Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
CIDRAP:
New Data Show Double The Risk Of Guillain-Barre Syndrome After RSV In Seniors
A large study of US adults 65 and older enrolled in Medicare finds that the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)—a rare autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks its own nerves—doubles in adults 65 and older infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The study, published today in Clinical Infectious Diseases, involved 452,471 patients with RSV infection requiring medical care from 2011 through 2024. (Wappes, 11/14)
CIDRAP:
WHO Warns Of Rising, Worrisome Levels Of Drug-Resistant Gonorrhea
Ceftriaxone and cefixime are the last remaining recommended treatment options for gonorrhea. But there's hope that two new antibiotics that have shown promise in clinical trials (zoliflodacin and gepotidacin) could soon provide more options. (Dall, 11/19)
Bloomberg:
New Antibiotic Stokes Hope For Still Lethal TB In Study
The new drug, developed by the not-for-profit TB Alliance, doesn’t just show promise to cut treatment times. The data indicate it has a better safety profile and the potential to defeat many strains that have become resistant to other antibiotics. Because it works more quickly, it means people spend less time coughing, sneezing or spitting, reducing the risk of contamination. (Kew, 11/19)
MedPage Today:
High-Fiber Diet May Boost Immunotherapy Activity In Advanced Kidney Cancer
Patients with advanced kidney cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) lived longer if they consumed a high-fiber diet, a small prospective study showed. (Bankhead, 11/16)
MedPage Today:
Sesame Allergy Study Compares Oral Food Challenge Methods
Oral food challenges for sesame allergy may result in more accurate results if crushed seeds or the sesame paste tahini are used instead of whole seeds, a retrospective review suggested. (Haelle, 11/18)
The Baltimore Sun:
Preterm Babies Face High Blood Pressure Risk
A new study found that premature infants who spent time in a neonatal intensive care unit face higher risk for persistent high blood pressure starting from a young age. (Hille, 11/13)