Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Without Nicotine, Vaping Still Affects Oxygen And Vascular Health Instantly
CNN: Vaping Immediately Affects Vascular Health And Oxygen Levels, Study Shows, Even Without Nicotine
Vaping has an immediate effect on how well the user’s blood vessels work, even if the e-cigarette doesn’t contain nicotine, according to new research. The research – which has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal but is a presentation at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago – showed that using an e-cigarette with or without nicotine also decreased a metric known as venous oxygen saturation, which may mean the person’s lungs were taking in less oxygen. (Christensen, 11/25)
The Washington Post: Why Your Organs May Be Aging Faster (Or Slower) Than The Rest Of You
New research shows aging is not a uniform process. Parts of our bodies start aging earlier than others, right down to our organs and cells. (Reynolds, 11/25)
CBS News: "Pink Cocaine" Is The Latest Street Drug. This Team Of Researchers Has Been Warning The Public About It For A Year
The death of music star Liam Payne. Sex trafficking allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs. A deadly car crash involving an Instagram model. Many Americans have only recently learned of the drug known as "pink cocaine" from a deluge of celebrity horror stories. Joseph Palamar, an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone, would say they are late to the party. "A lot of people just think it's this new powder that's going around," Palamar said. "It's a pretty pink powder, and everyone's starting to use it, when it really started increasing was around mid-2023." (Hanson, Geller and Sherman, 11/24)
NBC News: Cold Plunges May Have Fewer Benefits Than Hot Baths, New Study Suggests
Ice baths after exercise are hot, especially among influencers. But a new small study suggests that recreational athletes perform better if they soak in a hot tub rather than a frigid one, especially if there are breaks in their workouts, such as halftime in football and soccer, according to a report presented Thursday at the 2024 Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Carroll, 11/23)
NPR: Want To Prevent Dementia? Calculate Your 'Brain Care Score'
Dr. Jonathan Rosand ... and his collaborators have developed a way to gauge and track brain health, with a 21 point scale, called the brain care score. The score helps people understand the importance of daily habits — such as sleep, diet and exercise. (You can calculate your score in about five minutes.) ... About 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, according to a Lancet commission report. And even people who have genetic risk factors can benefit. (Aubrey, 11/25)
In global health news —
AP: Russia Bans Adoption To Countries That Allow Gender Transition
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed into law a bill banning adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal. The Kremlin leader also approved legislation that outlaws the spread of material that encourages people not to have children. The adoption ban would apply to at least 15 countries, most of them in Europe, and Australia, Argentina and Canada. Adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens was banned in 2012. (11/23)
BBC: What Happened When A City Started Accepting - Not Evicting - Homeless Camps
As cities across North America grapple with homelessness, one Canadian city has taken a different approach by regulating tent encampments instead of banning them, as it tries to tackle what one official calls the issue "of the decade". (Yousif, 11/25)
