Research Roundup: Covid; Seizures; Diabetes; Memory Loss; Menopause
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
CIDRAP:
Study Shows MRNA Vaccines Don’t Trigger Flares In Rheumatic Patients
A study today in Arthritis & Rheumatology shows the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 do not routinely cause rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases like arthritis to flare in patients after the two-dose vaccination, and if flares do occur, they are not severe. The study was based on 1,377 patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, including arthritis and lupus. The researchers measured symptoms within 7 days of each vaccine dose (D1 and D2), and 1 month after D2. Only 11% of participants reported a flare that required treatment after vaccination, none of which were severe. (8/4)
American Academy Of Pediatrics:
Acute Respiratory Illnesses In Children In The SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Prospective Multicenter Study
Nonpharmaceutical interventions against coronavirus disease 2019 likely have a role in decreasing viral acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs). We aimed to assess the frequency of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza ARIs before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. (Haddadin et al, 8/1)
ScienceDaily:
Marijuana-Like Brain Substance Calms Seizures But Increases Aftereffects, Study Finds
Epileptic seizures trigger the rapid synthesis and release of a substance mimicked by marijuana's most psychoactive component, Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have learned. This substance is called 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG, and has the beneficial effect of damping down seizure intensity. (Stanford Medicine, 8/4)
ScienceDaily:
Artificial Pancreas Trialled For Outpatients With Type 2 Diabetes
An artificial pancreas could soon help people living with type 2 diabetes and who also require kidney dialysis. Tests led by the University of Cambridge and Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland, show that the device can help patients safely and effectively manage their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of low blood sugar levels. (University of Cambridge, 8/4)
ScienceDaily:
Scientists Reverse Age-Related Memory Loss In Mice
Scientists at Cambridge and Leeds have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of treatments to prevent memory loss in people as they age. In a study published today in Molecular Psychiatry, the team show that changes in the extracellular matrix of the brain -- 'scaffolding' around nerve cells -- lead to loss of memory with ageing, but that it is possible to reverse these using genetic treatments. (University of Cambridge, 7/22)
ScienceDaily:
New Genes Linked To Longer Reproductive Lifespan In Women
The age at which women go through menopause is critical for fertility and impacts healthy ageing in women, but reproductive ageing has been difficult for scientists to study and insights into the underlying biology are limited. Now, scientists have identified nearly 300 gene variations that influence reproductive lifespan in women. Additionally, in mice, they have successfully manipulated several key genes associated with these variants to extend their reproductive lifespan. (University of Exeter, 8/4)
