NIH To Examine Whether Kidney Transplants Should Include Donations From Patients With HIV
The study is designed to see if new transplant rules might help alleviate organ shortages. In other public health news: federal officials say they may never know the origin of the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak; researchers want to know why some people cannot tolerate statins; domestic violence victims face concussion-related health problems; and ongoing struggles in Puerto Rico.
NPR:
Study Aims To Show Transplants Between HIV-Positive Patients Are Safe, Save Lives
A large-scale clinical trial launched by the National Institutes of Health in May could pave the way for more HIV-positive patients with kidney disease to receive life-saving transplants. The trial, called the HOPE in Action Multicenter Kidney Study, will assess the risks of transplanting kidneys from HIV-positive donors into patients living with the virus, says Dr. Christine Durand, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University and a principal investigator of the study. (Forman, 6/1)
The Washington Post:
Romaine Lettuce Made 172 People Sick. Government Investigators Might Never Know Why.
More than seven weeks after the start of a massive E. coli illness outbreak from romaine lettuce that sickened 172 people and caused romaine sales to plummet 45 percent, the Food and Drug Administration says it has no idea who or what caused the contamination. Agency investigators have not managed to trace the affected lettuce back to one farm, processor or distributor, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in an update Thursday. And with the affected lettuce now off shelves and the growing season over, there’s a chance the FDA may never crack the case. (Dewey, 5/31)
The New York Times:
How Many People Can’t Tolerate Statins?
Studies show that about 5 percent to 10 percent of people are unable to tolerate statins, largely because of muscle aches and related side effects, including potential muscle damage. But many people who have been labeled intolerant to the drugs probably are not, and medical researchers, normally a genteel lot, disagree sharply on the extent to which side effects are a problem. (Klasco, 6/1)
California Healthline:
Domestic Violence’s Overlooked Damage: Concussion And Brain Injury
Hundreds of survivors of domestic violence have come through the doors of neurologist Glynnis Zieman’s Phoenix clinic in the past three years.“The domestic violence patients are the next chapter of brain injury,” she said. ... While many patients initially seek out the clinic because of physical symptoms, such as headaches, exhaustion, dizziness or problems sleeping, Zieman’s research shows that anxiety, depression and PTSD usually end up being the most severe problems, she said. (Stone, 6/1)
Kaiser Health News:
Listen: As Puerto Rico Struggles To Rebuild Health System, Changes In Medicaid Loom
KHN reporter Carmen Heredia Rodriguez joins in a discussion on WNYC’s “The Takeaway” about health care issues following widespread destruction by Hurricane Maria on the island. (5/31)
