Daily Archives: February 6, 2017

Genome Sequencing in Less than an Hour – Anti Aging News

Posted: February 6, 2017 at 2:48 pm

Posted on Feb. 1, 2017, 6 a.m. in Diagnostics Genetics in Disease

New sequencing machine will reportedly have the capability of sequencing an entire genome for less than $100, rather than the $1,000 it currently costs.

Illumina, a sequencing company, has debuted remarkable new machines, the NovaSeq 5000 and NovaSeq 6000, that one day will sequence an entire genome for thecost of under $100 and in fewer than 60 minutes as compared to the current one day. That $100 is only one-tenth the costthat was announced in 2014 by Illumina when it reached a milestone of a lower $1,000 per genome. Ten years ago, the costwas about $10 million.

When Illumina released their first machine in 2006, the cost was $300,000, but by last year, that price dropped to the above-stated $1,000. Previously, it had taken the Human Genome Project about $2.7 billion and 15 years to sequence the entire genome (minus only about one percent) from the DNA of a number ofvolunteers.

The human genome has an estimated 25,000 genes comprised of approximately three billion nucleotide base pairs. Affordable and quick sequencing will mean a revolution in the evaluation of human health and will enable far less costly and easier detection of rare diseases and link genetic variations with illness and health.

People are made up of extremely unique characteristics, so moving healthcare toward a more individualized approach will increase the knowledge and insight of known illnesses and allow for individually-tailored treatment options.

Although the NovaSeq does not yet have the capability of providing the stated inexpensive $100 sequencing, and the datagenerated in under an hour takes longer to beinterpreted, once this technology is adopted, the price will drop and the necessary time for the analysis of helpful data will decrease.

The projections are promising and exciting. The major advancement in this technology will have outstanding implications in research and also for the average person. The dramatic reduction in the cost will provide faster progress in clinical research for cancer and other genetically linked diseases.

Also, companies such as AncestryDNA and 23andMe that use sequencing machines, often ones from Illumina, cater to those people who want to learn more about their individual genomes.

The machine is currently owned by only six customers including the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Chan Zuckerberg BioHub, Human Longevity Inc. and Regeneron.

Illumina is regarded as the primary manufacturer of DNA sequencers with its market value of over $20 billion. It is also San Diego County's largest publicly-traded biotech company.

There is indeed a bright future for such next-generation sequencing devices.

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HMS 2017 Media Fellowships – Harvard Medical School (registration)

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Dear Journalist:

Harvard Medical Schools Media Fellowship program, now entering its 20th year, is accepting applications for its spring 2017 sessions. The fellowships bring together top health and science journalists and preeminent researchers and physician-scientists for a weeklong educational immersion on the HMS campus in Boston. The 2017 topics are:

How computation, math and big data are transforming basic discovery, diagnoses, clinical therapies and population health.

While scientists uncover the molecular aberrations that fuel cell atrophy and cell demise, evolutionary biologists ponder the limits of human longevity and frontline clinicians develop new therapies to stave off the degeneration and frailty of aging.

About the Media Fellowships During each weeklong session, media fellows spend time on the HMS campus and in our affiliated hospitals and institutes to gain a deeper understanding of the spectrum of research and state of the science in a particular area.

Reporters meet with a range of experts on a given topic, including basic scientists, translational investigators and practicing clinicians. Although reporters attend as a group, we try to work with each fellow to tailor the experience to individual interests within the broader theme. We will choose three fellows for each thematic track.

HMS will pay for participants lodging, meals and ground transportation, but fellows must cover their own travel costs to and from the Boston area.

These fellowships are offered as educational opportunities on a background basis. Over the past 19 years, HMS has hosted more than 100 reporters from print, online and broadcast news outlets. Reporters spend unsupervised time with faculty, researchers and physician-scientists from affiliated hospitals and various experts from other Harvard schools and institutes. Fellows often cultivate lasting relationships with scientists and generate a wealth of story ideas.

2017 Topics

Medicine by the Numbers April 24-28

Computation, information technology and the unprecedented amounts of data spewed out every second are transforming our lives. The massive amounts of data generated in research, medicine and other fields are also transforming our understanding of basic biomedical processes, our clinical decision making, diagnostic and treatment decisions and approaches to population health.

The marriage of previously disparate fields such as physics, computation, bioinformatics and information technology with medicine and biomedical science has generated novel ways to gauge risk, predict drug behavior and understand disease.

New data are flowing in from the genome, the proteome, the microbiome. This informationanalyzed and contextualized properlycan reframe the way we view basic biologic processes. It casts new light on how proteins network with each other in disease and health and it allows us to predict how drugs interact for therapeutic synergy or toxicity.

Computational and statistical analysis of genomic data also sharpens researchers ability to diagnose a person with an exceedingly rare disease or gauge an individuals risk of developing a common one. Neuroscientists are using data and algorithms to unravel how neurons in the brain communicate with one another. Cancer biologists use computation, biostatistics and bioinformatics to unravel the myriad complex links between the presence of genes and subsequent disease development. These are only some of the examples that illustrate the way bio-computation and information technology are starting to disrupt how we study the human body, how we think about science and how we practice medicine.

The Quest for Immortality: Rethinking an age-old question

May 15-19

Youth, aging, death and the quest for eternal life have been central themes in philosophy, literature, science and art since the dawn of humanity.

As scientists uncover the molecular aberrations that fuel cell atrophy and cell death, evolutionary biologists are pondering the limits of human longevity and frontline clinicians are developing new therapies to add more healthy years to peoples lives and stave off the degeneration and frailty that come with aging.

Today, we are closer than ever to developing treatments that halt the subtlest molecular shifts that can spark cellular degradation, loss of function and cell deaththe basis of degenerative diseases and aging. But are we any closer to stopping aging in its tracks or even reversing it?

According to scientists, slowing down the process of degeneration is an achievable goal, yet what are the proven strategies that frontline clinicians can use to slow down the march of aging? What does science tell us about the effects of diet, exercise and lifestyle on longevity? How far away are we from exercise in a pill that can halt DNA damage and boost cell repair?

On a societal scale, the graying of the population represents one of modern medicines greatest successes and one of its gravest challenges. With age, the risk for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, bone loss and frailty rises precipitously. Researchers are trying to understand just why and how living longer precipitates changes that lead to aging and degeneration.

Caring for the old and frail can take a great economic toll on the health care system and a severe financial and personal toll on individual families who care for their aging relatives. How are health care policy experts and health care economists dealing with these challenges? How can we reconcile our desire for longer life with the need to remain healthy and independent longer?

According to some healthcare experts, the focus of our research and clinical efforts should be not so much to prolong life at all costs but to compress of morbidity. In other words, the focus should be on adding healthier, more independent and more productive years to ones life, rather than merely extending life.

These are just some of the questions, topics and themes that scientists and clinicians will explore with reporters during the five-day immersion. Journalists will also meet with scientists who can address the various micro- and macro-dimensions of aging, including basic researchers, frontline clinicians, geneticists, neurologists, geriatricians, public health experts, health care policy experts and bioethicists.

Application Process

By midnight on March 1, 2017, please email Ekaterina_pesheva@hms.harvard.edu the following:

In addition, please state that you have license from your editor, or usual freelance clients, to cover the topic broadly at some point in the future.

You are not obligated to cover Harvards work in the area, just the field as a whole.

We look forward to hearing from you or from someone you think would benefit from this experience.

Please contact me with any questions at ekaterina_pesheva@hms.harvard.edu or 617-432-0441.

Sincerely,

Ekaterina Pesheva

Director, Science Communications and Media Relations

Harvard Medical School

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7 cheap moisturizers can prevent eczema in babies – Knowridge Science Report

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It may be possible to prevent babies from getting eczemaa costly, inflammatory skin disorderjust by applying something as inexpensive as petroleum jelly every day for the first six months of life.

A new study published inJAMA Pediatricsshows that seven common moisturizers could inexpensively prevent eczema in high-risk newborns.

By using the cheapest moisturizer in the study (petroleum jelly), the cost benefit for prophylactic moisturization was only $353 per quality-adjusted life yeara generic measure of disease burden that assesses the monetary value of medical interventions in ones life.

Eczema affects as many as 20 percent of children and costs the US healthcare system as much as $3.8 billion dollars every year.

Previous studies have shown that families caring for a child with the skin disorder can spend as much as 35 percent of their discretionary incomean average of $274 per month.

Its not only terrible for the kids, but also for their families, says Steve Xu, a resident physician in dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Eczema can be devastating.

Beyond the intractable itch, a higher risk of infections, and sleep problems, a child with eczema means missed time from school, missed time from work for parents, and huge out-of-pocket expenses. So if we can prevent that with a cheap moisturizer, we should be doing it.

Early studies from Japan, the US and the UK have suggested that full-body application of moisturizers for six to eight months, beginning within the first few weeks of life, can reduce the risk that eczema will develop.

The new study took that one step further and examined the cost-effectiveness of seven common, over-the-counter moisturizer products, such as petroleum jelly, Aquaphor, Cetaphil, and Aveeno.

Theres an important economic argument to be made here, Xu says. Moisturizers are an important intervention dermatologists use to treat eczema.

They play a big role in getting our patients better. But insurers do not usually cover the cost of moisturizers. Were arguing for their inclusion in health insurance coverage.

While the evidence on prophylactic moisturization is preliminary, Xu says, Were not giving them an oral drug or injecting them with a medication; there is minimal risk.

Were putting Vaseline on these babies to potentially prevent a very devastating disease.

Follow Knowridge Science Report onFacebook.

News source:Northwestern University. The content is edited for length and style purposes. Figure legend: This Knowridge.com image is for illustrative purposes only.

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‘Steroid phobia’ worsening child eczema – NEWS.com.au

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Australian children are unnecessarily suffering from prolonged flare-ups of eczema because of "unfounded" concerns about steroid creams, say dermatologists.

Topical corticosteroids (TSC) remain the mainstay treatment for the chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that affects about 30 per cent of Australian and New Zealand children.

However fears and "misinformation" about their possible side effects is "undermining" the advice given by dermatologists to parents with eczema.

Long-term use of topical corticosteroids can lead to skin thinning but if used correctly this can be avoided, says the Australian College of Dermatologists.

'Steroid phobia' needs to stop, says Professor Chris Baker, president of the ACD.

A position statement on the use of corticosteroids, released by the college on Monday, calls for the re-education of health professionals and the community on the "excellent safety record" of these topical medical creams.

"Unfounded concerns about their adverse effects has resulted in 'steroid phobia' and an underutilisation of TSC, leading to unnecessary exacerbations of eczema for children," the statement says.

The recommendation to 'use sparingly' is "nonsensical" and has no value.

"There is no requirement to use sparingly. It is recommended that an ample volume of cream is applied to sufficiently cover the entire affected area," the statement adds.

It's estimated severe eczema costs over $6000 per child per year in direct medical costs, hospital and treatment costs, as well as time off work for caregivers and untold distress for the family unit.

Then there is the unseen impacts on a child.

"Although eczema in itself is not a life-threatening disease, it can certainly have a debilitating effect on a sufferer," said Cheryl Talent, President of the Eczema Association of Australasia.

"Night-time itching can cause sleepless nights and eczema 'flare-ups' can often lead to absenteeism from school. Using moisturiser to prevent the skin from cracking or itching can offer relief, but the most effective treatment for eczema is topical steroids," she said.

"Of course, it is important to seek professional medical advice before using any medication," Ms Talent added.

KEY ADVICE FROM DERMATOLOGISTS

* Apply 1-2 times a day as per the product directions

* Do not use sparingly. Ensure ample volume of cream is applied to sufficiently cover affected area.

* Diluting a strong steroid cream with moisturiser does not reduce its clinical effect.

* There is little difference in clinical effect between 0.5, 1 and 2% hydrocortisone.

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Regeneron, Sanofi Could Appease LDL-Frustrated Buyers On Eczema Drug – Investor’s Business Daily

Posted: at 2:48 pm

Regeneron could still get an on-time OK for an eczema drug, despite a recent legal loss to Amgen. (Regeneron)

Though Regeneron (REGN) and Sanofi's (SNY) LDL-buster lost in a patent battle with Amgen (AMGN), the duo could appease investors with an on-time approval of extreme eczema drug dupilumab, says RBC analyst Adnan Butt.

Butt expects dupilumab to beat expectations and turn momentum positive. The latter is particularly important after a U.S. District Court judge on Jan. 6 sided with Amgen in a patent battle pitting Amgen's Repatha against Praluent. In her decision, the judge banned Regeneron and Sanofi's Praluent.

Regeneron stock toppled 6% that day, and Sanofi shares dipped 3%. Since then, Regeneron shares have fallen an additional 3%. Praluent is slated to be pulled from shelves Feb. 21 if a federal circuit judge doesn't grant a stay on the injunction pending the appeal.

Analysts have already largely removed Praluent from their expectations for Regeneron, Butt wrote in a research report Monday. Fortunately for Regeneron and Sanofi, an on-time approval for dupilumab to treat extreme atopic dermatitis looks likely, he says.

"The FDA deemed the Sanofi facility 'acceptable' and Regeneron has a backup third-party facility it can use if it needs to," he wrote in a research report. "We forecast sales of $123 million while consensus for 2017 is $177 million to 196 million."

IBD'S TAKE: Analysts are largely cautious on biotechs entering Q4 earnings season. But Incyte is grabbing bullish views on its slew of potential blockbuster drugs. Get more on The New America.

Butt kept his outperform rating and 598 price target on Regeneron stock. In the stock market today, though, Regeneron stock slipped 0.58% to 344.50, and Sanofi edged upa fraction to 40.

Regeneron's pipeline "has delivered more than disappointed," Butt said.

Besides dupilumab,he's bullish on Eylea, an injection for wet macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion. There, Regeneron faces competition from Novartis (NVS).

On its Q4 earnings conference call with analysts last week, Novartis noted Phase 3 data for its wet AMD drug, RTH258, is due in Q2.Novartis is seemingly aiming at fewer objections, Adnan wrote. But "Eylea sets a high bar," he added.

"What would be worth watching is if RTH258 dries patients who remain nonresponsive to Eylea, similar to how Eylea gained share over Lucentis and Avastin," he wrote.

This month, Regeneron preannounced $858 million in Q4 Eylea sales. Sequentially, growth has slowed over the past two quarters, but the consensus still sees year-over-year growth of 12% in 2017. A guide of 10% in 2017 could be well-received, Butt wrote.

RELATED:

Regeneron, Sanofi Claim Amgen's LDL-Buster Patent Too Broad

Odds Are Against Regeneron, Sanofi In Amgen Patent Battle: Leerink

Regeneron, Sanofi Hammered After Judge Bans Amgen-Rivaling LDL-Buster

The Medicines Company outperformed Amgen stock early Friday, rocketing after No. 1 biotech Amgen said LDL-buster Repatha curbs cardiac events. (Kris Tripplaar/Sipa USA/Newscom)

2/03/2017 The Medicines Company outperformed Amgen stock early Friday, rocketing after Amgen said Repatha curbs cardiac events.

2/03/2017 The Medicines Company outperformed Amgen stock early Friday, rocketing after...

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Daily Vaseline use could be cost-effective way to prevent eczema – The Pharmaceutical Journal

Posted: at 2:48 pm

Source: Shutterstock.com

Daily moisturisation with Vaseline is a cost-effective way to stop eczema developing in high-risk infants, say researchers

Recent attention has turned to ways to prevent atopic dermatitis, which is associated with significant expenditure as well as comorbidities, from developing in children.

One study indicated that daily full-body application of moisturisers in high-risk infants results in a 50% reduction in the relative risk of the disease. Based on these data, researchers calculated the cost-effectiveness of seven different types of moisturiser when used daily in infants for six months.

They found that petroleum jelly (Vaseline) was the most affordable, at US$7.30 (6.00) for six months use, equating to a cost of $353 (290) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sunflower oil was the second most cost-effective treatment.

Reporting in JAMA Pediatrics[1] (online, 5 December 2016), the researchers say that given that treating a child with atopic dermatitis can cost several thousand dollars per year, prophylactic moisturisation could be an attractive and cost-effective option.

Citation: Clinical Pharmacist, Vol 9, No 2, online | DOI: 10.1211/CP.2017.20202256

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Skin Drier Than Ever? 6 Easy Ways to Fix It Now – PEOPLE.com

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Getty Images/Canopy

In the United States alone, nearly 31.6 million people suffer from eczema which is defined as inflamed, rough blisters on the skin that cause severe itchiness (and anyone can get) at some point in their lives. And troublesome dry, itchy skin doesnt discriminate. Kim Kardashian West has publicly documented her struggle with psoriasis (another type of itchy red patches on the skin) and Brad Pitt reportedly borrowed cream from Cate Blanchettfor eczema that broke out when the two filmedThe Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

And now as were in the heart of winter, this skin problems in its prime. In the winter time there is less water in the air, which makes it easier for skin to lose its moisture, N.Y.C.celebrity dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelmantold PeopleStyle. If you are prone to eczema, you are more likely to see flare ups with the weather change.

While factors like genetics and allergic histories play a role in who experiences eczema the most, it ultimately comes down to luck of the draw, according to N.Y.C. dermatologist Dr. Neil Sadick. And this time of year can be especially triggering for the condition after all, even those who dont have it tend to experience drier-than-ever, often super-itchy skin. We got the low down straight from top skincare experts in the field about how to keep your skin hydrated and stay comfortable this season.

1. Avoid Irritating Ingredients

Stay away from products with powerful ingredients like retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids and Vitamin C when youre having a flare-up, Sadick recommends.

RELATED PHOTOS:The Best Hand Creams to Nourish Your Dry Skin This Winter

Avoid harsh soaps with fragrances too, Engelman adds. Plus, glycolic acid and salicylic acid dry out the skin and irritate it more. Store any anti-aging products with those ingredients for the time being, and pull them out in the summer months when your dry skins more manageable. Instead, opt for gentle, oil-based products for maximum hydration, minus the irritation.

Buy It!Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil, $46; sephora.com, Eucerin Eczema Relief Skin Protectant Creme, $7.50; amazon.com and S.W. Basics Body Scrub, $20.99; target.com

2. Layer Your Products

Engelman likes to apply multiple moisturizers to the body to thoroughly hydrate the skin during the colder months. Instead of applying one thick, heavy cream, layer products to provide multiple barriers. Start with the lightest product and finish with the thickest, she said. Engelman says she likes to apply a body oil in the shower, then immediately layer on a rich lotion formula as soon as she gets out.Try out the same regimen for dry skin on the face, too.

3. Rotate Your Lotions

If youre loyal to one lotion, your skins likely to become tolerant to its benefits. Use one two or three times a week and another two or three times a week, Sadick said. Every other day rotation is good.

Buy It!Embryolisse Lait-Crme Concentr (24-Hour Miracle Cream), $16;birchbox.com, June Jacobs Rapid Repair Healing Cream, $46.50; amazon.com and Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion, $6.49; target.com

4. Carry a Toner in Your Purse

N.Y.C. aesthetician Mzia Shiman, who works with celebrities like Ashley Graham and Bella Hadid, tells all of her clients suffering with eczema to use rose-infused skincare products thanks to its calming benefits. Get a soft toner with rose and put it in a little spray bottle to carry with you during the day, she said. Once you feel dehydrated after the gym or anywhere just spray it on your face. But check the ingredient list closely: Make sure it has no alcohol in it! Shiman warns. Eczema doesnt like anything that has alcohol.

Buy It!Fresh Rose Floral Toner, $40; nordstrom.com, Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Body Polish, $36;birchbox.comand Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense, $65; sephora.com

5. Take Cooler Showers

Stop with the hot showers! Engelman warns. I know they can be tempting, but hot water can strip the natural oils from your skin, leaving it more dry and vulnerable. Alternating between extreme temperatures puts more stress on the first layer of skin, leaving it more dry. Steel yourself for a lukewarm shower and keep it short the payoff for your skin will be worth it.

6. Know When To See a Professional

These tips above work great for milder cases of eczema, but if your skin still feels unbearably itchy, you bleed from scratching or experience large blisters from dryness, its best to see a doctor. Sadick says professionals can prescribe steroid creams to alleviate the itch, and Shiman specializes in facials for those suffering from severe eczema.

Have you ever suffered from eczema or extremely dry and itchy skin? What works for you? Share your tips below!

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Maintain a healthy diet to restrict psoriasis | Health | bismarcktribune … – Bismarck Tribune

Posted: at 2:47 pm

Dear Doctor: I've had psoriasis for close to seven years, and lately it has been flaring up more often. Is there anything I can do with my diet to control this, or even prevent it from happening?

Dear Reader: That's a good question. Thanks to the growing body of research detailing the link between inflammation and chronic disease, there are some equally intriguing answers. To explore it further, let's start with what psoriasis is.

When you have psoriasis, your immune system has gone a bit haywire. It's sending faulty danger signals that cause skin cells to grow at 10 times their normal rate. That's much faster than your body can process and shed them, and the result is raised and itchy patches of red skin, often covered with silvery scales. Typically, these appear on the knees, elbows and scalp, but they may also be present on the palms of the hands, on the soles of the feet and along the torso.

Although there is a complex genetic component to psoriasis, environmental factors are also at play. Stress, infection, certain medications, smoking and alcohol use have all been shown to be potential triggers for flare-ups.

The results of that research make it increasingly clear that inflammation is a factor in many chronic and degenerative diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and many cancers. Since inflammation plays a significant role in psoriasis, a lot of attention is now being paid to your question of whether diet may affect the disease.

Because of the way psoriasis behaves, drawing conclusions can be difficult. Flare-ups are followed by periods of dormancy, which give way again to subsequent flare-ups. Since the nature of the disease is to fluctuate, connecting the dots between a specific dietary or behavioral change, and the absence or presence of flare-ups, is a challenge.

Still, scientists are beginning to find answers. In studies of psoriasis patients whose diets included fish oil supplements to add omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, a measurable number of participants reported fewer and less severe flare-ups. When they stopped following that diet, those benefits waned.

Gluten sensitivity may also play a role. In a study of individuals with antibodies to gliadin, one of the proteins that are present in wheat, following a gluten-free diet lessened psoriasis symptoms. When gluten was reintroduced to the diet, flare-ups became more frequent.

If you're interested in modifying your own diet, the National Psoriasis Foundation offers some guidelines. Foods to add to your diet include leafy green vegetables and colorful fruits such as spinach, kale, broccoli, squash and blueberries. Foods that are a natural source of omega-3 fatty oils are also on the list. They include cold-water fish, olive oil, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

The foundation recommends that people with psoriasis avoid processed foods, refined sugar and fatty red meat. Research shows that maintaining a healthy weight is important as well.

The idea is that when you have an inflammatory disease, steering clear of foods with inflammatory effects can help. Whatever the outcome, the result is a more healthful diet.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095.

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Ask the Doctors: Psoriasis flare-up precautions – Elmira Star-Gazette

Posted: at 2:47 pm

Eve Glazier, M.D., and Elizabeth Ko, M.D. 9:56 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2017

Elizabeth Ko, MD, left, and Eve Glazier, MD 161101(Photo: Reed Hutchinson, Credit Photo: Reed Hutchinson/UC)

Dear Doctor:

I've had psoriasis for close to seven years, and lately it has been flaring up more often. Is there anything I can do with my diet to control this, or even prevent it from happening?

Answer:That's a good question. Thanks to the growing body of research detailing the link between inflammation and chronic disease, there are some equally intriguing answers.

To explore it further, let's start with what psoriasis is. When you have psoriasis, your immune system has gone a bit haywire. It's sending faulty danger signals that cause skin cells to grow at 10 times their normal rate.

That's much faster than your body can process and shed them, and the result is raised and itchy patches of red skin, often covered with silvery scales.

Typically, these appear on the knees, elbows and scalp, but may also be present on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and along the torso. Although there is a complex genetic component to psoriasis, environmental factors are also at play. Stress, infection, certain medications, smoking and alcohol use have all been shown to be potential triggers for flare-ups.

The results of that research we mentioned make it increasingly clear that inflammation is a factor in many chronic and degenerative diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and many cancers.

Since inflammation plays a significant role in psoriasis, a lot of attention is now being paid to your question of whether diet may affect the disease. Due to the way psoriasis behaves, drawing conclusions can be difficult.

Flare-ups are followed by periods of dormancy, which give way again to subsequent flare-ups. Since the nature of the disease is to fluctuate, connecting the dots between a specific dietary or behavioral change, and the absence or presence of flare-ups, is a challenge.

Still, scientists are beginning to find answers. In studies of psoriasis patients whose diets included fish oil supplements to add omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, a measurable number of participants reported fewer and less severe flare-ups.

When they stopped following the diet, the benefits also waned. Gluten sensitivity may also play a role. In a study of individuals with antibodies to gliadin, one of the proteins that are present in wheat, following a gluten-free diet lessened psoriasis symptoms.

When gluten was reintroduced to the diet, flare-ups became more frequent. If you're interested in modifying your own diet, the National Psoriasis Foundation offers some guidelines. Foods to add to your diet include leafy green vegetables and colorful fruits such as spinach, kale, broccoli, squash and blueberries. Foods that are a natural source of omega-3 fatty oils are also on the list.

They include cold-water fish, olive oil, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. The foundation recommends that people with psoriasis avoid processed foods, refined sugar and fatty red meat. Research shows that maintaining a healthy weight is important as well.

The idea is that when you have an inflammatory disease, steering clear of foods with inflammatory effects can help. Whatever the outcome, the result is a more healthful diet.

Eve Glazier, M.D., MBA, is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and primary care physician at UCLA Health. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu,

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Psoriasis treatments insufficient for one in five patients, study finds – Yahoo News

Posted: at 2:47 pm

Treatments were found to be effective in one in five patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes red, raised, scaly patches on the skin. It cannot be cured, but treatments exist to relieve the symptoms. However, according to a new study from researchers in Sweden, these treatments are only effective for 20% of psoriasis patients.

A wide range of treatments is currently available for relieving the symptoms of psoriasis. This chronic condition usually arises in patients with a genetic predisposition and tends to come and go in flare-up episodes. It leads to an accelerated renewal of the skin, causing lesions in the form of red patches with white scales which can be itchy. It can also be a cause of social isolation.

Current treatment options are tailored to the disease's severity and can take the form of pills taken orally, injections or infusions. However, research from Sweden's Umea University and the Swedish Institute for Health Economics has found that these are only effective for one in five patients suffering from moderate to severe psoriasis.

The study, published in The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, is based on PsoReg, the Swedish quality register for systemic treatment of psoriasis. Some 2,646 patients receiving treatment for at least three months were included in the study. The disease's level of severity was assessed by doctors and/or patients, evaluating the impact of the disease on their quality of life.

Over the last decade, the treatment options for psoriasis have advanced and new treatments have become available for moderate to severe forms of the disease, often relying on biologic agents. These can improve the overall look of skin and are generally better tolerated, with fewer side effects.

The researchers found that 18% of patients undergoing systemic treatment continued to experience extensive psoriasis lesions or suffered impairment of their skin-related quality of life. Most of these patients were younger. They were also more often suffering from psoriasis arthritis and were more often smokers.

This result is "concerning," according to the study's authors. They suggest that patients with moderate to severe psoriasis using conventional systemic treatments should consider biologics. Patients already receiving biologics should envisage new therapeutic strategies. The scientists also recommend supporting patients in improving certain lifestyle factors.

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Psoriasis treatments insufficient for one in five patients, study finds - Yahoo News

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