Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
U.S. overdose deaths post annual drop for first time in two decades
(Reuters) - U.S. overdose deaths dropped last year for the first time in nearly two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday, in a sign that a nationwide epidemic of drug-related deaths is abating. About 68,500 Americans died of a drug overdose in 2018, compared with about 72,000 the year prior, a 5% decrease, according to the CDC's provisional data.
Puerto Rico faces tougher scrutiny over federal Medicaid funding
U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday called for heightened scrutiny of Puerto Rico's Medicaid program as the bankrupt territory seeks increased federal healthcare funding while it deals with repercussions from a government corruption scandal. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce agreed to several accountability measures linked to a $12 billion funding boost over four years for the low-income healthcare program in Puerto Rico. A group of Republican U.S. senators, meanwhile, sought information on whether any safeguards are in place to deter misuse of the island's federal Medicaid dollars.
Biden versus Sanders: Top 2020 contenders snipe over healthcare policy
Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and rival Bernie Sanders are waging a public battle this week over universal healthcare, staking out competing turf on an issue that has become the most divisive in the party's primary campaign. The sniping between the two White House contenders, highlighted on Wednesday when Sanders delivered a defense of his ambitious "Medicare for All" plan, has split Democrats and forced other candidates to choose sides on an issue certain to play prominently in next year's general election race.
Maintaining or starting exercise in middle age tied to longer life
Even if they were inactive during their younger years, middle aged and older adults who get at least the minimum recommended amount of exercise each week may live longer than their sedentary counterparts, suggests a large UK study. Physical activity has long been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. But most research has looked at exercise habits at a single point in time rather than activity patterns across the years, researchers note in The BMJ.
Congolese Ebola victim may have entered Rwanda and Uganda - WHO
A fishmonger who died this week of Ebola may have carried the virus from Congo into Rwanda as well as Uganda, the World Health Organization said, as health workers struggled to track down people she could have infected. The woman was one of almost 1,700 victims of the current 11- month outbreak of the highly contagious disease, which the WHO upgraded to an international health emergency on Wednesday and which has so far been effectively confined to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Malnutrition, disease kill at least 139 displaced in Indonesia's Papua - group
Thousands of people in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua have been displaced by fighting between soldiers and separatists, and at least 139 of them have died from malnutrition and disease, an aid group said on Thursday. But the Indonesian military disputed the figures for deaths and displaced issued by the Solidarity Team for Nduga aid group.
WHO sounds Ebola alarm as risks intensify
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared Congo's Ebola outbreak an international health emergency, sounding a rarely used global alarm after the virus threatened to spread to a major city and into neighbouring countries. Despite a highly effective vaccine and a swift international response after it was declared 11 months ago, the outbreak has proved tenacious in an unstable region beset by violence, becoming Congo's worst ever, with almost 1,700 dead.
Malnutrition, disease rising in North Korea: aid organization
Rates of malnutrition and disease are increasing in North Korea as it faces a harvest that is half of what was expected, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Thursday. International aid agencies as well as North Korea state media have been warning that erratic weather with drought and floods, and a lack of access to resources could lead to a food crisis in a country under strict international sanctions over leader Kim Jong Un's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
California settles decades-long lawsuit over lead paint, but outcome is bittersweet
When Californian counties and cities first sued paint makers in 2000, they wanted the companies to pay billions to remove dangerous old lead paint from hundreds of thousands of homes. After a 19-year legal struggle, they have finally succeeded in getting the companies to fund a remediation program, albeit on a much smaller scale. Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra Grocery Products Co. and NL Industries have agreed to a $305 million settlement, according to a filing in Santa Clara County Superior Court in California on Wednesday.
'Habit' of workouts at consistent time of day tied to meeting activity goals
People who always work out at the same time of day get more exercise overall and are more likely to get the recommended minimum amounts of weekly activity, a small U.S. study suggests. Among 375 people who had lost weight and kept it off for at least a year, those who typically worked out at the same time every day averaged about 350 minutes of exercise per week, versus 285 minutes for those with inconsistent exercise schedules.
