An international consensus group has developed recommendations for the use of nonanimal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA) fillers vs optimal balance technology (OBT/XpresHAn) fillers and combination therapy based on treatment goals, anatomical area of treatment, with consideration for skin thickness, bone structure, desired outcomes, and clinician experience and technique, thereby optimizing individualized treatment. The guidelines were published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. The consensus group comprised 14 members overall, including 11 voting key opinion leaders with expertise in ..read more

Oral dutasteride may be a potential treatment option for patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venerology. There are currently no treatments of choice for FFA, which is a rare primary lymphocytic cicatricial alopecia primarily affecting postmenopausal women. Dutasteride works by blocking 5-alpha reductase (5AR) types I and II isoenzymes. One treatment that has been used to treat FFA is finasteride; however, it only blocks 5AR type II isoenzymes. To evaluate the cli ..read more

While the diagnosis and treatment of lip inflammation in cheilitis can be complicated by its multiple etiologies and subtle differences in clinical manifestation, an algorithm to aid in its management has now been published in Dermatitis. In developing their cheilitis management algorithm, investigators from the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston conducted a summary review of the multiple types of lip inflammation in cheilitis and synthesized information about its epidemiology, histopathology, and clinical manifestations. Novel cases of cheilitis are presented and advances in c ..read more

HealthDay News — Deep-seated racial and ethnic disparities persist in health care across the United States, even in states considered the most progressive, a new report shows. For example, California received a score of 45 for the care its health system provides Hispanic Americans. The Commonwealth Fund report gives each state a 0-to-100 score for each population group living there. That’s better than Florida’s health system, which received a 37 for care provided to Hispanic Americans there. But it’s far worse than California’s treatment of white patients, which received a score of 87. The rep ..read more

HealthDay News — Primary care is the dominant source of care for Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), according to a research letter published online March 25 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Michael E. Johansen, M.D., from OhioHealth in Columbus, and colleagues sought to determine the amount of care for LE8 that is performed by primary care, given its role in access, screening, and prevention. The analysis included data from 68,062 participants (older than 17 years) in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2017 to 2019). The researchers found that rates of meeting the LE8 measures va ..read more

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn), a biosimilar to Stelara® (ustekinumab). Selarsdi is a human interleukin-12 and -23 antagonist indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and for active psoriatic arthritis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years and older. The approval was based on a totality of evidence, including data from a phase 3 study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04930042) that compared the efficacy and safety of Selarsdi to the reference product Stelara in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Res ..read more

Rising rates of antibiotic resistance, damage to the gastrointestinal microbiome, and increased risk of infection are just 3 reasons to avoid the long-term use of antibiotics for the treatment of acne. The current American Academy of Dermatology guidelines limit antibiotic use to 3 to 4 months in patients with moderate to severe acne. While dermatologists prescribe more oral antibiotics than clinicians in any other specialty, there is little evidence to guide the design and implementation of an antibiotic stewardship program in clinical practice, noted the authors in a study published in JAMA ..read more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released Impact WellbeingTM Guide: Taking Action to Improve Healthcare Worker Wellbeing, a 6-step actionable guide designed to address health care burnout in hospitals, according to a news release published by the CDC Newsroom. The CDC’s NIOSH released this guide in March 2024 as a complement to the Impact WellbeingTMCampaign, first launched in October 2023, with the aim of addressing health care worker burnout. Although role of health care workers is to care for the whole ..read more

NVX-CoV2373, a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, has high initial efficacy against pre-Delta and Delta strains of the virus and a durability profile similar to that of mRNA and vector-based vaccines, according to findings published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Researchers estimated placebo-controlled vaccine efficacy and durability of NVX-CoV2373 against pre-Delta and Delta strains among a cohort of healthy adults at increased risk for COVID-19 infection. Patients included in the analysis were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive 2 doses of either NVX-CoV2373 or placebo, with each dose administe ..read more

Secukinumab 300 mg and guselkumab 100 mg were the most efficacious treatments for palmoplantar psoriasis and palmoplantar pustulosis, respectively, according to study findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. Investigators conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of small-molecule inhibitors and biologics for the treatment of palmoplantar psoriasis vs palmoplantar pustulosis. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients achieving a clear or minimal palmoplantar psoriasis/pustulosis Physician Global Assessment (PPPGA 0/1 or ..read more