Publications by authors named "Warachal E Faison"

The study of disparities across diverse populations regarding the health and treatment of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) is recognized as a priority for investigation and action by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). OA is a common condition that increases with age, but with prevalence generally similar across racial and ethnic groups. However, disparities in the treatment of OA among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are well-documented and continue to rise and persist.

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Objectives: To compare medical condition burden, healthcare resource use, and healthcare costs of household members (HHMs) of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with those of HHMs of matched individuals without AD.

Design: Retrospective cohort study based on administrative claims data collected between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2011.

Setting: Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan.

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Background/rationale: Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a serious public health issue affecting approximately 5.4 million individuals in the United States and is projected to affect up to 16 million by 2050. This study examined health care resource utilization (HCRU), costs, and comorbidity burden immediately preceding new diagnosis of AD and 2 years after diagnosis.

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This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of an expert consensus workgroup that addressed the endangered pipeline of geriatric mental health (GMH) researchers. The workgroup was convened at the Summit on Challenges in Recruitment, Retention, and Career Development in Geriatric Mental Health Research in late 2007. Major identified challenges included attracting and developing early-career investigators into the field of GMH research; a shortfall of geriatric clinical providers and researchers; a disproportionate lack of minority researchers; inadequate mentoring and career development resources; and the loss of promising researchers during the vulnerable period of transition from research training to independent research funding.

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Objective: Despite numerous clinical trials, it is unknown whether ethnicity affects treatment response to cognitive enhancers in Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is convincing evidence of ethnic and genetic variability in drug metabolism. This article reviews the available data on ethnicity in clinical trials for AD to answer two questions: (1) what are the challenges to diagnose and treat AD across different ethnic groups, and (2) are there differences in response to pharmacologic interventions for AD across these different ethnic groups?

Method: Available data from Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) randomized controlled clinical trials and from randomized controlled industry-sponsored trials for four cognitive enhancers (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and sabeluzole) were pooled to assess the numbers of non-Caucasian participants.

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Alzheimer's disease is a devastating neurological disorder characterized by cognitive deficits, functional impairment, and often troublesome behavioral symptoms. Unfortunately, Alzheimer's disease can be difficult to diagnose at early and even moderate stages of the disease. This article outlines simple, efficient strategies for identifying patients with potential dementia.

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The elderly population is rapidly growing and increasing in diversity. Furthermore, mental disorders are common in this population. Elderly patients are at increased risk for developing psychotic symptoms.

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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, debilitating form of dementia affecting more than 18 million people worldwide. Without a cure, many patients and their families must turn to long-term care institutions during the later stages of the disease. Our current treatments only delay progression and help control behavioral symptoms.

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