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EVERYTHING
Alcohol Deaths More Than Double in Women
What: Researchers found that from 1999 to 2020, alcohol-related deaths among U.S. women increased 2.5 times, rising from 4.8 to 12 per 100,000. The sharpest spike was observed in women ages 25 to 34. There was an increase in alcohol-related mortality across all demographic groups during the same period.
Key line: “As alcohol consumption among women has grown, so have the associated risks. Women appear to be more vulnerable to alcohol’s harmful effects due, possibly, to differences in body composition and metabolism, leading to higher blood alcohol concentrations. Moreover, mental health issues like depression and anxiety, already more common in women, can be worsened by alcohol use,” said lead author Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine.
Source: American Journal of Medicine
Where Childhood Vaccines Stand Now
What: With anti-vaxxer RFK Jr. being nominated to lead Health and Human Services, KFF reminds us that overall confidence in childhood vaccines remains high. However, public support for school vaccine mandates has eroded in recent years, with 28% of the public, including 35% of parents, saying they should be able to opt out of school MMR vaccine mandates.
Key line: “Our polling also has found that much of the public has been exposed to misinformation about vaccines, including false claims about COVID-19 vaccines causing infertility and MMR vaccines causing autism. While small shares (3% each) are convinced these claims are “definitely true,” more than six in ten express some level of uncertainty, leading to confusion that can make it difficult for individuals to understand the benefits and risks of vaccines for themselves and their children.”
Source: KFF
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
Pre-Paying for Having a Baby?
What: Some OBGYN practices are requiring pregnant women to prepay for maternity services. (Yes really — pay your bill for labor and delivery before you actually deliver!) The practice is legal, but patient advocacy groups say it is unethical and burdensome for expectant mothers.
Key line: “Up-front payments also create hurdles for women who may want to switch providers if they are unhappy with their care. In some cases, they may cause women to forgo prenatal care altogether, especially in places where few other maternity care options exist. It’s ‘holding their treatment hostage,’ said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the Patient Advocate Foundation.”
Source: KFF Health News
METABOLISM + WEIGHT LOSS
Your Cells Could Remember Weight Gain
What: Researchers found fat cells retain a ‘memory’ of obesity even after weight loss. They looked at fat tissue from humans with severe obesity and mice and found both had obesity-linked changes in gene activity and epigenetic patterns. It’s another piece of evidence that there’s a biological reason people tend to regain weight, and the need for long-term care.
Key line: “The paper’s list of epigenetic alterations in fat cells is valuable, says biologist Evan Rosen at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, who studies fat tissue, but it will be difficult to determine which of those changes drive the fat cells’ lingering memory. ‘It’s not yet a causal link,’ agrees von Meyenn. ‘It’s correlation. … We’re working on this.’”
Source: Nature
ONCOLOGY
ACOG Officially Recommends Breast Cancer Screenings at 40
What: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) officially recommended starting breast cancer screenings at age 40 in an effort to improve early detection and reduce breast cancer mortality, citing evidence that earlier screenings can identify cancers at more treatable stages.
Key line: “Previously, ACOG recommended that clinicians begin offering mammography to anyone of average risk of breast cancer starting at age 40, though screenings weren’t specifically advised until age 50. However, new cases of invasive breast cancer among women aged 40 to 49 years increased by an average of 2% a year from 2015 to 2019, which prompted the revised recommendation.”
Source: JAMA
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