Heidi Splete

Changes may be in store for how physicians do business based on pending proposals from the Federal Trade Commission to ban noncompete clauses and monitor potential merger monopolies.

In January 2023, the FTC announced a rule that would ban noncompete clauses, stating that such clauses reduce workers’ wages and stifle new businesses. Simply put, the rule would ban employers from entering into noncompete clauses with workers, including independent contractors.

Aspects of the rule include whether it should pertain to franchisees, whether senior executives should be exempted, and whether low-wage and high-wage workers should be treated differently.

According to the FTC, banning noncompete clauses would increase workers’ earnings by approximately $300 billion per year, save consumers as much as $148 billion in health care costs, and double the number of companies founded by former workers in the same field.

In June 2023, the FTC and the Department of Justice proposed changes to rules governing mergers, including changes to prenotification forms that would promote more efficient screening of potential mergers. According to a press release from the FTC, the proposed changes include provision of details about investments or corporate relationships, product and services, projected revenue streams, and previous acquisitions.

The proposal also includes a waiting period during which agencies would assess the risk that a merger would lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.
 

What the FTC proposals mean for physicians

FTC Chair Lina M. Khan addressed attendees at the American College of Physicians at their annual meeting in October.

In March 2023, ACEP wrote to Ms. Khan in support of the banning of noncompete clauses. The ACEP also stated that the FTC should monitor the effect of a ban on the ability to recruit and maintain a stable physician workforce in rural and underserved areas “and should examine the potential impacts should nonprofit health systems be exempt from a ban.”

However, the American Medical Group Association, a nonprofit trade organization that supports multispecialty medical groups, opposes the ban. In a press release issued in March 2023, AMGA noted that, “As employers, AMGA members rely in part on noncompete agreements to build strong, sustainable care teams that work together to coordinate care for their patients. These care teams emphasize the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, which reasonable noncompete agreements help support.”

The American Medical Association supports the ban on noncompete clauses, detailed in an official AMA policy statement as, “support[ing] policies, regulations, and legislation that prohibits covenants not-to-compete for all physicians in clinical practice who hold employment contracts with for-profit or nonprofit hospital, hospital system, or staffing company employers.”

In regard to the merger guidelines, ACEP wrote a separate letter to Ms. Khan identifying some of the unique aspects of emergency medicine practice. The ACEP stressed the need for caution as the consolidation of medical practices continues, many under the umbrella of private equity investment companies.

“Unchecked mergers that substantially lessen competition in the labor market for emergency physicians, in which the employer is the buyer and the physician is the seller, can impact physicians directly by lowering wages or slowing wage growth, worsening benefits or working conditions, or contributing to other degradations in workplace quality,” according to ACEP.

The AMA also supports the FTC’s draft merger guidelines as protective of physicians and their working environments.

In September 2023, the AMA sent a letter to the FTC commending the agency on the proposed guidelines: “It is our strong contention that the agencies must have merger guidelines that protect physicians against health insurer mergers that may substantially lessen competition for the purchase of physician services and that degrade physician working conditions,” according to the AMA letter.

According the FTC, the proposed changes represent an expansion and reorganization of information along with the addition of new document requirements and represents the first comprehensive review of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act since 1978.

After soliciting public comments, the FTC is reviewing the proposals, and no specific date for a final vote has been announced.

More specifics on the potential changes to premerger notification, reporting, and waiting period requirements are available on the FTC website.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Changes may be in store for how physicians do business based on pending proposals from the Federal Trade Commission to ban noncompete clauses and monitor potential merger monopolies.

In January 2023, the FTC announced a rule that would ban noncompete clauses, stating that such clauses reduce workers’ wages and stifle new businesses. Simply put, the rule would ban employers from entering into noncompete clauses with workers, including independent contractors.

Aspects of the rule include whether it should pertain to franchisees, whether senior executives should be exempted, and whether low-wage and high-wage workers should be treated differently.

According to the FTC, banning noncompete clauses would increase workers’ earnings by approximately $300 billion per year, save consumers as much as $148 billion in health care costs, and double the number of companies founded by former workers in the same field.

In June 2023, the FTC and the Department of Justice proposed changes to rules governing mergers, including changes to prenotification forms that would promote more efficient screening of potential mergers. According to a press release from the FTC, the proposed changes include provision of details about investments or corporate relationships, product and services, projected revenue streams, and previous acquisitions.

The proposal also includes a waiting period during which agencies would assess the risk that a merger would lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.
 

What the FTC proposals mean for physicians

FTC Chair Lina M. Khan addressed attendees at the American College of Physicians at their annual meeting in October.

In March 2023, ACEP wrote to Ms. Khan in support of the banning of noncompete clauses. The ACEP also stated that the FTC should monitor the effect of a ban on the ability to recruit and maintain a stable physician workforce in rural and underserved areas “and should examine the potential impacts should nonprofit health systems be exempt from a ban.”

However, the American Medical Group Association, a nonprofit trade organization that supports multispecialty medical groups, opposes the ban. In a press release issued in March 2023, AMGA noted that, “As employers, AMGA members rely in part on noncompete agreements to build strong, sustainable care teams that work together to coordinate care for their patients. These care teams emphasize the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, which reasonable noncompete agreements help support.”

The American Medical Association supports the ban on noncompete clauses, detailed in an official AMA policy statement as, “support[ing] policies, regulations, and legislation that prohibits covenants not-to-compete for all physicians in clinical practice who hold employment contracts with for-profit or nonprofit hospital, hospital system, or staffing company employers.”

In regard to the merger guidelines, ACEP wrote a separate letter to Ms. Khan identifying some of the unique aspects of emergency medicine practice. The ACEP stressed the need for caution as the consolidation of medical practices continues, many under the umbrella of private equity investment companies.

“Unchecked mergers that substantially lessen competition in the labor market for emergency physicians, in which the employer is the buyer and the physician is the seller, can impact physicians directly by lowering wages or slowing wage growth, worsening benefits or working conditions, or contributing to other degradations in workplace quality,” according to ACEP.

The AMA also supports the FTC’s draft merger guidelines as protective of physicians and their working environments.

In September 2023, the AMA sent a letter to the FTC commending the agency on the proposed guidelines: “It is our strong contention that the agencies must have merger guidelines that protect physicians against health insurer mergers that may substantially lessen competition for the purchase of physician services and that degrade physician working conditions,” according to the AMA letter.

According the FTC, the proposed changes represent an expansion and reorganization of information along with the addition of new document requirements and represents the first comprehensive review of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act since 1978.

After soliciting public comments, the FTC is reviewing the proposals, and no specific date for a final vote has been announced.

More specifics on the potential changes to premerger notification, reporting, and waiting period requirements are available on the FTC website.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Changes may be in store for how physicians do business based on pending proposals from the Federal Trade Commission to ban noncompete clauses and monitor potential merger monopolies.

In January 2023, the FTC announced a rule that would ban noncompete clauses, stating that such clauses reduce workers’ wages and stifle new businesses. Simply put, the rule would ban employers from entering into noncompete clauses with workers, including independent contractors.

Aspects of the rule include whether it should pertain to franchisees, whether senior executives should be exempted, and whether low-wage and high-wage workers should be treated differently.

According to the FTC, banning noncompete clauses would increase workers’ earnings by approximately $300 billion per year, save consumers as much as $148 billion in health care costs, and double the number of companies founded by former workers in the same field.

In June 2023, the FTC and the Department of Justice proposed changes to rules governing mergers, including changes to prenotification forms that would promote more efficient screening of potential mergers. According to a press release from the FTC, the proposed changes include provision of details about investments or corporate relationships, product and services, projected revenue streams, and previous acquisitions.

The proposal also includes a waiting period during which agencies would assess the risk that a merger would lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.
 

What the FTC proposals mean for physicians

FTC Chair Lina M. Khan addressed attendees at the American College of Physicians at their annual meeting in October.

In March 2023, ACEP wrote to Ms. Khan in support of the banning of noncompete clauses. The ACEP also stated that the FTC should monitor the effect of a ban on the ability to recruit and maintain a stable physician workforce in rural and underserved areas “and should examine the potential impacts should nonprofit health systems be exempt from a ban.”

However, the American Medical Group Association, a nonprofit trade organization that supports multispecialty medical groups, opposes the ban. In a press release issued in March 2023, AMGA noted that, “As employers, AMGA members rely in part on noncompete agreements to build strong, sustainable care teams that work together to coordinate care for their patients. These care teams emphasize the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, which reasonable noncompete agreements help support.”

The American Medical Association supports the ban on noncompete clauses, detailed in an official AMA policy statement as, “support[ing] policies, regulations, and legislation that prohibits covenants not-to-compete for all physicians in clinical practice who hold employment contracts with for-profit or nonprofit hospital, hospital system, or staffing company employers.”

In regard to the merger guidelines, ACEP wrote a separate letter to Ms. Khan identifying some of the unique aspects of emergency medicine practice. The ACEP stressed the need for caution as the consolidation of medical practices continues, many under the umbrella of private equity investment companies.

“Unchecked mergers that substantially lessen competition in the labor market for emergency physicians, in which the employer is the buyer and the physician is the seller, can impact physicians directly by lowering wages or slowing wage growth, worsening benefits or working conditions, or contributing to other degradations in workplace quality,” according to ACEP.

The AMA also supports the FTC’s draft merger guidelines as protective of physicians and their working environments.

In September 2023, the AMA sent a letter to the FTC commending the agency on the proposed guidelines: “It is our strong contention that the agencies must have merger guidelines that protect physicians against health insurer mergers that may substantially lessen competition for the purchase of physician services and that degrade physician working conditions,” according to the AMA letter.

According the FTC, the proposed changes represent an expansion and reorganization of information along with the addition of new document requirements and represents the first comprehensive review of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act since 1978.

After soliciting public comments, the FTC is reviewing the proposals, and no specific date for a final vote has been announced.

More specifics on the potential changes to premerger notification, reporting, and waiting period requirements are available on the FTC website.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Older adults with actinic keratoses (AKs) have a higher risk for skin cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and melanoma.

METHODOLOGY:

• AKs have been associated with a small risk for cutaneous SCC, but associations with risk for other skin cancers have not been well studied.
• AKs may be a marker of overall skin cancer risk, but guidelines for AK management lack recommendations for follow-up cancer surveillance.
• The researchers reviewed data from a random sample of 5 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries treated for AKs from 2009 through 2018 in the United States. Patients with seborrheic keratoses (SKs) were included as comparators, and patients with a history of skin cancer were excluded.
• The primary outcome was the first surgically treated skin cancer, including SCC, BCC, and melanoma.

TAKEAWAY:

• A total of 555,945 adults with AKs and 481,024 with SKs were included. The mean age was approximately 74.0 years. More than half were female. Most were non-Hispanic White.
• Among patients with AKs, the absolute risk for any skin cancer after the first AK was 6.3%, 18.4%, and 28.5% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively.
• Patients with AKs had a significantly increased relative risk for any skin cancer compared with those with SKs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.17) and separately for keratinocyte carcinoma (aHR, 2.20), SCC (aHR, 2.63), BCC (aHR, 1.85), and melanoma (aHR, 1.67).
• Although AKs are not considered a biological precursor of melanoma or BCC, the results suggest that AKs may be clinical indicators of increased UV exposure that subsequently increases the risk for skin cancer.

IN PRACTICE:

“The present results highlight the importance of developing evidence-based guidelines for follow-up skin cancer surveillance in patients with AKs, optimally including measures of AK burden,” the researchers wrote.

SOURCE:

The lead author on the study was Cassandra Mohr, BS, with corresponding author Mackenzie R. Wehner, MD, MPhil, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology .

LIMITATIONS:

The study population of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older may not be a nationally representative sample, and surveillance bias may contribute to the increased risk for skin cancer in patients with AKs. The use of both ICD and CPT codes may underestimate the number of skin cancers because of cases that were treated nonsurgically.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and The University of Texas Rising STARS program. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Older adults with actinic keratoses (AKs) have a higher risk for skin cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and melanoma.

METHODOLOGY:

• AKs have been associated with a small risk for cutaneous SCC, but associations with risk for other skin cancers have not been well studied.
• AKs may be a marker of overall skin cancer risk, but guidelines for AK management lack recommendations for follow-up cancer surveillance.
• The researchers reviewed data from a random sample of 5 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries treated for AKs from 2009 through 2018 in the United States. Patients with seborrheic keratoses (SKs) were included as comparators, and patients with a history of skin cancer were excluded.
• The primary outcome was the first surgically treated skin cancer, including SCC, BCC, and melanoma.

TAKEAWAY:

• A total of 555,945 adults with AKs and 481,024 with SKs were included. The mean age was approximately 74.0 years. More than half were female. Most were non-Hispanic White.
• Among patients with AKs, the absolute risk for any skin cancer after the first AK was 6.3%, 18.4%, and 28.5% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively.
• Patients with AKs had a significantly increased relative risk for any skin cancer compared with those with SKs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.17) and separately for keratinocyte carcinoma (aHR, 2.20), SCC (aHR, 2.63), BCC (aHR, 1.85), and melanoma (aHR, 1.67).
• Although AKs are not considered a biological precursor of melanoma or BCC, the results suggest that AKs may be clinical indicators of increased UV exposure that subsequently increases the risk for skin cancer.

IN PRACTICE:

“The present results highlight the importance of developing evidence-based guidelines for follow-up skin cancer surveillance in patients with AKs, optimally including measures of AK burden,” the researchers wrote.

SOURCE:

The lead author on the study was Cassandra Mohr, BS, with corresponding author Mackenzie R. Wehner, MD, MPhil, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology .

LIMITATIONS:

The study population of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older may not be a nationally representative sample, and surveillance bias may contribute to the increased risk for skin cancer in patients with AKs. The use of both ICD and CPT codes may underestimate the number of skin cancers because of cases that were treated nonsurgically.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and The University of Texas Rising STARS program. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Older adults with actinic keratoses (AKs) have a higher risk for skin cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and melanoma.

METHODOLOGY:

• AKs have been associated with a small risk for cutaneous SCC, but associations with risk for other skin cancers have not been well studied.
• AKs may be a marker of overall skin cancer risk, but guidelines for AK management lack recommendations for follow-up cancer surveillance.
• The researchers reviewed data from a random sample of 5 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries treated for AKs from 2009 through 2018 in the United States. Patients with seborrheic keratoses (SKs) were included as comparators, and patients with a history of skin cancer were excluded.
• The primary outcome was the first surgically treated skin cancer, including SCC, BCC, and melanoma.

TAKEAWAY:

• A total of 555,945 adults with AKs and 481,024 with SKs were included. The mean age was approximately 74.0 years. More than half were female. Most were non-Hispanic White.
• Among patients with AKs, the absolute risk for any skin cancer after the first AK was 6.3%, 18.4%, and 28.5% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively.
• Patients with AKs had a significantly increased relative risk for any skin cancer compared with those with SKs (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.17) and separately for keratinocyte carcinoma (aHR, 2.20), SCC (aHR, 2.63), BCC (aHR, 1.85), and melanoma (aHR, 1.67).
• Although AKs are not considered a biological precursor of melanoma or BCC, the results suggest that AKs may be clinical indicators of increased UV exposure that subsequently increases the risk for skin cancer.

IN PRACTICE:

“The present results highlight the importance of developing evidence-based guidelines for follow-up skin cancer surveillance in patients with AKs, optimally including measures of AK burden,” the researchers wrote.

SOURCE:

The lead author on the study was Cassandra Mohr, BS, with corresponding author Mackenzie R. Wehner, MD, MPhil, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology .

LIMITATIONS:

The study population of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older may not be a nationally representative sample, and surveillance bias may contribute to the increased risk for skin cancer in patients with AKs. The use of both ICD and CPT codes may underestimate the number of skin cancers because of cases that were treated nonsurgically.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and The University of Texas Rising STARS program. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Adults with lupus nephritis (LN) who received obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus standard of care therapy experienced significantly improved kidney function and fewer flares compared with those given a placebo plus standard of care.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a post hoc analysis of the phase 2 NOBILITY study, a randomized trial in which 63 adults received 1,000 mg of obinutuzumab or placebo by infusion on day 1 and at weeks 2, 24, and 26.
• Outcomes were time to an unfavorable kidney outcome, defined by the first of any of the following events: treatment failure, doubling of serum creatinine, or death; researchers also measured LN flare outcomes including the first 30% and 40% declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline, chronic eGFR slope, and how many patients achieved complete renal response (CRR) on no more than 7.5 mg of prednisone.

TAKEAWAY:

• Adding obinutuzumab to the treatment of patients with LN reduced the risk of the composite outcome by 60% and reduced the risk for LN flare by 57%.
• The risk of first eGFR 30% and 40% decline was reduced by 80% and 91%, respectively, with obinutuzumab, and patients who took obinutuzumab had a significantly slower eGFR decline than with placebo (annualized eGFR slope advantage, 4.1 mL/min/1.73 m² /year).
• At 76 weeks (1.5 years), 38% of patients receiving obinutuzumab achieved CRR on 7.5 mg or less of daily prednisone, compared with 16% of placebo patients, but this difference was not statistically significant at 104 weeks (2 years).
• The total numbers of unfavorable kidney outcomes for obinutuzumab vs. placebo were 12 vs. 24 for treatment failure, 1 vs. 6 for creatinine doubling, and 1 vs. 4 for death, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“By reducing flare risk, obinutuzumab should decrease the accumulation of chronic parenchymal kidney damage,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2023 annual meeting and was published online in Arthritis & Rheumatology. The lead author was Brad H. Rovin, MD, of The Ohio State University in Columbus.

LIMITATIONS:

The analyses were post hoc and not prespecified, and the number of events was small, which prevented statistical confirmation, but the analyses are being repeated in an ongoing phase 3 study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by F. Hoffman–La Roche. Dr. Rovin reported receiving personal fees from F. Hoffman–La Roche during the conduct of the original trial. Several coauthors are F. Hoffman–La Roche employees.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Adults with lupus nephritis (LN) who received obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus standard of care therapy experienced significantly improved kidney function and fewer flares compared with those given a placebo plus standard of care.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a post hoc analysis of the phase 2 NOBILITY study, a randomized trial in which 63 adults received 1,000 mg of obinutuzumab or placebo by infusion on day 1 and at weeks 2, 24, and 26.
• Outcomes were time to an unfavorable kidney outcome, defined by the first of any of the following events: treatment failure, doubling of serum creatinine, or death; researchers also measured LN flare outcomes including the first 30% and 40% declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline, chronic eGFR slope, and how many patients achieved complete renal response (CRR) on no more than 7.5 mg of prednisone.

TAKEAWAY:

• Adding obinutuzumab to the treatment of patients with LN reduced the risk of the composite outcome by 60% and reduced the risk for LN flare by 57%.
• The risk of first eGFR 30% and 40% decline was reduced by 80% and 91%, respectively, with obinutuzumab, and patients who took obinutuzumab had a significantly slower eGFR decline than with placebo (annualized eGFR slope advantage, 4.1 mL/min/1.73 m² /year).
• At 76 weeks (1.5 years), 38% of patients receiving obinutuzumab achieved CRR on 7.5 mg or less of daily prednisone, compared with 16% of placebo patients, but this difference was not statistically significant at 104 weeks (2 years).
• The total numbers of unfavorable kidney outcomes for obinutuzumab vs. placebo were 12 vs. 24 for treatment failure, 1 vs. 6 for creatinine doubling, and 1 vs. 4 for death, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“By reducing flare risk, obinutuzumab should decrease the accumulation of chronic parenchymal kidney damage,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2023 annual meeting and was published online in Arthritis & Rheumatology. The lead author was Brad H. Rovin, MD, of The Ohio State University in Columbus.

LIMITATIONS:

The analyses were post hoc and not prespecified, and the number of events was small, which prevented statistical confirmation, but the analyses are being repeated in an ongoing phase 3 study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by F. Hoffman–La Roche. Dr. Rovin reported receiving personal fees from F. Hoffman–La Roche during the conduct of the original trial. Several coauthors are F. Hoffman–La Roche employees.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Adults with lupus nephritis (LN) who received obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus standard of care therapy experienced significantly improved kidney function and fewer flares compared with those given a placebo plus standard of care.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a post hoc analysis of the phase 2 NOBILITY study, a randomized trial in which 63 adults received 1,000 mg of obinutuzumab or placebo by infusion on day 1 and at weeks 2, 24, and 26.
• Outcomes were time to an unfavorable kidney outcome, defined by the first of any of the following events: treatment failure, doubling of serum creatinine, or death; researchers also measured LN flare outcomes including the first 30% and 40% declines in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from baseline, chronic eGFR slope, and how many patients achieved complete renal response (CRR) on no more than 7.5 mg of prednisone.

TAKEAWAY:

• Adding obinutuzumab to the treatment of patients with LN reduced the risk of the composite outcome by 60% and reduced the risk for LN flare by 57%.
• The risk of first eGFR 30% and 40% decline was reduced by 80% and 91%, respectively, with obinutuzumab, and patients who took obinutuzumab had a significantly slower eGFR decline than with placebo (annualized eGFR slope advantage, 4.1 mL/min/1.73 m² /year).
• At 76 weeks (1.5 years), 38% of patients receiving obinutuzumab achieved CRR on 7.5 mg or less of daily prednisone, compared with 16% of placebo patients, but this difference was not statistically significant at 104 weeks (2 years).
• The total numbers of unfavorable kidney outcomes for obinutuzumab vs. placebo were 12 vs. 24 for treatment failure, 1 vs. 6 for creatinine doubling, and 1 vs. 4 for death, respectively.

IN PRACTICE:

“By reducing flare risk, obinutuzumab should decrease the accumulation of chronic parenchymal kidney damage,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2023 annual meeting and was published online in Arthritis & Rheumatology. The lead author was Brad H. Rovin, MD, of The Ohio State University in Columbus.

LIMITATIONS:

The analyses were post hoc and not prespecified, and the number of events was small, which prevented statistical confirmation, but the analyses are being repeated in an ongoing phase 3 study.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by F. Hoffman–La Roche. Dr. Rovin reported receiving personal fees from F. Hoffman–La Roche during the conduct of the original trial. Several coauthors are F. Hoffman–La Roche employees.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

A combination of tocilizumab (Actemra) and 8 weeks of tapering prednisone was effective for inducing and maintaining disease remission in adults with giant cell arteritis (GCA).

METHODOLOGY:

• In a single-center, single-arm, open-label pilot study, 30 adults (mean age, 73.7 years) with GCA received 162 mg of tocilizumab as a subcutaneous injection once a week for 52 weeks, plus prednisone starting between 20 mg and 60 mg with a prespecified 8-week taper off the glucocorticoid.
• Patients had to be at least 50 years of age and could have either new-onset (diagnosis within 6 weeks of baseline) or relapsing disease (diagnosis > 6 weeks from baseline).
• The primary endpoint was sustained, prednisone-free remission at 52 weeks, defined by an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of less than 40 mm/h, C-reactive protein level less than 10 mg/L, and adherence to the prednisone taper; secondary endpoints included the proportions of patients in remission and relapse, cumulative prednisone dose, and glucocorticoid toxicity.

TAKEAWAY:

• At 52 weeks, 23 patients (77%) met the criteria for sustained remission after weaning off prednisone within 8 weeks of starting tocilizumab; 7 relapsed after a mean of 15.8 weeks.
• Of the patients who relapsed, six underwent a second prednisone taper for 8 weeks with a mean initial daily dose of 32.1 mg, four regained and maintained remission, and two experienced a second relapse and withdrew from the study.
• The mean cumulative prednisone dose at week 52 was 1,051.5 mg for responders and 1,673.1 mg for nonresponders.
• All 30 patients had at least one adverse event; four patients had a serious adverse event likely related to tocilizumab, prednisone, or both.

IN PRACTICE:

Studies such as this “are highly valuable as proof of concept, but of course cannot be definitive guides to treatment decisions without a comparator group,” according to authors of an editorial accompanying the study.

SOURCE:

The study, by Sebastian Unizony, MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues, was published in The Lancet Rheumatology .

LIMITATIONS:

The small size and open-label design with no control group were limiting factors; more research is needed to confirm the findings before this treatment strategy can be recommended for clinical practice.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded by Genentech. Two authors reported financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies outside of this report.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

A combination of tocilizumab (Actemra) and 8 weeks of tapering prednisone was effective for inducing and maintaining disease remission in adults with giant cell arteritis (GCA).

METHODOLOGY:

• In a single-center, single-arm, open-label pilot study, 30 adults (mean age, 73.7 years) with GCA received 162 mg of tocilizumab as a subcutaneous injection once a week for 52 weeks, plus prednisone starting between 20 mg and 60 mg with a prespecified 8-week taper off the glucocorticoid.
• Patients had to be at least 50 years of age and could have either new-onset (diagnosis within 6 weeks of baseline) or relapsing disease (diagnosis > 6 weeks from baseline).
• The primary endpoint was sustained, prednisone-free remission at 52 weeks, defined by an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of less than 40 mm/h, C-reactive protein level less than 10 mg/L, and adherence to the prednisone taper; secondary endpoints included the proportions of patients in remission and relapse, cumulative prednisone dose, and glucocorticoid toxicity.

TAKEAWAY:

• At 52 weeks, 23 patients (77%) met the criteria for sustained remission after weaning off prednisone within 8 weeks of starting tocilizumab; 7 relapsed after a mean of 15.8 weeks.
• Of the patients who relapsed, six underwent a second prednisone taper for 8 weeks with a mean initial daily dose of 32.1 mg, four regained and maintained remission, and two experienced a second relapse and withdrew from the study.
• The mean cumulative prednisone dose at week 52 was 1,051.5 mg for responders and 1,673.1 mg for nonresponders.
• All 30 patients had at least one adverse event; four patients had a serious adverse event likely related to tocilizumab, prednisone, or both.

IN PRACTICE:

Studies such as this “are highly valuable as proof of concept, but of course cannot be definitive guides to treatment decisions without a comparator group,” according to authors of an editorial accompanying the study.

SOURCE:

The study, by Sebastian Unizony, MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues, was published in The Lancet Rheumatology .

LIMITATIONS:

The small size and open-label design with no control group were limiting factors; more research is needed to confirm the findings before this treatment strategy can be recommended for clinical practice.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded by Genentech. Two authors reported financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies outside of this report.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

A combination of tocilizumab (Actemra) and 8 weeks of tapering prednisone was effective for inducing and maintaining disease remission in adults with giant cell arteritis (GCA).

METHODOLOGY:

• In a single-center, single-arm, open-label pilot study, 30 adults (mean age, 73.7 years) with GCA received 162 mg of tocilizumab as a subcutaneous injection once a week for 52 weeks, plus prednisone starting between 20 mg and 60 mg with a prespecified 8-week taper off the glucocorticoid.
• Patients had to be at least 50 years of age and could have either new-onset (diagnosis within 6 weeks of baseline) or relapsing disease (diagnosis > 6 weeks from baseline).
• The primary endpoint was sustained, prednisone-free remission at 52 weeks, defined by an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of less than 40 mm/h, C-reactive protein level less than 10 mg/L, and adherence to the prednisone taper; secondary endpoints included the proportions of patients in remission and relapse, cumulative prednisone dose, and glucocorticoid toxicity.

TAKEAWAY:

• At 52 weeks, 23 patients (77%) met the criteria for sustained remission after weaning off prednisone within 8 weeks of starting tocilizumab; 7 relapsed after a mean of 15.8 weeks.
• Of the patients who relapsed, six underwent a second prednisone taper for 8 weeks with a mean initial daily dose of 32.1 mg, four regained and maintained remission, and two experienced a second relapse and withdrew from the study.
• The mean cumulative prednisone dose at week 52 was 1,051.5 mg for responders and 1,673.1 mg for nonresponders.
• All 30 patients had at least one adverse event; four patients had a serious adverse event likely related to tocilizumab, prednisone, or both.

IN PRACTICE:

Studies such as this “are highly valuable as proof of concept, but of course cannot be definitive guides to treatment decisions without a comparator group,” according to authors of an editorial accompanying the study.

SOURCE:

The study, by Sebastian Unizony, MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues, was published in The Lancet Rheumatology .

LIMITATIONS:

The small size and open-label design with no control group were limiting factors; more research is needed to confirm the findings before this treatment strategy can be recommended for clinical practice.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded by Genentech. Two authors reported financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies outside of this report.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors is associated with a nearly fourfold increase in risk of acne compared with placebo, according to an analysis of 25 JAK inhibitor studies.

METHODOLOGY:

• Acne has been reported to be an adverse effect of JAK inhibitors, but not much is known about how common acne is overall and how incidence differs between different JAK inhibitors and the disease being treated.
• For the systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers identified 25 phase 2 or 3 randomized, controlled trials that reported acne as an adverse event associated with the use of JAK inhibitors.
• The study population included 10,839 participants (54% male, 46% female).
• The primary outcome was the incidence of acne following a period of JAK inhibitor use.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, the risk of acne was significantly higher among those treated with JAK inhibitors in comparison with patients given placebo in a pooled analysis (odds ratio [OR], 3.83).
• The risk of acne was highest with abrocitinib (OR, 13.47), followed by baricitinib (OR, 4.96), upadacitinib (OR, 4.79), deuruxolitinib (OR, 3.30), and deucravacitinib (OR, 2.64). By JAK inhibitor class, results were as follows: JAK1-specific inhibitors (OR, 4.69), combined JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors (OR, 3.43), and tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitors (OR, 2.64).
• In a subgroup analysis, risk of acne was higher among patients using JAK inhibitors for dermatologic conditions in comparison with those using JAK inhibitors for nondermatologic conditions (OR, 4.67 vs 1.18).
• Age and gender had no apparent impact on the effect of JAK inhibitor use on acne risk.

IN PRACTICE:

“The occurrence of acne following treatment with certain classes of JAK inhibitors is of potential concern, as this adverse effect may jeopardize treatment adherence among some patients,” the researchers wrote. More studies are needed “to characterize the underlying mechanism of acne with JAK inhibitor use and to identify best practices for treatment,” they added.

SOURCE:

The lead author was Jeremy Martinez, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, Boston. The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The review was limited by the variable classification and reporting of acne across studies, the potential exclusion of relevant studies, and the small number of studies for certain drugs.

DISCLOSURES:

The studies were mainly funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Martinez disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Several coauthors have ties with Dexcel Pharma Technologies, AbbVie, Concert, Pfizer, 3Derm Systems, Incyte, Aclaris, Eli Lilly, Concert, Equillium, ASLAN, ACOM, and Boehringer Ingelheim.
 

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors is associated with a nearly fourfold increase in risk of acne compared with placebo, according to an analysis of 25 JAK inhibitor studies.

METHODOLOGY:

• Acne has been reported to be an adverse effect of JAK inhibitors, but not much is known about how common acne is overall and how incidence differs between different JAK inhibitors and the disease being treated.
• For the systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers identified 25 phase 2 or 3 randomized, controlled trials that reported acne as an adverse event associated with the use of JAK inhibitors.
• The study population included 10,839 participants (54% male, 46% female).
• The primary outcome was the incidence of acne following a period of JAK inhibitor use.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, the risk of acne was significantly higher among those treated with JAK inhibitors in comparison with patients given placebo in a pooled analysis (odds ratio [OR], 3.83).
• The risk of acne was highest with abrocitinib (OR, 13.47), followed by baricitinib (OR, 4.96), upadacitinib (OR, 4.79), deuruxolitinib (OR, 3.30), and deucravacitinib (OR, 2.64). By JAK inhibitor class, results were as follows: JAK1-specific inhibitors (OR, 4.69), combined JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors (OR, 3.43), and tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitors (OR, 2.64).
• In a subgroup analysis, risk of acne was higher among patients using JAK inhibitors for dermatologic conditions in comparison with those using JAK inhibitors for nondermatologic conditions (OR, 4.67 vs 1.18).
• Age and gender had no apparent impact on the effect of JAK inhibitor use on acne risk.

IN PRACTICE:

“The occurrence of acne following treatment with certain classes of JAK inhibitors is of potential concern, as this adverse effect may jeopardize treatment adherence among some patients,” the researchers wrote. More studies are needed “to characterize the underlying mechanism of acne with JAK inhibitor use and to identify best practices for treatment,” they added.

SOURCE:

The lead author was Jeremy Martinez, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, Boston. The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The review was limited by the variable classification and reporting of acne across studies, the potential exclusion of relevant studies, and the small number of studies for certain drugs.

DISCLOSURES:

The studies were mainly funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Martinez disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Several coauthors have ties with Dexcel Pharma Technologies, AbbVie, Concert, Pfizer, 3Derm Systems, Incyte, Aclaris, Eli Lilly, Concert, Equillium, ASLAN, ACOM, and Boehringer Ingelheim.
 

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors is associated with a nearly fourfold increase in risk of acne compared with placebo, according to an analysis of 25 JAK inhibitor studies.

METHODOLOGY:

• Acne has been reported to be an adverse effect of JAK inhibitors, but not much is known about how common acne is overall and how incidence differs between different JAK inhibitors and the disease being treated.
• For the systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers identified 25 phase 2 or 3 randomized, controlled trials that reported acne as an adverse event associated with the use of JAK inhibitors.
• The study population included 10,839 participants (54% male, 46% female).
• The primary outcome was the incidence of acne following a period of JAK inhibitor use.

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, the risk of acne was significantly higher among those treated with JAK inhibitors in comparison with patients given placebo in a pooled analysis (odds ratio [OR], 3.83).
• The risk of acne was highest with abrocitinib (OR, 13.47), followed by baricitinib (OR, 4.96), upadacitinib (OR, 4.79), deuruxolitinib (OR, 3.30), and deucravacitinib (OR, 2.64). By JAK inhibitor class, results were as follows: JAK1-specific inhibitors (OR, 4.69), combined JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors (OR, 3.43), and tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitors (OR, 2.64).
• In a subgroup analysis, risk of acne was higher among patients using JAK inhibitors for dermatologic conditions in comparison with those using JAK inhibitors for nondermatologic conditions (OR, 4.67 vs 1.18).
• Age and gender had no apparent impact on the effect of JAK inhibitor use on acne risk.

IN PRACTICE:

“The occurrence of acne following treatment with certain classes of JAK inhibitors is of potential concern, as this adverse effect may jeopardize treatment adherence among some patients,” the researchers wrote. More studies are needed “to characterize the underlying mechanism of acne with JAK inhibitor use and to identify best practices for treatment,” they added.

SOURCE:

The lead author was Jeremy Martinez, MPH, of Harvard Medical School, Boston. The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The review was limited by the variable classification and reporting of acne across studies, the potential exclusion of relevant studies, and the small number of studies for certain drugs.

DISCLOSURES:

The studies were mainly funded by the pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Martinez disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Several coauthors have ties with Dexcel Pharma Technologies, AbbVie, Concert, Pfizer, 3Derm Systems, Incyte, Aclaris, Eli Lilly, Concert, Equillium, ASLAN, ACOM, and Boehringer Ingelheim.
 

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Popular new glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists require some pre-procedure considerations but not necessarily discontinuation of the drugs to support the success of endoscopic procedures, according to a new Clinical Practice Update from the American Gastroenterological Association.

Use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) has been associated with delayed gastric emptying, which raises a clinical concern about performing endoscopic procedures, especially upper endoscopies in patients using these medications, wrote Jana G. Al Hashash, MD, MSc, of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., and colleagues.

The Clinical Practice Update (CPU), published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, reviews the evidence and provides expert advice for clinicians on the evolving landscape of patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists prior to endoscopic procedures. The CPU reflects on the most recent literature and the experience of the authors, all experts in bariatric medicine and/or endoscopy.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) issued guidance that reflects concerns for the risk of aspiration in sedated patients because of delayed gastric motility from the use of GLP-1 RAs. The ASA advises patients on daily doses of GLP-1 RAs to refrain from taking the medications on the day of a procedure; those on weekly dosing should hold the drugs for a week prior to surgery.

However, the ASA suggestions do not differentiate based on the indication for the drug or for the type of procedure, and questions remain as to whether these changes are necessary and/or effective, the CPU authors said. The ASA’s guidance is based mainly on expert opinion, as not enough published evidence on this topic exists for a robust review and formal guideline, they added.

Recently, a multisociety statement from the AGA, AASLD, ACG, ASGE, and NASPGHAN noted that widespread implementation of the ASA guidance could be associated with unintended harms to patients.

Therefore, the AGA CPU suggests an individualized approach to managing patients on GLP-1 RAs in a pre-endoscopic setting.

For patients on GLP-1 RAs for diabetes management, discontinuing prior to endoscopic may not be worth the potential risk. Also, consider not only the dose and frequency of the GLP-1 RAs but also other comorbidities, medications, and potential gastrointestinal side effects.

“If patients taking GLP-1 RAs solely for weight loss can be identified beforehand, a dose of the medication could be withheld prior to endoscopy with likely little harm, though this should not be considered mandatory or evidence-based,” the CPU authors wrote.

However, withholding a single dose of medication may not be enough for an individual’s gastric motility to return to normal, the authors emphasized.

Additionally, the ASA’s suggestions for holding GLP-1 RAs add complexity to periprocedural medication management, which may strain resources and delay care.

The AGA CPU offers the following guidance for patients on GLP-1 RAs prior to endoscopy:

In general, patients using GLP-1 RAs who have followed the standard perioperative procedures, usually an 8-hour solid-food fast and 2-hour liquid fast, and who do not have symptoms such as ongoing nausea, vomiting, or abdominal distension should proceed with upper and/or lower endoscopy.

For symptomatic patients who may experience negative clinical consequences of endoscopy if delayed, consider rapid-sequence intubation, but the authors acknowledge that this option may not be possible in most ambulatory or office-based endoscopy settings.

Finally, consider placing patients on a liquid diet the day before a sedated procedure instead of stopping GLP-1 RAs; this strategy is “more consistent with the holistic approach to preprocedural management of other similar condi-tions,” the authors said.

The current CPU endorses the multi-society statement that puts patient safety first and encourages AGA members to follow best practices when performing endoscopies on patients who are using GLP-1 RAs, in the absence of actionable data, the authors concluded.

The Clinical Practice Update received no outside funding. Lead author Dr. Al Hashash had no financial conflicts to disclose.

Popular new glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists require some pre-procedure considerations but not necessarily discontinuation of the drugs to support the success of endoscopic procedures, according to a new Clinical Practice Update from the American Gastroenterological Association.

Use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) has been associated with delayed gastric emptying, which raises a clinical concern about performing endoscopic procedures, especially upper endoscopies in patients using these medications, wrote Jana G. Al Hashash, MD, MSc, of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., and colleagues.

The Clinical Practice Update (CPU), published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, reviews the evidence and provides expert advice for clinicians on the evolving landscape of patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists prior to endoscopic procedures. The CPU reflects on the most recent literature and the experience of the authors, all experts in bariatric medicine and/or endoscopy.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) issued guidance that reflects concerns for the risk of aspiration in sedated patients because of delayed gastric motility from the use of GLP-1 RAs. The ASA advises patients on daily doses of GLP-1 RAs to refrain from taking the medications on the day of a procedure; those on weekly dosing should hold the drugs for a week prior to surgery.

However, the ASA suggestions do not differentiate based on the indication for the drug or for the type of procedure, and questions remain as to whether these changes are necessary and/or effective, the CPU authors said. The ASA’s guidance is based mainly on expert opinion, as not enough published evidence on this topic exists for a robust review and formal guideline, they added.

Recently, a multisociety statement from the AGA, AASLD, ACG, ASGE, and NASPGHAN noted that widespread implementation of the ASA guidance could be associated with unintended harms to patients.

Therefore, the AGA CPU suggests an individualized approach to managing patients on GLP-1 RAs in a pre-endoscopic setting.

For patients on GLP-1 RAs for diabetes management, discontinuing prior to endoscopic may not be worth the potential risk. Also, consider not only the dose and frequency of the GLP-1 RAs but also other comorbidities, medications, and potential gastrointestinal side effects.

“If patients taking GLP-1 RAs solely for weight loss can be identified beforehand, a dose of the medication could be withheld prior to endoscopy with likely little harm, though this should not be considered mandatory or evidence-based,” the CPU authors wrote.

However, withholding a single dose of medication may not be enough for an individual’s gastric motility to return to normal, the authors emphasized.

Additionally, the ASA’s suggestions for holding GLP-1 RAs add complexity to periprocedural medication management, which may strain resources and delay care.

The AGA CPU offers the following guidance for patients on GLP-1 RAs prior to endoscopy:

In general, patients using GLP-1 RAs who have followed the standard perioperative procedures, usually an 8-hour solid-food fast and 2-hour liquid fast, and who do not have symptoms such as ongoing nausea, vomiting, or abdominal distension should proceed with upper and/or lower endoscopy.

For symptomatic patients who may experience negative clinical consequences of endoscopy if delayed, consider rapid-sequence intubation, but the authors acknowledge that this option may not be possible in most ambulatory or office-based endoscopy settings.

Finally, consider placing patients on a liquid diet the day before a sedated procedure instead of stopping GLP-1 RAs; this strategy is “more consistent with the holistic approach to preprocedural management of other similar condi-tions,” the authors said.

The current CPU endorses the multi-society statement that puts patient safety first and encourages AGA members to follow best practices when performing endoscopies on patients who are using GLP-1 RAs, in the absence of actionable data, the authors concluded.

The Clinical Practice Update received no outside funding. Lead author Dr. Al Hashash had no financial conflicts to disclose.

Popular new glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists require some pre-procedure considerations but not necessarily discontinuation of the drugs to support the success of endoscopic procedures, according to a new Clinical Practice Update from the American Gastroenterological Association.

Use of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) has been associated with delayed gastric emptying, which raises a clinical concern about performing endoscopic procedures, especially upper endoscopies in patients using these medications, wrote Jana G. Al Hashash, MD, MSc, of the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla., and colleagues.

The Clinical Practice Update (CPU), published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, reviews the evidence and provides expert advice for clinicians on the evolving landscape of patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists prior to endoscopic procedures. The CPU reflects on the most recent literature and the experience of the authors, all experts in bariatric medicine and/or endoscopy.

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) issued guidance that reflects concerns for the risk of aspiration in sedated patients because of delayed gastric motility from the use of GLP-1 RAs. The ASA advises patients on daily doses of GLP-1 RAs to refrain from taking the medications on the day of a procedure; those on weekly dosing should hold the drugs for a week prior to surgery.

However, the ASA suggestions do not differentiate based on the indication for the drug or for the type of procedure, and questions remain as to whether these changes are necessary and/or effective, the CPU authors said. The ASA’s guidance is based mainly on expert opinion, as not enough published evidence on this topic exists for a robust review and formal guideline, they added.

Recently, a multisociety statement from the AGA, AASLD, ACG, ASGE, and NASPGHAN noted that widespread implementation of the ASA guidance could be associated with unintended harms to patients.

Therefore, the AGA CPU suggests an individualized approach to managing patients on GLP-1 RAs in a pre-endoscopic setting.

For patients on GLP-1 RAs for diabetes management, discontinuing prior to endoscopic may not be worth the potential risk. Also, consider not only the dose and frequency of the GLP-1 RAs but also other comorbidities, medications, and potential gastrointestinal side effects.

“If patients taking GLP-1 RAs solely for weight loss can be identified beforehand, a dose of the medication could be withheld prior to endoscopy with likely little harm, though this should not be considered mandatory or evidence-based,” the CPU authors wrote.

However, withholding a single dose of medication may not be enough for an individual’s gastric motility to return to normal, the authors emphasized.

Additionally, the ASA’s suggestions for holding GLP-1 RAs add complexity to periprocedural medication management, which may strain resources and delay care.

The AGA CPU offers the following guidance for patients on GLP-1 RAs prior to endoscopy:

In general, patients using GLP-1 RAs who have followed the standard perioperative procedures, usually an 8-hour solid-food fast and 2-hour liquid fast, and who do not have symptoms such as ongoing nausea, vomiting, or abdominal distension should proceed with upper and/or lower endoscopy.

For symptomatic patients who may experience negative clinical consequences of endoscopy if delayed, consider rapid-sequence intubation, but the authors acknowledge that this option may not be possible in most ambulatory or office-based endoscopy settings.

Finally, consider placing patients on a liquid diet the day before a sedated procedure instead of stopping GLP-1 RAs; this strategy is “more consistent with the holistic approach to preprocedural management of other similar condi-tions,” the authors said.

The current CPU endorses the multi-society statement that puts patient safety first and encourages AGA members to follow best practices when performing endoscopies on patients who are using GLP-1 RAs, in the absence of actionable data, the authors concluded.

The Clinical Practice Update received no outside funding. Lead author Dr. Al Hashash had no financial conflicts to disclose.

Phytoestrogens show potential as a treatment for menopausal women with late-onset asthma that may relieve symptoms of both conditions, according to a new review.

Fluctuations in female sex steroid hormones during menstrual periods have been linked to asthma exacerbations, and the absence of these hormones during childhood and menopause has been associated with fewer and less severe asthma episodes, wrote Bettina Sommer, PhD, of the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico City, and colleagues.

Late-onset asthma (LOA) has been categorized as a specific asthmatic phenotype that includes menopausal women, and research is needed to explore therapeutic alternatives that might provide relief to older women suffering from LOA, they said.

In a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the researchers outlined the potential of phytoestrogens to manage LOA as well as symptoms of menopause.

LOA is often nonatopic and distinguished by a lack of eosinophilic inflammation; it is also associated with obesity and pollutants such as cigarette smoke. LOA is more common in women versus men, and develops between ages 27 and 65 years, the researchers wrote. Very late-onset asthma, which develops in women aged 65 years and older, is related to low levels of total lack of circulating estrogens.

Previous studies have shown that hormone therapy reduces the risk of LOA in menopausal women, but concerns about side effects persist. Phytochemicals offer a low-risk alternative, but phytoestrogen-based hormone therapy and its role in LOA have not been well studied, the researchers wrote.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) have two intracellular isoforms, alpha and beta. “Notably, the literature sustains that ERs expression differs between asthmatics and nonasthmatics,” and mainly the beta ERs are up-regulated in asthma or during inflammations, the researchers said. Phytoestrogens activate ER and benefit postmenopausal women, especially those with asthma, in addition to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Studies using mouse models have shown that E2 phytoestrogen supplementation in mice both increases the expression of antioxidant enzymes and reduces inflammation, according to the researchers. Age-related changes in hormonal statues, immunology, and systemic inflammation may predispose older adults to more infections and asthma exacerbations, but also might drive the development of LOA.

As another example of potential connections between phytoestrogen and asthma, phytoestrogen’s action on an estrogen receptor, notably the beta-ER, was associated with lowered airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model, and beta-ER knockout mice showed reduced lung function, compared with wild-type and alpha-ER knockout mice.

More research is needed, but novel therapies using phytoestrogens offer an added advantage to older women with LOA by potentially easing some menopause symptoms with fewer side effects than other options, the researchers wrote. “They may also contribute to more efficient responses to infection and inflammation leading menopausal women to a much better quality of life.”

The study was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.


 

Phytoestrogens show potential as a treatment for menopausal women with late-onset asthma that may relieve symptoms of both conditions, according to a new review.

Fluctuations in female sex steroid hormones during menstrual periods have been linked to asthma exacerbations, and the absence of these hormones during childhood and menopause has been associated with fewer and less severe asthma episodes, wrote Bettina Sommer, PhD, of the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico City, and colleagues.

Late-onset asthma (LOA) has been categorized as a specific asthmatic phenotype that includes menopausal women, and research is needed to explore therapeutic alternatives that might provide relief to older women suffering from LOA, they said.

In a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the researchers outlined the potential of phytoestrogens to manage LOA as well as symptoms of menopause.

LOA is often nonatopic and distinguished by a lack of eosinophilic inflammation; it is also associated with obesity and pollutants such as cigarette smoke. LOA is more common in women versus men, and develops between ages 27 and 65 years, the researchers wrote. Very late-onset asthma, which develops in women aged 65 years and older, is related to low levels of total lack of circulating estrogens.

Previous studies have shown that hormone therapy reduces the risk of LOA in menopausal women, but concerns about side effects persist. Phytochemicals offer a low-risk alternative, but phytoestrogen-based hormone therapy and its role in LOA have not been well studied, the researchers wrote.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) have two intracellular isoforms, alpha and beta. “Notably, the literature sustains that ERs expression differs between asthmatics and nonasthmatics,” and mainly the beta ERs are up-regulated in asthma or during inflammations, the researchers said. Phytoestrogens activate ER and benefit postmenopausal women, especially those with asthma, in addition to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Studies using mouse models have shown that E2 phytoestrogen supplementation in mice both increases the expression of antioxidant enzymes and reduces inflammation, according to the researchers. Age-related changes in hormonal statues, immunology, and systemic inflammation may predispose older adults to more infections and asthma exacerbations, but also might drive the development of LOA.

As another example of potential connections between phytoestrogen and asthma, phytoestrogen’s action on an estrogen receptor, notably the beta-ER, was associated with lowered airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model, and beta-ER knockout mice showed reduced lung function, compared with wild-type and alpha-ER knockout mice.

More research is needed, but novel therapies using phytoestrogens offer an added advantage to older women with LOA by potentially easing some menopause symptoms with fewer side effects than other options, the researchers wrote. “They may also contribute to more efficient responses to infection and inflammation leading menopausal women to a much better quality of life.”

The study was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.


 

Phytoestrogens show potential as a treatment for menopausal women with late-onset asthma that may relieve symptoms of both conditions, according to a new review.

Fluctuations in female sex steroid hormones during menstrual periods have been linked to asthma exacerbations, and the absence of these hormones during childhood and menopause has been associated with fewer and less severe asthma episodes, wrote Bettina Sommer, PhD, of the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Mexico City, and colleagues.

Late-onset asthma (LOA) has been categorized as a specific asthmatic phenotype that includes menopausal women, and research is needed to explore therapeutic alternatives that might provide relief to older women suffering from LOA, they said.

In a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the researchers outlined the potential of phytoestrogens to manage LOA as well as symptoms of menopause.

LOA is often nonatopic and distinguished by a lack of eosinophilic inflammation; it is also associated with obesity and pollutants such as cigarette smoke. LOA is more common in women versus men, and develops between ages 27 and 65 years, the researchers wrote. Very late-onset asthma, which develops in women aged 65 years and older, is related to low levels of total lack of circulating estrogens.

Previous studies have shown that hormone therapy reduces the risk of LOA in menopausal women, but concerns about side effects persist. Phytochemicals offer a low-risk alternative, but phytoestrogen-based hormone therapy and its role in LOA have not been well studied, the researchers wrote.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) have two intracellular isoforms, alpha and beta. “Notably, the literature sustains that ERs expression differs between asthmatics and nonasthmatics,” and mainly the beta ERs are up-regulated in asthma or during inflammations, the researchers said. Phytoestrogens activate ER and benefit postmenopausal women, especially those with asthma, in addition to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Studies using mouse models have shown that E2 phytoestrogen supplementation in mice both increases the expression of antioxidant enzymes and reduces inflammation, according to the researchers. Age-related changes in hormonal statues, immunology, and systemic inflammation may predispose older adults to more infections and asthma exacerbations, but also might drive the development of LOA.

As another example of potential connections between phytoestrogen and asthma, phytoestrogen’s action on an estrogen receptor, notably the beta-ER, was associated with lowered airway hyperresponsiveness in a mouse model, and beta-ER knockout mice showed reduced lung function, compared with wild-type and alpha-ER knockout mice.

More research is needed, but novel therapies using phytoestrogens offer an added advantage to older women with LOA by potentially easing some menopause symptoms with fewer side effects than other options, the researchers wrote. “They may also contribute to more efficient responses to infection and inflammation leading menopausal women to a much better quality of life.”

The study was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica, and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.


 

Children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome showed significantly reduced nasal ventilation function, compared with healthy controls, based on data from more than 200 individuals.

Previous research has shown an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patients with compromised nasal respiration, but the association between increased nasal resistance (NR) and OSAS in children is controversial and remains unclear, wrote Ying Pang, MD, of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China, and colleagues.

In a study published in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, the researchers enrolled 109 children aged 6-12 years with OSAS and 116 healthy control children, with the goal of examining the role of nasal ventilation function on OSAS. Participants underwent acoustic rhinometry (AR) following polysomnography, and measurements of the nasal minimal cross-sectional area (NMCA) were taken in 3 segments, as were nasal cavity volume (NCV) from 0 cm to 5 cm, nasopharyngeal volume (NPV) from 6 cm to 8 cm, and distance of the minimal cross-sectional area to the nostril (DCAN). The children also underwent NR testing in both nostrils while awake and lying in a supine position.

Overall, the NR of children with OSAS were significantly higher than that of controls (P < .05). For AR, children with OSAS had significantly lower measures of NMCA, NCV, and NPV, but DCAN values were between the groups. Both AR and NR measures were similar among children with mild, moderate, or severe OSAS.

A subset of 90 children with mild or moderate OSAS were treated with intranasal corticosteroids (ICS) and oral montelukast for 12 weeks. Of these, 69 completed the study and were divided into three groups: effectively cured (group A), successfully treated (group B), and treatment failure (group C). The researchers compared the size of the tonsil adenoids, the polysomnography, NR, and AR before and after treatment and found significant differences in NR, NMCA, and NCV for the A and B groups but no significant changes in DCAN following treatment.

For group A, treatment was associated with a significant reduction in adenoid size and increase in NPV, but these changes did not occur in group B.

The findings were limited by several factors, including the small sample size and measurement of NR when patients were awake and sitting upright, and larger studies are needed to confirm the results, the researchers noted.

However, the results suggest that NVF plays a role in the pathogenesis of OSAS in children and suggest a need to improve NVF in treating these patients they concluded.

This study was supported by the Medical Project of Chongqing Municipal Science and Health Bureau of China. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

Children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome showed significantly reduced nasal ventilation function, compared with healthy controls, based on data from more than 200 individuals.

Previous research has shown an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patients with compromised nasal respiration, but the association between increased nasal resistance (NR) and OSAS in children is controversial and remains unclear, wrote Ying Pang, MD, of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China, and colleagues.

In a study published in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, the researchers enrolled 109 children aged 6-12 years with OSAS and 116 healthy control children, with the goal of examining the role of nasal ventilation function on OSAS. Participants underwent acoustic rhinometry (AR) following polysomnography, and measurements of the nasal minimal cross-sectional area (NMCA) were taken in 3 segments, as were nasal cavity volume (NCV) from 0 cm to 5 cm, nasopharyngeal volume (NPV) from 6 cm to 8 cm, and distance of the minimal cross-sectional area to the nostril (DCAN). The children also underwent NR testing in both nostrils while awake and lying in a supine position.

Overall, the NR of children with OSAS were significantly higher than that of controls (P < .05). For AR, children with OSAS had significantly lower measures of NMCA, NCV, and NPV, but DCAN values were between the groups. Both AR and NR measures were similar among children with mild, moderate, or severe OSAS.

A subset of 90 children with mild or moderate OSAS were treated with intranasal corticosteroids (ICS) and oral montelukast for 12 weeks. Of these, 69 completed the study and were divided into three groups: effectively cured (group A), successfully treated (group B), and treatment failure (group C). The researchers compared the size of the tonsil adenoids, the polysomnography, NR, and AR before and after treatment and found significant differences in NR, NMCA, and NCV for the A and B groups but no significant changes in DCAN following treatment.

For group A, treatment was associated with a significant reduction in adenoid size and increase in NPV, but these changes did not occur in group B.

The findings were limited by several factors, including the small sample size and measurement of NR when patients were awake and sitting upright, and larger studies are needed to confirm the results, the researchers noted.

However, the results suggest that NVF plays a role in the pathogenesis of OSAS in children and suggest a need to improve NVF in treating these patients they concluded.

This study was supported by the Medical Project of Chongqing Municipal Science and Health Bureau of China. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

Children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome showed significantly reduced nasal ventilation function, compared with healthy controls, based on data from more than 200 individuals.

Previous research has shown an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patients with compromised nasal respiration, but the association between increased nasal resistance (NR) and OSAS in children is controversial and remains unclear, wrote Ying Pang, MD, of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China, and colleagues.

In a study published in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, the researchers enrolled 109 children aged 6-12 years with OSAS and 116 healthy control children, with the goal of examining the role of nasal ventilation function on OSAS. Participants underwent acoustic rhinometry (AR) following polysomnography, and measurements of the nasal minimal cross-sectional area (NMCA) were taken in 3 segments, as were nasal cavity volume (NCV) from 0 cm to 5 cm, nasopharyngeal volume (NPV) from 6 cm to 8 cm, and distance of the minimal cross-sectional area to the nostril (DCAN). The children also underwent NR testing in both nostrils while awake and lying in a supine position.

Overall, the NR of children with OSAS were significantly higher than that of controls (P < .05). For AR, children with OSAS had significantly lower measures of NMCA, NCV, and NPV, but DCAN values were between the groups. Both AR and NR measures were similar among children with mild, moderate, or severe OSAS.

A subset of 90 children with mild or moderate OSAS were treated with intranasal corticosteroids (ICS) and oral montelukast for 12 weeks. Of these, 69 completed the study and were divided into three groups: effectively cured (group A), successfully treated (group B), and treatment failure (group C). The researchers compared the size of the tonsil adenoids, the polysomnography, NR, and AR before and after treatment and found significant differences in NR, NMCA, and NCV for the A and B groups but no significant changes in DCAN following treatment.

For group A, treatment was associated with a significant reduction in adenoid size and increase in NPV, but these changes did not occur in group B.

The findings were limited by several factors, including the small sample size and measurement of NR when patients were awake and sitting upright, and larger studies are needed to confirm the results, the researchers noted.

However, the results suggest that NVF plays a role in the pathogenesis of OSAS in children and suggest a need to improve NVF in treating these patients they concluded.

This study was supported by the Medical Project of Chongqing Municipal Science and Health Bureau of China. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

TOPLINE:

Strength training at any point in life is associated with a lower risk of knee pain and osteoarthritis, contrary to persistent assumptions of adverse effects.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers reviewed data on strength training and knee pain from 2,607 adults. They used the Historical Physical Activity Survey Instrument to assess the impact of strength training during four periods (ages 12-18 years, 19-34 years, 35-49 years, and 50 years and older).
• The participants were enrolled in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study; 44% were male, the average age was 64.3 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.5 kg/m².
• Strength training was defined as those exposed and not exposed, as well as divided into low, medium, and high tertiles for those exposed. A total of 818 individuals were exposed to strength training, and 1,789 were not exposed to strength training.
• The primary outcomes were frequent knee pain, radiographic OA (ROA), and symptomatic radiographic OA (SOA).

TAKEAWAY:

• The study is the first to examine the effect of strength training on knee health in a community population sample not selected for a history of elite weight lifting.
• Overall, strength training at any point in life was associated with lower incidence of frequent knee pain, ROA, and SOA, compared with no strength training (odds ratios, 0.82, 0.83, and 0.77, respectively).
• When separated by tertiles, only the high-exposure group had significantly reduced odds of frequent knee pain, ROA, and SOA, with odds ratios of 0.74, 0.70, and 0.69, respectively. A dose-response relationship appeared for all three conditions, with the lowest odds ratios in the highest strength training exposure groups.
• Findings were similar for different age ranges, but the association between strength training and less frequent knee pain, less ROA, and less SOA was strongest in the older age groups.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our findings support the idea that the medical community should proactively encourage more people to participate in strength training to help reduce their risk of osteoarthritis and other chronic conditions,” the researchers write.

SOURCE:

The study, with first author Grace H. Lo, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues, was published in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The observational design and self-selected study population of strength training participants might bias the results, including participants’ recall of their activity level levels and changes in exercise trends over time. More research is needed to explore associations between strength training and knee OA among those who started strength training at a younger age.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded in part by the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, and by donations to the Tupper Research Fund at Tufts Medical Center. The Osteoarthritis Initiative is supported by the National Institutes of Health; private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer. Three authors report having financial relationships with multiple pharmaceutical companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Strength training at any point in life is associated with a lower risk of knee pain and osteoarthritis, contrary to persistent assumptions of adverse effects.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers reviewed data on strength training and knee pain from 2,607 adults. They used the Historical Physical Activity Survey Instrument to assess the impact of strength training during four periods (ages 12-18 years, 19-34 years, 35-49 years, and 50 years and older).
• The participants were enrolled in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study; 44% were male, the average age was 64.3 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.5 kg/m².
• Strength training was defined as those exposed and not exposed, as well as divided into low, medium, and high tertiles for those exposed. A total of 818 individuals were exposed to strength training, and 1,789 were not exposed to strength training.
• The primary outcomes were frequent knee pain, radiographic OA (ROA), and symptomatic radiographic OA (SOA).

TAKEAWAY:

• The study is the first to examine the effect of strength training on knee health in a community population sample not selected for a history of elite weight lifting.
• Overall, strength training at any point in life was associated with lower incidence of frequent knee pain, ROA, and SOA, compared with no strength training (odds ratios, 0.82, 0.83, and 0.77, respectively).
• When separated by tertiles, only the high-exposure group had significantly reduced odds of frequent knee pain, ROA, and SOA, with odds ratios of 0.74, 0.70, and 0.69, respectively. A dose-response relationship appeared for all three conditions, with the lowest odds ratios in the highest strength training exposure groups.
• Findings were similar for different age ranges, but the association between strength training and less frequent knee pain, less ROA, and less SOA was strongest in the older age groups.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our findings support the idea that the medical community should proactively encourage more people to participate in strength training to help reduce their risk of osteoarthritis and other chronic conditions,” the researchers write.

SOURCE:

The study, with first author Grace H. Lo, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues, was published in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The observational design and self-selected study population of strength training participants might bias the results, including participants’ recall of their activity level levels and changes in exercise trends over time. More research is needed to explore associations between strength training and knee OA among those who started strength training at a younger age.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded in part by the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, and by donations to the Tupper Research Fund at Tufts Medical Center. The Osteoarthritis Initiative is supported by the National Institutes of Health; private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer. Three authors report having financial relationships with multiple pharmaceutical companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

TOPLINE:

Strength training at any point in life is associated with a lower risk of knee pain and osteoarthritis, contrary to persistent assumptions of adverse effects.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers reviewed data on strength training and knee pain from 2,607 adults. They used the Historical Physical Activity Survey Instrument to assess the impact of strength training during four periods (ages 12-18 years, 19-34 years, 35-49 years, and 50 years and older).
• The participants were enrolled in the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study; 44% were male, the average age was 64.3 years, and the mean body mass index was 28.5 kg/m².
• Strength training was defined as those exposed and not exposed, as well as divided into low, medium, and high tertiles for those exposed. A total of 818 individuals were exposed to strength training, and 1,789 were not exposed to strength training.
• The primary outcomes were frequent knee pain, radiographic OA (ROA), and symptomatic radiographic OA (SOA).

TAKEAWAY:

• The study is the first to examine the effect of strength training on knee health in a community population sample not selected for a history of elite weight lifting.
• Overall, strength training at any point in life was associated with lower incidence of frequent knee pain, ROA, and SOA, compared with no strength training (odds ratios, 0.82, 0.83, and 0.77, respectively).
• When separated by tertiles, only the high-exposure group had significantly reduced odds of frequent knee pain, ROA, and SOA, with odds ratios of 0.74, 0.70, and 0.69, respectively. A dose-response relationship appeared for all three conditions, with the lowest odds ratios in the highest strength training exposure groups.
• Findings were similar for different age ranges, but the association between strength training and less frequent knee pain, less ROA, and less SOA was strongest in the older age groups.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our findings support the idea that the medical community should proactively encourage more people to participate in strength training to help reduce their risk of osteoarthritis and other chronic conditions,” the researchers write.

SOURCE:

The study, with first author Grace H. Lo, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues, was published in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The observational design and self-selected study population of strength training participants might bias the results, including participants’ recall of their activity level levels and changes in exercise trends over time. More research is needed to explore associations between strength training and knee OA among those who started strength training at a younger age.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded in part by the VA Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, and by donations to the Tupper Research Fund at Tufts Medical Center. The Osteoarthritis Initiative is supported by the National Institutes of Health; private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer. Three authors report having financial relationships with multiple pharmaceutical companies.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

WASHINGTON – Online vendors of nicotine toothpicks rarely verify the age of purchasers, whereas brick-and-mortar stores are more likely to ask for ID, according to a study of 77 stores and 16 online sites.

Online nicotine toothpick sales are “the Wild West” in terms of regulation, said Abhijeet Grewal, a research assistant at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, N.Y., who presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Nicotine toothpicks have become popular among teenagers as a relatively inconspicuous way to access the drug, Mr. Grewal said. The nicotine content of the toothpicks varies, but many contain as much as 2-3 mg per pick compared with the 1.1-1.8–mg amount inhaled per the average cigarette, he said. The cheap price and teen-friendly flavors like cherry and mocha add to the appeal of the picks. However, data on the marketplace and accessibility of these products are lacking, Mr. Grewal said.

To find out how easily youth can buy nicotine toothpicks through in-person and online channels, Mr. Grewal and colleagues identified and called 404 brick-and-mortar retailers across the United States by phone and asked whether they required ID for purchase of nicotine toothpicks; of the 77 locations that responded, only 1 said that they would sell nicotine toothpicks without asking for proof of age.

The researchers also collected data on 16 vendor websites that sold nicotine toothpicks with shipment to the United States (identified from pixotine.com).

Overall, 11 sites (69%) prompted users to confirm that they were aged 21 years or older to either view the site or place orders, but 12 sites (75%) required no formal method of verification.

Warnings or disclaimers, such as “nicotine is an addictive chemical,” appeared on 69% of sites. Marketing statements including terms such as “discreet” and “cost-effective” to describe the toothpicks, Mr. Grewal said, and online reviews endorsed the products as “convenient” and “rich in flavor.”

The sites in the study offered a total of 32 different flavors, Mr. Grewal said, and 44% of the sites offered some type of discount on prices, which land in the range of approximately $5 for a tube of 20 toothpicks.

Nicotine toothpicks and flavored toothpicks without nicotine were originally marketed as smoking cessation aids, said Mr. Grewal, but their low price point and ability to be consumed discreetly makes them appealing to teens for nicotine use in many environments.

More research is needed to characterize youth use of nicotine toothpick products, as well as purchasing patterns, he said. However, the results highlight the need for regulation of nicotine toothpick vendors to protect youth from accessing nicotine in this form, he said.
 

Ask adolescents about toothpicks

“While nicotine replacement therapy [NRT] products may be an effective way for people to quit smoking, these products have the potential to introduce minors to nicotine in a seemingly innocent way resulting in dependence,” senior author Ruth Milanaik, DO, also of Cohen Children’s Medical Center, said in an interview. “Many children are intrigued by these fun flavored products, and our team was interested in examining the availability of these products to minors.”

Overall, “our team was quite pleased with brick-and-mortar stores’ spoken requirements of age verification for purchase, and quite worried about the availability of nic picks through online vendors,” she continued.

Clinicians, educators, and parents should be aware of the existence of nicotine toothpicks and the ease with which minors can attain them through online vendors, Dr. Milanaik said. “While NRT is a part of smoking cessation programs, nicotine toothpicks should not be used by minors without clinical reasons,” she said. “The innocuous and innocent nature of these toothpicks may entice minors to try and regularly use these without regard to future dependence.”

The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

WASHINGTON – Online vendors of nicotine toothpicks rarely verify the age of purchasers, whereas brick-and-mortar stores are more likely to ask for ID, according to a study of 77 stores and 16 online sites.

Online nicotine toothpick sales are “the Wild West” in terms of regulation, said Abhijeet Grewal, a research assistant at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, N.Y., who presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Nicotine toothpicks have become popular among teenagers as a relatively inconspicuous way to access the drug, Mr. Grewal said. The nicotine content of the toothpicks varies, but many contain as much as 2-3 mg per pick compared with the 1.1-1.8–mg amount inhaled per the average cigarette, he said. The cheap price and teen-friendly flavors like cherry and mocha add to the appeal of the picks. However, data on the marketplace and accessibility of these products are lacking, Mr. Grewal said.

To find out how easily youth can buy nicotine toothpicks through in-person and online channels, Mr. Grewal and colleagues identified and called 404 brick-and-mortar retailers across the United States by phone and asked whether they required ID for purchase of nicotine toothpicks; of the 77 locations that responded, only 1 said that they would sell nicotine toothpicks without asking for proof of age.

The researchers also collected data on 16 vendor websites that sold nicotine toothpicks with shipment to the United States (identified from pixotine.com).

Overall, 11 sites (69%) prompted users to confirm that they were aged 21 years or older to either view the site or place orders, but 12 sites (75%) required no formal method of verification.

Warnings or disclaimers, such as “nicotine is an addictive chemical,” appeared on 69% of sites. Marketing statements including terms such as “discreet” and “cost-effective” to describe the toothpicks, Mr. Grewal said, and online reviews endorsed the products as “convenient” and “rich in flavor.”

The sites in the study offered a total of 32 different flavors, Mr. Grewal said, and 44% of the sites offered some type of discount on prices, which land in the range of approximately $5 for a tube of 20 toothpicks.

Nicotine toothpicks and flavored toothpicks without nicotine were originally marketed as smoking cessation aids, said Mr. Grewal, but their low price point and ability to be consumed discreetly makes them appealing to teens for nicotine use in many environments.

More research is needed to characterize youth use of nicotine toothpick products, as well as purchasing patterns, he said. However, the results highlight the need for regulation of nicotine toothpick vendors to protect youth from accessing nicotine in this form, he said.
 

Ask adolescents about toothpicks

“While nicotine replacement therapy [NRT] products may be an effective way for people to quit smoking, these products have the potential to introduce minors to nicotine in a seemingly innocent way resulting in dependence,” senior author Ruth Milanaik, DO, also of Cohen Children’s Medical Center, said in an interview. “Many children are intrigued by these fun flavored products, and our team was interested in examining the availability of these products to minors.”

Overall, “our team was quite pleased with brick-and-mortar stores’ spoken requirements of age verification for purchase, and quite worried about the availability of nic picks through online vendors,” she continued.

Clinicians, educators, and parents should be aware of the existence of nicotine toothpicks and the ease with which minors can attain them through online vendors, Dr. Milanaik said. “While NRT is a part of smoking cessation programs, nicotine toothpicks should not be used by minors without clinical reasons,” she said. “The innocuous and innocent nature of these toothpicks may entice minors to try and regularly use these without regard to future dependence.”

The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

WASHINGTON – Online vendors of nicotine toothpicks rarely verify the age of purchasers, whereas brick-and-mortar stores are more likely to ask for ID, according to a study of 77 stores and 16 online sites.

Online nicotine toothpick sales are “the Wild West” in terms of regulation, said Abhijeet Grewal, a research assistant at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, N.Y., who presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Nicotine toothpicks have become popular among teenagers as a relatively inconspicuous way to access the drug, Mr. Grewal said. The nicotine content of the toothpicks varies, but many contain as much as 2-3 mg per pick compared with the 1.1-1.8–mg amount inhaled per the average cigarette, he said. The cheap price and teen-friendly flavors like cherry and mocha add to the appeal of the picks. However, data on the marketplace and accessibility of these products are lacking, Mr. Grewal said.

To find out how easily youth can buy nicotine toothpicks through in-person and online channels, Mr. Grewal and colleagues identified and called 404 brick-and-mortar retailers across the United States by phone and asked whether they required ID for purchase of nicotine toothpicks; of the 77 locations that responded, only 1 said that they would sell nicotine toothpicks without asking for proof of age.

The researchers also collected data on 16 vendor websites that sold nicotine toothpicks with shipment to the United States (identified from pixotine.com).

Overall, 11 sites (69%) prompted users to confirm that they were aged 21 years or older to either view the site or place orders, but 12 sites (75%) required no formal method of verification.

Warnings or disclaimers, such as “nicotine is an addictive chemical,” appeared on 69% of sites. Marketing statements including terms such as “discreet” and “cost-effective” to describe the toothpicks, Mr. Grewal said, and online reviews endorsed the products as “convenient” and “rich in flavor.”

The sites in the study offered a total of 32 different flavors, Mr. Grewal said, and 44% of the sites offered some type of discount on prices, which land in the range of approximately $5 for a tube of 20 toothpicks.

Nicotine toothpicks and flavored toothpicks without nicotine were originally marketed as smoking cessation aids, said Mr. Grewal, but their low price point and ability to be consumed discreetly makes them appealing to teens for nicotine use in many environments.

More research is needed to characterize youth use of nicotine toothpick products, as well as purchasing patterns, he said. However, the results highlight the need for regulation of nicotine toothpick vendors to protect youth from accessing nicotine in this form, he said.
 

Ask adolescents about toothpicks

“While nicotine replacement therapy [NRT] products may be an effective way for people to quit smoking, these products have the potential to introduce minors to nicotine in a seemingly innocent way resulting in dependence,” senior author Ruth Milanaik, DO, also of Cohen Children’s Medical Center, said in an interview. “Many children are intrigued by these fun flavored products, and our team was interested in examining the availability of these products to minors.”

Overall, “our team was quite pleased with brick-and-mortar stores’ spoken requirements of age verification for purchase, and quite worried about the availability of nic picks through online vendors,” she continued.

Clinicians, educators, and parents should be aware of the existence of nicotine toothpicks and the ease with which minors can attain them through online vendors, Dr. Milanaik said. “While NRT is a part of smoking cessation programs, nicotine toothpicks should not be used by minors without clinical reasons,” she said. “The innocuous and innocent nature of these toothpicks may entice minors to try and regularly use these without regard to future dependence.”

The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.