Psoriasis Patients Urged To Be Aware Of Links With Serious Diseases
One of the critical features of psoriasis is chronic inflammation, a condition also seen in people with insulin resistance, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and abnormal levels of cholesterol. Evidence is now emerging of a link between psoriasis and these other serious diseases, prompting the American Academy of Dermatology to urge patients with psoriasis, particularly those severely affected, to be more aware and monitor their health very closely for signs of these diseases. Dr Joel M. Gelfand, assistant professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, gave a presentation about it at the American Academy of Dermatology's 70th Annual Meeting in San Diego last week.
African American Styling Practices And The Risk Of Hair And Scalp Diseases
Henry Ford Hospital dermatologist Diane Jackson-Richards, M.D., who is the director of the Multicultural Dermatology Clinic, states that some African Americans can develop serious hair and scalp diseases through styling practices, saying: "Hair is an extremely important aspect of an African-American woman's appearance. Yet, many women who have a hair or scalp disease do not feel their physician takes them seriously. Physicians should become more familiar with the culturally accepted treatments for these diseases.
Promising Therapeutic Target For Androgenetic Alopecia In Both Men And Women With Hair Loss And Thinning
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified an abnormal amount a protein called Prostaglandin D2 in the bald scalp of men with male pattern baldness, a discovery that may lead directly to new treatments for the most common cause of hair loss in men. In both human and animal models, researchers found that a prostaglandin known as PGD2 and its derivative, 15-dPGJ2, inhibit hair growth. The PGD2-related inhibition occurred through a receptor called GPR44, which is a promising therapeutic target for androgenetic alopecia in both men and women with hair loss and thinning.