Treatment modalities for lymphocytic and neutrophilic scarring alopecia.

Primary cicatricial alopecia can result in permanent hair loss from the destruction of hair follicles. Early intervention is key in controlling disease progression, reducing symptoms, and optimizing hair density. Treatment modalities range from topical and intralesional therapies to oral medications and light therapy.

The COMET study: Examining the effects of COVID-19-related perceived stress on Los Angeles Mothers' dysregulated eating behaviors, child feeding practices, and body mass index.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions and mandates have had pronounced implications on the well-being of individuals. This study conducted exploratory analyses of the relationship between COVID-19-related life changes and COVID-19-related perceived stress and associations between COVID-19-related perceived stress and dysregulated maternal eating behaviors, child feeding practices, and body mass index (BMI) in Los Angeles mothers. Mothers (Mage = 37.6 ± 6.9) of children aged 5-11 (N = 197, response rate 92.5%) completed an online questionnaire assessing COVID-19-related life changes, COVID-19-related perceived stress, mechanisms used to cope with COVID-19, child feeding practices, their own eating behavior, demographics, and height and weight. The highest proportion of participants reported changes to work, disruptions due to childcare challenges, and increased home responsibilities. Higher COVID-19-related perceived stress was experienced by those who reported loss of work hours (29%), loss of job (15.2%), reduced ability to afford childcare (18.8%), and reduced ability to afford rent/mortgage (19.8%) (ps < 0.05) than those who did not. The most common strategy that mothers indicated using to cope with COVID-19 related stress was eating comfort foods (e.g., candy and chips) (58.7%). COVID-19-related perceived stress was positively associated with mother's BMI and emotional eating (ps < 0.05). Rewarding their child's eating and behavior with food were both positively associated with the number of COVID-19 related life changes (ps < 0.05). This study yields new knowledge of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mothers' dysregulated eating behaviors and child feeding practices. The results highlight the importance of conducting further research to confirm these findings and understand the nature of associations between COVID-19-related perceived stress and health. This is crucial in order to explore ways in which lasting impacts of the pandemic on mental and physical health can be prevented.

Association Between Atopic Dermatitis, Anxiety, and Symptoms of Panic Among United States Adults in the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic inflammatory dermatologic condition that can cause discomfort and thus negatively influence the mental health of patients. Research directly exploring the relationship between AD, anxiety, and symptoms of panic in a large United States (US) adult population is limited. We studied the relationship between AD and anxiety versus panic in US adults aged 20 to 39 years. The association between AD and anxiety was significant, but not between AD and panic. This association between AD and anxiety was significantly increased in adults aged 30 to 39 years and female adults. Our study may demonstrate that a focus on the wellbeing of patients might be helpful in clinical practice. Further longitudinal studies can help to elucidate these relationships.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Janus Kinase Inhibitor Alopecia Areata Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes non-scarring alopecia. A few studies have shown increased odds of AA in Black individuals compared to White individuals and increased odds of AA in Latinos compared to non-Latinos. Another study showed that Asians have lower odds of AA compared to Whites. Baricitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi), became the first Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication for adult patients with severe AA in June 2022. Objectives: The aim of this review was to analyze published JAKi AA randomized controlled trials to characterize and assess the racial and ethnic representation of participants. Animal studies, studies unrelated to AA, and studies not investigating JAKis were excluded. Methods: PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for systematic reviews of clinical trials between 1990 and 2022. Results: Six clinical trials were included with a total of 1,690 subjects. Four trials were industry-sponsored, while two were university-sponsored. The three largest races represented included White (59.9%), Asian (28.0%), and African American/Black (8.1%). Three out of the 10 patients identified as Hispanic. None of the trials included sub-analyses of clinical efficacy based on race and/or ethnicity. Conclusions: Our results show that populations with lower odds of AA (Whites and Asians) are overrepresented in JAKi AA clinical trials compared to Black and Hispanic/Latino patients.

Androgenetic Alopecia: Therapy Update.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also known as male pattern hair loss (MPHL) or female pattern hair loss (FPHL), is the most common form of alopecia worldwide, and arises from an excessive response to androgens. AGA presents itself in a characteristic distribution unique to both sexes. Despite its prevalence, AGA can be quite challenging to treat. The condition is chronic in nature and stems from an interplay of genetic and environmental factors. There are only two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for the condition: topical minoxidil and oral finasteride. However, numerous non-FDA-approved treatments have been shown to be effective in treating AGA in various studies. Some of these treatments are relatively new and still to be explored, thus emphasizing the need for an updated review of the literature. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the evaluation of AGA and the mechanisms of action, costs, efficacies, and safety profiles of existing, alternative, and upcoming therapeutics for this widespread condition.

Anthropometrics by Three-Dimensional Photonic Scanner in Patients with Obesity Before and After Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND: We studied body composition by three-dimensional photonic scanning (3DPS) and metabolic biomarkers in a large ethnically diverse cohort of individuals with severe obesity before and after weight loss by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or adjustable gastric banding (AGB) surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male and female participants (n = 95) underwent 3DPS testing in the weeks preceding bariatric surgery (baseline), and 1 year after either RYGB (n = 34) or AGB (n = 9). RESULTS: Principal component analysis showed that A1C and HDL cholesterol clustered with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Both RYGB and AGB surgeries led to similar improvements in A1C and lipids after 1 year. RYGB led to greater decreases in body weight, and in most anthropometric measures, compared with AGB at 1 year. However, after accounting for weight loss differences, RYGB and AGB groups did not differ in regional decreases in circumferences or volumes; the exception was a greater reduction in lean mass in RYGB compared with AGB. CONCLUSION: Distribution of weight loss, assessed by 3DPS, did not differ between RYGB and AGB, but surgery type predicted change in lean mass at 1 year.