Certain Sites Allow People To Self-Diagnose And Select Drugs They Want As If It Were A Restaurant Menu

Instead of doctors making diagnoses and then suggesting treatments, these sites allow patients to request drugs. Then, physicians serve largely as gatekeepers. But there are few regulations and a host of dangerous practices--like not warning patients about side effects of the drugs--that comes along with this new trend. In other public health news: DNA testing, gene editing, low-carb diets, a marijuana extract, heart health and more.

The New York Times: Drug Sites Upend Doctor-Patient Relations: ‘It’s Restaurant-Menu Medicine’
The sites promise easy and embarrassment-free access to erectile dysfunction and libido pills. “E.D. meds prescribed online, delivered to your door,” one said recently. “Starting at $2 per dose.” “Low sex drive? That can be optional,” another one said. “Try today — $99.” The sites, Roman and Hers, as well as others now make obtaining lifestyle drugs for sexual health, hair loss and anxiety nearly as easy as ordering dinner online. (Singer and Thomas, 4/2)

Stat: 5 Questions For The DNA Testing Industry After The Launch Of A New Risk Test
There’s a rapidly expanding market for new DNA tests aimed at helping seemingly healthy people gain insights into their risk of developing all sorts of diseases. The latest entrant, launched on Tuesday, promises to analyze a canonical list of 59 genes that influence your likelihood of developing certain cancers and heart problems, along with other conditions. The new GenePrism test comes from PerkinElmer, a Massachusetts diagnostics company, and Helix, a Silicon Valley startup that’s developed something of an app store for DNA tests. (Sheridan and Robbins, 3/2)

Stat: Can CRISPR Improve On Nature's Own Bacteria-Killing Phages?
Around 2010, a French biotech approached European officials with a wild idea. There are these viruses called bacteriophages, the team explained, which invade bacteria, multiply, and cause the pathogens to explode. As more and more bugs were becoming resistant to antibiotics, the company wanted to use these viruses to combat unrelenting infections — and proposed souping up these helpful parasites with some genetic modification. (Boodman, 4/3)

The Associated Press: US Experts Reviewing Low-Carb, Other Diets For Guidelines
With keto-friendly recipes sweeping social media, some followers of low-carb eating are hoping for a nod of approval in the upcoming U.S. dietary guidelines that advise Americans on what to eat. It may seem minor, but backers say low-carb's inclusion could influence nutrition advice that doctors give and help shape government food programs like school lunches. Currently, the guidelines cite the Mediterranean, vegetarian and other diets as examples of healthy eating. "The main point is to get away from a one-size-fits-all diet," said Nina Teicholz, who has written about low-carb diets. (Choi, 4/2)

The Associated Press: US Health Officials Alarmed By Paralyzing Illness In Kids
One morning last fall, 4-year-old Joey Wilcox woke up with the left side of his face drooping. It was the first sign of an unfolding nightmare. Three days later, Joey was in a hospital intensive care unit, unable to move his arms or legs or sit up. Spinal taps and other tests failed to find a cause. Doctors worried he was about to lose the ability to breathe. (4/2)

The Associated Press: CBD Is Getting Buzz, But Does It Work? And Is It Legal?
With CBD showing up everywhere, U.S. regulators announced Tuesday they are exploring ways the marijuana extract could be used legally in foods, dietary supplements and cosmetics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it will hold a public hearing May 31 to gather more information on the science, manufacturing and sale of cannabis compounds such as CBD. (4/2)

The New York Times: The Heart Of A Swimmer Vs. The Heart Of A Runner
Do world-class swimmers’ hearts function differently than the hearts of elite runners? A new study finds that the answer may be yes, and the differences, although slight, could be telling and consequential, even for those of us who swim or run at a much less lofty level. (Reynolds, 4/3)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealthcare, AMA Unveil More Medical Codes For Social Determinants
UnitedHealthcare and the American Medical Association said Tuesday they want to expand the set of ICD-10 diagnostic codes to include more specific diagnoses related to a person's social determinants of health. The hope is that these codes would allow clinicians to document patients' social determinants in a standardized way, which would allow them to better tailor care plans or refer patients to community organizations that could meet those social needs. (Livingston, 4/2)

San Jose Mercury News: ‘Less Likely To Die’ Is What You Want When You Get The Flu
Vaccination against influenza is less effective at eradicating the infection than vaccines against measles or polio. There are valid biological reasons for this, one is the strains vary year to year and that is not the case with other vaccine-preventable infections. However, what is also true and often forgotten is you are less likely to get influenza if you have been vaccinated and if you do get influenza, you are less likely to die. (Gunter, 4/2)

Sacramento Bee: Brain Scan Ensures Dementia Patients Get Proper Diagnosis
Researchers at the Alzheimer’s Association and the University of California reported results of a new study Tuesday, showing that when doctors were able to definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s disease using brain scans, they changed their patients’ treatment in roughly two-thirds of the cases. Researchers said they had not expected the brain scan results, which used positron emission tomography, to have such a big impact on diagnoses and treatment, but that doctors and patients clearly benefited from seeing whether Alzheimer’s telltale amyloid plaques were visible in images. (Anderson, 4/3)

Stat: Probiotics, Touted As Good For The Gut, May Be Trouble For Immune System
Probiotics are wildly popular. After all, the microbial cocktails are available over the counter and have been shown to be helpful in the treatment of gastrointestinal illnesses for some people. But some scientists worry probiotics aren’t as innocuous as they seem — and might be affecting the way other medicines work in the body. (Keshavan, 4/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Why Videogames Trigger The Nightly Meltdown—And How To Help Your Child Cope
Every night, parents around the globe fight a battle of wills when they tell their kids to power down their game consoles to do homework, eat dinner or go to bed. The directive is usually met with some serious side-eye and whining. In some cases, children yell, throw tantrums or slam doors. No one likes to be forced to stop having fun, but something unique appears to be going on here—you don’t hear much about kids having epic meltdowns when they’re told to stop playing with Legos. (Jargon, 4/2)

The New York Times: How To Raise Vegetable Eaters
Cereal bars with spinach mixed in or veggie-infused tater tots are great at fooling children into eating greens or broccoli or carrots. But experts say that aside from the fact that these products often use only traces of vegetables, this strategy assumes the children can’t like kale or broccoli itself, and relying on such products makes it far more likely that they won’t. (Cernansky, 4/3)

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