A research letter published in JAAD examined the link between the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and hair loss, focusing on androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and telogen effluvium (TE). Of the 283 patients on a GLP-1RA who presented to a dermatology clinic, 35 experienced hair loss. Further analysis showed no significant association between specific GLP-1RAs and AGA. The odds ratio for semaglutide (6.97), however, suggested a possible trend toward increased hair loss. Most findings were non-significant for TE, with tirzepatide suggesting potential contribution.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: Antihypertensive agents and eczema — New data for older patients
Most older patients with eczematous dermatoses (atopic dermatitis, nummular eczema, stasis dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, etc.) will respond to standard therapies such as emollients and topical steroids. Other maneuvers specific to the variant of eczema, such as compression for stasis dermatitis or antifungal shampoos for seborrheic dermatitis, are adjunctive therapies. When routine approaches are inadequate, astute clinicians look carefully at the patient’s medication list to determine if any are potential causes. Antihypertensive agents are often considered as culprits. What are the data supporting this hypothesis? Keep reading!
Combined oral contraceptives may be beneficial for HS
According to results published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, the use of combined estrogen-progesterone oral contraceptives (COC) as monotherapy or combination treatments may result in improved outcomes in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
[Experts discuss the benefits of personalized treatment plans for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. Read more.]
A total of 183 white women were included. They were divided into two groups: 70 patients used COC before HS onset and 113 had never used COC. Patients who used COCs had a significantly increased mean age of HS onset versus those who did not use COCs (27.92 vs. 18.11 years, respectively). Both patient groups had no statistically significant differences in disease severity.
Probiotic supplementation with doxycycline for moderate acne
A study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology investigated the effects of probiotics in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Eighty patients with moderate acne were divided into two groups of 40. All patients received the same topical treatment, which consisted of a daily antibacterial face wash and adapalene gel every other night. The control group received one capsule of doxycycline (100 mg) daily, whereas the intervention group received one probiotic capsule daily in addition to doxycycline.
The acne grading system indicated that both groups showed improvement. However, analyses revealed that outcomes were significantly better in the doxycycline plus probiotics group for the forehead, chin, and nose. The authors concluded that treatment with probiotics significantly reduced the severity of lesions compared to the control group.
The ethics of paper mills and payment for authorship
For residents, the importance of having publications on one’s resume has soared, authors of a JAAD commentary noted. Preying on these students are companies enticing them with dubious research opportunities.
“Some pay-to-publish practices include ‘ghost-writing,’ where a party writes the manuscript without proper acknowledgement; ‘bribing,’ which ensures publication regardless of the work’s merit and is often associated with an illegitimate peer-review process; and ‘resume padding,’ where individuals publish in dubious journals, or ‘paper mills’ with either fraudulent or minimal research contributions to boost their resume.” This flawed research has the potential to reach the bedside and impact diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes, the authors noted.
Learn more about how paper mills sully the integrity of research inDermWorld.
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