Publications by authors named "M Hehir"
Background And Objectives: Epidemiologic studies suggest increasing incidence and prevalence of myasthenia gravis (MG) among the elderly population outside the United States. We aimed to provide an estimation of MG incidence and prevalence and their trend among the Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS)-covered elderly US population.
Methods: We performed a retrospective longitudinal study using Medicare claims data (2006-2019).
Objective: The objective of the study is to characterize the pathomechanisms underlying actininopathies. Distal myopathies are a group of rare, inherited muscular disorders characterized by progressive loss of muscle fibers that begin in the distal parts of arms and legs. Recently, variants in a new disease gene, ACTN2, have been shown to cause distal myopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is common and disabling among cancer survivors. Little is known about the association of CIPN with other measures of the nervous system's integrity, such as executive dysfunction. We compared measures of executive function in older chemotherapy-treated cancer survivors with and without CIPN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) causes muscle weakness and is treated traditionally with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants; severe cases may require intravenous immunoglobulin or plasma exchange.
- In recent years, four new therapies targeting the immune system have been approved, showing significant symptom improvement in clinical trials, but it remains unclear when and how to incorporate them into existing treatment plans.
- Choosing a new therapy involves weighing clinical improvement against costs, side effects, and treatment burdens, particularly considering their use as "bridge therapy" for unstable patients or alternatives for those not responding to standard treatments.
Article Synopsis
- - Distal myopathies are rare inherited disorders that cause muscle fiber loss starting in the extremities, linked to variants in a new gene previously associated solely with heart conditions, which encodes a key muscle protein.
- - The study aims to understand the mechanisms behind these disorders by testing various genetic variants in muscle cell models and correlating them with clinical data from affected patients.
- - Findings indicate that certain genetic changes linked to dominant forms of the disease cause toxic protein aggregates, suggesting these variants should be considered harmful, while also highlighting the need for further research into other potential disease mechanisms.