Research Roundup: Measles Antibodies; The Primary Care System; Ultraprocessed Food; And More
Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.
American Academy Of Pediatrics:
Measles Antibody Levels In Young Infants
Infants are often assumed to be immune to measles through maternal antibodies transferred during pregnancy and, in many countries, receive their first measles-containing vaccine at 12 to 15 months. Immunity may wane before this time in measles-eliminated settings, placing infants at risk for measles and complications. We investigated humoral immunity to measles in infants <12 months of age in Ontario, Canada. (Science et al, 12/1)
Commonwealth Fund:
International Survey Of Primary Care Physicians In 11 Countries
A strong primary care system can help prevent illness, manage patient care across multiple providers, and reduce health care costs. Essential to such a system is effective communication. To address patients’ needs, primary care physicians often must communicate and exchange information with specialists, hospitals and other care settings, social service providers — and, of course, the patients themselves. (Doty, Tikkanen, Shah and Schneider, 12/10)
JAMA Internal Medicine:
Ultraprocessed Food Consumption And Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Among Participants Of The NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort
In this large observational prospective study, a higher proportion of UPF in the diet was associated with a higher risk of T2D. Even though these results need to be confirmed in other populations and settings, they provide evidence to support efforts by public health authorities to recommend limiting UPF consumption. (Srour et al, 12/16)
The New York Times:
Poor Sleep Tied To Heart Disease And Stroke
Poor sleep may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, new research suggests. Researchers assigned “sleep scores” on a scale of zero to five to 385,292 British men and women, giving one point for having each of five indicators of healthy sleep: being an early bird, sleeping seven to eight hours a night, having no insomnia, not snoring and not being sleepy during the day. The scores depended on self-reports of sleep behavior. (Bakalar, 12/18)
