good morning. Reporters receive countless email pitches every day. Just yesterday I received one that mentioned Hannah Montana in the subject line. But the pitch that started Elaine Chen’s latest article isn’t one we usually see. The subject line said “Urgent: Paid Reservation.”
A new field of learning about the connection between mind and body
Earlier this year, Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that schizophrenia could be “cured” by changing one’s diet. Although experts say this is not true, there is a growing group of scientists interested in the relationship between nutrition, diet, and mental health.
Stanford University researcher Shebani Sethi is leading some of this research in a new field she calls metabolic psychiatry. “I can’t comment on the way he or other people express science,” Sethi told STAT’s O. Rose Broderick about Kennedy’s comments. “I think we have to focus on the science, what the data shows.”
So far, Sethi thinks the data is promising. Read more of our conversation with Rose to learn about the patient who sparked her interest in this connection, what gaps can be filled in this burgeoning field, and whether Kennedy’s comments sparked further interest in her research.
We know that improper eating habits can lead to heart disease. But were we exposed to lead in the past?
Two very different risk factors for coronary artery disease each led to 4 million deaths worldwide in 2023, two new analyzes from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimate. One danger is rooted in the food we eat, the other in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products we use (cooking utensils, cosmetics), where lead can penetrate and lodge in our bodies and cause arteriosclerosis.
A study published Monday in JAMA is a reminder that the lead problem is still with us, even though deaths from cardiovascular disease have plummeted since the United States passed laws to limit lead exposure 50 years ago. However, people born during the lead-heavy era of 20th century industrialization still carry lead toxins. It is also still occurring in other countries that do not have strict lead limits. You can read my story here.
The 4 million deaths attributed to poor diet also vary widely by region, according to a report published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine. Mortality rates were highest in Central Asia, while high-income Asia-Pacific regions reported the lowest burden. The culprit was not a specific food group, but rather insufficient protective factors such as omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood, fiber, fruits, and vegetables found in a healthy diet. — elizabeth cooney
“Unconscionable”
The nonprofit Médecins Sans Frontières called out biopharmaceutical company Gilead for refusing to sell HIV prevention treatments directly to humanitarian organizations. The move comes after months of talks in which Médecins Sans Frontières asked Gilead Sciences for a “limited” supply of lenacapavir. Lenacapavir has been in high demand since studies showed that one set of shots every six months could virtually completely prevent infection. STAT’s Ed Silverman breaks down everything you need to know about the latest controversy surrounding this breakthrough drug.
Psychedelic companies are at a critical moment. Two years ago, the FDA rejected Lycos Therapeutics’ application for MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Several biotech companies are now progressing into late-stage trials, and the FDA may soon approve the first psilocybin treatments. That’s why STAT’s Elaine Chen was intrigued when she saw a YouTube video created by an influencer and funded by a marketing agency for drug developers.
“What if one nasal spray could do what years of antidepressants couldn’t do, and it only took 90 minutes? That’s not a hypothesis. This is real clinical data,” one video claims about Ataibekley’s drug candidate. Another video about a biotech called Helus Pharma said the FDA had just handed the company a “golden ticket.”
Paid promotion is not new, but these videos make exaggerated claims about investigational drugs. Read more about the bad email pitch that set Elaine on this reporting path, what companies say about promotions, and how it impacts the field as a whole.
The bright side: Gender well-being and mental health
You’ve probably heard of gender dysphoria. This is a diagnosis of the psychological distress that many transgender people experience when their identity does not match the gender assigned at birth. Gender euphoria consists of positive emotions experienced in relation to gender expression and having one’s gender affirmed. It can also look like a collection of small moments, like wearing more masculine or feminine clothing, getting a new haircut, being called a new name, or being called with the correct pronouns. It feels good, and a new report from The Trevor Project shows that among transgender and non-binary youth, gender elation is associated with real positive mental health outcomes.
The study of nearly 1,000 transgender and nonbinary people ages 13 to 24 found that higher levels of gender-specific euphoria were associated with 47% lower odds of depression, 37% lower odds of anxiety, and 37% lower odds of suicidal ideation. Respondents rated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with gender-affirming statements, and their average responses were converted into a measure of euphoria. Older respondents were more likely to experience euphoria than younger respondents, and the authors hypothesized that this may be related to better access to resources such as healthcare.
HSA wants to rebrand
Republicans have long wanted to expand access to health savings accounts. Now, building on the momentum gained from the reforms passed in last summer’s tax bill, a coalition of industry organizations has formed a nonprofit organization called the Great American Health Alliance (GAHA) to continue pushing.
The group is trying to rebrand HSAs as “healthier spending accounts,” and recently conducted a poll that views HSAs as owning health insurance and renting health insurance. But perhaps more importantly, as a 501(c)(4), GAHA can engage in unlimited lobbying, support political candidates, and avoid disclosing its funding sources. Read more from STAT’s John Wilkerson.
what we are reading
-
A nursing home owner has been pardoned by President Trump. His patients’ families got nothing, ProPublica
-
The Cut, a heart-breaking luxury birthing center on the Upper East Side
- First opinion: America needs more clinics of last resort for patients who can’t get answers, STAT
- Camp promises to turn you or your son into an alpha male, a New Yorker.
- First opinion: How the next CDC director can restore America’s trust, STAT
