Latest news with #retrospective study
Medscape
29-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
JAK Inhibitors Raise Venous Thromboembolism Risk in AD
TOPLINE: JAK inhibitors demonstrated significantly higher risk for venous thromboembolism than dupilumab and methotrexate in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) in a retrospective study. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted three propensity score-matched analyses comparing patients with AD initiating JAK inhibitors with those receiving dupilumab (n = 1006), methotrexate (n = 958), or cyclosporine (n = 948) from the TriNetX global database. The mean patient age was 41.7-43.3 years; about 62% were women; 54% were White individuals, and 46% were non-White individuals across the groups. Study outcomes were the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, pulmonary embolism (PE), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) within 3 years of treatment initiation. TAKEAWAY: Among patients treated with JAK inhibitors, the risks for PE (hazard ratio [HR], 2.75; P = .014) and DVT (HR, 2.54; P = .017) were significantly higher, corresponding to eight and nine additional cases per 1000 patients (risk differences of 0.8% and 0.9%), respectively. The overall risk for stroke was comparable in the two groups. JAK inhibitors were associated with a higher risk for DVT (HR, 2.41; P = .017) than methotrexate, corresponding to seven additional cases per 1000 patients (risk difference of 0.7%). The risks for PE, MI, and stroke were similar in the two groups. Compared with cyclosporin, the researchers noted no significant differences in the 3-year risk for PE, DVT, stroke, or MI. IN PRACTICE: Based on the results, 'patients with AD initiating JAK inhibitors are at an elevated risk of PE and DVT as compared to those managed by dupilumab,' and JAK inhibitors 'were associated with an increased risk of DVT as compared to methotrexate,' the authors of the study wrote. These results, they concluded, 'support a cautious, individualized approach to the use of JAK inhibitors, particularly in patients with elevated baseline thromboembolic risk.' SOURCE: The study was led by Khalaf Kridin, Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany, and was published online on July 21 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. LIMITATIONS: The study used retrospective observational data, and JAK inhibitors were analyzed as a class, not by individual drug or dose. DISCLOSURES: The study did not receive any funding, and the authors reported having no conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Imaginary athletes: Creating make-believe teammates, competitors and coaches during play
The coach, the specialized equipment, the carefully tailored exercise regimen – they're all key to athletic performance. But imagination might be an unexpected asset when it comes to playing sports. The idea that athletic achievement depends on the mind isn't new. Sport psychologists have known for years that working with an athlete on their mental game – visualizing the skill, kinesthetically feeling the swing – has a positive impact on actual performance. But these mental simulations draw only upon mental imagery – seeing and feeling the physical goals in the mind's eye. Imagination offers a much wider range of possibilities. What if your game could be helped by an imaginary friend? In a recent retrospective study of college students, we discovered that imagination comes in handy in athletics in ways that are surprisingly social. The creation of what we termed imaginary athletes – a person or being that a child imagined in the context of athletics – enabled and motivated athletic play, especially for children between the ages of about 6 and 12. Imaginary athletes also provided companionship during athletic play. Remembering childhood imaginary athletes The most basic form of an imaginary athlete might be a wall, fence or even tree that makes a good opponent in a pinch. For a child or adolescent practicing a sport alone, a surface that provides a ball return or a steady target for a throw gives opportunities for practice usually requiring other players. Is it any wonder, then, if the branches of the tree start to resemble a wide receiver's arms, or an invisible goalie emerges in front of the fence? Solitary play might be a lot more fun if a make-believe teammate could provide an assist, or an invisible coach could appear and shout instructions during practice. The college students in our study reported that such support, even if imaginary, made them play a little longer or try a little harder as kids. About 41% of our sample of 225 college students reported creating at least one imaginary athlete at some point in middle childhood or early adolescence. Most, but not all, of these beings fell into three categories based on their characteristics. The first we called placeholders, such as ghost runners. They are typically generic, amorphous, imaginary teammates created by groups of children when not enough real players are available. The second type functioned as what we named athletic tools. They helped kids focus on their performance and improve their skills, usually by providing a worthy competitor, sometimes based on an admired professional athlete. The skills of athletic tools were often just above those of the child, drawing out the desire to be better, stronger, faster. Social relationships, our name for the third kind of imaginary athlete, primarily served emotional functions, relieving loneliness and providing the child or adolescent with a sense of belonging, safety or companionship as they engaged in their sport. Students who remembered imaginary athletes differed from their peers in two ways. First, more men than women reported creating these imaginary beings, possibly owing to the greater investment in and importance of athletics among boys versus girls. Second, people with imaginary athletes scored higher than those without on a current-day measure of predilection for imagination, but they were not more likely to report having created a make-believe friend or animal as a child. Imagination is a valuable power Creating an imaginary other might seem like a quirky, perhaps even childish, addition to sports practice. But actually, this behavior is entirely logical. After all, imagination is the core of human thought. Without it, we couldn't conceptualize anything outside of the present moment that wasn't already stored in memory. No thinking about the future, no consideration of multiple outcomes to a decision, no counterfactuals, daydreams, fantasies or plans. Why wouldn't people apply such a fundamental tool of day-to-day thought in athletic contexts? Participation in sports is common, especially among school-age kids, and many college students in our study described drawing upon their imaginations frequently when playing sports, especially when doing so in their free time. The creation of imaginary athletes is also unsurprising because it's one of myriad ways that imagination enhances people's social worlds throughout their lives. Above all else, social relationships are what matter most to people, and using imagination in thinking about them is common. For instance, people imagine conversations with others, particularly those close to them, sometimes practicing the delivery of bad news or envisioning the response to a proposal of marriage. In early childhood, kids create imaginary companions who help them learn about friendship and other's perspectives. And in adolescence, when people focus on developing their autonomy and their own identities, they create parasocial relationships that let them identify with favorite celebrities, characters and media figures. Even in older age, some widows and widowers imagine continued relationships with their deceased spouses. These 'continuing bonds' are efforts to cope with loss through imaginary narratives that are fed by and extrapolate upon years of interactions. At each point in their developmental trajectory, people might recruit imagination to help them understand, manage, regulate and enjoy the social aspects of life. Imaginary athletes are merely one manifestation of this habit. Because so many children and adolescents spend a lot of time engaged in sports, athletics can be a major environment for working on the developmental tasks of growing up. As children learn about functioning as part of a group, forming, maintaining and losing friendships, and mastering a range of skills and abilities, imaginary athletes provide teammates, coaches and competitors tailored to the needs of the moment. Of course, an imaginary athlete is but one tool that children and adolescents might use to address developmental tasks such as mastering skills or negotiating peer relationships. Children who aren't fantasy-prone might create complex training regimens to practice their skills, and they might manage their friendships by talking through problems with others. But some report that turning inward generated real athletic and social benefits. 'I got confidence out of my [imaginary athletes],' reported one participant. 'If I could imagine beating someone, and [winning], then I felt like I could do anything.' This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Tracy Gleason, Wellesley College and Stephanie Madsen, McDaniel College Read more: Exercise could ease symptoms for people with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) – new study Why make-believe play is an important part of childhood development Collaboratively imagining the future can bring people closer together in the present The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Medscape
10-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Dupilumab Treatment May Raise Weight in Patients With AD
TOPLINE: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who underwent treatment with dupilumab showed a mean weight gain of 3.6 kg, with 67% of patients experienced an average increase of 5.9 kg. The findings suggested that dupilumab treatment may be associated with weight changes, potentially due to its effect on interleukin-4 signalling and metabolic regulation. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of 30 patients with moderate-to-severe AD (mean age, 40.1 years; 30% women) who were prescribed dupilumab between April 2018 and December 2023. Inclusion criteria required dupilumab treatment for more than 6 months with documented weight measurements within 3 months before initiation and at 3-6 months post-initiation. The analysis included demographic data, prior treatments, disease severity, and weight changes. The mean weight before the commencement of dupilumab was 81.5 kg. Prior systemic treatments included methotrexate (n = 17), ciclosporin (n = 11), azathioprine (n = 7), and mycophenolate mofetil (n = 3). TAKEAWAY: Overall, 67% of patients experienced weight gain, with a mean increase of 5.9 kg. Additionally, 23% of patients showed no weight loss, and 10% of patients lost weight, with a mean loss of 3.7 kg. The overall mean weight gain was 3.6 kg (median, 4 kg; range, -8 to 13 kg). IN PRACTICE: "The blockade of IL-4 [interleukin-4], a cytokine involved in inflammatory responses and metabolic regulation, might contribute to changes in appetite and energy balance," the authors wrote. "While there is evidence suggesting a possible association between dupilumab and weight gain, it is essential to approach this issue with a nuanced perspective. Future studies should aim to disentangle these complex interactions, considering both the biological mechanisms at play and the broader psychosocial factors that impact weight in patients with AD," they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Darren Roche, Department of Dermatology, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. It was published online on June 30, 2025, in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology. LIMITATIONS: Multiple factors including disease severity, inflammation, lifestyle choices, and psychological stressors could have influenced patient weight. This study was limited by its retrospective design, a small sample size, and a short follow-up period. DISCLOSURES: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
