BOCA RATON, Fla. – There are some exciting findings in the treatment of two common and chronic skin conditions.
Dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Fromowitz said two different teams of researchers have completed phase 3 clinical trials for topical treatments: one targeting atopic dermatitis, the other psoriasis.
If approved, they would allow patients to avoid the need for systemic medications and the related side effects.
“What that means is we’re going to have a topical option that can function in a way with similar efficacy to some of these oral agents with a greater benefit profile for patients,” Fromowitz said.
FDA approval could come within the next year.
Smoking and cognitive impairment
Researchers are gaining more insight on another health risk from smoking: cognitive impairment.
Despite early reports suggesting that smoking might have beneficial effects on brain function and reduce the risk of dementia, recent evidence suggests that smoking has neurotoxic effects on the brain.
The observational study investigated the associations between sex, smoking and cardiovascular disease with verbal learning and memory function.
Researchers found that active smoking is associated with impaired verbal learning, memory performance and a two-fold risk of dementia in older adults.