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The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday halted plans to change how it asks people about disabilities after facing a growing backlash. Supporters of the proposed changes said the revisions would have provided more nuanced data and given officials better details about disabilities that can inform how services or resources are provided. In a test run, the percentage of respondents who were defined as having a disability went from 13.9% using the current questions to 8.1% under the proposed changes. The proposed changes to the disability questions were among several tweaks to the American Community Survey that the Census Bureau was planning to submit this year for approval to the Office of Management and Budget. As part of that process, the Census Bureau solicited public feedback and got more than 12,000 responses, with the majority expressing concerns about changes to the disability questions.

Persons: ”, Scott Landes, “, Robert Santos, ” Santos, Bonnielin Swenor, Mike Schneider Organizations: Census, Survey, Syracuse University, American, American Community Survey, Bureau, Management, Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center

☆ Walking pace could impact diabetes risk, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Brisk walking is associated with a nearly 40% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, according to the study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. But prior findings haven’t offered much guidance on the optimal habitual walking speed needed to lower diabetes risk, and comprehensive reviews of the evidence are lacking, the authors said. Going a certain pace during your walk may help lower your type 2 diabetes risk, according to a new study. Walking at a “fairly brisk” pace meant a 24% lower risk than those who easily or casually walked. Each kilometer increase in walking speed above brisk was associated with a 9% lower risk of developing the disease.

Persons: it’s, — it’s, ”, Ahmad Jayedi, haven’t, Robert Gabbay, Gabbay wasn’t, Carmen Cuthbertson, wasn’t, Gabbay, Dr, Michio Shimabukuro, Shimabukuro wasn’t, Borja del Pozo Cruz, ” del Pozo Cruz, ” Gabbay Organizations: CNN’s, CNN, British, of Sports Medicine, Health Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, American Diabetes Association, East Carolina University, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, University of Cadiz, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: Iran, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Spain

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday announced a White House initiative to improve how the federal government approaches and funds research into the health of women, who make up more than half of the U.S. population but remain understudied and underrepresented in health research. The White House Initiative on Women's Health Research will be led by first lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council. Bertagnolli gave a broad answer in which she said far too little is known about women's health through all stages of life. Biden's memorandum directs members to report back within 45 days with “concrete recommendations" to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of women's health issues. Mazure joined the first lady's office from the Yale School of Medicine, where she created its Women's Health Research Center.

Persons: —, Biden, Jill Biden, Joe Biden, he's, “, Maria Shriver, Joe, ” Jill Biden, Shriver, ” Shriver, ” Jennifer Klein, Monica Bertagnolli's, Bertagnolli, Carolyn Mazure, Mazure, Lauran Neergaard Organizations: WASHINGTON, Monday, Biden, White, Initiative, Women's Health, Gender, Democratic, Gender Policy, of Health, Human Services, Veterans Affairs , Defense, National Institutes of Health, Yale School of Medicine, Health Research Center, AP Locations: California, Delaware

Fewer than half of rural hospitals now have maternity units, prompting government officials and families to scramble for answers. The closures have worsened so-called “maternity care deserts" — counties with no hospitals or birth centers that offer obstetric care and no OB providers. Ultimately, doctors and researchers say, having fewer hospital maternity units makes having babies less safe. “It feels like you’re held in a way.”Some states and communities are taking steps to create more freestanding birth centers. It was a novel and “innovative” idea to request federal nurses to boost staffing at a rural maternity unit, Wyden’s office said.

Persons: Alisha Alderson, ”, Alderson, “, Eric Scott Palmer, It’s, —, Peiyin Hung, Saint Alphonsus, Odette Bolano, Dina Ellwanger, John Tucker, Tucker, we’ve, ’, Lacy Kee, she’ll, She’s, Kee, Henry, Pamela Evans, Evans, she’s, Katie O’Brien, Paris, Bennett —, O’Brien, Corina Fitch, Fitch, Betsy Baarspul, you’re, Ned Lamont, Alecia McGregor, ” McGregor, Tina Kotek, Sen, Ron Wyden, Shane Alderson, Alisha's, ” ___ Rush, Kuna , Idaho . Ungar, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: OB, Henry County Medical Center, American Hospital Association, University of South, University of South Carolina’s Rural, Minority Health Research Center, Saint, Henry County Medical, Associated Press, Medicaid, Midwifery, Connecticut Gov, Harvard, of Public Health, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, AP, Oregon Gov, U.S . Public Health Service, Corps, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Locations: Oregon, Boise , Idaho, U.S, Tennessee, University of South Carolina’s, Baker City, Paris , Tennessee, Kentucky, Henry County, Summertown , Tennessee, Connecticut, Chan, “, Baker, Baker City , Oregon, Kuna , Idaho

☆ Fight hot flashes with these expert-approved methods
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“Specifically, what we’re talking about are hot flashes and the accompanying night sweats because those are the most common,” Faubion said. “This is the first-of-its-kind medication, a neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist, that tackles moderate to severe hot flashes where they begin — the brain,” she said. Fezolinetant, which goes by the brand name Veozah, “targets the neural activity which causes hot flashes during menopause. Doucefleur/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesAn overactive bladder drug, oxybutynin, also “profoundly dropped hot flashes,” Shufelt said. Studies did show that weight loss reduces hot flashes, as do mindfulness practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy, Shufelt said.

Persons: Stephanie Faubion, ”, Chrisandra Shufelt, Shufelt, ” Faubion, “ We’re, “, ” Shufelt, “ You’ve, it’s, I’ve, It’s, Faubion, ‘, I’m Organizations: CNN, Mayo Clinic’s Center, Women’s Health, Women’s Health Research, Mayo Clinic, FDA Locations: Jacksonville , Florida

☆ Red light therapy: How it affects sleep
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Red light therapy has been found to be helpful for skin health, wound healing, hair growth among people with alopecia and pain management. “That’s why when we talk about blue light or red light, we’re not talking about a red-colored light bulb. A 2019 study led by Figueiro looked into whether delivering red light to closed eyes during sleep — using a red light mask — and to open eyes upon waking — via red light goggles — reduced sleep inertia among 30 adults. In other words, it might be that any benefits come from replacing the light you’re exposed to before sleep with red light, rather than adding the latter during sleep. The bottom line is that when it comes to sleep, “what’s better than red light is no light,” Dasgupta said.

Persons: ”, Raj Dasgupta, “, ” Dasgupta, ‘, Dasgupta, Joshua Tal, Mariana Figueiro, Figueiro, who’s, ” Figueiro Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, Health Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine Locations: China, New York City, Mount Sinai

☆ American drivers have a blinding headlight problem. It could last for years.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Drivers say they're routinely getting blinded by surrounding cars' headlights. This isn't because headlight regulations have changed — regulations on brightness haven't been altered in decades. This isn't because headlight regulations have shifted — they haven't changed in decades, according to Greg Brannon, AAA's director of automotive engineering. Adaptive driving beams automatically adjust the high beams emitted from LED car headlights in real time to avoid blinding pedestrians and other drivers. So prepare for the immediate future to be even brighter, as the blinding glare problem may get worse before it gets better.

South Korea on Tuesday hit back at claims that its Covid rules for Chinese travelers are "discriminatory," saying more than half of its imported cases are coming from China. Citing South Korea's proximity to China, Choi said a surge in infections in China could put South Korea at risk. But South Korea and Japan — two top destinations for Chinese travelers — said they are not increasing flights in response to China's border reopening. China's embassies in South Korea and Japan announced Tuesday that they would stop issuing visas to "Korean nationals" and "Japanese citizens." Choi said South Korea's new Covid travel restrictions are "only temporary" and were made to "place the highest priority on the health and safety of people residing in South Korea."

☆ Risk of a dangerous new Covid variant in China is ‘quite low,’ U.S. health expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | Evelyn Cheng Is A Senior Correspondent With Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, pointed out there were likely billions of omicron infections worldwide this year, but no new Covid variant has emerged, only subvariants of omicron. “That’s why I would put the risk as quite low that there is a dangerous new variant in China,” he said. The U.S., Japan and a few other countries this week subsequently announced new Covid testing requirements for travelers from China. China’s National Health Commission said Sunday it would stop releasing daily information on Covid infections and deaths. Covid testing is no longer mandatory in China.

☆ Risk of a dangerous new Covid variant in China is 'quite low,' U.S. health expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — It's unlikely that a dangerous new Covid-19 variant is spreading in China, said Dr. Chris Murray, Seattle-based director of a health research center at the University of Washington. His comments Friday on CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" come as U.S. health officials warned this week about the chance of a new Covid variant emerging in China's nationwide outbreak — and how Beijing's lack of transparency could delay detection of public health risks. Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, pointed out there were likely billions of omicron infections worldwide this year, but no new Covid variant has emerged, only subvariants of omicron. "That's why I would put the risk as quite low that there is a dangerous new variant in China," he said. Omicron is far more transmissible, but causes less severe disease, than when Covid first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

☆ Uganda university drops mandatory pregnancy tests for students after outcry
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A university in Uganda has withdrawn a requirement for female nursing and midwifery students to take a pregnancy test before sitting their exams, after facing a backlash. Female nursing and midwifery students being asked to take a pregnancy test, at their own cost as a pre-condition for sitting exams is peak nonsense!!! !”Dr. Githinji Gitahi, CEO of non-profit Amref Health Africa, responded by tweeting: “What? Because pregnancy has what to do with exams? I wish you all the best in the forthcoming exams,” he continued.

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