Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: November 13, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers express views on several women’s health issues.
Editorial pages focus on these health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Colorado, New York, Utah, Georgia, Kansas, Virginia, Minnesota, South Carolina, Delaware, Illinois and Washington.
California Wildfire Death Toll Climbs To Become One Of Most Deadly On Record
A total of 29 bodies have been found so far from that fire, while another 228 are still missing. A quarter million people remained evacuated on Sunday amid fears that the infernos that broke out Thursday could flare up again, as dense smoke made air unhealthy for millions from San Francisco to San Diego.
Following on the heels of President Ronald Reagan and Tennessee’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, Sandra Day O’Connor’s announcement about her struggles with dementia helps caregivers and others afflicted by the disease deal with the stigma of the illness and make decisions to seek early diagnosis even though there is no cure. Other public health news looks at an Ebola clinical trial, a problem from soy-based baby formula, last year’s deadly flu season, anorexia, poor sleep, wheat sensitivity, life saving playlists and more.
A large study published in JAMA examines the wide-ranging health problems — from depression to drug use — that flare up in adulthood in people who experience early trauma compared to those who do not and raises ways to address it. Other reports on children’s health focus on the negative impacts of spanking, ways to comfort a child in pain, and nutrition.
The NRA’s tweet saying doctors should “stay in their lane” over the gun control debate sparked furious, and sometimes graphic, responses from physicians who deal with gun shot victims frequently. “Do you have any idea how many bullets I pull out of corpses weekly?” Judy Melinek tweeted. Another doctor posted: “My lane is paved by the broken bodies left behind by your products.” Meanwhile, media outlets examine the widespread mental health effects of mass shootings.
Former first lady Michelle Obama talked about the silence surround fertility, miscarriages and IVF in an interview about her memoir, “Becoming.” “I felt like I failed because I didn’t know how common miscarriages were because we don’t talk about them,” she said.
The guidelines also recommend the use of two new kinds of drugs for those at the greatest danger of heart disease.
Although both Vitamin D and fish oil drugs have gained popularity recently, a massive study found that healthy people who take the supplements do not lower cancer rates nor do they reduce the rate of major cardiovascular events.
Menthol Cigarettes Could Be Banned As Part Of FDA’s Aggressive Crackdown On Tobacco Products
The menthol proposal is just one of several initiatives the FDA plans to announce sometime next week, including a ban on sales of most flavored e-cigarettes at retail stores and gas stations across the country. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has been vocal recently about his concerns that a boom e-cigarette industry is leading to an “epidemic” of young people vaping.
Vice President Mike Pence penned an opinion piece on Sunday praising the administration’s efforts on behalf of veterans. “Our actions are having a real impact on the men and women who have sacrificed for our country.” Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie has rejected calls to end testing on dogs, saying the research change veterans’ lives.
Kansas Gov.-elect Laura Kelly and Wisconsin Gov.-elect Tony Evers, both Democrats who flipped seats from Republicans, vowed in their campaigns to expand Medicaid coverage. They might be aided by the momentum of ballot success in other states, but they do face headwinds in their legislatures. News on Medicaid comes out of North Carolina and Florida, as well.
“This new majority is not going to be afraid of our shadow,” Mike Thompson, a California Democrat who is chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, told The Wall Street Journal. “We know that we’ve been elected to do a job, and we’re going to do it.” The Democrats are promising to pass the most aggressive gun-control measures in decades when they take power. Meanwhile, California already has strict laws, but activists have already started weighing what more can be done.
The Democrats have made it clear that they think “health care was on the ballot and health care won.” Now that they have some power in the House, here’s what some of their top priorities will likely be.
First Edition: November 12, 2018
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers weigh in on these and other health issues.
Perspectives: Just Maybe, A Bipartisan Force Is Finally Emerging To Focus On Gun Safety
Opinion writers weigh in on how to reduce gun violence.
Research Roundup: Smoking In Adolescents; Salt Intake And Heart Failure; And Medicaid
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
