Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Spotlights 2 Simple Exercises That Lower Blood Pressure Best
A team of researchers based in Britain analyzed 270 previous studies that examined the link between exercise and blood pressure. ... But the most effective type of workout they looked at, especially for those who already had some form of hypertension, was isometric exercise, which involves contracting a set of muscles without moving 鈥 think planks. This new research adds to a growing body of evidence that quick bursts of exercise 鈥 like speeding up your walk during a commute or carrying groceries with a bit more vigor 鈥 can have significant benefits for people鈥檚 overall health. (Blum, 7/27)
Including olive oil in your regular diet offers several benefits 鈥 such as protecting heart health or cognitive function. The Mediterranean staple might also reduce your risk of dying from dementia by 28% if you eat just a spoonful every day. This new finding is according to research presented Monday in Boston at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. (Rogers, 7/27)
A team of scientists has extended the lives of old mice by connecting their blood vessels to young mice. The infusions of youthful blood led the older animals to live 6 to 9 percent longer, the study found, roughly equivalent to six extra years for an average human. While the study does not point to an anti-aging treatment for people, it does hint that the blood of young mice contains compounds that promote longevity, the researchers said. (Zimmer, 7/27)
A year after launching a pilot program testing a four-day workweek at companies in the US and Canada, employees鈥 average hours continued to fall as companies found new ways to save time. New research from 4 Day Week Global, a nonprofit organization that coordinated the study, tracked the health, well-being and business outcomes of 41 firms as they adopted shorter hours last year. The report found that a year after launching the trials, conducted over six months, employees鈥 average workweek dropped to less than 33 hours from 38 hours, a big step closer to the target of the 32 hours that make up a workweek consisting of four eight-hour days. (Constantz, 7/27)
A troubling trend is brewing underneath America's strong employment market: more children are working in dangerous jobs, violating the nation's labor laws and putting their lives at risk.聽In the last 10 months, federal regulators have found almost 4,500 children working in violation of federal child labor laws, an increase of 44% from a year earlier, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Some of the children were operating dangerous machinery, such as deep fryers and meat-processing equipment, the agency noted.聽(Picchi, 7/27)
Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA star LeBron James, was discharged from a Los Angeles hospital Thursday after he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California on Monday. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said in a statement that Bronny James was home resting with his family following the incident, which occurred at USC鈥檚 Galen Center. ... Merije Chukumerije, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai, said in Thursday鈥檚 statement that James was 鈥渇ully conscious, neurologically intact and stable鈥 when he arrived at the hospital and had received 鈥渟wift and effective鈥 treatment from USC鈥檚 medical personnel. (Golliver, 7/27)
A high-profile lawsuit by a California woman who claimed that Subway's tuna products contain ingredients other than tuna has been dismissed. The chain, with nearly 37,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries, and the plaintiff Nilima Amin have "come to agreement regarding dismissing the case with prejudice," meaning it cannot be brought again, court records show. (Stempel, 7/27)
Food manufacturers who deliberately add sesame to products and include the ingredient on labels are not violating a new federal food allergy law, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group, had petitioned the FDA to halt an unintended consequence of the January law 鈥 more companies adding sesame to foods that didn鈥檛 have it before. But the agency denied the advocacy group鈥檚 request. (Aleccia, 7/26)
The soup comes in a 20-ounce container and is supplied by Winter Gardens Quality Foods in New Oxford, Penn., and distributed as a Trader Joe鈥檚 brand in California, among other states. 鈥淣o known adverse health effects have been reported to date, and all potentially affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed,鈥 Trader Joe鈥檚 said in a statement. (Whiting, 7/27)