Articles by Alison Rodriguez

The diagnosis of osteoporosis is typically determined by bone mass density (BMD); however, bone turnover markers (BTMs) can provide information involving the bone remodeling process. A recent study found that BMD correlates negatively with BTM and positively with estradiol (E2) and magnesium (Mg(2+)) levels, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b) demonstrates a specificity in identifying patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.


The rate of disease progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be associated with a poor prognosis in patients.

A recent study found that the association between vitamin D (Vit D) status and multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility is genotype dependent and suggested that the outcome of Vit D status in MS is determined by gene-by-sex interactions.

The authors of a recent editorial explained that the higher prevalence of migraine in obese individuals may be due to a common etiological factor, because both conditions are linked to inflammatory processes.

A recent study investigated whether different insulin regimens, such as metformin and rosiglitazone, influence bone metabolism in individuals with type 2 diabetes, who often have an increased risk of fractures.

Insilico Medicine, an artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discovery company, and A2A Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on novel drug development for oncology, have recently announced their research collaboration to form a new company, Consortium.AI, which will apply advances in AI to discovery of novel small molecules for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and other rare diseases.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and who have other comorbid conditions are undertreated when hospitalized for exacerbations, study finds.

People living with HIV are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and the global burden of HIV associated with cardiovascular disease has tripled over the last 2 decades.

The global age-standardized lung cancer mortality rate among women is expected to increase by 43% from 2015 to 2030, while the global age-standardized breast cancer mortality rate is projected to decrease by 9%, according to an analysis published in Cancer Research.

A recent study aimed to evaluate the burden of age of onset of cardiovascular conditions in a US population with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, or transverse myelitis and found that cardiovascular conditions are as common in those with demyelinating diseases compared with unaffected individuals.

While the prevalence of migraine was significantly higher among patients with diabetes, the disease, itself, was not associated with a greater risk of migraine.

The results of a recent population-based study from Korea identified fractures, age, and medication adherence as factors that affect osteoporosis-related healthcare costs, and said improved medication adherence could save approximately $5 million of osteoporosis-related healthcare costs annually.

Researchers investigating the factors associated with hospital mortality in patients requiring intensive care unit admission for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease found that patient age, requirement for invasive mechanical ventilation, and illness severity were associated with poor patient outcomes.

A new study found hospital participation in 5 common medical bundles under the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative was not associated with significant changes in Medicare payments, clinical complexity, length of stay, emergency department use, hospital readmission, or mortality.

A recent study analyzed the role of purinergic receptor P2X4 in microglia/macrophages during autoimmune inflammation, finding that P2X4 receptors modulate microglia/macrophage inflammatory responses and identify allosteric modulator ivermectin (IVM) as a potential candidate to promote the repair of myelin damage.

The use of inhaled vaporized cannabis neither improved nor worsened exercise performance and activity-related breathlessness for patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a recent trial published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Researchers recently found that the use of a standardized electronic health system–based order set to manage acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was linked to a decreased reduction in steroid dose and length of stay in the hospital.

The research and therapeutic options are limited for skeletal abnormalities found in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)—a haploinsufficient and multisystemic disease caused by inherited or sporadic mutations in the NF1 gene. However, denosumab may be an effective treatment option for osteoporosis in patients with NF1, according to a recent case report.

Previous research has revealed that poor sleep quality is common among those with migraine. New study results point to similar findings for those with probable migraine—a subtype of migraine that is common in the general population.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, announced the framework, which is intended to be complementary to the comprehensive policy framework for regenerative medicine that was announced last year.

As value-based pricing gains traction in the US healthcare market, "distinctions in both method and likelihood of improving aligning prices with value should be carefully considered," write authors in JAMA.

There is minimal previous research involving long-term excess mortality following fragility non-hip fractures. A nationwide registry-based follow-up study aimed to determine which fracture was associated with excess mortality and how long the postfracture excess mortality continued.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves the progressive loss of the protective layer of nerve fibers, myelin, and its loss, called demyelination, results in symptoms of MS. Blocking the protein receptor, muscarinic type 3 (M3R), may be effective in promoting remyelination in patients with MS, based on the results of a study published by the Journal of Neuroscience.

A recent study investigated the associations of migraine with pain symptoms among outpatients with major depressive disorder during a 10-year period, finding that migraine treatment should be integrated into treatment for depression to improve patients’ pain symptoms and health-related quality of life.

When a patient experiences an adrenal crisis associated with Addison disease (primary adrenal failure), hydrocortisone and fluid resuscitation must be given immediately in order to prevent hypotensive shock and death. A recent clinical audit evaluated healthcare professionals’ management of adrenal crisis, and found that there is a clinical need to improve the acute management of this life-threatening condition.

Researchers recently aimed to develop a predictive model to identify patients at risk of developing severe COPD exacerbations, finding that for every 2 patients identified to be at risk of severe flare-up of disease, 1 patient may experience a severe exacerbation.

Acetazolamide, sold under the trade name Diamox, is a drug used to treat altitude sickness, glaucoma, epilepsy, heart failure, and seizures. According to a new study, acetazolamide may also be effective in treating the fast-growing brain tumor glioblastoma.

A recent review of the benefits and safety of dietary protein for bone health concluded that a protein-rich diet is beneficial for adult bone health.

Recent research has suggested that small airway disease is a pathological feature in mild and moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and that early intervention for disease modification may be required in these patients.