Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
H. Pylori, HPV, Hepatitis B, And Other Infections Linked To Millions Of Cancer Cases In 2024, Study Finds
One in eight of the cancer cases worldwide in 2024 are believed to have been caused by infections, a new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found. This equates to 2.3 million (or 12 percent) of the new cancer cases that year, with five infections causing a considerable proportion of those cases. The researchers at the IARC therefore said that the findings suggest a "significant proportion of the global cancer burden is preventable through better infection control." (Laws, 9/28)
In related news about autism and infections —
Kids born with certain congenital infections are approximately three times more likely to be diagnosed as having autism, according to a study out of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. These children were also more likely to have an intellectual disability compared to those born without an infection, with the risk of severe to profound intellectual disability being up to 30 times higher than the general population. (Boden, 9/28)
More health and wellness news —
Insomnia may be linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia and several mental health conditions, a new study finds. Researchers from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland analyzed approximately 20 comprehensive review studies, involving millions of participants across multiple countries, to evaluate the impact of insomnia on health. The study, published Sunday in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews, found that insomnia was linked to a 26% increased risk of stroke. (Tsapatsaris and Thomas, 9/28)
A new study suggests frequent marijuana use may worsen seizures in people with hard-to-treat epilepsy. "There isn't definitive data that cannabis use worsens epilepsy," senior author Dr. Aaron Struck, an associate professor of neurology at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, said in a news release. "But if someone is using cannabis to help with anxiety or sleep," he added, "I'd prefer to treat those problems with drugs we understand rather than something largely unregulated whose impact on the brain we don't really know." (9/28)
Sylvester Stallone is known for playing tough guys and action heroes, but he’s revealing the punishing toll his career took on his mind and body. The actor suffered from an eating disorder, used steroids and endured anxiety attacks, he said in a new interview. (Pawlowski, 9/28)
