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Congressional races to watch, auditory hallucinations, Alzheimer's drug data

October 30, 2024
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Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellow

Hello! Long-time listener, first-time caller. This is Anil Oza, STAT's Sharon Begley reporting fellow this year. I cover everything from see-through mice to why Bill Nye has rebranded as an activist this year. 

I'm tapping in to bring you Morning Rounds today! And to celebrate this hump day, I will share this study published a couple of days ago mapping genetic mutations in camels — which could be a first step to understanding some of their unique physiology (like how they deal with heat stress).

election corner

6 Congressional races to watch 

While both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have lofty goals for health policy, whether or not they're able to meet those goals will depend on how congressional races shake out. STAT identified six races that could set the tone for the next two years. Among them:

  • The race to control the senate is particularly tight — and the races with incumbents Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) could be important in determining which party controls the Senate. 
  • One of the most contested races in this cycle is that of Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz), who has introduced legislation on telehealth, A.I. and treatments for substance abuse. The Republican is being challenged by emergency room doctor Amish Shah, who highlights his experience in the ER working with patients poisoned by fentanyl. 

Read more about these and three other races that could shape the next two years of health policy by STAT's Rachel Cohrs Zhang, as well as a deep dive into Tester's race by Sarah Owermohle. 


health disparities

When ERs fail to identify teens at risk of suicide

Suicides are the second leading cause of death among teens. A new study in JAMA Open Network suggests that some young people in need of help — particularly Black and Hispanic youths — are getting overlooked during emergency room visits. 

The study found that when children, male youths, and Black and Hispanic youths came into the ER with thoughts of self-harm or attempts at self-injury, they were less likely to be classified as having a suicide-related emergency compared to teens, female youths, and youths of other races and ethnicities. The authors of the new study combed through health records of 2,700 children and teenagers from two emergency departments betweenfrom 2017-2019. "Existing methods are missing kids, and not missing them at random," Juliet Edgcomb, an author on the study and a psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a press release. 

One potential solution, Edgcomb says, is using artificial intelligence algorithms to double-check physicians. "If we can automate that process and make suicidality more present, more relevant to the clinician, we can do a lot to improve care," she said. 

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. For TTY users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.


biotech

A safer way to take Eli Lilly's Alzheimer drug? 

Eli Lilly's Kisunla is one of two drugs on the market aimed at slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. But the drug, which shows modest benefits, came with potentially severe risks of brain swelling and bleeding. 

Now new data show that changing the dosing regimen led to a lower risk of brain swelling in a clinical trial. In the standard regimen, 24% of people on the drug experienced brain swelling by 24 weeks. But on the modified regimen, 14% experienced that swelling — a 41% risk reduction. This reduction was even more prominent for people with two copies of a genetic variant called APOE4. 

Doctors are still waiting for more detailed results, and whether the data will be enough to convince clinicians who have been reluctant to prescribe the drugs. But if the data holds up, Kisunla may be more competitive against Leqembi — a similar drug made by Eisai and Biogen. Read more from Elaine Chen



mental health

Digital avatars could help people with schizophrenia who hear voices

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Courtesy Jason Alden/ Wellcome

People with schizophrenia often experience auditory hallucinations of voices that berate and bully them. New data suggests they may benefit from a type of behavioral therapy that uses digital avatars to externalize those voices, allowing patients to safely confront and talk back to them.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, found that both people's distress from these voices and the voices' severity and frequency lessened after 16 weeks of digital avatar therapy. The approach is part of a larger shift in psychiatry to take these voices more seriously and understand their content rather than dismiss them as meaningless. Read more from Timmy Broderick.


reproductive health

A family physician on providing abortion care 

Ten states have abortion measures on the ballot this election, and reproductive rights have been in the spotlight throughout the presidential race. Christine Dehlendorf, a family physician and professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, joined the First Opinion Podcast this week to discuss the way abortion is coming up on the 2024 campaign trail. 

Abortion "is in reality no different from, or more complicated than, a lot of the other things that we do in health care," said Dehlendorf, who recently wrote a column for STAT arguing that primary care providers and family physicians should have more training in providing abortion care. Listen to her conversation with First Opinion editor Torie Bosch. 


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What we're reading

  • Exosomes are touted as a trendy cure-all. We don't know if they work, MIT Technology Review

  • Can zapping the brain help treat addiction? Wall Street Journal
  • Health tech investments are picking up steam. Here are 5 VC leaders behind the biggest recent deals, STAT

Thanks for reading! More tomorrow — Anil


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