Virginia Wang, PhD, MSPH, is a research health scientist with Health Services Research and Development at the Durham VA Health Care System and professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine.

 in Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics had lower monthly mortality than those dialyzing through VA Community Care (VACC). The gap held through each phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.¹

Virginia Wang, PhD, MSPH, presented the retrospective cohort data at the 

American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2026 in Denver, Colorado

. The data suggest that in-house VA dialysis may be associated with a survival advantage that did not erode under pandemic strain. The investigators noted the findings could inform VA system planning and decisions about outsourcing dialysis care.

VA Dialysis Tied to Lower Mortality, With Virginia Wang, PhD, MSPH

Veterans with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are disproportionately affected by social disadvantage and severe illness. Many rely on VA-financed care delivered both by VA facilities and by community providers.¹ Earlier work from Wang’s team found that demand for VA dialysis exceeds VA capacity, and travel distances keep many veterans from VA facilities. As a result, most veterans received dialysis in community settings between 2008 and 2013.²

“My team and I have had longstanding research comparing the outcomes of veterans receiving care in the VA through VA purchased care, what we now call VA community care programs, as well as those veterans who bypass their VA benefit and receive dialysis treatments through their Medicare benefit,” said Wang, research health scientist with Health Services Research and Development at the Durham VA Health Care System and professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, in an interview with 

. “We had found differences then. Now, with the global pandemic, we were very curious the extent to which those differences may have changed over the course of the pandemic.”

The investigators noted that heavy reliance on care across VA and non-VA systems may increase care fragmentation and adverse outcomes, which likely worsened during the pandemic.¹ Whether outcomes differed between VA and VACC dialysis during this period had not been examined.

Study Design: VA vs Community Care Hemodialysis Across 3 COVID-19 Periods

The team analyzed a cohort of veterans receiving VA-financed hemodialysis. Each veteran was assigned to their most common setting, either VA or VACC. Outcomes of interest were hospital days and mortality.¹

The investigators compared outcomes across 3 periods:

Acute pandemic before vaccines: March 2020 to December 2020

Recovery after vaccines: January 2021 to January 2022

They also examined differences in monthly mortality by race (White, Black, and Hispanic/Other). Changes were estimated with marginal structural mean models, fit using inverse probability of treatment weighted generalized estimating equations to address confounding.¹

Results: Similar Hospital Days, Lower Mortality in VA Dialysis Clinics

Of 34,398 patients, 29% received dialysis in VA and 71% in VACC. Patients in VA dialysis had greater comorbidity.¹

After weighted adjustment, estimated monthly hospital days did not differ between VA and VACC dialysis (2.3 vs 2.0 days). Hospital days also did not change across COVID-19 periods (

Mortality was lower among veterans in VA dialysis in every period. Odds ratios for mortality were:

Estimated monthly mortality for VA vs VACC was:

These differences did not vary across COVID-19 periods (

What May Drive Lower Mortality in VA Dialysis Clinics

The investigators wrote that outcomes for veterans receiving VA-financed dialysis were not affected by COVID-19. They noted this contrasts sharply with previously reported experience of patients receiving dialysis in US private-sector community settings. The mechanisms behind the VA’s pandemic experience and the lower mortality in VA clinics warrant further investigation, they added.¹

“What are the underlying factors associated with the better outcomes we’re observing in the VA clinics versus the non-VA clinics?” Wang said. “There’s something really special, we think, about the structure of the VA health care system, not only for dialysis-specific treatments, but the entire constellation of services and care that veterans receive in-house in the VA system.”

Editor’s Note: Wang reports no relevant disclosures.

Wang V, Coffman C, Jiang L, et al. Outcomes for veterans in Veterans Affairs (VA) and VA community care dialysis settings favor VA and were not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Abstract presented at: American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2026; October 21–25, 2026; Denver, CO. Abstract TH-PO1282. doi:10.1681/ASN.2026j7zsg1bp

Wang V, Coffman CJ, Stechuchak KM, et al. Comparative assessment of utilization and hospital outcomes of veterans receiving VA and non-VA outpatient dialysis. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6235811

Videos

A retrospective cohort of 34,398 veterans found similar hospital days in VA and community dialysis settings across pandemic periods.

Clinical

clinical page is a resource for content on every specialty, disease, and topic available on our medical news site.

News

news page, resources on the topics of disease- and specialty-specific medical news and expert insight can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on health care research, treatment, and drug development.

Nephrology

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

Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Reena Mehra, MD, head of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and holder of the A. Bruce Montgomery, MD, American Lung Association Endowed Chair in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

Investigational aroxybutynin and atomoxetine (AD109) produced numerically greater reductions in 

 and hypoxic burden in postmenopausal women with 

 than in non-menopausal participants, according to a post hoc analysis presented at 

OSA remains underdiagnosed in women, and risk rises after menopause as hormonal changes reduce upper airway stability. Postmenopausal women also tend to present with symptoms distinct from the classic sleepiness and snoring phenotype, which can delay recognition.

“Instead of sleepiness and snoring, they may have more fatigue,” said Reena Mehra, MD, MS, head of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “They may have more insomnia [and] depression.”

AD109 Cuts AHI by 59.6% in Postmenopausal Women With OSA

Mehra said these symptoms warrant further investigation in postmenopausal women to rule out OSA as a contributor. She attributed the elevated risk partly to declining estrogen and progesterone, which can drive endothelial, vascular, and ventilatory changes. Postmenopausal weight gain and its fat deposition pattern can also increase upper airway collapsibility.

AD109 Efficacy in Postmenopausal Women With OSA

The analysis drew on SynAIRgy, a 26-week trial, and LunAIRo, a 51-week trial.

 Both were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm phase 3 studies of AD109 in adults with mild to severe OSA who were intolerant of or refused positive airway pressure therapy.¹ Eligible participants had an apnea-hypopnea index of ≥ 5 events/hr using a 4% desaturation criterion (AHI4), a PROMIS-Fatigue raw score of ≥ 17, and, for women, a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 42 kg/m².¹

Investigators classified women as postmenopausal based on menopause-related medical history or age ≥ 55 years. They compared this subgroup with a non-menopausal cohort of men and non-menopausal women.¹ Of 1,299 participants enrolled, 616 (47.4%) were women; 492 were postmenopausal (AD109, n = 262; placebo, n = 230) and 807 were non-menopausal (AD109, n = 391; placebo, n = 416).¹

Among postmenopausal women, the median AHI4 was 18.5 events/h, and 387 (78.7%) were having mild to moderate OSA.¹ At week 26, AD109 reduced AHI4 by 6.8 events/hr vs 0.7 events/hr with placebo, a geometric mean reduction of 59.6% vs 16.0%.¹ Response rates for ≥ 50% AHI4 reduction were 47.2% with AD109 vs 20.2% with placebo, and rates for at least a 70% reduction were 29.7% vs 8.5%.¹

Analyses were descriptive and used the on-treatment population, with missing data imputed by last observation carried forward. No 

Hypoxic Burden and Safety of AD109 in Postmenopausal Women


AD109 is an investigational oral tablet taken at bedtime, combining aroxybutynin, an antimuscarinic, with atomoxetine, a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, to increase upper airway dilator muscle activity during sleep. Apnimed’s application is under FDA review.

How did AD109 perform in postmenopausal women with OSA?


In a post hoc analysis of SynAIRgy and LunAIRo, AD109 reduced AHI4 by a geometric mean of 59.6% vs 16.0% with placebo and hypoxic burden by 69.8% vs 20.0% at week 26.

Why measure hypoxic burden alongside AHI?


Hypoxic burden quantifies cumulative event-related desaturation and may better reflect cardiovascular risk, particularly in women, in whom experimental data suggest greater endothelial sensitivity to intermittent hypoxia.

AD109 reduced hypoxic burden (HB4) by 69.8% in postmenopausal women vs 20.0% with placebo.¹ In the non-menopausal cohort, AD109 reduced HB4 by 50.9% vs 12.9% with placebo.¹ AHI4 fell by 5.3 events/hr with AD109 in non-menopausal participants and rose by 0.7 events/hr with placebo, corresponding to geometric mean reductions of 44.0% vs 10.6%.¹

Response rates in the non-menopausal cohort were 33% for ≥ 50% AHI4 reduction and 18.1% for ≥ 70% reduction with AD109, compared with 18.1% and 5.3% with placebo.¹ Placebo-subtracted discontinuation due to treatment-emergent adverse events was similar across groups, at 17.7% among postmenopausal women and 17.5% in the non-menopausal cohort.¹

Mehra described hypoxic burden as the area under the desaturation curve associated with apneic and hypopneic events, capturing cumulative event-related hypoxia. Experimental data suggest intermittent hypoxia produces greater endothelial dysfunction through the nitric oxide pathway in women compared with men, she said.

“There may be sex-specific differences in how women versus men have this cardiovascular detriment in response to the hypoxia,” said Mehra. “We need to do more studies from a clinical standpoint to help corroborate some of these things we’re seeing experimentally.”

Mehra acknowledged several limitations, including the post hoc design, the absence of data on hormone replacement therapy, and the grouping of premenopausal women with men in the comparator cohort. She called for prospectively designed studies of risk stratification and treatment response in postmenopausal women for AD109 and other OSA therapies.

Apnimed’s new drug application for AD109 is under FDA review, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of February 28, 2027.²

AD109 Yields Numerically Greater OSA Improvements in Postmenopausal Women

Editor’s note: Reported disclosures for Mehra include Amgen, JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS, and VisionAir Solutions

Mehra R, Aurora RN, Lee-Iannotti JK, et al. Aroxybutynin and atomoxetine (AD109) in post-menopausal women with obstructive sleep apnea. Presented at: CHEST 2026 Annual Meeting; October 20, 2026; Phoenix, AZ.

Apnimed to present five abstracts, including two late breakers at CHEST 2026. Apnimed. Published October 12, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026. 

https://www.financialcontent.com/article/gnwcq-2026-10-12-apnimed-to-present-five-abstracts-including-two-late-breakers-at-chest-2026

In a post hoc analysis of 2 phase 3 trials, AD109 reduced hypoxic burden by 69.8% vs 20.0% with placebo in postmenopausal women with OSA.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep

On the HCPLive sleep page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into sleep medicine can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and more.

Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team in 2022 and is currently an associate editor for 

. He is also the executive producer of two podcasts: 

. Previously, he was the producer of the Lungcast podcast. He graduated from UC Berkeley and worked in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. You can contact him at tsmith@mjhlifesciences.com.

What is clinical-radiological mismatch in LVO stroke?


Clinical-radiological mismatch is a neurologic deficit that is disproportionately severe compared with the infarct visible on imaging. In this analysis, it was defined as an NIHSS-ASPECTS Index of 8 or higher.

Which patients benefited from edaravone dexborneol in this TASTE-2 analysis?


Only mismatch-positive patients benefited. In this group, 58.1% achieved 90-day functional independence with edaravone dexborneol versus 39.5% with placebo. Mismatch-negative patients showed no significant difference.

How is edaravone dexborneol given in TASTE-2?


It was given intravenously before EVT and continued twice daily for 10 to 14 days.

Adjunctive edaravone dexborneol given before endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) improved 90-day functional independence only in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke and clinical-radiological mismatch. The finding comes from a prespecified subgroup analysis of the TASTE-2 trial presented at the 

Zhiyuan Feng presented the findings. The analysis used a continuous metric, the NIHSS-ASPECTS Index (NAI), to categorize mismatch. Investigators proposed the index as a way to identify the patients most likely to benefit from cytoprotection, which is intended to limit reperfusion injury after EVT.¹

In the overall TASTE-2 population, published in 

, 55.0% of patients receiving edaravone dexborneol achieved functional independence at 90 days compared with 49.6% of placebo recipients (risk ratio [RR], 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00-1.23).² The new analysis sought to identify where within this population the treatment effect was concentrated.

Which Patients with LVO Stroke Benefited from Edaravone Dexborneol Before EVT?

TASTE-2 (NCT05249920) was a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 106 centers in China. This secondary analysis included 1358 adults aged 18 to 80 years with anterior circulation LVO who were scheduled for EVT within 24 hours of onset. Participants received intravenous edaravone dexborneol or placebo before EVT, continued twice daily for 10 to 14 days.¹

The primary outcome was functional independence at 90 days, defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0 to 2. Investigators used subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot (STEPP) analysis to empirically determine the optimal NAI cut-off for defining mismatch subgroups.¹

Among mismatch-positive patients, 58.1% of those treated with edaravone dexborneol achieved functional independence at 90 days versus 39.5% with placebo (RR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.22-1.77; 

 < .001). The interaction between treatment and mismatch status was highly significant (

 for interaction = .0002). In the mismatch-negative subgroup, functional independence rates were 53.2% with edaravone dexborneol and 55.5% with placebo, a difference without statistical significance (

How is the NIHSS-ASPECTS Index Calculated, and What Threshold Defined Mismatch?

The NAI was calculated as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score divided by 11 minus the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS). STEPP analysis set an NAI of 8 or higher as the threshold for mismatch-positive status, which applied to 510 patients. The remaining 848 patients, with an NAI below 8, were classified as mismatch negative.¹

Did Edaravone Dexborneol Reduce Early Neurological Deterioration?

Early neurological deterioration was also less frequent with edaravone dexborneol in the mismatch-positive group. It occurred in 8.0% of treated patients versus 14.3% of those receiving placebo (RR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33-0.94; 

 = .027).¹ The investigators concluded the benefit of adjunctive edaravone dexborneol in patients undergoing EVT was confined to those with baseline mismatch. They described the NAI as a practical, readily available tool for tailoring cytoprotective therapy to maximize functional recovery.¹

Editor’s Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools.

Feng Z. Efficacy and safety of edaravone dexborneol in large vessel occlusion stroke patients with clinical-radiological mismatch: a prespecified subgroup analysis of the TASTE-2 trial. Presented at: World Stroke Congress 2026; October 21-23, 2026; Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Wang Y, et al. Edaravone dexborneol before endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke (TASTE-2): randomised clinical trial. BMJ. 2026;392:e086850. doi:10.1136/bmj-2025-086850.

Articles

Edaravone dexborneol before thrombectomy improved 90-day independence only in LVO stroke patients with clinical-radiological mismatch in TASTE-2.

Stroke

On the HCPLive stroke page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into CVA can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on stroke medicine, and more.

Which LVO Stroke Patients Benefit from Edaravone Dexborneol Before EVT?

Steven D. Nathan, MD, is the director of the Advanced Lung Disease Program and medical director of the lung transplant program at Inova Fairfax Hospital

A post hoc analysis of the phase 3 TETON-2 trial presented at the 

 in Phoenix found inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso) reduced total and recurrent disease progression events compared with placebo in patients with 

In the primary TETON-2 analysis, inhaled treprostinil produced a smaller decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) and a lower hazard of clinical worsening compared with placebo across 52 weeks (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71; log-rank 

 =.02).¹,² Clinical worsening was a composite of death, respiratory hospitalization, or a ≥ 10% relative decline in percent predicted FVC, measured as time to the first event. Because the endpoint stops at the first event, a less severe outcome such as an FVC decline can close out a patient’s contribution before later hospitalizations, exacerbations, or deaths are counted.

“Once someone has one of those events, it kind of draws a curtain on what happens subsequently,” said investigator Steven D. Nathan, MD, director of the Advanced Lung Disease Program and medical director of the lung transplant program at Inova Fairfax Hospital, in an interview with 

 “If you look at just one progression event, it’s, for want of a better analogy, running a half marathon. But what happens if you run the full marathon?”

Inhaled Treprostinil Reduces Recurrent IPF Events, With Steven Nathan, MD

Inhaled Treprostinil and Multiple Disease Progression Events in TETON-2

Nathan and colleagues analyzed patients in the TETON-IPF program for every disease progression event occurring during the 52-week study period, not only the first.¹ Qualifying events included a ≥10% relative decline in percent predicted FVC, adjudicated respiratory-related hospitalization, adjudicated acute exacerbation of IPF, concurrent exacerbation plus respiratory hospitalization, and death.

TETON-2, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, enrolled 597 patients, and results from the 598-patient TETON-1 study were pending at the time of abstract submission.¹ Baseline characteristics were balanced between the inhaled treprostinil and placebo groups.

In TETON-2, 126 total events occurred in 82 patients receiving inhaled treprostinil, compared with 161 events in 115 patients receiving placebo (

 =.003).¹ A numerically greater proportion of patients in the placebo group experienced > 1 progression event (39% [n = 36] vs 28% [n = 26]; 

 <.166). According to Nathan, patients with 1 event tended to go on to accumulate additional events, a pattern more pronounced in the placebo group.

Waterfall Plot of Recurrent IPF Progression Events by Type

In a TETON-2 post hoc analysis, inhaled treprostinil was associated with fewer total progression events vs placebo (126 vs 161; 

The difference was driven primarily by fewer ≥ 10% FVC declines (54 vs 86) and concurrent exacerbations with hospitalization (6 vs 18).

Investigators say the findings support continuing inhaled treprostinil after a progression event; an sNDA decision is expected in late April 2027.

The investigators displayed recurrent events in a waterfall plot, which accounts for both first and subsequent occurrences of progression within each patient.¹ Nathan described the color-coded plot as an outcomes heat map, showing both the total burden of events in each arm and the specific type of each event.

The most frequent events in the inhaled treprostinil and placebo groups were ≥ 10% relative decline in percent predicted FVC (54 vs 86 events), concurrent IPF exacerbation with respiratory hospitalization (6 vs 18 events), and death (17 vs 23 events).¹ Adjudicated respiratory hospitalizations were numerically more frequent with inhaled treprostinil (45 vs 34 events). The investigators attributed the difference in total events primarily to FVC decline and concurrent exacerbation with hospitalization.

Nathan also pointed to mortality following a first progression event, which he said was approximately halved with inhaled treprostinil, at roughly 22 deaths in the treatment arm vs 44 with placebo. The abstract did not report safety outcomes.

“Patients and providers need to persist with the therapy because there are going to be benefits beyond the initial progression events,” said Nathan. The investigators concluded the results support continuing inhaled treprostinil after any clinical worsening event.¹

The FDA has accepted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for nebulized inhaled treprostinil in IPF based on TETON-1 and TETON-2, with a decision anticipated in late April 2027, according to United Therapeutics.³ TETON-1 results, presented at ATS 2026, showed a 33% reduction in the risk of clinical worsening with inhaled treprostinil (HR, 0.67).⁴ Inhaled treprostinil remains investigational for IPF.

Editor’s note: Reported disclosures for Nathan include Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, United Therapeutics Corporation, and more.

Nathan SD, Cottin V, Flaherty KR, et al. Efficacy of inhaled treprostinil on multiple disease progression events in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the TETON-IPF program. Presented at: CHEST 2026 Annual Meeting; October 20, 2026; Phoenix, AZ. 

Nathan SD, Smith P, Deng C, et al. Inhaled treprostinil for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. 

Application accepted for inhaled pulmonary fibrosis treatment. Respiratory Therapy. Accessed October 26, 2026. 

https://respiratory-therapy.com/products-treatment/pharmaceuticals/us-pharmaceuticals/application-accepted-for-inhaled-pulmonary-fibrosis-treatment/

TETON-1: Treprostinil preserved lung function in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. HCPLive. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/teton-1-treprostinil-preserved-lung-function-idiopathic-pulmonary-fibrosis

. Published May 20, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.

A TETON-2 post hoc analysis at CHEST 2026 found 126 progression events with inhaled treprostinil vs 161 with placebo across 52 weeks.

Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color

Erythema can be subtle in darker skin, so clinicians should use varied lighting, angles, and dermoscopy.

Skin of color remains underrepresented in studies, especially in cosmetic and surgical research.

Persistent or treatment-resistant lesions warrant a low threshold for biopsy.

2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress

 in Vienna following the Skin of Color Society (SOCS) scientific session, a new episode of the Skin of Color Savvy podcast features Alia Galadari, MD, a French- and European-board-certified consultant dermatologist based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Galadari, who also serves as a residency program director, presented as part of the SOCS faculty. She spoke about various ways in which dermatology clinicians of all kinds can sharpen their diagnostic approach for patients with skin of color.

Skin of Color Savvy: Recalibrating the Clinical Lens in Skin of Color Dermatology

How Can Clinicians Recalibrate Their Diagnostic Lens?

Galadari was asked what recalibrating the clinical lens looks like in practice. Trained in France, where most patients had lighter skin, she said inflammation is often equated with redness, yet erythema can be subtle in darker complexions. She does not advocate overhauling dermatology, but encourages clinicians to change how they look.

Drawing on a roughly 400-year-old Rubens portrait in which the subject tilted his head to reveal different angles, she outlined a sequence: describe morphology, use light to define where a lesion ends, characterize color such as violaceous, gray, or brown, and examine the nails, hair, and mucosa before turning to tools like dermoscopy. She cautioned against relying on textbook images, which capture only part of a broader spectrum of presentations.

Where Are the Biggest Gaps in Skin of Color Care?

Galadari divided the gaps into what clinicians see, measure, and study. Severity scores such as the Eczema Area and Severity Index, SCORing Atopic Dermatitis, and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index may underestimate disease when erythema is muted, so she suggested giving more weight to features like lichenification and scoring higher when warranted, citing a patient with severe atopic dermatitis whose redness was barely apparent.

On research, she said skin of color accounts for only about 20% of cases represented, with lower figures in cosmetic and surgical work, roughly 2% to 5% depending on region. She urged colleagues to share clinical photographs and called for national and international registries and cross-border collaboration, adding she would welcome sharing experiences with colleagues worldwide.

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis remain bread-and-butter conditions, but their presentations can differ. Atopic dermatitis may appear more perifollicular, lichenified, and papular, while psoriasis plaques may be thick yet harder to discern, with violaceous or gray hues. Galadari identified acral melanoma, mycosis fungoides presenting as hyperpigmented patches in children, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia as diagnoses not to miss, noting delays in acral melanoma carry severe consequences. She advised biopsy when lesions resist treatment, attention to symptoms like itching and burning, and regular use of the dermatoscope.

The most important mindset shift, in her view, is looking at the whole patient. Galadari described visual thinking strategies, an art-observation method recently used in a simulation study in which emergency and internal medicine clinicians offered distinct interpretations of the same image. She encouraged clinicians to ask about patients’ social context, symptoms, and progression, use light liberally, and measure, then return to the lesions to assess texture and the wider context.

Discussing practice in the UAE, Galadari noted Dubai’s population includes more than 207 nationalities, reinforcing the need for individualized care. Awareness, studies, and publications are growing, and she hopes regional research capacity will allow Middle Eastern patients to be represented as part of the mix rather than as an anomaly. She credited SOCS founder Susan Taylor, MD, for a platform where good intentions become standard practice, and voiced hope that representation could one day approach 50%.

To learn more about SOCS’s programs and initiatives, visit the 

Editor’s note: This summary was edited with the help of AI tools. Galadari highlighted no financial disclosures of note.

Podcasts

Alia Galadari, MD, discusses subtle erythema, commonly missed diagnoses, and research gaps to help clinicians recalibrate their approach to skin of color.

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.

podcasts page features a feed of medical news and interview podcast series, including DocTalk, Lungcast, Derm Discussions, and Heart Trials.

Hosted by Skin of Color Society and produced by HCPLive, 

 delves into the latest research, clinical insights, and culturally intelligent care practices in dermatology with leading experts. 

Whether it’s groundbreaking research, practice-changing insights, or highlights from the SOCS community, this twice-monthly program provides dermatologists and care providers with expert perspectives on treating patients with skin of color.

Adriana Marton, MD, of Klinikum Nürnberg in Germany and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore

Investigators will probe acid base metabolism and metabolomics to explain the blood pressure and potassium findings from DapaBalci-Leap.

What Drives Balcinrenone’s BP Effect? With Adriana Marton, MD

Balcinrenone lowered systolic BP by 14.1 mm Hg in stage 3 CKD, while combination therapy preserved dapagliflozin's glucosuric effect.

Balcinrenone Plus Dapagliflozin Lowers BP, With Adriana Marton, MD

Harrison Nguyen, MD, MBA, MPH, is a double board-certified dermatologist/Mohs micrographic surgeon and clinical researcher in Houston, Texas.

This Q&A interview segment with Harrison Nguyen, MD, MBA, MPH, highlights key points made during his 2026 Fall Clinical Dermatology meeting sessions.

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic Dermatitis condition center page, audiences can find a variety of coverage mediums for medical news and updates, including articles, video interviews, podcasts, and breaking news on dermatitis research, treatment, and drug development.

Q&A: Looking Beyond Body Surface Area in Atopic Dermatitis Treatment Selection

Quality of life in IgG4-related disease reflects disease activity, accumulated damage, and treatment burden. The panel explains why no single measure yet captures the full patient experience.

Video Series

Quality of Life in IgG4-RD: Disease, Damage, and Fear of Relapse

Eingun James Song, MD, is the director of clinical research for Frontier Dermatology. 

As therapies improve, complete clearance and meaningful quality-of-life gains are increasingly shaping expectations for psoriasis care.

Redefining Treatment Goals and Patient Expectations in PsO

No validated diagnostic criteria exist for IgG4-related disease. The panel explains how to use classification criteria wisely, when organ-specific tools help, and who should lead patient care.

Diagnosing IgG4-RD: Why Classification Criteria Are Not Diagnostic Criteria

Advances across topical, biologic, and oral therapies are expanding the possibilities for individualized systemic psoriasis care.

Evolving Treatment Options in PsO

Stay updated with the latest healthcare breakthroughs, including Otsuka’s sibeprenlimab 24-month eGFR data in IgA nephropathy.

Allergy

Allergy condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on allergic and inflammatory diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for food and seasonal allergies, as well as allergic asthma and related conditions.

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on digestive and GI conditions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for 

, IBS and IBD, Crohn's disease, and more.

Hepatology

The HCPFive: Top News for Healthcare Providers from the Week of 10/18

James Tumlin, MD, is the president of NephroNet, director of research at Georgia Nephrology, and a professor of medicine in nephrology at Emory University School of Medicine.

James Tumlin, MD, discusses RAINIER's proteinuria findings, dual APRIL/BAFF inhibition, safety, and the upcoming FDA decision.

42% on Povetacicept Reach KDIGO-Aligned UPCR Target in RAINIER

Abigail Brooks is a strategic content lead overseeing 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

In 1200 patients with solid tumors, creatinine-based eGFR identified CKD in 10.2% vs 18.9% by measured GFR, often missing chemotherapy dosing cutoffs.

Latest News

VA Dialysis Tied to Lower Mortality, With Virginia Wang, PhD, MSPH

AD109 Cuts AHI by 59.6% in Postmenopausal Women With OSA

Which LVO Stroke Patients Benefit from Edaravone Dexborneol Before EVT?

Inhaled Treprostinil Reduces Recurrent IPF Events, With Steven Nathan, MD

Skin of Color Savvy: Recalibrating the Clinical Lens in Skin of Color Dermatology