Health Headlines for Thursday, November 9

Ending Medical Tax Break Could Be a ‘Gut Punch’ to the Middle Class

New York Times

Suzanne Hollack tried to care for her husband at home after he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at age 69.

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Public health groups champion raising the smoking age to 21 nationwide

CNBC

Five health and medical groups are supporting legislation that would raise the smoking age to 21 nationwide.

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Should you have a second health-insurance plan?

Crain’s

It’s open enrollment season on the NY State of Health marketplace, and your employer may also be offering open enrollment around now.

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Risk of Breast Cancer’s Return Can Linger for Decades

U.S. News

Women treated for early stage breast cancer still face a substantial risk of recurrence up to 20 years later, a large, new study shows.

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A new study compared opioids and over-the-counter painkillers in ERs. Opioids didn’t do so well.

Vox

For years, doctors have deployed opioids in emergency room settings as a standard response to severe acute pain. A new study, however, is questioning that practice in some cases.

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Gene Therapy Creates Replacement Skin to Save a Dying Boy

New York Times

Doctors in Europe used gene therapy to grow sheets of healthy skin that saved the life of a 7-year-old boy with a genetic disease that had destroyed most of his skin, the team reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.

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