A special episode focuses on the issue of insulin accessibility and affordability in the United States, with four experts in the diabetes arena weighing in on the topic.

Crisis Point: Insulin Access in the United States

 Now I want to talk Dr Lain. How do you approach your patients with vitiligo? When a patient is referred to you for vitiligo, how do you evaluate them? Do you do certain tests? Tell me what you do with your patients.

 Thanks, Heather. First, can we please acknowledge how brave Tarasha is. I mean, for her to come on this. Tarasha and I know each other, and she was so gracious and offered to volunteer for this. Thank you, Tarasha, you are helping so many people, both patients and caregivers, such as Dr Woolery-Lloyd and myself. Thank you.

 In terms of how we evaluate vitiligo, it is a striking presentation. Especially Tarasha having such a quick onset and drastic reduction of pigment is a striking presentation for her. In some people it is much less, where it is a single area or a very small area, and they catch it early and they’re coming in. In patients with more richly pigmented skin, using just your naked eyes is enough usually because there is such a contrast. In those patients who are more fair, however, with less pigment in their skin, it may require the use of what we call Wood’s lamp, which uses such black light to highlight where the pigment is and where it isn’t. Usually, we perform a full body skin examination, not only to look for the vitiligo, but to look for any other combinate skin disease and perhaps skin cancer as well if the patient has had vitiligo for long and has not been protecting themselves, just like Tarasha was saying. But then in terms of diagnostic tests, we do check when a patient has 1 other immune disease. We have to check for others because they tend to partner. On top of that, we also find thyroid disease that partners with the vitiligo, and that is done via lab tests.

I do the same thing in my practice. We always are looking for thyroid disease because those two tend to go hand in hand, right?

 And hopefully we catch it before their symptoms. So, it is important.

So then when you have a patient with vitiligo, how do you explain that diagnosis to the patient? Many people know what vitiligo is. How do you explain this to the patient?

 My explanation has evolved as science has because 10-15 years ago, we did not really understand why vitiligo happened. The immune system responds to your melanocytes or the cells in your skin that produce the pigment. What we know now is that there is some kind of alteration on the cell surface whether it is genetically based or otherwise. The melanocytes present either an antigen or some kind of complex on the cells that elicit an immune response. So, the melanocytes in people with vitiligo are altered compared to those people without vitiligo. That then generates an immune system response. This recruits T cells, or inflammatory cells. They release interferon that causes all recruitment of T cells, and this is positive feedback within the immune system and the melanocytes that unfortunately leads to melanocyte destruction. And when you lose melanocytes, you lose the ability to produce the pigment and hence the skin turns lighter.

 When a patient gets that diagnosis of vitiligo, what type of reaction do you typically see in your practice?

 Quite frankly, many of them already know just because of their Googling and their social media aspect of vitiligo. They come in with a suspicion that they have this condition. I then go through the education part. They are not surprised for the most part. Every once in a while, especially with someone with more fair skin where they notice some kind of difference, they may not have really thought about that possibility. In those cases, it’s quite a surprise. But for the most part people come prepared for the diagnosis, honestly.

People often come in saying, “This isn’t vitiligo, is it?” That’s a common question I’ll get. Sometimes it isn’t, but sometimes it is.

Videos

Ted Lain, MD, shares his approach to evaluating patients with a vitiligo diagnosis and the search for concomitant disease.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on the dermatologic condition. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for the affected skin of vitiligo patients.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

Considerations for Evaluating Patients With Vitiligo

 CURE Connections program titled “The Vitiligo Patient Journey.” Vitiligo is a skin disorder that results in the loss of pigmentation in the skin and hair. Vitiligo can significantly impact the quality of life of those affected, often leading to emotional distress and stigma. While traditional treatments such as topical corticosteroids and light therapy can help manage symptoms, recent advancements in treatments like JAK [Janus kinase] inhibitors have shown promising results in improving re-pigmentation outcomes, providing hope for those living with this condition. I am your host, Dr Heather Woolery-Lloyd, director of the Skin of Color Division at the University of Miami, in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. I am joined today by Ted Lain, MD, chief medical officer of Sanova Dermatology, in Austin, Texas, and Tarasha, who is going to share the details of her journey with vitiligo. Thank you so much for joining us. OK, great. Hello, Tarasha. How are you?

 Hello. I am well. How are you doing today?

I am great. Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your journey with vitiligo. I wanted to ask you, how and when were you diagnosed with vitiligo?

 It actually happened during the start of COVID-19. In June of 2020, something happened with my immune system and my pigment started to go away. It started on my legs, and it just moved up my body from there.

 When were you referred to a dermatologist, and how did you get your diagnosis?

 I was first misdiagnosed as having a skin fungus in Michigan City, Indiana because of how it was presenting when I first went there. I was prescribed a cream to place on my legs and any other parts that were affected. When nothing changed, I took myself to a dermatologist.

So, you referred yourself. You were not referred by a premier care doctor, you actually realized that this was something that was more than a fungus.

 Yes. I just went myself. It was my dermatologist that I had been using for other concerns. I called to say I didn’t know what is going on. I told them I was told I may have a fungus on my body, but it was not going away with the cream. When I went there, they quickly realized it was vitiligo. It was a shock for me, but I suspected it might be that. With drastic change, everything takes a toll.

 Had you looked it up before you got to the dermatologist?

 I have had family members that have married into my family that have had it, but I didn’t know the extent of it. I was younger when they married in. One day their skin would look one way, and then when I went back years later, their skin would be different. I had heard about vitiligo, but I didn’t know if there was a gene that caused it. I know it is the immune system being compromised. But I don’t know if there is a gene that is somewhere that is triggered that started it. I wondered if I had COVID[-19], and instead of getting the symptoms of COVID-19, my immune system attacked my melanin.

 When you got your diagnosis, you knew a little bit about vitiligo. What did you think? Were you shocked? Were you scared? What was that first visit, when they told you you had vitiligo?

 My first thought was “What can we do?” Remember, this is June 2020, and all my pigment was gone by May of 2021.

 Yes, it did. It rapidly progressed. I did not have a chance to get used to it. I did not have that. It was drastic. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that I was already in the house, so I did not have to see people. But it drastically changed everything.

 Were you working from home? It was a very unique time to get a vitiligo diagnosis, because all of us were in our homes. How did it affect other activities like shopping?

 It affected me more with both children and adults. It is a point in stereotyping. I had one little girl ask me, “What’s going on? What happened to your skin?” I was able to explain it to her. I prefer that approach from people verses the staring and pointing. The round spots you see, those go away when it is cold outside, so they are not there when it is cold. When it is summertime, they come back. Even the ones on my arms, they will come back when it is warmer outside. The pointing and staring is the part that kind of makes me the saddest. Losing my melanin made me the saddest because I was used to the skin that I was in. So having to get used to the new skin, it’s different. It’s a lot to take on.

Do you feel like it impacted your self-esteem? That was such a strong statement. Losing your melanin, losing that skin, having to get used to this skin. How did that impact your self-esteem?

 It was hard at first because it was really blotchy. My son graduated in 2021 from high school, and I took pictures with him because I was proud of him. My skin had really started to change during that time. I was proud of him, so I took pictures with him, but my saving grace was also the mask. So you really couldn’t see around my face. That is where it started the most, on my face. My hands and my legs were completely covered, but I could cover those, especially my legs and my feet. But my hands and around my face, I couldn’t cover that. And it took a lot for me to get used to it. It is a lot for me to still get used to it. Even during the summer or the changing weather, it is a lot to still get used to it. Because when it first happened it was cold outside, and everything just went away, and then when it started getting warmer, I noticed the spots coming back and that is the part that I had to get used to all over again. I have to get used this every year. I can deal with one time, but multiple times? It is something.

That is a really good point that we don’t really talk about that much. Because you had such a rapidly progressing vitiligo, and then when the sun comes out in the middle of summer, some of your spots re-pigment and so you kind of get used to it but then you go backwards. Do you wear makeup sometimes? Do you ever try to cover that up?

 No. At first, I tried to. But there is not going to be a way for me to even anything out. I even went so far as going to the store, and spending all this money on foundations, concealers, bronzers, and all these different things, and it’s just sitting in my bathroom because I don’t really use them. At this point, why would I? One of the craziest things is that when it started, it actually affected my eyebrows and my eye lashes. It gave me this silver streak going in my eyebrows and my eye lashes. That’s my Cruella. That’s what I call it. It’s my Cruella. Because it gives me the off set of grey or the white in my brown eyebrows and lashes and everything. And that one took me some time to get used to as well, honestly. Even that little beady thing took time for me to get used to, and it was actually my beautician that says, “That is unique. Love it. Embrace it.”

 Yeah. I don’t really put on mascara. I don’t darken anything in.

A patient with vitiligo talks with Heather Woolery-Lloyd, MD, about her personal journey to diagnosis and struggles with the disease.

Patient Journey to Diagnosis of Vitiligo

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team as an assistant editor for HCPLive in August 2022. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, working in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching TV, listening to podcasts, and rock climbing. You can contact him at 

 prefer biologic treatment with a more infrequent administration route and medical visit schedule, recent findings indicate, contrasting with prior data which indicated that the highest importance for patients in treatment preference was simply efficacy.

 choose biologics for their patients, many different factors such as patient background and biologic characteristics are considered. As such, there are not any globally established biologic selection criteria.

The findings resulted from an assessment of the preferred attributes for selection of biologics by psoriasis patients and the research was authored by Asako Itakura, from the Department of Dermatology at Teikyo University School of Medicine in Tokyo.

“In October 2021, when the survey was conducted, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 was prevalent in Japan and globally, and a declaration of a state of emergency by the Japanese government was in effect from April until the end of September 2021,” Itakura and colleagues wrote. “Therefore, this study reflects the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on patient preferences for biologics in psoriasis treatment.”

The investigators sought to determine patient preferences for biologic use in psoriasis treatment and to analyze the influence of social and clinical backgrounds on these different preferences. A web-based questionnaire survey using a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was provided by the research team from October 4, 2021, to October 8, 2021.

The participants were patients with psoriasis registered in the patient panel owned by INTAGE Healthcare Inc in Tokyo, Japan. The panel included around 4,000 individuals who had received psoriasis treatment within the previous year, with 2,581 reported to be undergoing treatment currently as of August 2021.

The investigators conducted their survey among adult patients (age 20 years or above) who had been diagnosed with psoriasis and were also being treated for the condition. Patients who did not agree to participate were excluded from the trial.

In order to ensure an adequate sample size, the research team aimed to collect 400 or more responses, considering previous studies and the requirement for at least 300 effective respondents.

The team utilized a questionnaire survey titled the Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) in order to evaluate patient preferences regarding biologic treatments for the skin condition. Study participants were presented with 2 hypothetical choice scenarios, each combining different attributes of biologics.

These attributes were determined based on prior studies on psoriasis patients and which had examined patient preferences for biologic treatments.

The attributes included efficacy at 1 year, efficacy on skin symptoms and other manifestations, indications for different patient types, risk of serious infections requiring hospitalization, incidence of injection site reactions, administration route and visits, and co-payment.

The levels of each of the attributes were decided based upon the characteristics of available biologics on the market. Participants were asked to select the most favorable choice scenario from the two presented.

The study employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology to assess patient preferences for various attributes and levels.

Participants were assigned 18 DCE questions, each with the aforementioned 2 hypothetical scenarios. These scenarios were developed using an orthogonal array and then presented with visual representations and textual descriptions to enhance participant understanding and engagement.

The investigators also gathered socioeconomic and clinical data from the study’s respondents. Before the main study, a pilot survey involving 33 study participants was done to validate the sample size and assess respondents' comprehension of their questionnaire.

Overall, the research team assessed data from 357 psoriasis patients, and their results demonstrated some of the key factors influencing the preference for biologic medications.

The most important attributes for the patients when selecting biologics were found to be method of administration and the frequency of visits, followed then by the risk of severe infections that might necessitate hospitalization.

The team did add that some variations were seen within specific subgroups. Still, the results were notable, given their divergence from prior studies where the primary emphasis was on the effectiveness of the drug.

“These results may reflect the personal and social impact of the coronavirus disease outbreak at the time of the survey,” they wrote. “The results of this study might help physicians properly select biologics that satisfy psoriasis patients' needs, leading to better treatment adherence.”

Tada, Y, Itakura, A, Hosono, K, Kawamura, T. Psoriasis patient preferences for the use of biologics during the coronavirus era. J Dermatol. 2023; 50: 596– 607. https://doi.org/10.1111/1346-8138.16703.

Saeki H, Terui T, Morita A, Sano S, Imafuku S, Asahina A, et al. Japanese guidance for use of biologics for psoriasis (the 2019 ver-sion). J Dermatolog Treat. 2020;47:201–2.

Articles

This research from Japan on the shifting preferences for individuals with psoriasis in the pre and post-pandemic era may indicate the effects of such events on treatment options.


Plaque Psoriasis

The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

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After COVID-19, Psoriasis Patients Prefer Biologics with Infrequent Administration, Fewer Medical Visits

Despite a risk of disruption to the microbiome, 

 are associated with minimal risk of developing 

In new retrospective analysis data from a group of Taiwan investigators, invasive gastrointestinal tract procedures including appendectomy were not significantly associated with increased risk of a new psoriasis diagnosis. The findings additionally elucidated age- and sex-specific risk of new psoriasis diagnoses among such patients.

Led by Dr. Yi-Huei Liu, of the Chung Shan Medical University in Taichung, investigators sought to examine the link between gastrointestinal tract surgery and newly diagnosed psoriasis. Non-genetic psoriasis etiology is not absolutely understood by clinicians, though previous research has pointed to triggers including “skin micro-trauma” as a potential risk factor for the chronic skin disease.

What’s more, the gut microbiome is a pivotal factor in immune regulation. In a recent interview with 

, dermatologist Karan Lal, DO, MS, described a complex dynamic between chronic skin diseases and microbiota.

“We know that with psoriasis, if they have a leaky gut, they have association with inflammatory bowel disease and a lot of gut issues,” Lal said. “And so maybe that's why people translate that into the ‘skin microbiome.’ But again, that's a lot of the people who don't really understand the true relationship with the skin gut axis.”

Nonetheless, Liu and colleagues stressed the little-defined association between these potential risk factors and newly diagnosed psoriasis.

“Even if surgeries are widely considered a risk factor and disrupt the microbiome in the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in psoriasis, no previous studies have investigated the epidemiological relationship between gastrointestinal tract surgeries and subsequent pathogenesis of psoriasis,” they wrote. “Therefore, we conducted a nationwide case-control study to explore this issue.”

Investigators conducted a nested case-control analysis using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, including patients with newly diagnosed psoriasis from 2005 – 2013. Their retrospective analysis spanned 5 years after the index date of first psoriasis diagnosis. A control cohort of patients who had never been diagnosed with psoriasis or a similar disorder was matched 2:1 by age and sex to compare the association of concurrent gastrointestinal tract surgery.

The final assessment included 16,655 patients with newly diagnosed psoriasis from 2005 – 2013. Mean age of both cohorts was 32.2 years old. Chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, COPD, and hepatitis C were significantly more prevalent in patients with newly diagnosed psoriasis.

Liu and colleagues’ conditional logistic regression showed an 8% decreased risk of newly diagnosed psoriasis among patients who underwent gastrointestinal tract surgery (condition odds ratio [cOR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.76 – 1.12; 

 = .426), and a 2% decreased risk of psoriasis among patients who underwent appendectomy (cOR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.76 – 1.27; 

In the multivariate regression analysis of age- and sex-related factors, investigators observed only patients aged 20 – 39 were at an increased risk of newly diagnosed psoriasis following gastrointestinal tract surgery (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.79 – 1.51; 

 = .58), though the association was insignificant. Both male (OR, 0.96; 95%, 0.71 – 1.29; 

 = .762) and female (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.69 – 1.17; 

 = .427) patients were at an insignificantly decreased risk of newly diagnosed psoriasis after surgery.

Regarding appendectomy, each of patients aged <20 years, 20 – 39 years, and 40 – 59 years were at an insignificantly increased risk of newly diagnosed psoriasis after procedure, as well as both female and male patients.

“In conclusion, our study shows that gastrointestinal surgeries have a limited effect on psoriasis,” investigators wrote. “Except for gastrointestinal tract surgery, appendectomy did not have significant age- or sex-related effects on psoriasis.”

However, the team stressed that their provisional data based solely on the Taiwan population would require further analysis of additional ethnicities and populations to interpret associations between surgery and psoriasis.

Liu YH, Zhuo XJ, Hung YM, Wang YH, Chang R, Wei JC. Absence of an association between gastrointestinal tract surgery and newly diagnosed psoriasis: A nationwide, population-based, nested, case-control study [published online ahead of print, 2023 May 24]. Int J Rheum Dis. 2023;10.1111/1756-185X.14750. doi:10.1111/1756-185X.14750

Smith T. Karan Lal, DO: Relationship Between Psoriasis and the Skin, Gut Microbiome. HCPLive. Published December 6, 2022. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://www.hcplive.com/view/karan-lal-do-relationship-psoriasis-skin-gut-microbiome

Both gastrointestinal surgery and appendectomies were not associated with any increased risk of psoriasis development in a national cohort.

Surgery

The HCPLive surgery page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on invasive medicine. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for surgery, and more.

No Link Observed Between Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery and New Psoriasis

Cannabis use disorder may increase risk of both psychotic and nonpsychotic 

New data from a prospective, population-based cohort analysis of Danish individuals show persons with an addiction to cannabis are at a nearly two-fold increased risk of depression, and nearly three-fold increased risk of bipolar disorder. The Denmark investigators believe the findings should implicate the standards for cannabis legalization and regulation, as well as efforts to increase public knowledge regarding cannabis’ impact on mental health and cognition.

A team led by Oskar Hougaard Jefsen, MD, of the psychosis research unit at Aarhus University Hospital – Psychiatry, sought to assess the potential link between cannabis use disorder and increased prevalence of unipolar depression and bipolar disorder—both psychotic and nonpsychotic subtypes—among the Denmark population.

Though many countries and territories including Denmark that have legalized cannabis for medicinal and/or recreational use are supported by a positive benefit-risk profile across numerous chronic conditions,

 Jefsen and colleagues noted that the use and average potency of cannabis has increased over time.

“Cannabis use disorder is frequent among individuals with affective disorders and, in this group, is associated with increased symptom severity, suicidality, and mortality,” investigators wrote. “Although disputed, evidence suggests that use of cannabis may be associated with increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders; however, the association could also be reversed or attributable to confounding (ie, common genetic liability for cannabis use and psychiatric disorders).”

They conducted their longitudinal cohort analysis using national registrant data for all individuals born in Denmark before 2006 who were ≥16 years old and living in the country between 1995 – 2021.

The analysis included 6.65 million individuals followed up for more than 119.53 million person-years. Overall, just 60,696 individuals (0.9%) had received a cannabis use disorder diagnosis during the follow-up period; another 260,746 (3.9%) had developed an affective disorder relevant to the analysis.

Jefsen and colleagues observed a nearly two-fold increased risk of each of the following affective disorders among persons with cannabis use disorder:

Unipolar depression (hazard ratio [HR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.78 – 1.90)

Psychotic unipolar depression (HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.73 – 2.25)

Nonpsychotic unipolar depression (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.77 – 1.89)

Overall cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder—however, the risk was more pronounced in men (HR, 2.96; 95% CI, 2.73 – 3.21) than women (HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 2.31 – 2.80). Persons who used cannabis had a more than four-fold increased risk of psychotic bipolar disorder (HR, 4.05; 95% CI, 2.73 – 3.21).

Among persons with cannabis use disorder, associated risk was greater for psychotic bipolar disorder versus nonpsychotic subtypes (relative HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.21 – 1.81), but not unipolar depression (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.92 – 1.27).

Despite limitations including an uncertainty of classified cannabis use disorder diagnoses and affective disorders, as well as the risk of detection bias, investigators stressed the findings are possibly the largest investigation to date into associations between cannabis use disorder and affective disorders.

“The results of this cohort study suggest that cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of psychotic and nonpsychotic bipolar disorder and unipolar depression,” they wrote.

The team suggested their data implicate the legalization and control strategies surrounding cannabis.

“Importantly, there appears to be a need for improved knowledge on the dose-dependent effects of cannabis use on brain, cognition, and behavior; identification of risk factors for transition from cannabis use (disorder) to psychiatric disorders; and the effects of cannabis cessation on long-term psychiatric risk,” Jefson and colleagues concluded.

Jefsen OH, Erlangsen A, Nordentoft M, Hjorthøj C. Cannabis Use Disorder and Subsequent Risk of Psychotic and Nonpsychotic Unipolar Depression and Bipolar Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online May 24, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1256

Walter K. Cannabis Use Higher in Patients With Rheumatic Diseases. HCPLive. Published June 26, 2023. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://www.hcplive.com/view/cannabis-use-higher-patients-rheumatic-diseases

A prospective cohort analysis of Denmark residents suggests correlation between cannabis overuse and risk of psychiatric conditions.

Addiction

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Cannabis Use Disorder Linked to High Bipolar Disorder, Depression Risk

Late-breaking data from ATS 2023 show new positive evidence of the innovative in-vitro diagnostic tool IntelliSep test that measures the viscoelastic properties of leukocytes, showing promising results for rapid sepsis diagnosis in EDs.

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Hollis O'Neal, MD: Late Breaking Data on Diagnostic Test for Sepsis IntelliSep

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 and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in April 2021. He graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in Journalism and Professional Writing. He enjoys listening to records, going to concerts, and playing with his cat Squish. You can reach him at 

Clinical trial data suggest overweight and obese patients with atrial fibrillation who lose weight prior to a catheter ablation procedure experience better clinical outcomes. 

Arrhythmia

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Weight Loss Prior to Atrial Fibrillation Ablation May Improve Patient Outcomes 

This study highlighted the strong effects of environmental factors on eczema, especially given the higher prevalence of the skin condition in industrialized countries.


Air Pollution, Particulate Matter Associated with More Medical Visits for Atopic Dermatitis

. Prior to joining MJH Life Sciences in 2019, he worked as a digital reporter covering nanotechnology, life sciences, material science and more with 

. He graduated with a degree in journalism from Temple University in 2008 and began his career as a local reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers based on the Jersey shore. When not working, he enjoys going to the beach and enjoying the shore in the summer and watching North Carolina Tar Heel basketball in the winter.

Kiwifruit supplementation did not have an impact on stool frequency or consistency, but magnesium oxide supplementation did result in improved stool frequency.

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Magnesium Oxide Supplements Help Treat Patients With Chronic Constipation 

Data indicates that addressing mood disorders in patients not only improves mood symptoms but also demonstrates positive effects on certain cardiac events, suggesting benefits for both mental and physical well-being.

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Victor Kim, MD: Addressing Comorbidities and Advancing COPD Care

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Janssen's efforts are accompanied by extensive data generation in patients of color and the creation of a diverse workforce.

Psoriatic Arthritis

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Encouraging Diversity and Inclusion for Patients With Psoriatic Disease

Differences in Lp(a) level distribution across the diverse US Hispanic or Latino population may have important implications for its use in ASCVD risk assessment. 

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Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Hispanic or Latino Population in US Experiences Significant Heterogeneity in Lp(a) Levels

New prospective data show more adult patients achieved clinical response with ketamine than the historic standard ECT over a 6-month regimen.

Ketamine Noninferior to Electroconvulsive Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression

There were several risk factors identified, including abortion, hospitalization, past surgical procedure,  dental extraction, delivery in hospital, injection in hospitals, and household contact with jaundice.

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Investigators Identify Risk Factors for HBV, HCV Among Pregnant Women

Patrick Campbell is the managing editor of HCPLive. Formerly the editorial lead of Endocrinology Network, Practical Cardiology, and Rheumatology Network, Patrick has spent years spearheading coverage surrounding cardiometabolic health and rheumatic disease for MJH Life Sciences. He now helps to lead coverage in each of these respective areas for HCPLive. Before joining MJH Life Sciences in 2019, he spent time as a beat reporter with the Pocono Record in Stroudsburg, PA, and Star News Group in Manasquan, NJ. He also touts experience in multimedia, having spent time as a multimedia specialist with NJ Advance Media and multimedia coordinator at the Pocono Record. Follow him on Twitter @RealPatCampbell or reach him via email at PCampbell@mjhlifesciences.com.

Ahead of the sotagliflozin approval, Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH, offers perspective into potential future research opportunities for the SGLT1/2 inhibitor and discusses the impact of a 3rd agent boasting SGLT2 inhibition receiving approval for heart failure.

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Heart Failure

The HCPLive heart failure page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on HF. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for heart disease, reduced and preserved ejection fraction, and more.

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