What We're Reading: Addressing Maternal Care Disparities; Eggs and Stroke Risk; CBD for Opioid Addiction

Addressing Racial Bias in Maternal Care

Senator Kamala Harris, D-California, has reintroduced a bill that would address racial disparities in maternal healthcare. First introduced in 2018 and cosponsored by Representative Alma Adams, D-North Carolina, the bill would create approximately $150 million in grant programs to medical schools and states, according to the Associated Press. Earlier this month, the CDC confirmed that black women are 3 times more likely to die from childbirth than white women. Native American and Alaskan women are 2 times more likely to die compared with white women.

Eggs Not Linked to Higher Stroke Risk

Egg consumption is not associated with increased risk of stroke, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. During a mean follow-up of approximately 21 years, there were 217 incidences of stroke among 1950 men aged 42 to 60 years. Consuming an average of 4.5 eggs per week and 408 mg of cholesterol a day, the researchers observed no difference in the risk for stroke among men who consumed less than 2 eggs a week and those who ate more than 6.

Cannabidiol Can Help Treat Opioid Use Disorders

A report published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that cannabidiol (CBD) has the potential to reduce cravings for heroin and other opioids, as well as levels of anxiety, compared with placebo. The researchers assessed acute, short-term, and protracted effects of CBD and found that the drug demonstrated significant protracted effects on the 2 measures 7 days following short-term (3 days) exposure. The nonintoxicating Epidiolex also reduced heroin-induced psychological measures of heart rate and salivary cortisol levels.