Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Cholesterol Guidelines Are Welcome Approach To Assessing Heart Health, But Insurance Is A Sticking Point; Ebola Crisis Needs Global Action
Bloomberg: New Cholesterol Guidelines Are Great — If Access Catches Up
Last week, I found myself in a situation that could soon be familiar to a lot more Americans: sliding into a CT scanner with a smattering of electrodes attached to my chest and ribs, my arms raised over my head. A serene voice asked me to take a small breath and hold it. A loudish whirring from the machine, a few shifts of the table, and another request for a small breath later, and suddenly I was sliding back out. (Lisa Jarvis, 6/16)
Bloomberg: Congo's Ebola Outbreak Should Be A Warning To White House, World
Ebola, a deadly virus, is spreading rapidly through parts of central Africa. By the time the outbreak was confirmed in mid-May, hundreds of potential cases had been identified, suggesting the strain had been circulating for months undetected. Although the US’s retreat from global health initiatives isn’t directly to blame for this crisis, depleted resources are making things worse. (6/16)
The Washington Post: This Common Women's Health Issue Is Getting A New Name. It's About Time.
Polycystic ovary syndrome was always a misnomer. Its new name will help women get proper treatment. (Leana S. Wen, 6/16)
Stat: Practicing Oncology Brings Unexpected Moments Of Joy
I knock on the door and open it. Before I say anything, there is silence. My patient had been through more than someone in his 30s ever should: a transplant, post-transplant lymphoma, chemotherapy, a relapse in the central nervous system, months of treatment that had taken apart the life he once knew, and then another auto transplant. His entire family was there, sitting close together, bracing for what I might say. (Khushali Jhaveri, 6/17)
Stat: How An Expert On Alzheimer's Missed It In Her Own Father
For years, my family noticed my father making small mistakes. We did what most families do: We explained it away. The stress of his schedule, we said — he was working constantly, under real pressure. But when he came to meet my second daughter the week after she was born, I could no longer explain it away. (Elizabeth Bevins, 6/16)
