Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
MedPage Today:
Parkinson's Disease Risk Tied To Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was linked with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, but continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment reduced that risk, Veterans Administration (VA) data showed. At 5 years after OSA onset, veterans with OSA had 1.8 more cases of Parkinson's disease per 1,000 than those without the sleep disorder, said Gregory Scott, MD, PhD, of the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon, and co-authors. (George, 3/2)
MedPage Today:
Stem Cell Transplant Restores Vision After Blinding Eye Injuries
Transplanted epithelial stem cells from a healthy eye repaired irreversible corneal injury and restored at least partial vision in more than 90% of patients, a preliminary clinical study showed. Within 3 months of the transplant, seven of 14 patients had completely restored corneas, increasing to 11 of 14 at 12 months. Including partial responses, more than 90% of the patients achieved successful outcomes at 12 and 18 months. (Bankhead, 3/4)
Bloomberg:
Does Covid Lead To Dementia? How It Affects Your Brain
Scientists worry that persistent cognitive issues caused by Covid signal that a surge in dementia cases and other mental conditions is on the horizon. (Gale, 3/3)
CIDRAP:
Paxlovid May Better Cut Risk Of Severe COVID Outcomes In Asthma Patients Than Molnupiravir
Among asthma patients infected with COVID-19, those who received the antiviral drug nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) had significantly lower risks of all-cause hospitalization than those given molnupiravir (Lagevrio), Chinese University of Hong Kong researchers report. (Van Beusekom, 3/3)
CIDRAP:
Report: Influenza A And B Clinically Different, And Type B Patients Less Likely To Receive Antiviral
Although they have similar 90-day death rates, influenza types A and B have unique clinical trajectories, and patients with type A are more likely to receive the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu), French researchers report today in CMI Communications. (Van Beusekom, 3/5)
MedPage Today:
Hidden Consciousness In Comatose Patients Identified By Sleep Spindles
Sleep spindles on electroencephalography (EEG) helped predict whether unresponsive patients with acute brain injury would recover, prospective data showed. In a cohort of behaviorally unresponsive patients with recent brain injury, 31% had well-formed sleep spindles that frequently preceded the detection of cognitive motor dissociation, said Jan Claassen, MD, of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, and co-authors. (George, 3/4)
