Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Working Long, Lonely Hours, Family Caregivers Reach For Support
NPR: Caregivers Suffer From Isolation And Stress And Often Find Little Support
Dawn Shedrick is matter-of-fact about the heartbreaks of caregiving. She is clear and calm when she describes its hardships and grief. She has looked after her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, for more than 30 years. ... Her situation is all too common. The latest estimate is that 106 million people do some kind of unpaid care for an adult in this country. But because family caregiving is not a public conversation, many of them — of us — feel invisible. Nearly half say they are lonely, more than twice the U.S. rate of 22%. (McGowan, 10/31)
The New York Times: Sitting All Day Is Bad For Your Health. Here’s How To Counteract It.
We’ve all heard that sitting too long is bad for you. We’re not evolved to do it, it can undermine our exercise gains, it causes dead butt syndrome. Sitting might not quite be “the new smoking,” but too much of it can still shorten your life. “Sitting is actually aging you faster,” said Katy Bowman, a biomechanist and author of “My Perfect Movement Plan.” Whether it’s bone or joint health, muscle mass or energy level, she added, “a lot of what you perceive as aging is going to be heavily influenced by your sitting time.” (Murphy, 10/31)
NBC News: Semaglutide Linked To Reduced Arthritis Knee Pain In People With Obesity, Study Finds
People who lost a significant amount of weight with semaglutide saw major improvements in osteoarthritis knee pain, research published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine finds. In the phase 3 clinical trial, people with osteoarthritis who dieted, exercised and took semaglutide — the blockbuster drug sold by Novo Nordisk as Ozempic and Wegovy — lost more weight and reported a greater reduction in knee pain than those who lost weight with just diet and exercise. (Sullivan, 10/30)
The New York Times: Zyn, Popular Nicotine Pouches, Are Redefining A Masculine Archetype
Men seem to be emerging as the most vocal and visible customers of Zyn. The product sits in a cultural nexus of frat life, hard partying and a dubious wellness space populated by figures like Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan, who has made misleading statements about the product’s supposed health benefits. (The long-term effects of Zyn are not clear, but nicotine can raise blood pressure and spike a user’s heart rate, and at least some doctors are concerned about addiction to nicotine pouches.) (Brown, 10/31)
Stat: Sugar Limits In Infancy Tied To Better Health As An Adult, Study Finds
Britain’s hardships during World War II famously included weeks of bombing during the Blitz, the mass evacuation of children, and food rationing. That rationing, researchers report, holds cautionary lessons for today on the health impact of consuming sugar early in life. (Cooney, 10/31)
The Washington Post: Do Your Hair And Nails Keep Growing After You Die?
It’s a myth. Our hair and nails do not continue to grow after we die. The notion isn’t unreasonable, however. After death, a decomposing body can create that illusion. (Beyer, 10/31)
KFF Health News: Dentists Are Pulling ‘Healthy’ And Treatable Teeth To Profit From Implants, Experts Warn
Americans are getting dental implants more than ever — and at costs reaching tens of thousands of dollars. Experts worry some dentists have lost sight of the soul of dentistry: preserving and fixing teeth. (Kelman and Werner, 11/1)
