Whether your retirement is off in the distance or just over the horizon, eventually you will have to decide when to start drawing your Social Security benefits. That decision will have a significant effect on your financial future. The more you know about your options, the better your chance for making the decision that is right for you.
Despite urging from President Obama, both houses of Congress went home for their August break without passing any version of healthcare reform. All facets of reform appear to be on the table still, while the proposals being considered have a multitude of interpretations.
People and their pets are often said to take on the morphology and mannerisms of each other over time. Regardless of whether that is true, it's clear that they do come to share diseases, and, increasingly, that means methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA).
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared H1N1 a Phase 6 pandemic on June 11, 2009, but that doesn't mean the illness is severe - just new and widespread.
Multiple basal cell carcinomas of several different types can also occur in the same patient, as seen in a recent case study.
The evidence linking psoriasis to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease is overwhelming, classifying psoriasis as a systemic disease and not simply a disease of the skin.
Ft. Myers, Fla. - NeoGenomics, a provider of cancer genetics testing services, announced that it has entered into a Strategic Supply Agreement with Abbott. The agreement provides for Abbott to supply materials for NeoGenomics to develop its own FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization)-based test for the diagnosis of melanoma.
Sheffield, England - New research data demonstrates that mild, moderate and potent strengths of topical corticosteroids (TCS) cause a thinning of the stratum corneum, particularly when applied for longer periods of time, whereas topical calcineurin inhibitors show no negative change in the integrity of the skin barrier.
High Point, N.C. - The public is being inundated with advertisements about expensive topical agents that purport to have anti-aging properties. However, dermatologists can help their patients be savvy consumers by demystifying the manufacturers? claims.
Wonju, South Korea - While high-dose UVB is detrimental to the epidermal permeability barrier, low-dose UVB can be therapeutic in mending a defective epidermal barrier and antimicrobial function, such as in atopic dermatitis, according to one dermatologist.
Because no single cosmeceutical agent is likely to satisfy a patient's entire wish list, an expert recommends combining cosmeceutical ingredients, particularly those backed by solid research.
Mohs surgery of the scalp requires careful excision, tissue processing and closures, keeping in mind the intricacies of scalp anatomy, an expert says.
A clinical trial evaluating neck rejuvenation using an ablative fractional CO2 laser showed all patients (n = 13) achieved at least 25 percent improvement in rhytids, crepe-like skin, neck tightness, and pigmentation. There were no problems with scarring or pigmentary changes.
Las Vegas - Although some recent animal research and human case reports have spurred concerns regarding the safety of Botox Cosmetic (botulinum toxin A, Allergan), one of the product's pioneers says that Botox remains safe when used as directed for cosmetic indications.
Botulinum toxin type A (Botox Allergan) is the gold standard to treat axillary hyperhidrosis, but it also can be administered to treat palmar hyperhidrosis or plantar hyperhidrosis. In very rare instances, it can be used to treat the mid-face. There is not a standard dosing schedule in using botulinum toxin type A to treat hyperhidrosis.
Mohs surgery of the scalp requires careful excision, tissue processing and closures, keeping in mind the intricacies of scalp anatomy, an expert says.
For treating difficult pigmentary disorders, an expert recommends combining the best of standard treatments with promising newer agents and modalities.
Increased mobility and, therefore, availability of protons are one of the cornerstone mechanisms that increase the effectiveness of the Enerpeel peeling systems.
Augusta, Ga. - A new technique for soft-tissue suture lifting in the face is an alternative to the minimally invasive facelift. The technique uses clear, modified polypropylene with bio-absorbable cones and multiple point fixations, says Gloria Mabel Gamboa, M.D., F.A.C.S., associate professor at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga.
Washington - Over the next five years, fractionated lasers and combined-wavelength treatments will continue to lead growth in the dermatologic laser surgery segment, according to a leading dermatologic laser surgeon.
New Haven, Conn. - The shortage of dermatologists in the United States is getting progressively worse, and patients and practicing dermatologists are being affected.
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Intradermal injection of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox, Allergan) is a safe, effective and well-tolerated treatment for primary axillary hyperhidrosis in adolescent patients, according to the findings of a prospective, multicenter Phase 4 study.
The complexities of facial and neck anatomy demand that dermatologic surgeons identify pertinent features in these areas preoperatively instead of after the fact, an expert says.
As market forces work for and against the use of chemical peels in skin rejuvenation, the tried and true procedure will retain a place in dermatologists? armamentariums.
Boston - Patients and dermatologists have new options in the management of pigmentary disorders resulting from decades of sun exposure, according to Ranella A. Hirsch, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology, Boston University Medical Center.
Surgical margins for standard excision should include 9 mm of normal-appearing skin for melanoma in situs, according to a recent study.
To address the U.S. healthcare crisis, some dermatologists suggest everything from overhauling the FDA to abandoning it - and Medicare as it's currently configured. However, not all dermatologists agree with these proposals.
Tips for an efficient, harmonious office range from staying on top of patients' deductibles to taking regular four-day weekends, an expert says.
Physicians have received yet another extension in the deadline for complying with the "Red Flags" rule requiring programs to guard against identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency which developed the rule and is responsible for implementing it, announced in late July that it was moving the deadline for compliance from August 1 to November 1.
