Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vaccination Exemptions Threaten 'Decades Of Progress' As Measles Cases Surge Worldwide
The New York Times: As Measles Surges, ‘Decades Of Progress’ Are In Jeopardy
Reported cases of measles worldwide surged by nearly a third last year, partly because parents did not vaccinate their children, health organizations said Thursday. The increase in measles, a highly contagious scourge that had been nearly eradicated in many parts of the world just a few years ago, was “deeply concerning,” the organizations said in a report on the fight to eradicate measles. (Gladstone, 11/29)
Stateline: Recognizing Suicide’s Warning Signs Could Save Lives
Nationwide, more than 47,000 Americans died by suicide last year, according to data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s a nearly 5 percent increase over 2016, when close to 45,000 people died. And it’s a continuation of a nearly 20-year rise in suicide rates that, along with drug overdose deaths, has been a leading factor in an ongoing decline in the average American life expectancy. (Vestal, 11/30)
NPR: Experimental Brain Stimulation Relieved Depression Symptoms In Study
There's new evidence that mild pulses of electricity can relieve depression — if they reach the right target in the brain. A study of 25 people with epilepsy found that those who had symptoms of depression felt better almost immediately when doctors electrically stimulated an area of the brain just above the eyes, a team reported Thursday in the journal Current Biology. (Hamilton, 11/29)
MPR: Shingles Vaccine Shortage Continues To Frustrate
A relatively new shingles vaccine that can dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing the painful condition has become so popular that clinics and pharmacies are having trouble keeping it in stock. Shingles is a blistery flare-up of the chicken pox virus, which lingers in nerve tissue after chicken pox goes away. (Zdechlik, 11/29)
Stat: With Schizophrenia Drug Results, Alkermes Gets Much-Needed Good News
Alkermes (ALKS) said Thursday that schizophrenia patients treated with an experimental tablet called ALKS 3831 reported significantly less weight gain compared to the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic currently in use. The ALKS 3831 results achieved the main goal of Alkermes’ Phase 3 clinical trial, clearing the way for the biopharma company to file for regulatory approval in the middle of next year. (Feuerstein, 11/29)
Marketplace: How VA-Trained Psychiatrists Are Bringing Their Skills To Civilians With PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder is often associated with military veterans. But civilians live with PTSD, too. And finding treatment outside of the Veterans Administration isn’t always easy. More mental health providers are starting to treat PTSD in the civilian world, and some are using lessons they learned from treating veterans. (Covington, 11/28)
The New York Times: Less Barf, More Bleach: How To Prevent Nasty Stomach Bugs This Winter
“Mommy? I threw up.” The phrase is uttered so innocently, but it incites in me an immediate dark panic. I know right then — which way too often is in the middle of the night — that my vomiting child probably has a stomach virus, and that our family has just begun another weeklong round of ring-around-the-toilet. First it’ll be my son, then my daughter, then me, then my husband. My symptoms, for some reason, are the worst. The first time my husband saw me with a stomach bug, he said, “I really thought you were going to die.” (Moyer, 11/29)
The Washington Post: New Tick Species Capable Of Transmitting Deadly Disease Is Spreading In The U.S.
A new invasive tick species capable of transmitting several severe diseases is spreading in the United States, posing an emerging threat to human and animal health, according to a pair of reports issued Thursday. The Asian longhorned tick is the first invasive tick to arrive in the United States in about 80 years. It’s native to eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and the Korean Peninsula and is now also established in Australia and New Zealand. (Sun, 11/29)
PBS NewsHour: American Life Expectancy Has Dropped Again. Here’s Why
If life expectancy gives us “a snapshot of the nation’s overall health,” then new federal numbers released Thursday “are a wakeup call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable,” says Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the government’s annual mortality report, life expectancy in the U.S. overall fell in 2017 for the second time in three years. (Santhanam, 11/29)
The New York Times: Blacks Are Less Likely Than Whites To Get Treatment For Heart Disorder
African-Americans are less likely than white people to get the newest stroke-preventing medicines for atrial fibrillation, a new study found. Atrial fibrillation, often called A-fib, is the quivering or irregular heartbeat that increases the risk for stroke and other heart problems. The standard treatment is oral anticoagulants, or blood thinners, to prevent blood clots. (Bakalar, 11/29)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Advanced Cancer Patients Can Live Longer With Palliative Care, Tulane Study Says
Helping advanced cancer patients manage their symptoms and cope with their illness in an outpatient setting could help them live longer, according to a Tulane University study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. A research team led by Michael Hoerger, assistant professor of psychology, psychiatry and oncology at Tulane, observed 2,092 patients with advanced cancers to examine the impact of outpatient palliative care on their survival and quality of life. (Clark, 11/29)
ProPublica: Ill Nuclear Workers’ Benefits Petitions Have To Be Reviewed Within 6 Month. Some Have Languished About A Decade.
Under the law, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a federal agency that makes recommendations on work-related injuries and illnesses, had six months to review Evaskovich’s petition and recommend whether it should be approved or denied. A decade later, Evaskovich and his colleagues are still waiting for a final answer. (Moss, 11/30)
The New York Times: Kevin Love Calls Speaking Out On Mental Health ‘The Biggest Thing’ In His Career
Kevin Love had always found refuge in basketball — a sport at which he excels. But his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, was not playing very well early in the 2017-18 season. And the expectations had never been higher: Love and his Cavaliers teammates won an N.B.A. championship the year before and were widely expected to return to the N.B.A. Finals. (Stevens, 11/29)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Use Of IVs To Hydrate High School Football Players Sparks Controversial Debate
The use of the IV method has not become a trend at the high school level, and there is no evidence to suggest its use creates a competitive advantage. Proponents believe it is the best way to protect at-risk athletes suffering from dehydration in select circumstances. Opponents express concerns about the methods and list potential hazards. (Krohn, 11/29)
