Weekly Health Digest: Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Homelessness

Globally, losing the fight against cancer and other chronic diseases

Susan Scutti

New analysis shows that more than half of the countries making up the United Nations will fail to reduce premature deaths from cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes by 2030. These were commitments that all countries in the UN agreed to under the latest version of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were introduced in 2015. The SDGs are thought of as a blueprint for achieving global well-being with aims ranging from “no poverty” to “quality education.”

This fall, all New York students will be learning about mental health

Sarah DiGiulio

Due to a July 1st bill, New York state students will have mental health included in their health curriculum. This is the first state in the country to mandate mental health content in general health courses and is in response to both rising rates of mental health concerns and the stigma associated with mental illness. Students will be taught about mental health and illness as well as relevant skills and resources they can apply to their lives.

Disaster response needed to bring homeless people inside, says King County health board

Asia Fields

In Washington State, the King County Board of Health has voted to officially declare homelessness a public health disaster. Last year, 169 people experiencing homelessness died in the County, a record high, and about half of those deaths occurred outdoors. In addition to exposure to the elements, these populations are also more vulnerable to outbreaks of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis A.

Accountable Care Organization model already generating net savings

William Bleser, David Muhlestein, Robert Saunders, Mark McClellan

The Department of Health and Human Services has analyzed savings rates within the Accountable Care Organization model of care, in comparison to a managed care systems. Their analysis has shown that the model is yielding greater savings rates in the past five years than the managed care model has in decades.

Alzheimer’s cases to nearly triple by 2060, CDC says

Maggie Fox

​Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the number of people with Alzheimer’s is expected to triple over the next 40 years–from 5 million cases to nearly 14 million cases. Part of this increase will be due to population growth and longer lifespans. While the body of research around Alzheimer’s has grown in recent years, there is still no treatment or cure for the disease. Experts say that while Alzheimer’s is difficult to prevent, lowering blood pressure has been shown to significantly lower risk, and exercise has been shown to delay symptoms.