Protecting the vulnerable during COVID-19: Treating and preventing chronic disease disparities.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated health disparities across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - such as hypertension, diabetes, and obstructive lung diseases - are key drivers of this widening gap, because they disproportionately afflict vulnerable populations. Vulnerable populations with non-communicable diseases, in turn, are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 itself - but also at increased risk of poor outcomes from those underlying conditions.

Bone loss in the HIV-infected patient: evidence, clinical implications, and treatment strategies.

Osteoporosis is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. The etiology of osteoporosis in HIV-infected patients is likely multifactorial, involving traditional risk factors such as low body weight, hypogonadism, and smoking, as well as direct effects of chronic HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy. Emerging evidence suggests that the increasing prevalence of osteoporosis in HIV-infected persons translates into a higher risk of fracture, likely leading to excess morbidity and mortality as the HIV-infected population ages.

High frequency chest wall oscillation for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations: a randomized sham-controlled clinical trial.

Background: High frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) is used for airway mucus clearance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of HFCWO early in the treatment of adults hospitalized for acute asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Randomized, multi-center, double-masked phase II clinical trial of active or sham treatment initiated within 24 hours of hospital admission for acute asthma or COPD at four academic medical centers.

Postoperative hypoparathyroidism: medical and surgical therapeutic options.

Background: Hypoparathyroidism occurs when the parathyroid glands, through lack of secretion of or resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH), are unable to maintain calcium homeostasis. Transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism are most commonly seen as complications of neck surgery, resulting from devascularization of the parathyroids, unintentional resection, or accidental coagulation of the parathyroids.

Summary: Although strategies for treatment of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism differ, the classical approach involves supplementation with calcium and vitamin D or its analogues with the major goal of achieving low normal serum calcium and normal serum phosphorus.