Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
The New York Times:
Nature Is Still Molding Human Genes, Study Finds
Many scientists have contended that humans have evolved very little over the past 10,000 years. A few hundred generations was just a blink of the evolutionary eye, it seemed. Besides, our cultural evolution — our technology, agriculture and the rest — must have overwhelmed our biological evolution by now. A vast study, published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, suggests the opposite. Examining DNA from 15,836 ancient human remains, scientists found 479 genetic variants that appeared to have been favored by natural selection in just the past 10,000 years. (Zimmer, 4/15)
Fox News:
Sleep Posture And Pillow Use May Affect Eye Health And Glaucoma Risk
Sleeping with, or without, a pillow may have a sneaky impact on your health. New research suggests that skipping the pillow could help prevent the development of glaucoma, an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and can cause vision loss or blindness. (Stabile, 4/15)
MedPage Today:
Early Lung Cancer Data Show Why FDA Approved HER2 Agent In First-Line
First-line treatment with a recently approved targeted agent demonstrated durable efficacy in advanced or metastatic HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), results of the phase I Beamion LUNG-1 trial showed. (Bassett, 4/15)
CIDRAP:
Study Finds Shorter Antibiotic Courses May Be Appropriate For Some Hospitalized Pneumonia Patients
Shorter antibiotic treatment durations may be as safe and effective as longer ones for a small subset of patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), researchers reported this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (Dall, 4/15)
The Wall Street Journal:
Researchers Learn More About Vertigo—And How To Treat It
It can feel as if you are spinning out of control in a Tilt-A-Whirl ride at an amusement park. But there is nothing amusing about a sudden bout of vertigo and dizziness. Of the many age-related problems that pose a risk to adults in midlife and beyond, so-called vestibular and balance disorders can be especially dangerous—and joy-depriving—because they increase the risk of falls and fractures and can lead people to restrict their own movement for fear of triggering another episode. (Landro, 4/15)
