Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Than 4 In 10 Adults Don't Know They Have High Cholesterol
More than 40% of adults in the United States are unaware they have -- and therefore are not being treated for -- high cholesterol, according to a new study. For the study, published in JAMA Cardiology, researchers from institutions in New York, Texas, Louisiana, Pakistan and Egypt looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2020 examining patients at least ages 20 and older with cholesterol levels above 160 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). (Kekatos and Jain, 11/3)
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression linked to chemical changes triggered by lack of daylight and sleep changes. About 6% of Americans are officially diagnosed, with milder cases for about 20% of the population. "They notice how that one hour time change can impact their health," said Dr. Christina Zhang, medical director at MiDoctor Health. "Tired, weakness, lack of energy, poor sleep." (Carlin, 11/2)
Results published last week in the Frontiers journal showed that listening to your favorite tunes can reduce the perception of pain as much as taking an Advil. Now, in a second phase of the study, researchers are studying brain activity to determine which parts of the mind create that relieved perception. (Melnick, 11/2)
The problem isn鈥檛 only that we鈥檙e practicing less. Technology has changed the way we use our hands. Also, the more time we spend on our devices, the greater the probability of problems with our hands and wrists, such as pain, weakness and nerve changes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like going to the gym,鈥 said Mellissa Prunty, an occupational therapist at Brunel University London and chair of the National Handwriting Association in the United Kingdom. 鈥淲hen you write for long periods of time but you don鈥檛 do it often, you are going to feel tired and fatigued.鈥 (Rich, 11/2)
We "fall back" and switch our clocks to standard time on Sunday, and a number of sleep experts want to stay in that time zone permanently. While lawmakers have pushed to make it daylight saving time all the time, a number of scientists and researchers say standard time is more aligned with our body clocks 鈥 and "daylight saving" time is not only a misnomer but harmful. (Mallenbaum, 11/2)
What your parents didn't tell you about pulling an all-nighter? It might just ease depression for several days. At least, that's what researchers found happened to mice in a study published in the journal Neuron Thursday. Most people who've stayed up all night know the "tired and wired" feeling they get the next day. Even after these changes wear off, sleep loss can have a strong antidepressant effect in people that lasts several days. (Barber, Scott, Shapiro, Carlson, and Contreras, 11/3)