Treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa with 755-nm alexandrite laser hair removal: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Hidradenitis supprativa is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that can respond to treatment with laser hair removal.

Objective: To assess alexandrite laser hair removal laser as a treatment for hidradenitis suppurativa as measured by the Hidradenitis Supprativa Clinical Response.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled study in adult patients with hidradenitis supprativa.

Longitudinal Patterns of Multimorbidity in Gulf War Era Veterans With and Without Gulf War Illness.

To examine whether severe Gulf War illness (SGWI) case status was associated with longitudinal multimorbidity patterns. Participants were users of the Veteran Health Administration Health Care System drawn from the Gulf War Era Cohort and Biorepository ( = 840). Longitudinal measures of multimorbidity were constructed using (1) electronic health records (Charlson Comorbidity Index; Elixhauser; and Veterans Affairs Frailty Index) from 10/1/1999 to 6/30/2023 and (2) self-reported medical conditions (Deficit Accumulation Index) since the war until the survey date.

Older Caregivers: Who They Are and How to Support Them.

Caregivers play a crucial role in providing health and social supports to their family and friends. Older adults who take on caregiving roles are themselves uniquely vulnerable to negative health and financial effects due to their age and underlying health risks. Many caregivers do not receive adequate support - either formally or informally - exacerbating the strains of providing care.

"It Was Actually Pretty Easy": COVID-19 Compliance Cost Reductions in the WIC Program.

In recent years, scholars have examined the barriers to accessing public assistance benefits. Research identifies learning, compliance, and psychological costs as deterring program use. Compliance costs reflect the burdens of following program rules, which may entail providing documentation, responding to discretionary demands of bureaucrats, or attending appointments to maintain benefits.

Grief: The Epidemic Within an Epidemic.

COVID-19 has not only dramatically changed the way we live, it has also impacted how we die and how we grieve. With more and more Americans dying in ICU settings, away from family, and more funerals being held virtually, the pandemic has seriously curtailed normal expressions of grief and cultural mourning. Given the CDC guidelines for funerals and social distancing, simple human touch is no longer a mitigating force against prolonged grief.

Selection Bias in Observational Studies of Palliative Care: Lessons Learned.

Context: Palliative care (PC) programs are typically evaluated using observational data, raising concerns about selection bias.

Objectives: To quantify selection bias because of observed and unobserved characteristics in a PC demonstration program.

Methods: Program administrative data and 100% Medicare claims data in two states and a 20% sample in eight states (2013-2017).