PULMONOLOGY

Structural inequities in medicine have been present for centuries in the United States. Still, they only recently are being recognized as contributors to racial inequality in asthma care and asthma outcomes. This study reviews structural factors such as racial bias in spirometry algorithms, the history of systemic racism in medicine, workforce/pipeline limitations to the presence of underrepresented minority healthcare providers, bias in research funding awards, and strategies to solve these problems.

Addressing Structural Inequities in Asthma Care: Impact of Racial Bias and Systemic Racism in Medicine

Shorter smell-loss duration may predict greater olfactory improvement with dupilumab in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Dupilumab Response in Nasal Polyps: Duration of Smell Loss

In patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), shorter olfactory loss duration was associated with greater smell improvement after 12 weeks of dupilumab. Patients with less than 10 years of smell loss gained 10.9 TDI points versus 4.5 points in those with longer loss, exceeding the clinically meaningful threshold. Steroid responsiveness may also help predict treatment outcomes.

Nasal pressure analysis showed moderate accuracy for detecting airflow obstruction, requiring further validation for COPD screening.

Nasal Pressure Analysis for Airflow Obstruction Detection in COPD

A novel nasal pressure analysis device showed moderate performance in detecting airflow obstruction compared with spirometry, the standard diagnostic test. In 192 participants, the device achieved 66% sensitivity, 63% specificity, and 64% accuracy. Although this non-invasive approach may support early COPD screening, further research is needed before its clinical utility can be established.

GYNAECOLOGY - IVF

Stopping aspirin at 24–28 weeks did not alter blood pressure or uterine artery blood flow trends in selected high-risk pregnancies.

Aspirin Discontinuation and Uterine Blood Flow in High-Risk Pregnancy

In high-risk pregnancies with a normal angiogenic profile, discontinuing aspirin at 24–28 weeks did not significantly affect maternal mean arterial pressure or uterine artery pulsatility index trajectories compared with continued treatment. Findings from a post hoc analysis of the 936-participant StopPRE trial suggest aspirin’s beneficial effects on uteroplacental perfusion may occur earlier in pregnancy. Further interpretation should consider the study population and analysis design.

Recurrent binge eating was associated with twice the prevalence of postpartum depression among women with prior gestational diabetes.

Binge Eating and Postpartum Depression in Women With Prior GDM

A study of 699 women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) found that 38.9% experienced recurrent binge eating and 26.3% had postpartum depression (PPD). Nearly half had at least one condition, while 15.9% experienced both. Women reporting recurrent binge eating had 2.17 times the prevalence of PPD, highlighting the importance of recognizing co-occurring eating and mental health concerns after childbirth.

FAMILY HEALTH

The VOLGA trial found improved survival with perioperative durvalumab and enfortumab vedotin in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Durvalumab Plus Enfortumab Vedotin Improves Bladder Cancer Survival

The phase 3 VOLGA trial found that perioperative durvalumab plus neoadjuvant enfortumab vedotin improved 24-month event-free survival to 63.5%, versus 45.1% with surgery alone, in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who were ineligible for or declined cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Overall survival also improved significantly with this combination. Adding tremelimumab improved event-free survival versus surgery alone, but increased the incidence of severe adverse events.

DERMATOLOGY

A review explores diet and acne, highlighting potential food associations, limited intervention evidence, and practical dietary advice.

Diet and Acne: Evidence on Foods That May Affect Skin Health

A review examines the potential links between diet and acne, including high-glycaemic-load foods, dairy, whey protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vegan and Mediterranean diets. Although observational studies suggest dietary associations, controlled evidence remains limited. Dermatologists can encourage balanced nutrition and healthy body weight while avoiding restrictive diets, with larger intervention trials needed to establish specific dietary recommendations.

A meta-analysis found no significant overall reduction in psoriatic arthritis risk with biologics, despite promising subgroup findings.

Biologics and Psoriatic Arthritis Risk in Patients With Psoriasis

A meta-analysis of 18 studies found no significant overall reduction in incident psoriatic arthritis (PsA) among patients with psoriasis receiving biologic therapies compared with non-biologic treatments. However, subgroup analyses suggested lower observed risks with certain biologic classes, including IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors, in some comparisons. These findings remain hypothesis-generating and require confirmation through prospective studies and randomized trials.

A network meta-analysis ranks ixekizumab and brodalumab highly for scalp psoriasis clearance, with comparative safety findings.

Best Biologics for Scalp Psoriasis: Network Meta-Analysis Findings

A network meta-analysis of 16 randomized controlled trials involving 10,266 patients found that all evaluated biologics and small molecules improved scalp psoriasis versus placebo. Ixekizumab every two weeks and brodalumab ranked highest for short-term scalp clearance, while guselkumab showed a favourable balance of efficacy, safety and tolerability. Serious adverse event risks were not significantly increased, although apremilast was associated with higher treatment discontinuation due to adverse events.

Nearly 94% of epidermal necrolysis survivors experienced long-term complications, highlighting the need for multidisciplinary follow-up.

Long-Term Sequelae After Stevens–Johnson Syndrome and TEN

A study of 129 survivors of epidermal necrolysis, including Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), found that 93.8% experienced long-term complications. Skin (76%) and ocular (71.3%) sequelae were most common, while 29.4% had severe psychological sequelae. Nearly half of previously employed patients did not return to work, highlighting the need for personalized, multidisciplinary long-term follow-up.

Hospital-acquired DRESS and greater disease severity were independently associated with ICU admission in hospitalized patients.

DRESS Syndrome: Factors Predicting ICU Admission and Mortality

A multicentre study of 207 hospitalized patients with Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) found that 17% required intensive care, with mortality reaching 20% among ICU patients. Hospital-acquired DRESS was associated with over fivefold higher odds of ICU admission, while severe disease was associated with 12.5-fold higher odds compared with mild forms. Early risk stratification may help guide monitoring and management.

DENTISTRY

A systematic review of 65 squamous odontogenic tumor lesions found generally favorable outcomes, with conservative surgery commonly used and recurrence uncommon.

Squamous Odontogenic Tumors: Clinical Features and Prognosis

A systematic review of 65 squamous odontogenic tumor (SOT) lesions, including 59 intraosseous and 6 peripheral cases, evaluated their clinical, radiographic, and histopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes. Intraosseous lesions occurred across a wide age range, with a slight male predominance, and were commonly solitary. Most were treated conservatively, particularly through surgical excision, with recurrence reported in a minority of intraosseous cases. Peripheral lesions showed a benign course without recurrence. Overall, SOT demonstrated a favorable prognosis, highlighting the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate surgical management.

A systematic review suggests that oral bacteriophages may influence periodontal dysbiosis, bacterial virulence, and biofilm behavior, although a causal role in periodontitis remains unproven.

Oral Phageome and Periodontitis: Emerging Research Insights

A systematic review of 17 studies involving 623 patients examined the role of bacteriophages in periodontitis. Clinical studies suggested that lytic bacteriophages were more abundant and active in periodontal disease, whereas temperate phages appeared more prevalent in periodontal health. Ex vivo studies showed that bacteriophages could influence periodontal bacteria, bacterial virulence, biofilm behavior, and horizontal gene transfer. However, current evidence does not establish a causal relationship between bacteriophages and periodontitis. Further longitudinal and multi-omics research is needed to clarify their role in periodontal disease.

A network meta-analysis suggests that melatonin, resveratrol, green tea, and curcumin may improve selected periodontal outcomes when added to conventional therapy, although evidence certainty remains limited.

Antioxidant Supplements for Periodontitis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A network meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials involving 810 patients evaluated seven antioxidants as adjuncts to conventional periodontal therapy. Melatonin showed potential benefits in reducing probing depth and improving clinical attachment, while green tea and resveratrol may reduce probing depth and curcumin may improve clinical attachment. No significant improvements were observed in plaque or gingival indices. However, some evidence was of low or very low certainty, highlighting the need for further high-quality trials.

A review of 21 studies suggests that spirituality may support quality of life, coping, and psychological well-being in patients with head and neck cancer.

Spirituality and Quality of Life in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

A review of 21 studies examined the role of spirituality in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Key dimensions included meaning in life, inner peace, religious faith, and a positive outlook. Several studies associated spirituality with improved quality of life, better coping, and greater emotional resilience. Religious faith was also linked to better pain management and lower existential distress in some studies. The findings support considering spiritual care as part of holistic oncology practice, although the reported associations do not establish causation.

A systematic review found an 88.54% success rate for fluorescence-guided surgery in treated MRONJ lesions, suggesting potential benefits for surgical management.

Fluorescence-Guided Surgery for MRONJ: Systematic Review Findings

A systematic review of nine studies involving 285 patients evaluated fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Among 314 treated lesions, 285 achieved complete healing, resulting in an overall success rate of 88.54% over a mean follow-up of 13 months. Techniques included autofluorescence, tetracycline-induced fluorescence, and indocyanine green near-infrared imaging. FGS appears promising for identifying surgical resection margins, although further high-quality evidence is needed.

Structural Inequities in ...

Structural Inequities in Medicine that Contribute to Racial Inequities in Asthma Care