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Category: Research
Seborrhoeic keratoses affect all racial groups and commonly appear after the age of 40. Approved topical treatments for the skin condition are an unmet need, so a study in the US evaluated the safety and efficacy of 40% hydrogen peroxide topical solution (HP40) versus vehicle for the treatment of seborrhoeic keratoses.
Continue reading “[5 min read] Hydrogen peroxide to treat seborrhoeic keratoses”
A recent study in the Netherlands was the first to look at long-term oral treatment for atopic dermatitis. It investigated long-term effectiveness, safety and drug survival of methotrexate and azathioprine.
Acne vulgaris affects around 85 per cent of Australians at some stage of their lives. Acne is an inflammatory skin condition that can cause significant damage to the skin, ranging from skin congestion to permanent scarring. It is a condition commonly seen in general practice and can greatly affect a patient’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. Continue reading “[8 min read] Treating acne in pregnancy”
Patients are always keen to try complementary approaches to their skin disorders, and it is useful for primary care practitioners to have some evidence-based advice for these patients. In fact, up to 51 per cent of patients with psoriasis report the use of complementary and alternative medicine in their treatment regimen, although it has hitherto been unclear which therapies are effective for treatment of psoriasis. Continue reading “[2 min read] Complementary and alternative medicine psoriasis”
At what rate is contact immunotherapy associated with satisfactory hair regrowth in patients with alopecia areata?
Contact immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutyl ester is a preferred treatment for severe alopecia areata; however, the defined criteria for therapeutic hair regrowth and regrowth rate have been highly heterogeneous across studies. An analysis aimed to summarise the clinical outcomes of contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata according to standardised criteria for therapeutic hair regrowth and several prognostic factors.
Included were clinical trials or observational studies that investigated contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata and sub-grouped the disease into patchy alopecia or alopecia totalis/universalis and reported their hair regrowth rates. Studies that investigated combination therapy or non-conventional protocol were excluded.
In the meta-analysis of 45 studies that included 2,227 patients, any hair regrowth was observed in 74.6%, minor regrowth in 64.9%, major regrowth in 56.1%, and complete regrowth in 42.6% of patients with patchy alopecia. Any regrowth was observed in 54.5%, minor regrowth in 45.0%, major regrowth in 28.7%, and complete regrowth in 24.9% of patients with alopecia totalis/universalis.
Various factors were associated with the clinical outcomes of contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata, with significant differences in hair regrowth rates according to the level of expected therapeutic regrowth. Researchers suggested that quantitative summarisation may improve patient education and lead to better therapeutic adherence and outcomes.
Source: Lee S, Kim BJ, Lee YB, Lee W. Hair Regrowth Outcomes of Contact Immunotherapy for Patients With Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(10):1145–1151. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.2312
Interested in General Dermatology?
The HealthCert Professional Diploma of General Dermatology will teach you how to manage all major dermatological conditions in primary care. The courses are university quality-assured, CPD-accredited and count towards multiple Master degree pathways and clinical attachment programs in Australia and overseas. The program is delivered online.
Courses in General Dermatology:
Trimester 1: Jan | Trimester 2: May | Trimester 3: Sep
The World Health Organisation reports that there is a strong relationship between diet and some major chronic diseases. Here are just five of the conditions general practitioners commonly see in primary care that can be better managed when patients receive effective medical nutrition support from their GP. Continue reading “[6 min read] 5 conditions better managed with nutrition care in general practice”
As a general practitioner, you are in an ideal position to talk with patients about weight management. Here is how you can address this sensitive topic in your day to day practice.
Why talk with your patients about their weight?
Around 63 per cent of Australian adults are obese. Excess weight puts people at risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, cancer, and a host of other chronic conditions. Research shows that even a modest weight loss of 5 per cent can be beneficial to a patient’s health. Continue reading “[8 min read] Talking to your patients about weight management”
Recently, there has been growing interest in the ketogenic diet. Do you have the knowledge to deal with the increasing number of patients asking whether the diet is safe and recommended for them?
Despite the recent hype, the ketogenic (or keto) diet has actually been used in medicine for almost 100 years to treat epilepsy, especially in children. It was popularised in the 1970s by Dr Robert Atkins’ very low carbohydrate diet for weight loss that began with a strict two-week ketogenic phase and, over the years, other fad diets have incorporated a similar approach for weight loss. Continue reading “[8 min read] Do your patients ask you about the keto diet?”
In scientific literature, what spin strategies do authors use to improve or skew the interpretation of their findings? Spin – reporting that distorts the interpretation of results – is not unusual within scientific literature. A study appraised the spin strategies employed in dermatologic literature – specifically among a collection of placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trials of topical treatments for photoaged skin.
Continue reading “[4 min read] Spin strategies used in reporting of dermatologic literature”
What are the genetic, clinical and environmental factors associated with persistent atopic dermatitis in childhood? Continue reading “[6 min read] Childhood atopic dermatitis: genetic, clinical and environmental factors”
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