Let’s Talk Health: Taking a look back at 2015 health news

Controversial – that’s the word I would use to describe health-related news in 2015.

Discussion on vaccines became heated after a measles outbreak that started late last year; critics are still seeking to stop funding for Planned Parenthood; and Martin Shkreli, a pharmaceuticals chief executive, became one of the most hated people in America when he hiked the price of a medication by 5,000 percent. He’s now in hot water and the company is said to be ready to roll prices back down to a more affordable range.

The list could go on. But, instead, I’ve summed up five health news stories I believe take top honors for their potential impact.

The one that made meat lovers angry:

In October, the World Health Organization placed processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs and sausage in the same danger category as smoking and asbestos exposure.

The study, however, made no specific dietary recommendations, noting that there was not enough data to define how much processed meat is too dangerous. The risk rises with the amount consumed, according to the research.

Dr. Parminder Sidhu, a medical oncologist at Mercy Medical Center in Merced who commented on the study, said the key is finding a balance and drawing away from eating meat on a regular basis.

“It’s very hard to ask people to not eat meat,” Sidhu said. “And it’s not like people who never eat meat don’t get cancer. That’s not true.”

Sidhu said how the meat is cooked can make a difference. Grilling or smoking meat can create suspected carcinogens, experts have said.

The one that raised eyebrows:

Just last week, the Food and Drug Administration officially lifted a 30-year ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, but some restrictions still stand. The new policy will still ban blood donations from men who have had sex with another man in the past year.

While activists say the one-year abstinence policy still discriminates against gay men, many call it a step forward. The FDA had banned blood donations from gay and bisexual men in 1983 to protect others from the possibility of being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. The change, the FDA said, would not jeopardize the safety of blood donations in the U.S.

The new policy is similar to that in other countries, including Australia and Japan.

The one most people missed:

Deaths caused by drug overdoses hit a record number. New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that nearly half a million of Americans died from drug overdoses from 2000 through 2014.

Commonly prescribed opioid pain relievers, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, were involved in more overdose deaths than any other opioid type. These deaths increased by 9 percent from 2013 to 2014.

These pain relievers and heroin continue to be the biggest drivers of the drug overdose epidemic, according to the CDC.

“To curb these trends and save lives, we must help prevent addiction and provide support and treatment to those who suffer from opioid use disorders,” Tom Frieden, CDC director, said in a news release. “This report also shows how important it is that law enforcement intensify efforts to reduce the availability of heroin, illegal fentanyl, and other illegal opioids.”

The one even doctors questioned:

This fall, the American Cancer Society released new guidelines for women with an “average risk” of breast cancer. Mammograms can be delayed an additional five years, changing the age to begin yearly mammograms from 40 to 45, the new guidelines say. The new recommendations brought concern to some physicians and specialists.

The guidelines also say breast exams by a provider or self-exams are no longer recommended because research does not indicate any clear benefits.

Dr. Dortha Chu, a breast surgeon in Merced, did not agree with the changes. She said she understands the guidelines are only recommendations, but said they can mislead women and provide a false sense of security. The surgeon worried that some women would take it as a license to further delay medical care.

“Ignoring breast exams, that part especially doesn’t sit well with me,” she said in October. “As medical professionals, we should be doing an even better job in teaching patients how to do a self-exam properly.”

The one that made us realize this is the future:

This is probably one of my personal favorite stories of the year. Last month, I read a Los Angeles Times article about “the most extensive face transplant ever performed,” which made me realize we are officially living in the future.

The procedure involved the transfer of eyelids, scalp and ears to the face of a Mississippi volunteer firefighter who was disfigured in a house fire in 2001. The donor was a 26-year-old bicycle messenger who was declared brain-dead after an accident.

Eduardo Rodriguez, the plastic surgeon in New York who led the 26-hour operation, called the transplant “historic” as the former firefighter had shown no signs of rejecting the tissue. According to the Times, the transplant of facial tissue had been tried only once before, in Paris about a decade ago, but the patient died of complications. People who can probably benefit from such procedures, Rodriguez told the Times, are service personnel who have been disfigured in combat.

Science and medicine are wonderful things, ladies and gentleman.

This story was originally published December 25, 2015 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Let’s Talk Health: Taking a look back at 2015 health news."