Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Life Expectancy Is Lower For Less-Educated People, Researchers Find
The U.S. is failing less-educated people given the dismal life expectancy prospects they face compared to their more educated peers, researchers said. While the U.S. economy outperforms other countries by metrics such as economic growth and inflation rates, two prominent economists argue the life expectancy gap says otherwise. (Rubin, 10/16)
Centenarians are the fastest-growing age group in America, but why do some people reach this milestone and others fall short? Researchers in Sweden followed 12 blood biomarkers for 35 years in more than 1,200 adults who lived to see their 100th birthday. (Marshall, 10/16)
More health and wellness news —
The Human Genome Project convinced the vast majority of scientists that race doesn’t exist. Now a cohort of professionals and academics wants to change society. (Trent, 10/16)
Bipolar disorder ... remains under-researched, even compared to other mood disorders. While an estimated 2.6% of Americans who are 18 or older have bipolar disorder, people with the condition, especially those who are Black or African American, are often misdiagnosed. Researchers and clinicians at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, however, hope that will soon change. They’re recruiting people with the diagnosis for a longitudinal study, in which researchers will follow participants for at least five years with the aim of better understanding the disease and how to treat it. (Roberts, 10/16)
Older people need about the same amount of sleep as younger ones — generally, seven to eight hours, says Rosanne M. Leipzig, a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. But about 30 percent of older people get less than seven hours of sleep daily, and almost 20 percent report either frequent insomnia or poor sleep quality, according to a 2022 study published in the journal BMC Public Health. If you have been struggling with sleep, consider the following. (Levine, 10/16)
Elevated weed pollens and mold often occur at the same time common respiratory viruses emerge, making fall “particularly difficult” for many, one expert says. (Cimons, 10/16)
