News Briefs – JUNE 2024
by INELDA
Alcohol Deaths Increasing, Especially in Native Populations
While no public health emergency exists regarding alcohol usage, over 54% of adults in the United States say that someone in the family has struggled with an alcohol use disorder, reports KFF. The Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal “of reducing emergency department visits for acute alcohol use, mental health conditions, suicide attempts, and drug overdoses by 10% by 2025.” The article also notes that alcohol deaths have risen steadily over the past decade, including spikes during the pandemic years. The alcohol death rate has risen 70% in the past decade, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths in 2022 alone. Also highlighted in the 2022 data was that alcohol deaths were highest among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people aged 45 to 64. “Alcohol death rates for AIAN people are the highest—5 times higher than death rates for White people, the racial group with the next highest prevalence. Deaths are rising fastest among adults aged 26 to 44, AIAN people, and females—with these groups experiencing nearly or more than a 100% rise in alcohol mortality rates in the last decade.”
Doctors Should Review Goals of Care
Becker’s Hospital Review reported a collaborative study conducted by researchers at Yale Cancer Center in Connecticut and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. According to the article, “Researchers evaluated the health records of 78,446 adult cancer patients who were diagnosed with metastatic and advanced tumors of either breast, colorectal, non-small cell lung, pancreas, kidney, and urothelial cancers. The patient records came from 280 cancer centers across the U.S. between 2015 and 2019.” Patient outcomes showed no improved survival rates for those who received oncologic treatment of very advanced disease. The outcomes showed that oncologists could benefit from identifying when additional therapies will no longer make a difference and when attention should be turned to reviewing goals of care to determine treatment approach or to move to palliative care.
Growing Heat Levels Will Put Older Adults at Risk
A study reported in Science News shows that nearly a quarter of the global population will face extreme heat by 2050. The study states that in addition to the millions affected today, 246 million adults age 69 and older could experience temperature extremes that exceed 37.5°C (95.5°F). This population is concentrated in Africa and Asia. Heat increases can greatly affect older adults, as it is harder for older bodies to self-regulate, some medications are dehydrating, and certain chronic illnesses are exacerbated by heat. The article also suggests some possible infrastructure changes, including “strengthening health care infrastructure, ensuring sufficient nutrition and hydration, implementing heat early warning systems, providing public cooling centers and expanding green spaces and tree cover.” These changes are essential for preplanning for a future with extreme heat.
