Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Getting A Shingles Vaccine Might Lower Your Dementia Risk
The shingles vaccine, recommended for people 50 and older to fight the painful viral infection, might also decrease the chances of developing dementia, according to data presented at a medical conference Tuesday. The study, which looked at the health records of hundreds of thousands of people across the United States, shows that those who received the shingles vaccine were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the five years following vaccination compared with a control group of people who received a vaccine for a different illness. (Cohen, 7/30)
Two blood tests you probably haven鈥檛 heard of might predict your risk of heart disease better than standard tests do. The first measures a protein called apolipoprotein B, or apoB for short, that contributes to artery-blocking plaque. The other test, for lipoprotein(a), measures a type of bad cholesterol. High levels of each have been linked to increased risk of heart disease. (Janin, 7/30)
Amazon.com is responsible for the sale of hazardous third-party products on its platform, a U.S. government agency said, ordering the e-commerce giant to propose steps to inform consumers and encourage them to return or destroy the products. The directive from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) covers more than 400,000 products, including faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hairdryers without electrocution protection and children's sleepwear that violated flammability standards. (Sophia, 7/30)
Dark chocolate and similar cocoa products are contaminated with lead and cadmium, two neurotoxic metals that are linked to cancer, chronic disease, or reproductive and developmental issues, especially in children, a new study found. (LaMotte, 7/31)
A recall of Boar's Head deli meat products has been widely expanded over concerns that they may be linked to a fatal listeria outbreak in the U.S., federal officials said Tuesday. Another 3,500 tons of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold under the Boar's Head and Old Country brands have been added to the initial recall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. This is in addition to approximately 103 tons of Boar's Head products that were recalled last week. (Tanyos, 7/30)
