Current and Emerging Therapies for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction in Hypertriglyceridemia.

Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a prevalent medical condition in patients with cardiometabolic risk factors and is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), if left undiagnosed and undertreated. Current guidelines identify HTG as a risk-enhancing factor and, as a result, recommend clinical evaluation and lifestyle-based interventions to address potential secondary causes of elevated triglyceride (TG) levels. For individuals with mild to moderate HTG at risk of ASCVD, statin therapy alone or in combination with other lipid-lowering medications known to decrease ASCVD risk are guideline-endorsed. In addition to lifestyle modifications, patients with severe HTG at risk of acute pancreatitis may benefit from fibrates, mixed formulation omega-3 fatty acids, and niacin; however, evidence does not support their use for ASCVD risk reduction in the contemporary statin era. Novel therapeutics including those that target apoC-III and ANGPTL3 have shown to be safe, well-tolerated, and effective for lowering TG levels. Given the growing burden of cardiometabolic disease and risk factors, public health and health policy strategies are urgently needed to enhance access to effective pharmacotherapies, affordable and nutritious food options, and timely health care services.

CT, MRI and PET/CT features of abdominal manifestations of cutaneous melanoma: a review of current concepts in the era of tumor-specific therapies.

Abdominal manifestations in patients with cutaneous melanoma include involvement due to metastatic spread and immune checkpoint inhibitor induced adverse events. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical overview of abdominal manifestations in patients with cutaneous melanoma and highlight the current imaging challenges in the era of tumor-specific therapies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors represent a treatment with demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of advanced cutaneous melanoma but are associated with several abdominal adverse events that must be recognized. CT has a role in the identification of colitis, enteritis and pancreatitis, whereas MRI has an important role in the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis. Current evidence demonstrates that MRI should be the preferred imaging technique for the detection and characterization of hepatic and splenic metastases from cutaneous melanoma. The role of 18F-FDG-PET/CT should be further evaluated but current literature suggests an efficacy in the detection of pancreatic metastases not seen on CT and MRI.

Psychological treatment improves hemoglobin A1c outcomes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

UNLABELLED: Adolescents diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus often exhibit reduced adherence to their medical regimen and poor glycemic control. A retrospective study examined longitudinal hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) outcomes for adolescent patients referred to the psychology service embedded within an endocrinology clinic. Three patient groups were examined: (1) TREATMENT: 59 adolescents referred who engaged in psychotherapy; (2) No TREATMENT: 40 adolescents referred yet failed to initiate psychotherapy; (3) CONTROL: 58 adolescents not referred for treatment and matched on demographics to the two treatment groups. Over 1 year, the TREATMENT group had a sustained decrease in HgbA1c while the No TREATMENT and CONTROL groups had an overall increase in HgbA1c. At study end, the TREATMENT group had HgbA1c values that were not significantly different from patients who were not considered in need of psychological treatment (CONTROL). Adolescents that utilized the pediatric psychology service saw decreased HgbA1c values over time.