closer look
The case for banning menthol cigarettes
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If Black Americans are more likely than any other group to die from tobacco-related disease such as diabetes and heart disease, much of the blame should go to menthol cigarettes, write former U.S. surgeons general Regina Benjamin and Jerome Adams in a STAT First Opinion.
Menthol masks the harsh taste of tobacco in cigarettes, which is known to lead to increased smoking, and is the only flavor still allowed in cigarettes in the U.S. This is especially damaging to Black communities: about 80% of Black smokers use them, compared to 35% of white smokers. The solution, write the authors, is banning menthol altogether. Read more.
health
RSV drug at least 70% effective in preventing hospitalizations among infants: Study
Early studies from Europe looking at the real-world impact of a new monoclonal antibody product to protect young children against RSV are showing promising results, STAT's Helen Branswell tells us. Data from Spain, published Thursday in the online journal Eurosurveillance, showed nirsevimab — sold as Beyfortus — was at least 70% effective at preventing RSV hospitalizations in infants under 9 months of age, the group at highest risk of developing severe disease. "These results predict a possible important impact of the nirsevimab immunization program on the high RSV disease burden," the researchers wrote.
An earlier article in Eurosurveillance showed that in Luxembourg, Beyfortus use led to a decrease in RSV hospitalizations of 38% in kids under age 5, and 69% in children under 6 months old in 2023 when compared to 2022. The researchers reported that children who did get hospitalized for RSV had shorter stays, and a smaller proportion needed to be admitted to intensive care.
Beyfortus is manufactured by AstraZeneca and commercialized by Sanofi, which was caught off-guard by the robust demand for the product in the U.S. last fall, leaving many families unable to find it for their young children. In a statement in December, Sanofi said it would "plan accordingly for next season."
reproductive health
Stricter abortion laws may mean fewer OB-GYNs
New research published in JAMA Network Open analyzed the number of applicants to OB-GYN training programs in states where abortion is severely restricted. The latest results are in line with previous research showing the impact of abortion bans on the prospective workforce: While the number of overall applications to OB-GYN programs remained stable between 2022 and 2023, states with abortion bans received fewer applications than those without them.
In 2023, about 82% of prospective ob-gyns applied in programs with abortion bans, compared with 86% in 2022 and 88% in 2021. (Almost 100% also applied to programs in states that protect abortion.) So far, the research found, this didn't impact the final matching results, and since all spots available tend to be filled, matches in states with bans were not different from those in states without bans. Still, the authors recommend following the application trends as a potential indicator of future OB-GYN shortages.
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