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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Tuesday, Nov 7 2023

Full Issue

'I'm Now Independent': Parkinson's Patient Says Implant 'Changed My Life'

Two years ago, Marc Gauthier of France volunteered to be the first person to receive a spinal cord stimulator designed to treat Parkinson's disease. In an update this week, Gauthier, 63, reported that his walking has improved enough that he goes to the store alone and can also climb stairs.

Marc Gauthier had trouble getting up from a chair. His steps were small and shaky and he would fall five or six times a day. His Parkinson's disease had gotten so bad he couldn't be left alone. The former architect and small-town mayor had been "reborn" once, two decades earlier, when he received an implant that stimulated his brain and stabilized his trembling hands. He was ready for another rebirth. ... Now, he's the subject of a study, published Monday, reporting his success. (Weintraub, 11/6)

A long-term Parkinson's disease patient, Marc Gauthier had essentially been confined to his home until he became the first person to receive a new Swiss-designed implant that dramatically improved his ability to walk. Gauthier, 63, received a neuroprosthetic at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), comprising an electrode field placed against his spinal cord. Combined with an electrical impulse generator under the skin of his abdomen, the device stimulates his spinal cord to activate his leg muscles. (Mantovani and Tetrault-Farber, 11/6)

More health and wellness news 鈥

Three companies have issued recalls for applesauce pouches marketed for children because they may contain elevated levels of lead. At least seven illnesses in five states have been linked to tainted puree, regulators say. Schnuck Markets Inc. of St. Louis announced a recall of certain applesauce pouches because of 鈥渆levated levels of lead found in the cinnamon raw material鈥 used by Austrofood SAS, which manufactures the pouches. WanaBana and the Weis supermarket chain took similar action. (Gregg, 11/6)

The protective aprons used during dental X-rays may be doing more harm than good. Experts, including at聽Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, say that's no longer necessary. Older-generation radiology equipment could scatter radiation beyond the teeth and jaw, but modern technology has reduced that risk significantly such that lead aprons don't provide any additional benefit. 聽(Marshall, 11/6)

Researchers at Tulane University studied more than 400,000 adults in the United Kingdom over 12 years and found that compared to people who "never or rarely" added salt to foods, those who "sometimes" added salt had a 13% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.聽Those who "usually" added salt had a 20% higher risk; and those who "always" added salt had a 39% higher risk of becoming diabetic.聽(Marshall, 11/6)

A new study found that artificial intelligence could be used to help detect risk signs and possibly even prevent sudden cardiac death. The American Health Association found that AI was able to identify people who were at more than a 90% risk of sudden death, according to a report on the study in Medical Xpress. (Lee, 11/7)

The latest TikTok beauty trend encourages young people to strike themselves in the face with a blunt object to cause fractures in their face, in hope of achieving a perfect jawline or a more physically attractive face.聽Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Ben Schultz. from LifeBridge Health, said there is a false belief behind the increasingly controversial trend that when bones heal, they grow stronger. ...To anyone following this trend or thinking of trying it, Dr. Schultz has this to say.聽"The answer is don't. Don't do it." (Zizaza, 11/6)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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