Future Directions in the Management Atopic Dermatitis in Adult Patients

Video content above in prompted by the following:

Please provide your final thoughts on the future of atopic dermatitis treatments.

Panelists discuss how the future of atopic dermatitis treatments is evolving with novel biologics, Janus kinase inhibitors, and precision medicine targeting immune pathways. Advances in gene therapy, microbiome modulation, and personalized treatments offer promising long-term management options.

Brad P. Glick, DO, MPH

Brian Schroer, MD, is an allergist-immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital.

In this video, part 1 of a 5-part series, panelists discuss on recent advancements in pediatric food allergy and anaphylaxis management.

RX Review: Advances in Pediatric Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management

, Brian Schroer, MD, moderates a discussion with Colleen Kraft, MD, and Russell Traister, MD, on recent advancements in pediatric food allergy and anaphylaxis management.

Traister highlights omalizumab’s (Xolair) approval for food allergy, noting its potential for patients with multiple allergens. He also discusses the introduction of intranasal epinephrine, which offers an alternative to injectable auto-injectors. Recent data from the omalizumab trials suggest long-term tolerance benefits even after stopping treatment.

Kraft emphasizes the shift in primary care toward early introduction of allergenic foods at four to six months of age to prevent allergies. She also notes the growing role of oral immunotherapy (OIT) and non-injectable epinephrine in improving patient adherence.

Schroer underscores the movement toward personalized management, with allergists now assessing individual food tolerance thresholds. These innovations mark a shift from the traditional avoidance-only approach to a more tailored strategy that includes immune modulation and improved emergency treatment options.

 is an allergist immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. Board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, and allergy and immunology, Schroer serves as the moderator for this panel discussion.

 is a clinical professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In addition to these roles, Kraft is also the former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 is a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist at Allegheny Health Network’s Pediatric Institute. Board-certified in allergy, immunology, and internal medicine, Traister serves as the third panelist for our discussion.

Relevant disclosures for Schroer include Genzyme, AstraZeneca, Amgen, GSK, and Sobi. Relevant disclosures for Kraft include Sanofi and Sobi. Relevant disclosures for Traister  include Abbvie.

Brian Schroer, MD

Experts conclude this series highlighting what is on the horizon of retinal disease care. 

Perspectives on the Future of Retinal Disease Management

In this final segment, the participants share their excitement for the future of retina care this year and beyond. Across the panel, experts express enthusiasm for the constant evolution of therapies, techniques, and technologies in the field of retina. They touch on the ongoing trials and current research, acknowledging the challenges and complexities of developing new drugs but remains optimistic about potential breakthroughs. Experts circle back to gene therapy, emphasizing the potential for game-changing developments once challenges like inflammation are addressed. The physicians across the panel are excited at the prospect of higher durability agents to continue improving patient quality of life.

This summary was AI-generated and edited for clarity.

David Brown, MD

Jim, I want to close by discussing how patients are discharged, which is usually outside your purview. I don’t anticipate you discharge many of these patients, but I want to talk about the admission fully. If a patient who is admitted with HE [hepatic encephalopathy] is nearing discharge, some things that are important to keep in mind are how we can strategize for them to get appropriate, follow-up, treatment, and hopefully not end up back in the emergency department [ED] within a month or so. At my institution [Weill Cornell Medical College], we try and educate the patient about the disease. It’s not necessarily straightforward for them to understand why their brain is affected by cirrhosis and how that has a lot to do with bacteria in their intestines. The medications lactulose and rifaximin help prevent that, but we try to discuss the basics of the pathophysiology of hepatic encephalopathy, how ammonia plays a role in having adequate bowel movements, and how taking this antibiotic can help prevent them from ending up back in the hospital.

We prescribe them the medications they need. Rifaximin often requires prior authorization, so we want to make those prescriptions clear in terms, saying that the indication is overt hepatic encephalopathy and they were hospitalized with it. If they’re intolerant of lactulose or if they failed lactulose, it’s important to include the right ICD-10 [International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision] code. We try to start that process early so that they don’t run into a lapse in medications. That brings up a question for you. Do you see patients whose major reason for coming in is that they didn’t have access to medication?

 That’s a challenge for a lot of patients, particularly those living on their own. Perhaps they don’t have a strong support network. Maybe they did have a strong support network, but recurrent HE sometimes exhausts family members and leaves patients on their own. It’s a challenge if they can’t get support, don’t know how to get it, or won’t get it. The No. 1 thing we can do is provide good follow-up for these patients.

I imagine you have a great case manager network at your facility. We have it at our facility too, although I don’t discharge most of these patients. On the backside, when hospitalists discharge them, we have case managers calling these patients to make sure they’re getting their medication and to see how they’re doing. Those 2 open-ended questions—are you getting your medications? How are things going?—are helpful to minimize progression for relapse.

In the emergency department, the most important thing we can do to help with this continuity of understanding of HE and ongoing treatment is to diagnose HE. Rather than admitting the patient with a diagnosis of a generic altered mental status, which doesn’t help much, try to refine it: yes, they did have a GI [gastrointestinal] bleed plus or minus SBP [spontaneous bacterial peritonitis], but also mention hepatic encephalopathy explicitly because that will help them then get the medication as an inpatient but also as an outpatient.

Such important points. I completely agree with the case-management aspect. We can prevent a significant subset of admissions by someone just calling them and picking up on early encephalopathy that can be managed at home. For example, sometimes patients need to take a little extra lactulose. That could avoid an emergency department visit or an admission that can be costly in a number of ways: outcome, days in the hospital, dollars spent. Sometimes they need a sooner follow-up appointment than what’s been scheduled for them. If someone is checking in the first few days and they recognize that, that can potentially be a way of keeping them out of the hospital. Thank you for bringing that up and the importance of attaching that diagnosis to their hospitalization, even though they might have several diagnoses. These patients are medically complex, but in terms of access to medications, having that HE diagnosis—both in the hospitalization and potentially on the prescription—is important.

We learned this decades ago with congestive heart failure as it proliferated: when we have close follow-up with case management, we can minimize any recurrence of ED visits or hospitalizations and access to medications. That’s key. No. 1 you have to make the diagnosis, and No. 2, you have to take your medication to treat it.

Exactly. If we can do that reliably or achieve that on behalf of our patients, we’ll be taking much better care of them and preventing a lot of admissions, or at least the preventable ones.

 Thank you for this rich and informative discussion. Before we conclude, I’d like to get final thoughts from you. Dr Williams, is there anything you want to add?

It’s been a pleasure having this conversation with you and our colleagues. Thank you for the opportunity. My final thought is that in the emergency department, when you have complex patients with altered mental status, you have to at least consider hepatic encephalopathy, as not just the sole diagnosis but often a joint diagnosis. You have to treat both aggressively and start early just as you would any other patient in the emergency department. Remember, it’s not a unifying diagnosis of a singular diagnosis of sepsis. We typically have to treat sepsis and HE aggressively. Even if it’s subtle, if it’s not over. With HE, which is easy to diagnose, you want to start treatment early and don’t want to depend on your serum ammonia level. It’s a clinical diagnosis.

 I like that as a closing thought: don’t depend on your serum ammonia level. Thank you. To our viewing audience, we hope you found this 

 to be useful and informative. If you enjoyed the content, please subscribe to our e-newsletters to receive upcoming 

Drs Arun Jesudian and James William discuss approaches for proper discharge planning and transition of care and how this can reduce readmission for patients with hepatic encephalopathy.

Discharge Planning and Transition of Care in HE

James Williams, MS, DO, FACEP

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

Skin of Color Savvy: HS Management in Skin of Color, with Tiffany Mayo, MD, Steven Daveluy, MD, Jasmine Ivanna Espy

, host Tiffany Mayo, MD, leads a dynamic conversation on hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in patients with diverse skin types, joined by dermatologist Steven Daveluy, MD, and patient advocate Jasmine Ivanna Espy.

Together, they offer a unique triangulation of perspectives—clinician, researcher, and lived experience—that frames HS not only as a medical challenge but also a public health, quality-of-life, and equity issue.

The conversation begins with Daveluy highlighting key diagnostic challenges of HS in patients with skin of color. Notably, studies show a prolonged diagnostic delay—seven to ten years on average—that is even longer in patients with skin of color. Contributing factors include clinical misrecognition due to erythema presenting differently in richly pigmented skin, leading to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. Daveluy also discusses disparities in disease severity and access to dermatologic care, underscoring that while HS itself is not more severe in patients of color biologically, delayed diagnosis and limited access to early interventions result in more advanced disease at presentation.

The discussion transitions to treatment considerations, particularly the use of laser hair removal in HS management. Daveluy explains that laser treatments are safe and effective for patients with darker skin types when used appropriately. He emphasizes that clinicians should not be deterred from using lasers for HS in skin of color, as patients often prioritize relief from pain and inflammation over potential dyspigmentation. Mayo reinforces this by noting that many providers already have the necessary tools—they simply need confidence and patient-centered guidance on how to apply them effectively.

Turning to the patient journey, Jasmine Ivanna Espy shares her powerful personal experience with HS, which began at age 13 but had not been accurately diagnosed until high school. She describes years of being misdiagnosed, experiencing physical pain and emotional isolation, and having to navigate a system that failed to validate her symptoms. Espy details the intense psychosocial toll of the disease, from clothing restrictions and social stigma to clinical depression and suicidal ideation.

Despite this, her story is one of transformation: through surgery, lifestyle changes, and community support, she ultimately achieved remission and founded a nonprofit—the Association of Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Inflammatory Diseases (AHSID)—to support others with similar experiences.

As the episode progresses, Daveluy and Espy discuss recent advances in treatment, including the growing arsenal of FDA-approved biologics and evolving surgical strategies like wide excision. Daveluy notes a shift in dermatologists’ willingness to treat HS now that more tools exist, while Espy underscores how having treatment options has empowered patients to make informed decisions rather than act out of desperation. Both stress the importance of combination therapy and in-office procedures like deroofing to manage chronic tunnels and flare-ups.

The episode closes with a call to action on building trust and centering the patient voice. Espy urges clinicians to approach patients with humility, curiosity, and respect—asking what matters most to them, acknowledging cultural and emotional factors, and fostering shared decision-making. Daveluy echoes this, encouraging dermatologists to either become that steadfast provider who does not give up on patients or develop trusted referral pathways to those who can.

Ultimately, the conversation affirms that HS care is about more than controlling lesions—it is about restoring dignity, reducing disparities, and empowering patients with both clinical and emotional support.

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

Editor’s note: This episode summary was edited through the use of artificial intelligence tools.

This episode of the SOCS podcast features an in-depth discussion between Tiffany Mayo, MD, Steven Daveluy, MD, and patient advocate Jasmine Ivanna Espy.


Jasmine Ivanna Espy

Jay Shubrook, DO, is a professor of the Primary Care Department at Touro University California.

Diabetes Dialogue: Addressing America's Shortage of Diabetes Care Providers, with Jay Shubrook, DO, & Conan Tu, MD

85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA 2025)

, hosts Diana Isaacs, PharmD, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, welcome Jay Shubrook, DO, and Conan Tu, MD, to explore the mission and momentum of the 

The conversation centers on addressing the national shortage of diabetes specialists. Shubrook, a primary care diabetologist and founding figure in diabetology training, details the evolution of fellowship programs dating back to 2004, with the current infrastructure supporting 11 programs and plans for further expansion. Tu, an internist from New York, shares his personal journey into diabetology, emphasizing the increasing demand for diabetes-focused care in primary settings and the transformative impact of timely, expert-level interventions.

The guests outline how the American College of Diabetology is building a standardized, certified workforce through board certification, with an emphasis on team-based care. The College is also actively expanding to include pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals in its educational and certification efforts, helping to equip interdisciplinary teams to manage diabetes more effectively.

Additional discussion highlights include the importance of continuity of care—particularly during the transition from pediatric to adult diabetes services—the integration of cardiometabolic risk management, and the critical need for scalable models of care. The speakers advocate for diabetologists to serve not only as direct providers but as in-house experts, mentors, and system-level educators capable of elevating care across large networks.



Learn more about the American College of Diabetology.

Relevant disclosures for Isaacs include Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Abbott Diabetes Care, Dexcom, Medtronic, and others. Relevant disclosures for Bellini include Abbott Diabetes Care, MannKind, Sanofi, and others. Relevant dislcures for Tu include AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Company, and Optum. Relevant disclosures for Shubrook include Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eli Lilly and Company, and Novo Nordisk.

Explore the urgent need for diabetes specialists and the American College of Diabetology's efforts to enhance care through education and certification.

Jay Shubrook, DO, FACOFP, FAAFP, BC-ADM,

Orly Vardeny, PharmD, MS is a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota. 

Orly Vardeny, PharmD: Finerenone for Heart Failure with EF >40% in FINEARTS-HF

22nd Annual World Congress Insulin Resistance Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC)

, Orly Vardeny, PharmD, a professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, discussed findings from the FINEARTS-HF trial, focusing on the efficacy and safety of finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), in patients with 

heart failure (HF) with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction

The trial enrolled patients with symptomatic HF, elevated natriuretic peptide levels, and structural heart disease. Finerenone reduced the risk of cardiovascular death and total worsening HF events compared to placebo. Vardeny indicated the drug’s pharmacologic properties, including kidney-protective effects and a lower propensity for hyperkalemia compared to steroidal MRAs, marking it as a promising treatment option. Despite a twofold increase in hyperkalemia (potassium levels ≥5.5 mmol/L) incidence (14% vs. 7% with placebo), Vardeny noted severe hyperkalemia events were rare, and finerenone also mitigated the risk of hypokalemia, a known driver of arrhythmic events.

Dr. Vardeny emphasized that FINEARTS-HF provided evidence supporting the use of finerenone in patients with HF and preserved EF, addressing a critical unmet need alongside treatment with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. The trial also demonstrated improvements in patient-reported functional status, measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. However, Vardeny highlighted the challenge of translating trial findings into clinical practice, citing the historically slow adoption of novel therapies in the HF community. She added that future research, including real-world evidence, could further validate these findings and enhance widespread implementation to improve outcomes for this patient population.

Relevant disclosures for Vardeny include Cardior, Bayer, Moderna, and Cardurion.

Vardeny O. FINEARTS-HF - Finerenone in Heart Failure with EF > 40%. Presented at the 22nd Annual World Congress Insulin Resistance Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease (WCIRDC). Los Angeles, California. December 12-14, 2024.

Orly Vardeny, PharmD, MS explores the efficacy of nonsteroidal MRAs in heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction in the FINE-ARTS trial.

Orly Vardeny, PharmD, MS: Finerenone for Heart Failure with EF >40% in FINEARTS-HF

Orly Vardeny, PharmD, MS

Counting down the biggest news from major medical meetings, it's the HCPLive Five!

HCPLive Five at Heart in Diabetes 2025

 is a medical conference bringing together world-renowned clinical leaders in 

. Designed to evaluate state-of-the-art clinical data and research while focusing on the management of the heart and 

 in diabetes, the meeting’s goal is to align cardiologists, endocrinologists, diabetologists, 

, nephrologists, and all other interested clinicians in their understanding and development of appropriate comprehensive clinical management plans for high-risk patients.

’s on-site coverage, the editorial team conducted expert interviews and reported on timely topics across implementation science, cardiometabolic health, combination therapy, and more. In this edition of the HCPLive Five, the team highlights key conversations on barriers to evidence-based cardiometabolic care, recognizing 

 as a chronic disease, data on cardiovascular disease trends, the CONFIDENCE trial of combined finerenone plus empagliflozin in patients with both 

 and type 2 diabetes, and data accessibility issues in an era of unprecedented technological innovation.

Improving Evidence-Based Cardiometabolic Care, with Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH

While innovation in cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic care often centers around emerging therapies, the underuse of established, evidence-based treatments in clinical practice remains a major and under-discussed challenge. In this interview with 

 at HiD, Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine and cardiovascular disease prevention specialist at Duke University School of Medicine, reviews different barriers to implementing guideline-directed medical therapy as well as facilitators and potential avenues for improvement moving forward.

Classifying Obesity as a Chronic Disease with W. Timothy Garvey, MD

Given the limitations surrounding BMI measurement of obesity, a recent Lancet Commission aimed to better define obesity as a condition of illness that comes as a direct result of excess adiposity and its effect on the function of tissues and organs. In this interview with 

 at HiD, Timothy Garvey, MD, breaks down some of the key points from the paper and how they will influence the treatment of obesity and its complications moving forward.

Moving the Needle on Cardiovascular Disease, with Seth Martin, MD, MHS

Despite decades of progress and innovation in cardiovascular care, recent data from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggest that the momentum has stalled—and in some cases, reversed. At HiD, Seth Martin, MD, MHS, a professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and co-founder at Corrie Health, offered a data-driven overview of the current state of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the United States and globally, based on the AHA’s 2024 statistical update. In this interview with 

, he reviews key trends and calls for urgent action to improve implementation of prevention and treatment strategies at scale.

Don’t Miss a Beat: CONFIDENCE Trial and Combination T2D, CKD Therapy at Heart in Diabetes 2025

, hosts Muthiah Vaduganathan, MD, MPH, a cardiologist and codirector of the Center for Cardiometabolic Implementation Science at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Steve Greene, MD, an advanced heart failure specialist at Duke University School of Medicine, review key findings and clinical implications of the CONFIDENCE trial. The data, which were also presented at the 

62nd European Renal Association (ERA 2025) Congress

 in Vienna, Austria, suggest the potential benefits of combination initial therapy with finerenone plus empagliflozin in patients with both CKD and type 2 diabetes.

Confronting Cardiology's Data Accessibility Problem, with Robert Califf, MD

, Robert Califf, MD, an instructor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, provided his perspective on the ongoing difficulties in implementation of digital technologies and preventative measures for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. He points to shortcomings of the cardiology field and the medical industry at large in adapting technological advances to practical, clinical usability, citing the high number of new programs and mechanisms for tracking individual risk factors and their failure to collate this data meaningfully for patients.

These 5 represent only some of the data the 

 team covered at this year's meeting! Check out more KOL insight and our full conference coverage on our 

From barriers to implementing evidence-based care to innovations in combination therapy, here are 5 key updates from the annual meeting.

Robert Califf, MD

Using Biomarkers to Monitor ATTR-CM

Summary for Physicians: Long-Term Monitoring in ATTR-CM and Biomarkers Used

 (transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy) involves regular clinical assessments, imaging studies, and biomarker evaluations to track disease progression and manage complications. Key aspects of monitoring include:

Regular assessment of cardiac symptoms such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and functional status

Monitoring for signs of organ involvement beyond the heart, as ATTR-CM can affect other organs, such as the liver and nervous system

 to assess left ventricular function and wall thickness

 to evaluate myocardial involvement and amyloid deposits

 to detect amyloid deposition in the heart

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP):

 A marker for heart failure, often elevated in ATTR-CM

 Can indicate myocardial injury or stress, which may be elevated in patients with ATTR-CM

 Helpful in distinguishing ATTR-CM from other forms of amyloidosis, such as light chain amyloidosis

 Can be elevated in systemic inflammation associated with amyloidosis

TTR genetic testing and serum TTR concentration

 may help to confirm the diagnosis and assess familial risk.

, including exercise tolerance and quality of life (using tools such as the 6-minute walk test and patient-reported outcome measures).

Monitoring these biomarkers, alongside clinical and imaging evaluations, helps physicians track the progression of ATTR-CM, adjust therapies, and intervene early in cases of disease progression or complications. Regular follow-up is essential for optimizing management and improving patient outcomes.

Panelists discuss how long-term monitoring in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) involves regular clinical assessments, imaging studies, and biomarker evaluations—such as NT-proBNP, troponin, and TTR testing—to track disease progression, manage complications, and optimize patient outcomes.

Sharmila Dorbala, MD, MPH, MASNC

Wei Zhang, MD, PhD, is a transplant hepatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

Preventing Alcohol Relapse After Liver Transplant, with Wei Zhang, MD, PhD

 presents a persistent challenge in liver transplantation for patients with 

, with relapse remaining a significant risk even after a successful procedure.

Despite the complexity of managing post-transplant alcohol use—compounded by psychiatric comorbidities, social instability, and stigma—innovative care models are emerging to address these gaps, one of which was presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025 by Wei Zhang, MD, PhD, a transplant hepatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

In December 2022, he and a group of colleagues from Massachussetts General Hospital established the Long-term Individualized Follow-up after Transplant (LIFT) Clinic, a multidisciplinary program involving a hepatologist, a psychiatrist, a social worker, and a case manager to assist in the prevention and management of alcohol relapse in high-risk liver transplant recipients.

Of 41 pts with <2 years’ sobriety at time of liver transplant referred for relapse prevention, 17 (41.5%) attended the clinic, with the initial visit at a mean 8.4 months post-transplant. The clinic connected patients with medications for alcohol use disorder and helped to engage patients in behavioral addiction services. Of note, none of the 17 high-risk patients who attended the clinic for prevention had alcohol relapse during the study follow up period.

“We try to prevent them from relapsing, because once they relapse, they lose some of the incentives after transplant because they already got a transplant,” Zhang explained to 

. “Even if they have relapsed, if we're able to earn their trust, they will be able to get engaged in the care. Obviously we want them to stay stay sober, but sometimes they struggle with this, so we aim to address how they can reduce their drinking, instead of completely stopping.”

Of 38 post-tranaplant patients referred after initial relapse, 21 (55.3%) attended, with the first visit at mean 39 months post-transplant. Medications for alcohol use disorder were started post-relapse in more than 70% of patients, and more than half were connected to behavioral services. While 8 patients continued to drink alcohol, 5 had sustained sobriety >6 months and 8 meaningfully reduced alcohol use.

Loking ahead, Zhang points to the importance of being mindful of relapse in patients considered to be low risk, citing a scenario he encountered with a patient who was sober for 5 years but experienced a severe relapse. Now, the LIFT Clinic has expanded to include all patients who have alcohol as a contributing factor to their liver disease.

“If we find that they have very low risk, we could see them in a longer interval, but if we find any high risk factors in those patients, we start to follow them very closely,” he explained. “I think with this approach, we will provide even better care for those patients, regardless of their risk of relapse.”

Editors’ note: Zhang reports no relevant disclosures.

Rice B, Ivkovic A, Hsu K, et al. EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY CLINIC TO PREVENT ALCOHOL RELAPSE IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANT FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED LIVER DISEASE. Abstract presented at Digestive Disease Week 2025 in San Diego, CA, from May 3 - May 6, 2025.

Zhang describes the importance of multidisciplinary care for preventing alcohol relapse post-transplant, citing success from Mass General’s LIFT Clinic.

Authors