First Edition, Part II, March 23, 2017
The Washington Post:
New Research Identifies A ‘Sea Of Despair’ Among White, Working-Class Americans
Sickness and early death in the white working class could be rooted in poor job prospects for less-educated young people as they first enter the labor market, a situation that compounds over time through family dysfunction, social isolation, addiction, obesity and other pathologies, according to a study published Thursday by two prominent economists. (Achenbach and Keating, 3/23)
The Wall Street Journal:
Death Rates Rise For Wide Swath Of White Adults, Study Finds
Mortality has been rising since the turn of this century for an even broader swath of white adults, starting at age 25, the researchers found, driven by troubles in a hard-hit working class. Death rates for white non-Hispanics with a high-school education or less now exceed those of blacks overall, the pair said—and they’re 30% higher for whites age 50 to 54 than for blacks overall of that age. (McKay, 3/23)
The Associated Press:
Less-Educated Middle-Age US Whites Dying Younger Than Others
"This is a story of the collapse of the white working class," [Angus] Deaton said in an interview. "The labor market has very much turned against them." Those dynamics helped fuel the rise of President Donald Trump, who won widespread support among whites with only a high school degree. Yet Deaton said his policies are unlikely to reverse these trends, particularly the health care legislation now before the House that Trump is championing. That bill would lead to higher premiums for older Americans, the Congressional Budget Office has found. (Rugaber, 3/23)
NPR:
Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment For Deadly Sepsis
It's hard not to get excited about news of a potentially effective treatment for sepsis, a condition that leads to multiple organ failure and kills more people in the hospital than any other disease. But there have been so many false promises about this condition over the years, it's also wise to treat announcements — like one published online by the journal, Chest — with caution. The study, from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., reported some remarkable success in treating patients who were at high risk of sudden death. (Harris, 3/23)
Los Angeles Times:
Olympus' Redesigned Scope Linked To Infection Outbreak
Doctors have tied a superbug outbreak at a foreign health facility to a medical scope that Olympus modified last year in an attempt to reduce its risk of spreading bacteria between patients. Five patients treated with the modified device tested positive for the same potentially deadly bacteria, according to a report filed with the Food and Drug Administration. (Petersen, 3/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
Drug Industry Launches TV Ads Lambasting Cuomo’s Pricing Plan
On the heels of a presidential election in which the pharmaceutical industry was a popular target, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed new state controls over drug prices. Now the industry is punching back. On Wednesday, the industry’s largest trade group began running television ads in New York lambasting the proposal, a campaign that cost $100,000, people involved said. (Vilensky, 3/22)
The Associated Press:
Ex-Pharmacy Exec Convicted In Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
The former head of a Massachusetts pharmacy was acquitted Wednesday of murder allegations but convicted of racketeering and other crimes in a meningitis outbreak that was traced to fungus-contaminated drugs and killed 64 people across the country. Prosecutors said Barry Cadden, 50, ran the business in an ‘‘extraordinarily dangerous’’ way by disregarding unsanitary conditions to boost production and make more money. (Lavoie, 3/22)
NPR:
Jury Reaches Verdict In New England Compounding Pharmacy Trial
The head of a New England compounding pharmacy that produced tainted drugs was found not guilty of second degree murder but guilty on other charges. At least 25 patients died, and many others got sick. (Emanuel, 3/22)
The Associated Press:
Some Of The Youngest Opioid Victims Are Curious Toddlers
Curious toddlers find the drugs in a mother's purse or accidentally dropped on the floor. Sometimes a parent fails to secure the child-resistant cap on a bottle of painkillers. No matter how it happens, if a 35-pound toddler grabs just one opioid pill, chews it and releases the full concentration of a time-released adult drug into their small bodies, death can come swiftly. (Ehlke, 3/23)
Stat:
'Right To Try' Is Becoming The Law Of The Land, State By State
Over the past three years, “right-to-try” advocates in 33 states have helped enact legislation to eliminate legal obstacles blocking terminally ill patients from treatments that aren’t yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Those advocates are showing considerable momentum in the remaining 17 states, potentially upending the established order for experimental drugs. The movement has been fueled in no small part by the anti-regulatory sentiment that propelled Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency and by the explicit support of Vice President Mike Pence. (Tedeschi, 3/23)
The Associated Press:
'Sex-Selection' Abortion Ban Gets Final OK In Arkansas House
A proposal to impose fines and prison time on doctors who perform abortions that are based solely on whether the mother wants to have a boy or girl received final passage from the Arkansas House. The measure was passed Wednesday on a 57-9 vote. The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Charlie Collins previously told lawmakers that having this ban as law is the right thing to do. (Mukunyadzi, 3/22)
The Associated Press:
FDA Links Very Rare Cancer, 9 Deaths, To Breast Implants
The FDA said it now agrees with the World Health Organization, which concluded years ago this type of lymphoma can develop following breast implants. Concerns were first raised at the FDA in 2011, but the agency said then that there were too few cases to know if there was a connection. (Johnson, 3/22)
NPR:
Breast Implants Linked To Rare Blood Cancer In Small Proportion Of Women
The Food and Drug Administration says at least nine women have died of a rare blood cancer after receiving breast implants, and that the agency is officially acknowledging an association between the implants and the disease. On Tuesday, the agency announced that as of Feb. 1, it had received 359 breast implant-associated reports of a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma called anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or ALCL. (Hersher, 3/22)
The Associated Press:
Expert: Bird Flu Outbreak Nation's Worst Since 2015
A bird flu outbreak that has led officials to euthanize more than 200,000 animals in three Southern states already is the nation's worst since 2015 and new cases are still popping up, an expert said Wednesday. (Reeves, 3/22)