Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
This Researcher Thought A Blood Test Came Back With An Error. Instead It Helped Him Unlock A Treatment
When he first saw the results from his 23-year-old patient with a painful leg clot, Paolo Simioni assumed the test was botched and angrily told his lab technician to repeat it. But the number came back the same: A key protein in the man’s blood was almost eight times more powerful than normal. (Bloomfield, 4/11)
Should middle-aged men get routine blood tests for prostate cancer? An influential health panel that once said no now says maybe. It says certain men may benefit as long as they understand the potential harms. Some key things to know about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's draft recommendations. (Tanner, 4/11)
Running may be the single most effective exercise to increase life expectancy, according to a new review and analysis of past research about exercise and premature death. The new study found that, compared to nonrunners, runners tended to live about three additional years, even if they run slowly or sporadically and smoke, drink or are overweight. No other form of exercise that researchers looked at showed comparable impacts on life span. (Reynolds, 4/12)
Legislators passed measures that eased certain firearm restrictions over the 10 General Assembly sessions since Seung-Hui Cho’s rampage left 32 people dead — which at the time was the deadliest shooting by a single gunman in modern U.S. history. (Bowes, 4/11)
As a parent, the trick to preventing excessive alcohol consumption is understanding what puts your child at risk. Parental or sibling substance use, trouble interacting with others, poor self-control, aggression and hyperactivity may contribute to alcohol use. (Julie Furst, Samantha Saltz and Judith Regan, 4/11)
People are still dying of cancer linked to asbestos, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says, despite decades of regulations meant to limit dangerous exposure. Starting in 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has regulated how much asbestos workers can be exposed to, because it contains tiny fibers that can cause lung disease or cancer if they are swallowed or inhaled. (Hersher, 4/11)
One of the most common reasons people go to the doctor is lower back pain, and one of the most common reasons doctors prescribe powerful, addictive narcotics is lower back pain. Now, new research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association offers the latest evidence that spinal manipulation can offer a modestly effective alternative. (Neighmond, 4/11)
