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Visit KFF Health News for the latest headlines | Morning Briefing | KFF Health News and The Trace are talking to people who've been wounded or families of those killed by gun violence to better understand how insurance affects such medical care. Click here to reach our reporting team. In This Edition: From KFF Health News: 1. Complaints About Gaps in Medicare Advantage Networks Are Common. Federal Enforcement Is Rare. Health systems drop out of Medicare Advantage plans all the time. Yet government documents obtained by KFF Health News show that federal regulators rarely warn plans that their networks of health providers are so skimpy they violate legal requirements. (Susan Jaffe, 11/20) 2. Waning Immunity and Falling Vaccination Rates Fuel Pertussis Outbreaks New details from health officials suggest the whooping-cough surge may be part of a national pattern driven by slipping vaccine coverage and waning immunity, with infants bearing the brunt of the consequences. (Céline Gounder, 11/20) 3. Political Cartoon: 'Too Much Turkey?' KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Too Much Turkey?'" by Scott Nickel. Here's today's health policy haiku: WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING Medicaid cuts will
result in poor health outcomes
and cost taxpayers. - Tom Ervin If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story. Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF. Summaries Of The News: 4. On Official Website, CDC Now Suggests Vaccines May Cause Autism The change of language came Wednesday and includes a pledge to dig deeper into the causes of autism, going so far as to say, "Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities." The Wall Street Journal: CDC Changes Webpage To Say Vaccines May Cause Autism, Revising Prior Language
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage that previously made the case that vaccines don't cause autism now says they might. The contents of the webpage came up during Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Senate confirmation process. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.) in February said Kennedy had assured him that, if he was confirmed, the CDC would "not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism." (Essley Whyte and Siddiqui, 11/19) Politico: RFK Jr. Is In A Power Struggle
A top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is locked in a power struggle with his boss and the White House over vaccine policy and personnel, according to two senior administration officials. For now, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, Marty Makary, still has his job, but the dispute — which centers on how the agency will examine vaccine side effects — is unresolved, the officials said. Both were granted anonymity to discuss confidential deliberations. (Röhn, 11/19) Related news about the flu and pertussis — The New York Times: Early Signs Point To A Harsh Flu Season In The U.S.
The United States may be headed for a rough flu season, with a virus that causes more severe symptoms than the one last year and seems to be spreading more rapidly and earlier than usual. On Friday, one day after they returned to work from the government shutdown, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted data suggesting that flu infections are still low but rising in 39 states. Even so, the flu vaccine will help prevent hospitalizations, with an effectiveness of 70 to 75 percent in children and 30 to 40 percent in adults, according to data from the Health Security Agency in Britain. (Mandavilli, 11/19) Los Angeles Times: L.A. County's First Flu Death Confirmed; Season Could Be Severe
L.A. County has had its first flu death in a season that health officials have warned could be severe. The county Department of Public Health confirmed the influenza-associated fatality on Wednesday. The death occurred in an elderly individual with underlying health conditions who had not received a flu vaccination this season, according to the Department of Public Health. (Flores and Lin II, 11/19) CIDRAP: Experimental MRNA Flu Vaccine Is More Effective Than Conventional Flu Shot, But Causes More Side Effects
Recent mutations in circulating influenza viruses could make flu shots less effective this year, leading to an especially brutal flu season. It's not a new problem. Flu viruses are infamous for their ability to evolve quickly and without warning, creating a mismatch between the shots already on the market and the viral strains spreading from person to person. Over the past 15 years, the effectiveness of seasonal flu vaccines has ranged from 19% to 60%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Szabo, 11/19) KFF Health News: Waning Immunity And Falling Vaccination Rates Fuel Pertussis Outbreaks
Rates of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are surging in Texas, Florida, California, Oregon, and other states and localities across the country. The outbreaks are fueled by falling vaccination rates, fading immunity, and delays in public health tracking systems, according to interviews with state and federal health officials. Babies too young to be fully vaccinated are most at risk. (Gounder, 11/20) In other news about HHS — Bloomberg: HHS Proposes New CDC Programs, Including Hepatitis B Screening
The Health and Human Services Department is proposing new initiatives for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including a program to increase hepatitis B screening for pregnant women, as part of a broader push to restructure the agency, according to an internal document viewed by Bloomberg News. Leading five of the 16 initiatives is Sam Beyda — a carryover from the Department of Government Efficiency — who was recently named deputy chief of staff at the CDC, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak on the subject. (Nix, 11/20) Stat: HHS Re-Releases Gender Dysphoria Report With Names, Peer Review
The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday re-released its controversial report on gender dysphoria in children, and this time it named the previously anonymous authors and published a handful of peer review comments after the initial study had been faulted for a lack of transparency. (Gaffney and Merelli, 11/19) AP: Senate Committee Advances Thomas March Bell For HHS Watchdog
A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday voted to advance a candidate openly supportive of President Donald Trump to be inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, a role that is traditionally viewed as nonpartisan. The 14-13 vote in the Republican-led Senate Finance Committee sends Thomas March Bell's nomination to the full, Republican-controlled Senate, where he is expected to be confirmed to lead the office charged with investigating fraud, waste and abuse in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs. (Swenson, 11/19) 5. Senators Squabble Over 'Health Cost Freight Train' Racing Toward Patients The Senate Finance Committee met Wednesday to discuss possible alternatives for Affordable Care Act subsidies, which expire at the end of the year. Republicans are calling for an overhaul of the system, but Democrats say they waited too long to initiate such reforms. Modern Healthcare: Senate Finance Committee Focuses On HSAs Over ACA Subsidies
With time running short, a key congressional panel convened Wednesday to weigh options to mitigate the consequences when enhanced health insurance exchange subsidies expire. Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee followed President Donald Trump's lead and touted plans that would deposit funds into health savings accounts rather than provide subsidies for insurance premiums, as Democrats demanded. (McAuliff, 11/19) Becker's Hospital Review: 'A Health Cost Freight Train Is Hurtling Into View': 5 Takeaways From The Senate Finance Committee Hearing
The Senate Finance Committee led a high-stakes hearing Nov. 19 on the affordability crisis unfolding across the U.S. healthcare system. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle warned that Americans are facing staggering premium hikes, shrinking coverage options and escalating out-of-pocket costs as Congress remains divided on how to respond. (Condon, 11/19) Politico: Cassidy's Obamacare Plan Will Not Lower Skyrocketing Premiums, Democrats And Policy Experts Say
It's too little, too late for Sen. Bill Cassidy's (R-La.) Obamacare subsidy compromise. That's the message from health policy experts and Democrats on Cassidy's proposed middle ground over Congress' stalemate on expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies. (King, 11/20) More news from Capitol Hill — The Hill: House Committee Probes NJ Organ Group's Alleged Misconduct
The House Ways and Means Committee is demanding an answer from a New Jersey organ donation group accused of engaging in illegal practices, including harvesting organs from a person who was showing signs of life. In a letter to the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network (NJTO), Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and oversight subcommittee Chair David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) laid out numerous whistleblower allegations made against the organization. (Choi, 11/19) AP: Florida Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick Charged With Stealing Disaster Funds
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted on charges accusing her of stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using some of the money to aid her 2021 campaign, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The Democrat is accused of stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency overpayments that her family health care company had received through a federally funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, federal prosecutors said. A portion of the money was then funneled to support her campaign through candidate contributions, prosecutors allege. (11/20) 6. Hollywood Elite Shift Focus To Health Care As Actors Back Function Health Matt Damon and Zac Efron are among the investors in the subscription-based health tech company, which offers customers more than 100 lab tests and alerts them to potential medical problems such as cancer, thyroid issues, or kidney disease. Other news is on a diagnostic AI startup, hospital closures, and more. Modern Healthcare: Function Health's $298M Series B Backed By Matt Damon, Zac Efron
Function Health, a health tech company offering lab testing and imaging scans to patients, raised $298 million in a Series B funding round. The round was led by venture capital firm Redpoint Ventures. Other investors included venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Menlo Ventures, as well as actors Matt Damon and Zac Efron, more than a dozen professional athletes and numerous other angel investors. (Perna, 11/19) Stat: AI Startup Aims To Diagnose Hundreds Of Conditions On Medical Images
Since 2016, Adam Yala, a University of California, Berkeley computer scientist, has listened intently, if skeptically, to forecasts by medical software makers that radiologists were nearing extinction. Artificial intelligence, the thinking went, was about to take their jobs. (Ross, 11/20) In other health industry news — NJ.com: N.J. Hospital Says It Can't Pay Employees, Must Close After 152 Years
A Jersey City hospital will close its doors after 152 years of service after failing to get millions in support from the government, its parent company announced last week. Heights University Hospital will operate only as a standalone emergency department and support services starting on Saturday, said Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, president and chief executive officer of Hudson Regional Health. (Roman, 11/14) Chicago Tribune: State Board Approves Closure Of Obstetrics Unit
Ascension Alexian Brothers will soon close its inpatient obstetrics unit after a state board voted Tuesday to allow the move, despite outcry from nurses and community members. The state Health Facilities and Services Review Board voted 6-3, after a lengthy discussion, to approve the hospital's application to close the unit. (Schencker, 11/19) Modern Healthcare: Providence Swedish Cuts To Affect 296 Positions
Two Providence organizations announced plans Tuesday to cut more than 400 positions. Providence Swedish plans to cut 296 positions early next year, and Providence Oregon is eliminating more than 150 roles this week. The cuts affect clinical and administrative roles. (DeSilva, 11/19) Chicago Tribune: Saint Anthony Hospital Investigating Breach Of Email System
St. Anthony Hospital is investigating a breach of its email system that may have exposed the personal information of 6,679 people. (Schencker, 11/19) Modern Healthcare: WVU Health To Acquire Independence, Invest $800M In Upgrades
West Virginia University Health System announced an agreement Wednesday to acquire Independence Health. Morgantown-based WVU Health System, branded as WVU Medicine, would invest $800 million over five years to upgrade Greensburg, Pennsylvania-based Independence's facilities, according to a news release. The deal is expected to close in fall 2026, pending regulatory approval and bondholder consent, a WVU Medicine spokesperson said. (DeSilva, 11/19) Chicago Tribune: Northwestern Medicine Gets $25 Million For Behavioral Health
Northwestern Medicine has received a $25 million donation from Kent and Liz Dauten and their family foundation to create a new behavioral health institute. (Schencker, 11/19) KFF Health News: Complaints About Gaps In Medicare Advantage Networks Are Common. Federal Enforcement Is Rare
Along with the occasional aches and pains, growing older can bring surprise setbacks and serious diseases. Longtime relationships with doctors people trust often make even bad news more tolerable. Losing that support — especially during a health crisis — can be terrifying. That's why little-known federal requirements are supposed to protect people with privately run Medicare Advantage coverage when contract disputes lead their health care providers and insurers to part ways. (Jaffe, 11/20) 7. Botulism Cases Tied To Baby Formula Climb To 31 Infants Across 15 States Investigators recently have found the recalled ByHeart product available on store shelves in Oregon, Minnesota, and Arizona. Other public health news is regarding fluoride in drinking water, ultraprocessed foods, the fiber fad, and more. AP: As Botulism Cases Rise, Recalled Baby Formula Is Still On Some Store Shelves
As cases of potentially deadly botulism in babies who drank ByHeart infant formula continue to grow, state officials say they are still finding the recalled product on some store shelves. Meanwhile the company reported late Wednesday that laboratory tests confirmed that some samples of formula were contaminated with the type of bacteria that has sickened more than 30 babies in the outbreak. (Aleccia, 11/20) More health and wellness news — CNN: Fluoride In Drinking Water Does Not Negatively Affect Cognitive Ability — And May Actually Provide Benefit, Study Finds
The longstanding public health practice of adding fluoride to community drinking water is facing heavy scrutiny in the United States over questions about whether the benefits outweigh the potential risks. But new research challenges recent claims about the risks of fluoride in drinking water — and instead suggests that it may have additional positive effects. (McPhillips, 11/20) Newsweek: Two Thirds Of Pregnant Women Have A Risky Weight Problem
Around two thirds of pregnancies involve weight gain outside the recommended range, new data has found. The analysis, published in the BMJ, pooled data on 1.6 million women worldwide, highlighting the urgent need for updated standards for healthy weight gain in pregnancy. (Gray, 11/19) ABC News: Global Rise In Ultra-Processed Foods Is Major Public Health Threat, Experts Say
The global rise of ultra-processed foods in diets worldwide poses a major public health threat, according to experts who published a series of papers in medical journal The Lancet. The authors cite studies that show ultra-processed diets are linked to chronic health conditions like increased risk of becoming overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and overall higher death rates. (Benadjaoud, Abramoff and Salzman, 11/19) AP: Fiber Is Poised To Follow Protein As The Next Food Fad
U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber. Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the number of new products promoted with high or added fiber saw a big uptick in the U.S. this year, according to market research firm Mintel. Hundreds of videos on social media celebrate the benefits of dietary fiber and share recipes to help viewers get more of it. There's even a term for trying to meet or exceed the recommended daily fiber intake: fibermaxxing. (Durbin, 11/19) On mental health — Axios: Common Sense Media: Chatbots "Fundamentally Unsafe" For Teen Mental Health
All major chatbots are "fundamentally" unsafe for teen mental health support, children's advocacy group Common Sense Media said Thursday in a report showing systemic issues across the board. (Curi and Morrone, 11/20) The New York Times: When People in Distress Deny Being Suicidal, Should They Be Believed?
Clinicians often rely on patients to disclose thoughts of self-harm, but some are lobbying for a new diagnosis to better assess the risk. (Caron, 11/19) 8. Firefighters Who Battled LA Inferno Show Concerning Health Changes In the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study of the risks firefighters face, researchers noted that participants who responded to the Los Angeles fires had alterations in immune function, cancer risk, and DNA function. Other states in the news include North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Florida. Boise State Public Radio News: Researchers Find 'Concerning' Protein Changes Among Firefighters Who Responded To L.A. Blazes
The tragic Los Angeles fires were a historically destructive disaster, but they also presented a unique opportunity to study the toxic exposures faced by firefighters. New findings point to a heightened risk for serious diseases like lupus. (Woodhouse, 11/19) More health news from across the U.S. — The Charlotte Ledger: Patients Skip Care During NC Immigration Crackdown
When a Charlotte man fell off a ladder last week and likely fractured his foot, his doctor told him he needed to go to the hospital for an X-ray. But the man, the Latino owner of a small construction company, refused to go, the doctor said. He was too afraid he might run into U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, even though he's in the country legally. (Crouch, 11/20) AP: Missouri Seeks Help Taking China's Assets In A Legal Battle Over COVID
Missouri has escalated its attempt to seize Chinese government-owned property across the United States, asking the Trump administration for help collecting on a roughly $25 billion court judgment related to the COVID-19 pandemic that Beijing has flatly rejected. Missouri is asking the U.S. State Department to formally notify China that the state intends to pursue assets with full or partial Chinese government ownership to satisfy the judgment, state Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said Wednesday. (Lieb, 11/20) The Texas Tribune: Texas Moves Ahead With Regulating Hemp Industry As Federal Ban Looms
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission moved forward on Tuesday with its efforts to regulate the sale of consumable hemp products as questions swirled around the future of the industry due to federal restrictions on the products approved by Congress last week. A provision of the funding bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture that ended the longest government shutdown on record also undid a provision of the 2018 farm bill that first allowed Texas' $8 billion hemp industry to thrive. (Cobler, 11/19) PolitiFact: Florida AG Says 1 In 25 People Who Take The Abortion Pill Are Hospitalized. Here's The Fact-Check
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is suing Planned Parenthood for what he called deceptive marketing practices involving abortion pills. In a November 6 video on X, Uthmeier said Planned Parenthood "falsely marketed to women" that abortion pills are safer than over-the-counter medications. (Putterman, 11/19) AP: Study Finds Thousands Of Hazardous Sites In The US Risk Flooding From Sea Level Rise
If heat-trapping pollution from burning coal, oil and gas continues unchecked, thousands of hazardous sites across the United States risk being flooded from sea level rise by the turn of the century, posing serious health risks to nearby communities, according to a new study. Researchers identified 5,500 sites that store, emit or handle sewage, trash, oil, gas and other hazards that could face coastal flooding by 2100, with much of the risk already locked in due to past emissions. But more than half the sites are projected to face flood risk much sooner — as soon as 2050. Low-income, communities of color and other marginalized groups are the most at risk. (Pineda, 11/20) 9. Thousands Of Kids On ADHD Meds Wind Up On Other Psychotropic Drugs The Wall Street Journal compared about 166,000 children ages 3 to 14 who started on ADHD medications in 2019 with kids who didn't, finding the kids on meds were more than five times as likely to be on additional psychiatric medications four years later. The combined effects in young children, the Journal points out, haven't been studied closely. The Wall Street Journal: Millions Of Kids Are On ADHD Pills. For Many, It's The Start Of A Drug Cascade.
Danielle Gansky was 7 years old when an administrator at her upscale private girls' school in suburban Philadelphia flagged problems with her academic performance. She was a bubbly and creative kid, but she was easily distracted in class and her schoolwork was sloppy. The school told Gansky's mother that the girl should see a psychiatrist, who diagnosed her with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and prescribed a stimulant. Concerned that Danielle might get kicked out if her focus didn't improve, her mother broke into tears and agreed. But the pills made Gansky agitated, moody and angry. So another doctor put her on Prozac. (Ramachandran, McKay and McGinty, 11/19) Stat: Pfizer, Tris Agree To $41.5M Settlement With Texas Over ADHD Drug
Pfizer and Tris Pharma have agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle allegations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that they provided an ADHD medicine to children on Medicaid while knowing about "flawed" manufacturing practices. (Silverman, 11/19) San Francisco Chronicle: Two S.F. Telehealth Execs Convicted Of Fraud In Adderall Scheme
Two San Francisco telehealth company executives have been convicted of felony charges for what prosecutors described as a $100 million scheme to distribute Adderall and other stimulants over the internet for no legitimate medical purpose. After a week-long trial, Ruthia He, CEO of Done Global, and David Brody, a physician who was the company's clinical president, were found guilty Tuesday by a federal jury in San Francisco of six charges of illegal drug distribution and defrauding their customers, and He was also convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice. (Egelko, 11/19) In other pharmaceutical news — Bloomberg: Abbott Weighs Takeover Of Cancer Test Maker Exact Sciences
Abbott Laboratories is nearing a potential acquisition of cancer screening company Exact Sciences Corp., people familiar with the matter said, in what could be the biggest deal of the year in the global health-care sector. The US medical-device maker is discussing the terms of a transaction with Madison, Wisconsin-based Exact Sciences, according to the people. A deal may be announced in the coming days, they said. (Davis and Nair, 11/19) Bloomberg: Bayer Wins US Approval For New Drug Hyrnuo In Lung Cancer
Bayer AG won US approval for its new medicine Hyrnuo to treat a common form of lung cancer as the German company works to bolster its drug pipeline. The US Food and Drug Administration cleared the treatment for adults with non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer whose tumors are advanced or have spread and carry mutations of HER2 — a gene often associated with breast cancer. The medicine got an accelerated approval, meaning the company may need to perform another clinical trial to confirm its benefits. (Wind, 11/20) Stat: Agios Reports Mixed Results From Sickle Cell Study Of Pyrukynd
Agios Pharmaceuticals reported mixed results Wednesday from a Phase 3 study in sickle cell disease that will likely dim hopes of securing a U.S. approval for its drug. (Feuerstein, 11/19) Also — The Guardian, El Tecolote: The FDA Has Warned Against This 'Natural Remedy' For Joint Pain. San Francisco Immigrants Still Trust It
In San Francisco, doctors say, a growing number of Latinos who work physically demanding jobs have turned to Artri Ajo King and related supplements, such as Artri King, AK Forte and Ortiga Ajo Rey, to relieve chronic pain. The supplements are marketed as natural remedies for pain relief. But there's a dark side to the pills that has doctors in the city worried. They contain hidden pharmaceuticals that can lead to serious medical conditions, including liver toxicity and death. Quitting them abruptly can also be very dangerous. And, though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked people to avoid the pills, the message of their harms doesn't seem to be getting across to Spanish-speaking immigrants, or to the many small businesses in the Mission District that cater to them. (Duran, 11/19) 10. Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs. CIDRAP: New Data Show Double The Risk Of Guillain-Barre Syndrome After RSV In Seniors
A large study of US adults 65 and older enrolled in Medicare finds that the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)—a rare autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks its own nerves—doubles in adults 65 and older infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The study, published today in Clinical Infectious Diseases, involved 452,471 patients with RSV infection requiring medical care from 2011 through 2024. (Wappes, 11/14) CIDRAP: WHO Warns Of Rising, Worrisome Levels Of Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea
Ceftriaxone and cefixime are the last remaining recommended treatment options for gonorrhea. But there's hope that two new antibiotics that have shown promise in clinical trials (zoliflodacin and gepotidacin) could soon provide more options. (Dall, 11/19) Bloomberg: New Antibiotic Stokes Hope For Still Lethal TB In Study
The new drug, developed by the not-for-profit TB Alliance, doesn't just show promise to cut treatment times. The data indicate it has a better safety profile and the potential to defeat many strains that have become resistant to other antibiotics. Because it works more quickly, it means people spend less time coughing, sneezing or spitting, reducing the risk of contamination. (Kew, 11/19) MedPage Today: High-Fiber Diet May Boost Immunotherapy Activity In Advanced Kidney Cancer
Patients with advanced kidney cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) lived longer if they consumed a high-fiber diet, a small prospective study showed. (Bankhead, 11/16) MedPage Today: Sesame Allergy Study Compares Oral Food Challenge Methods
Oral food challenges for sesame allergy may result in more accurate results if crushed seeds or the sesame paste tahini are used instead of whole seeds, a retrospective review suggested. (Haelle, 11/18) The Baltimore Sun: Preterm Babies Face High Blood Pressure Risk
A new study found that premature infants who spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit face higher risk for persistent high blood pressure starting from a young age. (Hille, 11/13) 11. Viewpoints: It's Time To Stop Including High BMI In Formal Diagnoses; Let's Talk About Pediatric Transition Editorial writers delve into these public health issues. Stat: Elevated BMI Should Not Routinely Be Listed As A Formal Diagnosis
Weight stigma has long been a challenge for the field of medicine. Patients who live in bigger bodies often describe experiences in health care settings as highly stigmatizing. This can have significant consequences for their health, often taking the form of delaying or forgoing care. But there is an under-acknowledged yet ubiquitous form of weight stigma plaguing health care: routine documentation of body mass index greater than 25 as a medical diagnosis. (Mara Gordon, Niharika Sathe and Meghan Crnic, 11/20) The Washington Post: Questions Linger About The Safety Of Pediatric Medical Transition
In the spring, the Department of Health and Human Services published a careful, 409-page systematic review of the evidence and ethical considerations for pediatric medical transition. But one thing was missing: the names of the authors. (11/19) Katie Couric Media: A Viral Video Reveals the Disturbing Neglect Black Mothers Face Every Day
But the truth is, for every viral video, there are countless moments we never see. Moments where Black women are treated as if their pain doesn't matter. Moments that end in preventable complications, near-death experiences, or death itself. (Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, MS, 11/18) Stat: Where The Longevity Economy Should Focus Its Energy — And Dollars
We're living in the age of the anti-aging gold rush. Biohackers are fasting and cold-plunging. They're injecting themselves with peptides and tracking every heartbeat in the hopes of extending lifespan by months, if not years. (Michael Gurven, 11/20) CIDRAP: RSV Prevention—A Remarkable Medical Achievement Finally Realized
Every winter, pediatric wards fill with infants struggling to breathe, their small chests retracting with each labored breath from the inflammation and obstruction that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes in their airways. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in US infants. For decades after we developed effective vaccines against other childhood infections, RSV remained unconquered. We could treat symptoms, offer oxygen, and wait, but we could not reliably prevent infection. Older adults faced a quieter version of the same problem, coming in with "viral pneumonia" and heart failure that, when we tested, often turned out to be RSV. (Jake Scott, 11/19) | | | | | |
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