Research Roundup: Covid; Fast-Food TV Ads; Long-Term Memory; Prosthetic Joint Infections; Aspirin Dosing
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
ScienceDaily/Immunity:
Rare COVID-19 Response In Children Explained
One of the enduring mysteries of the COVID-19 pandemic is why most children tend to experience fewer symptoms than adults after infection with the coronavirus. The immune system response that occurs in the rare cases in which children experience life-threatening reactions after infection may offer an important insight, a Yale-led study published in the journal Immunity suggests. (5/17)
American Academy Of Pediatrics:
Promotion Of Meal Premiums In Child-Directed TV Advertising For Children’s Fast-Food Meals
Child-directed fast-food TV advertisements emphasize premiums over food in violation of self-regulatory guidelines, counter to childhood obesity prevention efforts. (Emond et al, 6/1)
ScienceDaily/Nature Communications:
Memory Details Fade Over Time, With Only The Main Gist Preserved
What information is retained in a memory over time, and which parts get lost? These questions have led to many scientific theories over the years, and now a team of researchers at the Universities of Glasgow and Birmingham have been able to provide some answers. Their new study, which is published today in Nature Communications, demonstrates that our memories become less vibrant and detailed over time, with only the central gist eventually preserved. Moreover, this 'gistification' of our memories is boosted when we frequently recall our recent experiences. (5/26)
New England Journal of Medicine:
Antibiotic Therapy For 6 Or 12 Weeks For Prosthetic Joint Infection
Among patients with microbiologically confirmed prosthetic joint infections that were managed with standard surgical procedures, antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks was not shown to be noninferior to antibiotic therapy for 12 weeks and resulted in a higher percentage of patients with unfavorable outcomes. (Bernard et al, 5/27)
New England Journal of Medicine:
Comparative Effectiveness Of Aspirin Dosing In Cardiovascular Disease
In this pragmatic trial involving patients with established cardiovascular disease, there was substantial dose switching to 81 mg of daily aspirin and no significant differences in cardiovascular events or major bleeding between patients assigned to 81 mg and those assigned to 325 mg of aspirin daily. (Jones et al, 5/27)
