Peer Countries
CIDRAP: 'A National Scandal': US Excess Deaths Rose Even After Pandemic, Far Outpacing Peer Countries
Excess deaths in the United States kept rising even after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 1.5 million in 2022 and 2023 that would have been prevented had US death rates matched those of peer countries, estimates a Boston University (BU)-led study today in JAMA Health Forum. The data show a continuation of a decades-old trend toward increasing US excess deaths, mainly among working-age adults, largely driven by drug overdoses, gun violence, auto accidents, and preventable cardiometabolic causes, the researchers say. (Van Beusekom, 5/23)
Stat: What Baby KJ Means For Future Of CRISPR Gene Editing Industry
For the ailing gene editing industry, hope came earlier this month in the tiny, smiling, fuzzy-headed form of KJ Muldoon. At just 6 months old, KJ received a gene editing treatment custom-built to correct his unique mutation. He’s not cured, researchers explained at the annual American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy meeting in New Orleans. But he has been able to resume a normal diet and is no longer on the path to a liver transplant. (Mast, 5/26)
KFF Health News: A Ministroke Can Have Major Consequences
Kristin Kramer woke up early on a Tuesday morning 10 years ago because one of her dogs needed to go out. Then, a couple of odd things happened. When she tried to call her other dog, “I couldn’t speak,” she said. As she walked downstairs to let them into the yard, “I noticed that my right hand wasn’t working.” But she went back to bed, “which was totally stupid,” said Kramer, now 54, an office manager in Muncie, Indiana. “It didn’t register that something major was happening,” especially because, reawakening an hour later, “I was perfectly fine.” (Span, 5/27)
The Hill: New Contact Lenses Could Allow Vision In The Dark
The new world of contact lenses has arrived: ones that allow individuals to see in the dark with their eyes closed. In the journal Cell, neuroscientists explained how they created contact lenses that make the breakthrough possible by converting infrared light to visible light. Per the research, there is no power source necessary, and the wearers can see both visible and infrared light simultaneously, with the latter increasing when one’s eyes are closed. (Djordjevic, 5/24)
CIDRAP: Study Details Economic Impact Of RSV Infections In Young Children
A study published yesterday in Eurosurveillance highlights the substantial costs associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in children ages 5 and under. ... Costs were assessed from an outpatient healthcare sector and societal perspective, with the results stratified by country and the age-group of children diagnosed as having RSV. (Dall, 5/23)
The Conversation: Chronic Genital Pain Sufferers Are Often Gaslit By Doctors — Here’s Why
For people with chronic gynecological pain conditions, pain can be constant, making everyday activities like sitting, riding a bicycle and even wearing underwear extremely uncomfortable. For many of these people — most of whom identify as women — sexual intercourse and routine pelvic exams are unbearable. (Hintz and Berke, 5/26)
Also —
The Wall Street Journal: AI-Powered ‘Ambient Listening’ Is Coming To Your Doctor Visits
Even the hospital walls may soon have ears. A fast-growing technology known as ambient listening is taking over an onerous but necessary task in healthcare: documenting what happens in the doctor-patient encounter. Already gaining traction for outpatient medical visits, the AI-powered systems are also moving into hospital rooms and emergency departments to capture discussions at the bedside, update medical records, draft care plans and create discharge instructions. (Landro, 5/27)
NPR: Apps That Rate Food For Nutrition Can Be Helpful, But Be Skeptical
Food apps that rate the healthfulness of packaged foods have become increasingly popular. You can scan a food package with your phone camera and the app will rank it for its nutritional content. Some apps will flag ingredients and additives. If the product you scan gets a poor rating, many apps will suggest an alternative in the same food category. But do they really help consumers make healthier choices? (Godoy, 5/26)
Stat: Biohackers Think You Can Program The Body Like A Computer. They’re Wrong
It’s easy to feel as though you’re doing something wrong these days if you don’t know your VO2-Max and how many hours of REM sleep you get each night, or if you’re not taking a dozen different supplements and scrutinizing every morsel of food that makes its way into your mouth. “Biohackers” and other longevity seekers — with their many podcasts, YouTube channels, and X accounts — would have you believe that if you diligently measure your every bodily function and meticulously tailor your nutrition and exercise regimens, you can reprogram your body to live longer and evade dreaded diseases, just as a computer can be programmed to perform virtually any desired task. (Alex Harding, 5/27)
