Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hearing Loss From Loud Noises Might Be Tied To Excess Zinc In The Inner Ear
It could be a band at a wedding, an explosion on a battlefield or the constant drone of machinery: In the United States, about 17% of adults have hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises. Previously, little was known about the exact mechanism by which trauma from those noises led to hearing loss. In a scientific paper published Monday, a Pitt research team has solved part of that puzzle, tying that hearing loss to an excess of a form of zinc in the inner ear. By capturing some of that excess zinc in mice, the researchers were able to prevent hearing loss and even restore lost hearing. (Sostek, 2/15)
In other health and wellness news —
The percentage of overdose deaths linked to smoking drugs rose sharply in recent years, overtaking injection as the leading route of drug use involved in such deaths, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Christensen, 2/15)
Lyme disease cases in the U.S. jumped nearly 70% in 2022, which health officials say is not due to a major increase of new infections but instead a change in reporting requirements. Reported cases surpassed 62,000 in 2022, after averaging about 37,000 a year from 2017 through 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report released Thursday. Numbers for 2023 will be released later this year. (Stobbe, 2/15)
A claim that a dangerous bleach can heal or help dozens of health conditions has resurfaced on social media in a post that provides no evidence of the product’s alleged medicinal benefits or mention of its potential harms. Doctors and regulatory agencies have repeatedly advised against consuming chlorine dioxide solution, or CDS, a bleach product that has been marketed in the past as a cure-all, but which experts say could cause death in the most severe cases. (2/15)
A potential new design for padding in sports helmets could absorb as much as 25% more impact than existing foams, adding additional protection from head injuries. The design, created by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, could help advance foams and padding that have been used for decades, improving safety and preventing head injuries. (Doak, 2/15)
