Hospitalizations and transgender patients in the United States.

It is known that transgender people experience health inequalities. Disparities in hospital outcomes impacting transgender individuals have been inadequately explored. We conducted this retrospective cohort study using the National Inpatient Sample (01/2018-12/2019) to compare in-hospital mortality and utilization variables between cisgender and transgender individuals using regression analyses. Approximately two-thirds of hospitalizations for transgender patients (n = 10,245) were for psychiatric diagnoses. Compared to cisgender patients, there were no significant differences in adjusted means differences (aMD) in length of stay (LOS) (aMD = -0.29; p = .16) or total charges (aMD = -$486; p = .56). An additional 4870 transgender patients were admitted for medical diagnoses. Transgender and cisgender individuals had similar adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for in-hospital mortality (aOR = 0.96; p = .88) and total hospital charges (aMD = -$3118; p = .21). However, transgender individuals had longer LOS (aMD = +0.46 days; confidence interval [CI]: 0.15-0.90; p = .04). When comparing mortality and resource utilization between cisgender and transgender individuals, differences were negligible.

Cutaneous Findings and Systemic Associations in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

IMPORTANCE: Understanding of the associations among cutaneous findings, systemic abnormalities, and fulfillment of the diagnostic criteria in women suspected of having polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is incomplete. OBJECTIVE: To identify cutaneous and systemic features of PCOS that help distinguish women who do and do not meet the diagnostic criteria. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective cross-sectional study of a racially diverse referred sample of women seen at the University of California, San Francisco, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Multidisciplinary Clinic over a 6-year period between May 18, 2006, and October 25, 2012. Participants were 401 women referred for suspected PCOS. In total, 68.8% (276 of 401) met the Rotterdam PCOS diagnostic criteria, while 12.0% (48 of 401) did not. Overall, 11.5% (46 of 401) had insufficient data to render a diagnosis, 1.7% (7 of 401) were excluded from the study, and 6.0% (24 of 401) refused to participate in the study. EXPOSURE: Comprehensive skin examination and transvaginal ultrasonography. All patients were tested for levels of total testosterone, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS), androstenedione, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Levels of serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides were obtained, in addition to 0-hour and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, with measurement of glucose and insulin levels. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Findings from comprehensive skin examination, laboratory testing, and transvaginal ultrasonography. RESULTS: In total, 401 women with suspected PCOS were included in the study. The median patient age was 28 years. Compared with women who did not meet the diagnostic criteria for PCOS, women who met the criteria had higher rates of hirsutism (53.3% [144 of 270] vs 31.2% [15 of 48], P = .005) (with higher mean modified Ferriman-Gallwey scores of 8.6 vs 5.6, P = .001), acne (61.2% [164 of 268] vs 40.4% [19 of 47], P = .004), and acanthosis nigricans (AN) (36.9% [89 of 241] vs 20.0% [9 of 45], P = .03). Cutaneous distributions also varied. Women who met the PCOS criteria demonstrated more severe truncal hirsutism and higher rates of axillary AN. Women who met the PCOS criteria had elevated total testosterone levels (40.7% [105 of 258] vs 4.3% [2 of 47], P < .001). Among women with PCOS, the presence of hirsutism (43.9% [54 of 123] vs 30.9% [34 of 110], P = .04) or AN (53.3% [40 of 75] vs 27.0% [40 of 148], P < .001) was associated with higher rates of elevated free testosterone levels as well as several metabolic abnormalities, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and increased body mass index. Although the prevalence of acne was increased among women with PCOS, there were minimal differences in acne types and distribution between the women meeting vs not meeting the PCOS criteria. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Hirsutism and AN are the most reliable cutaneous markers of PCOS and require a comprehensive skin examination to diagnose. When present, hirsutism and AN should raise clinical concern that warrants further diagnostic evaluation for metabolic comorbidities that may lead to long-term complications. Acne and androgenic alopecia are prevalent but unreliable markers of biochemical hyperandrogenism among this population.

Difference in Survival between Housed and Homeless individuals with HIV, San Francisco, 2002-2011.

San Francisco (SF), a city with large HIV-infected and homeless populations, expanded supportive housing for HIV-infected people in 2007. We used the SF HIV/AIDS registry to compare survival between people who were homeless and who were housed at time of HIV diagnosis from 2002 through 2011. Housing status was obtained from medical records and deaths from local, state, and national vital registration. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. Ten percent of the 5,474 cases were homeless. Among people diagnosed between 2002 and 2006, the five-year survival was worse for people who were homeless at HIV diagnosis than for housed individuals (79% vs. 92%, p<.0001), but not for those diagnosed between 2007 and 2011 (92% vs. 93%, p=.3938). The improved survival among HIV-infected homeless people occurred during the time of increased supportive housing for this population. Our findings support including housing as an essential component of HIV care.

Participation of women and sex analyses in late-phase clinical trials of new molecular entity drugs and biologics approved by the FDA in 2007-2009.

BACKGROUND: Biological sex differences may contribute to differential treatment outcomes for therapeutic products. This study tracks women's participation in late-phase clinical trials (LPCTs), where efficacy and safety of drugs and biologics are evaluated, of new molecular entity (NME) drugs and biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007-2009. Furthermore, presentations of sex-based analyses were assessed from the FDA reviews. METHODS: New drug applications (NDAs) and biologics license applications (BLAs) were accessed from the U.S. FDA database and evaluated for women's participation in LPCTs. Sex-based analyses for efficacy and safety contained in FDA reviews were surveyed. Ratios for women's LPCT participation (PROPORTION OF STUDY SUBJECTS) to their proportion in the disease population were calculated for each approved therapeutic product and grouped into therapeutic categories. RESULTS: Sex-specific (n=5) and pediatric (n=3) drug applications were excluded. Women's participation in LPCTs was 39%, 48%, and 42% in NDAs (n=50) and 49%, 62%, and 58% in BLAs (n=11) for 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively. Sixty-four percent of NDAs and 91% of BLAs had participation to proportion ratios of ≥0.80. Seventy-four percent of NDA reviews and 64% of BLA reviews included safety and efficacy sex analysis. Ninety-six percent of NDA reviews and 100% of BLA reviews included efficacy sex analysis. CONCLUSION: Women's participation in LPCTs averaged 43% for NDAs and 57% for BLAs in 2007-2009 and varied widely by indication. As a comparison, the 2001 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported 52% of women's participation for drug clinical trials in1998-2000 and an FDA study reported 45% for BLAs approved from 1995 to 1999. This study showed that sex-analysis of both safety and efficacy in NDA has increased to 74% since the GAO report of 72%, while those for BLAs increased to 64% from 37% reported for therapeutic biologics approved in 1995-1999. Knowledge of disease prevalence and participation in clinical trials provides an understanding of recruitment and retention patterns of patients in these trials.

Cutis Verticis Gyrata in Men Affected by HIV-Related Lipodystrophy.

We report the occurrence of cutis verticis gyrata (CVG), a disfiguring dermatological condition, in four patients with HIV-related lipodystrophy (HIVLD). These four patients had abnormal metabolic and hormonal lab values which we compare with metabolic and hormonal perturbations cited in previous HIVLD cohorts. In addition, we describe the sole use of poly-L-lactic acid as a potential treatment for decreasing the appearance of CVG-associated ridges.