A weekly roundup of public health news
Five commercial product areas account for a third of global deaths
Products such as fossil fuels and manufactured chemicals and plastics are major contributors to growing deaths from chronic diseases around the world, a new scientific paper finds.
Transnational corporations that make and market health-harming products are driving increases in cancer, diabetes and infertility, according to the research, which was published March 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fossil fuels contribute to 8.1 million deaths, while chemicals used in pesticides and commerce contribute to 1.8 million, said the analysis, which was authored by researchers with the Consortium of the Center to End Corporate Harm at the University of California-San Francisco.
Combined with tobacco goods, ultra-processed foods and alcohol, the products account for about a third of deaths globally. Fossil fuels, which are used primarily in vehicles, power plants and industrial processes, contributed to the highest share of deaths among the products studied.
The products are widely produced and marketed by large corporations, which both expose people to harmful substances and influence how the products are used, the researchers said. Their global reach has expanded rapidly, particularly in lower- and middle-income countries, where protections against health risks are often more limited.
Companies also played a role in shaping the evidence and policies around their products. Internal documents examined by researchers showed industries have funded research that minimized harm, challenged independent science and delayed regulation. Other tactics included lobbying policymakers and using marketing strategies to influence public perception and consumer behavior.
Researchers warned that without stronger safeguards, the global burden of chronic disease will continue to rise. They called for increasing transparency around industry-funded research, limiting corporate influence on policymaking and strengthening public health regulations to reduce exposure to harmful products.
Study raises concerns about lead in children’s ‘fast fashion’
“Fast fashion” clothing worn by kids may contain high levels of lead, new research released this month finds.
The study, presented March 23 at the American Chemical Society Spring Meeting, found children’s shirts tested by researchers exceeded the U.S. lead limit of 100 parts per million, raising concerns about potential health risks from everyday clothing.
Researchers analyzed shirts from four retailers, including fast-fashion and discount brands, using laboratory testing to measure total lead content. Brightly colored fabrics, such as red and yellow, tended to contain higher levels of lead than more muted colors. Lead compounds can be used in the dyeing process to help colors stay vibrant and long-lasting.
The findings are especially concerning for young children, who are more vulnerable to lead exposure and more likely to put clothing in their mouths, researchers noted. Lead exposure at any level is considered harmful and has been linked to brain and nervous system damage, behavioral problems and other health effects.
Previous studies have identified lead in metal parts of clothing such as buttons and zippers.
Fast fashion clothes are often cheaply made using synthetic fabrics, including some made from fossil fuels, and are generally not designed to last long-term. Shein, Temu, Zara, Forever 21, H&M and Zara are among the major retailers generally considered to be fast fashion companies. Many such retailers are based in or source from countries that pay low wages and have less stringent labor laws than the U.S.
A second study shared at the same meeting by researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found some synthetic dyes used in manufactured clothing could be harmful to wearers. The study focused on azo dyes, a widely used class of colorants, finding they can break down in the body into previously unrecognized chemical byproducts.
Lab testing in rodents indicated the byproducts may be toxic, with potential links to genetic damage and developmental harm.
1 in 16 cardiovascular deaths linked to colder weather
Colder temperatures, which are becoming more extreme with climate change, are linked to 40,000 heart-related deaths each year in the U.S., new findings show.
Published March 24 in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study found cold weather accounts for significantly more cardiovascular deaths than hot weather, despite greater attention to rising temperatures. While climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of heat waves in the U.S., it is also contributing to more severe, though less frequent, cold snaps.
Researchers analyzed data on more than 14 million cardiovascular deaths across the U.S. from 2000 to 2020. By linking deaths with local temperature data, they were able to estimate how many were tied to temperatures above and below 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which was deemed the ideal level for heart health.
Death risks increased on both sides of that temperature, but far more sharply in colder conditions. Temperatures below 74 degrees were linked to about 40,000 cardiovascular deaths each year, or about 6% of all such deaths. In comparison, higher temperatures were linked to about 2,000 cardiovascular deaths annually.
Cold temperatures can strain the cardiovascular system by raising blood pressure, increasing heart workload and triggering changes that may contribute to heart attacks and strokes. Older adults and people with existing heart conditions are especially vulnerable.
Other recent public health news of note:
• U.S. spending on mental health and substance use disorder treatment has more than tripled since 2000, reaching nearly $140 billion in 2021, a new study in Health Affairs finds. Growth was driven mostly by increased need, not rising prices, with 87% of the increase tied to more people receiving care. Treatment of mental health and substance use disorder cases grew by 253% from 2000 to 2021 in the U.S., a period that overlapped portions of both the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Agricultural soils exposed to glyphosate may help sustain antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” new research in Frontiers in Microbiology suggests. Scientists found bacteria in hospitals that were resistant to multiple antibiotics were also highly resistant to glyphosate-based herbicides. The overlap means bacteria released through wastewater could survive and persist in farm environments where glyphosate is widely used, researchers said. The study tested bacteria strains from hospitals, feedlots and soils, finding strong resistance across all settings.
• Minimum staffing requirements at nursing homes improve care without harming finances or increasing closures, a new study in Health Affairs finds. Researchers analyzed state staffing requirements from 2010 to 2023, finding they increased direct care staffing by about 5%, driven mainly by more licensed practical nurses and nursing assistants. While annual labor costs rose, higher patient revenue offset those expenses, leaving profit margins unchanged. The mandates also did not increase the likelihood of facility closures. The results counter concerns that federal minimum staffing rules would financially strain nursing homes, suggesting higher staffing levels can improve care while remaining economically sustainable.
• Financial hardship may be a key driver linking isolation to lower use of preventive care, a study of more than 281,000 U.S. adults finds. People who were socially or physically isolated were far more likely to face food insecurity and trouble paying bills, the new research in Annals of Family Medicine said. They were also more likely to miss COVID-19, influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations as well as cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer screenings.
The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of experience as a public health journalist.