Public Health Roundup: Inactive Kids Pose Future Health Risks; ‘Food Pharmacies’ Help Patients Craft Healthy Diets
May 8, 2017
Morning Briefing
Also making public health news: loneliness in seniors; Zika testing guidelines for women; school officials’ concerns over “suicide tapes”; baby monitor dangers; one-two punch of substance abuse and mental health issues; and more.
Drugmakers Manipulate Orphan Drug Rules To Create Prized Monopolies
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Sydney Lupkin
January 17, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Drugmakers have brought almost 450 orphan drugs to market and collected rich incentives but nearly a third of those products aren’t new or were repurposed multiple times, an investigation shows.
Out-Of-This-World Technology Co-Opted For Breast Cancer Research
April 18, 2017
Morning Briefing
Scientists see the potential for medical breakthroughs with the help of tools originally designed to monitor space and protect planets. In other public health news: vaccinations, Zika-related epilepsy, dragon’s blood, third-hand smoke and more.
Patients Seeking Aid In Dying Driven More By Psychological Suffering Than Physical Pain, Study Finds
May 25, 2017
Morning Briefing
“It’s what I call existential distress. Their quality of life is not what they want.” says researcher Madeline Li, an associate professor at University of Toronto. Today’s other public health news stories cover so-called “conversion therapy,” Zika, tuberculosis, fitness trackers, knee arthritis and “high-intensity” drinking.
State Highlights: D.C. Zika Testing Program Botched Results; Ga. Gov. Signs Optometry Bill But Also Issues Related Executive Order
May 10, 2017
Morning Briefing
Media outlets report on news from Washington, D.C., Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, Louisiana and Wisconsin.
CDC Director Warns That Zika Threat Is Not Over
January 3, 2017
Morning Briefing
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden says he is concerned that some people — including pregnant women — might become less vigilant in protecting themselves from the virus. Meanwhile, one mosquito-control expert says now is the time to ramp up efforts to fight back against the mosquitoes that carry Zika.
Medical Attention On Infant At Childbirth Can Sometimes Be At Expense Of Mother’s Health
May 12, 2017
Morning Briefing
The U.S. has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world, and ProPublica and NPR report that 60 percent are preventable. In other public health news: the “gravity blanket” health claim retracted; bird flu surges; Brazil declares end to Zika emergency; self-checking for skin cancer; and more.
Democrats, Worried About Pricing, Beseech Army Not To Grant Exclusive Deal For Zika Vaccine
February 23, 2017
Morning Briefing
Lawmakers are concerned that even though taxpayers funded the vaccine’s development, they may be priced out of being able to afford it if Sanofi is given an exclusive license.
Support For Sanders’ Single-Payer Plan Fades With Control, Cost Concerns
By Jordan Rau
February 25, 2016
KFF Health News Original
Although half of Americans favor the idea of a government health insurance system, the popularity drops significantly when negative arguments are presented, poll finds.
Stem Cells Touted As Miraculous Cure For Some Diseases Found To Have Cancer-Causing Mutations
April 27, 2017
Morning Briefing
Five out of 140 registered stem lines have cells with the mutation, two of which had been used in clinical trials in an unknown number of patients. In other public health news: tracing the origins of autism and epilepsy; reality meets hype when it comes to cancer drugs; funding the Zika battle; caregiving and dementia; and more.
Clinic Seeks To Turn Marijuana From ‘Gateway Drug’ To Gateway To Treatment
March 28, 2017
Morning Briefing
A small but growing number of pain doctors and addiction specialists are overseeing the use of marijuana as a substitute for more potent and dangerous drugs. In other public health news: the opioid epidemic, lead standards, childhood trauma, multiple sclerosis, Zika, HPV vaccines and concussions.
Scientists Discover Antibodies That Can Become Weapons Against Zika Virus
December 15, 2016
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, a separate article found that that 6 percent of Zika-infected pregnant women in the United States had a fetus or infant with evidence of a Zika-related birth defect. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues another travel warning over the virus.
Doctors Close To Launching Novel Male Contraception Gel Technique That Would Be Reversible And Affordable
March 30, 2017
Morning Briefing
Today’s other public health news stories report on developments related to the toll climate change takes on mental health, more women with breast cancer opting for mastectomies over lumpectomies and a baby born in California who has birth defects resulting from exposure to Zika.
The More Scientists Study Zika, The Blurrier The Picture Gets
December 19, 2016
Morning Briefing
There is a lot of research being done on the virus in the months since it was declared a crisis, but our understanding of it has not sharpened yet.
From Addiction To Zika: The Biggest Health Stories Of 2016
December 19, 2016
Morning Briefing
Both The New York Times and Modern Healthcare take a look at health care in the past year.
Public Health Roundup: Identifying Best Breast Cancer Treatment; Study Finds Wider Lead Exposure
February 16, 2017
Morning Briefing
Other news stories related to public health cover Zika, the status of a canceled climate change summit, the benefits of Vitamin D on the cold and flu, depression in new dads, cardiovascular disease, ADHD and more.
Efforts To Keep Zika Out Of United States’ Blood Supply Seem To Pay Off
November 15, 2016
Morning Briefing
Screenings reveal that Zika infections in the blood supply are exceedingly rare.
Spurred By Zika Outbreak, Experimental DNA Vaccines Gain Footing
December 16, 2016
Morning Briefing
These vaccines, which scientists can develop in weeks and begin human trials within months, may provide longer-lasting immunity compared with conventional vaccines. In other public health news: black lung cases are spiking; hearing loss is on the decline; Angelina Jolie’s breast cancer essay has unintended consequences; and depression among airline pilots is common.
Colombia Reports That Babies Born With Microcephaly Quadrupled During Year’s Zika Outbreak
December 12, 2016
Morning Briefing
And as Florida reports that the virus is no longer actively transmitting in Miami Beach zones, Texas officials confirm four new locally acquired cases of Zika.
Medicare Could Go Broke Due To Mounting Costs Of Alzheimer’s Care, Report Says
March 10, 2017
Morning Briefing
Caregiving for patients with the degenerative brain disease has already cost the federal program $259 billion. And in other public health news, research links the Zika virus to heart problems. And health officials confirm that a highly contagious form of bird flu was found at a Tennessee chicken farm.