From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— UW-Madison researchers found people with a high genetic risk for smoking addiction were “less likely to benefit” from a program aimed at helping them quit.
The research team was led by Associate Prof. Lauren Schmitz of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and the paper was co-authored by UW-Madison Prof. Jason Fletcher. Schmitz says the study relies on advances in the field of “statistical genetics” to shed light on how genes and behavior interact “and hopefully improve treatment options.”
The study relied on data from the Lung Health Study, which was conducted between 1989 and 1994. It included more than 4,000 “heavy smokers” aged 35 to 60 that were diagnosed with early-stage lung disease and were “motivated” to quit smoking, according to the university.
Researchers found participants who had genetic variations that made them more susceptible to smoking addiction saw less benefit from a five-year smoking cessation intervention program.
“While we have intuitively understood for some time that genes likely play a factor in making it easy for some to quit smoking while difficult for others, we didn’t have the capabilities to test this until quite recently,” Schmitz said in a statement on the findings.
While smoking has become less popular in the United States over previous decades — falling last year to just 11% of adults reporting smoking recently — Schmitz notes tobacco use remains the top cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the country.
“Precision medicine approaches that tailor smoking cessation efforts to individuals’ genes could help improve cessation outcomes in high-risk smokers,” she said.
See more in the release below.
— Fewer tobacco and vape retailers sold products to underage consumers last year, state health officials announced today.
The state Department of Health Services says 11.8% of these retailers sold to underage customers in 2024, down from 13.6% in 2023. Those figures are from a statewide assessment of the “retailer violation rate,” called the Synar Survey. The latest surveys focused on sales to those under age 21, following a federal law change that raised the age of legal tobacco sales from 18 to 21 at the end of 2019.
That violation rate was 5.5% in 2019 and rose to its peak of 14.1% in 2021, according to DHS.
“We are glad to see a decline in overall sales of tobacco and vape products to underage kids, yet the rate remains too high,” State Health Officer Paula Tran said in a statement.
See the release below.
— UW Health is touting the impact of Wisconsin’s first reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship program, one of about 50 in the country.
Dr. Bala Bhagavath, infertility physician, reproductive surgeon and director of the REI program at UW Health, says the program is “crucial to expanding our training opportunities and improving access to fertility care services.”
The fellowship program trains doctors and supports providers offering infertility care and reproductive endocrinology care — a specialty focused on hormonal problems linked to infertility. The health system says it aims to improve access to in vitro fertilization treatment and other care for reproduction-related conditions.
Dr. Ellen Hartenbach, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, notes the country is facing a shortage of trained REI doctors. She says the program will help develop such doctors as well as recruit them to stay and practice in Wisconsin.
After the program was approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education in early 2024, UW Health brought on Dr. Jayapriya Jayakumaran later last year as the first REI program fellow. Since then, she’s been treating patients with infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and other reproductive health issues.
“The fellowship has allowed me to train in a rigorous academic and clinical environment,” she said in a statement. “It offers me exposure to diverse cases, cutting-edge research and exceptional mentorship in an environment where I have been treated like family.”
See more on the program here and see the release below.
— The state Senate tomorrow plans to vote on legislation that seeks to allow new moms to remain on Medicaid for the first 12 months after their child is born rather than the current limit of 60 days.
Under SB 23, the Department of Health Services would be directed to seek a waiver from the federal government to allow the longer period of service.
The Senate approved a similar bill last session 32-1, but the Assembly didn’t take it up. Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has blocked the bill from coming to the floor in that house, calling the proposal an unnecessary expansion of welfare.
This session’s bill has 21 co-sponsors in the Senate and 66 in the Assembly.
Tomorrow’s calendar also includes SB 76, which would require prosecutors to get sign off from a judge before dismissing or amending a charge for certain crimes. Those covered by the bill include: domestic abuse, some crimes against children or the elderly, and some involving firearms or vehicles. Under the bill, a court could only approve the application if it would be consistent with the public’s interest in deterring those crimes.
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Press Releases
– UW-Madison: New UW-Madison research reveals a genetic influence on quitting smoking
– Department of Health Services: Wisconsin underage tobacco and vape sales decreased in 2024
– UW Health: Unique reproductive endocrinology and infertility fellowship making impact in Wisconsin
