Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Researchers See Benefits Of Breathing Exercises For Long Covid Recovery
CIDRAP: Rehab, Breathing Exercises Aid In Long-COVID Recovery, Review Shows
A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open suggests that rehabilitation interventions involving breathing exercises and physical training are associated with improvements in functional exercise capacity, difficulty breathing, and quality of life for patients with long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC). (Soucheray, 9/20)
CIDRAP: Convalescent Plasma May Lessen The Odds Of Long COVID, Study Suggests
COVID-19 patients may be less likely to develop severe illness and persistent symptoms if they are treated early with convalescent plasma, according to a nationwide, multicenter follow-up study published yesterday in mBio. Johns Hopkins University researchers led the study, which involved 882 COVID-19 patients participating in a 2021 randomized trial on the effect of SARS-CoV-2 antibody–rich convalescent plasma on hospitalization. The 2021 trial, which included 1,181 symptomatic adults, concluded that convalescent plasma was safe and effective for the early treatment of COVID-19. It was published on the preprint server medRxiv. (Van Beusekom, 9/20)
On research developments in mental health and the brain —
Fox News: Aspartame Could Cause Memory And Learning Deficits In Future Generations, A New Study Suggests
The non-sugar, low-calorie sweetener aspartame — which is found in many sugar-free or "diet" foods and drinks — has been linked to potential problems with memory and learning, according to a study from the Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine. In the study, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports, male mice that consumed aspartame — even at levels deemed safe by the FDA — had offspring that "demonstrated spatial learning and memory deficits," a press release from FSU stated. (Rudy, 9/20)
NBC News: Ultraprocessed Foods Linked To Depression, Study Finds
Consuming large amounts of ultraprocessed foods may be linked to depression, research published Wednesday found. ...The study, published in the journal JAMA Open Network, looked at the eating habits and mental health status of more than 31,000 women between the ages of 42 and 62. The participants came from the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-running observational study group, and were almost entirely white. (Sullivan, 9/20)
NBC News: Suppressing Negative Thoughts Might Improve Mental Health: Study
In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, Anderson and his co-author found that training the brain to block out negative thoughts appeared to improve mental health outcomes. Their research involved 120 adults from 16 countries, who were each asked to list 20 fears about things that might happen in the future, 20 hopes and 36 neutral events, such a visit to the eye doctor. (Bendix, 9/21)
Also —
CNN: PMS Now Could Mean More Than Twice The Risk Of Early Menopause Later, Study Shows
Cramps, headaches and depression may not be the only impacts of PMS — there could be complications with menopause down the line, according to a new study. People with premenstrual disorders, or PMDs, like premenstrual syndrome and the more severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder, have more than twice the risk of going through menopause early, according to the study. (Holcombe, 9/20)
CIDRAP: Only A Fourth Of Recommended Sepsis Screening Tools Can Reasonably Predict Sepsis, Researchers Say
Just one of four internationally recommended sepsis screening tools that emergency medical services (EMS) use can identify the life-threatening condition with any accuracy, according to research presented today at the European Emergency Medicine Congress in Barcelona, Spain. (Van Beusekom, 9/20)
