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Research we're watching

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About one in 10 people has eczema, a chronic inflammatory condition that leaves skin dry and itchy. People with more severe forms may experience a scaly rash or skin that cracks and oozes. These people may also be at greater risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a study in the May 23 issue of The BMJ.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 385,000 adults with eczema, which was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Each was matched with up to five people of similar age and sex who didn't have eczema.

Research we're watching

A bite from a lone star tick can trigger an unusual allergy that causes hives, swelling of the throat and lips, or an upset stomach when you eat red meat. But that's not all: people with this rare red meat allergy may be particularly prone to narrowed, stiff arteries in the heart, a new study finds.

Researchers analyzed blood samples from 118 adults living in Virginia and found that 26% had evidence of a red meat allergy (that is, they had antibodies to a molecule called alpha-gal, the main allergen in red meat). Lone star tick saliva may contain alpha-gal, so when a tick bites a person, it may trigger an immune response by the body, which then recurs when the body encounters alpha-gal in red meat. Lone star ticks are found throughout the southeastern and eastern United States.

In the journals

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) also deal with ongoing depression and anxiety related to their pain and disability. While drugs used to treat the disease help alleviate the joint pain and stiffness, a recent study suggests they may not extend to improving patients' mental health.

The findings, published online June 6, 2018, by Arthritis & Rheumatology, reviewed more than 70 clinical trials and found only a small association between various drugs used for RA, such as adalimumab (Humira), rituximab (Rituxan), abatacept (Orencia), and tocilizumab (Actemra), and mental health outcomes in patients.

Ask the doctors

Q. I recently saw something recommending that older Americans get screened for hepatitis C. I'm 68 years old. Should I be screened?

A. Yes. Since 2012, the CDC has recommended that all adults born from 1945 to 1965 be tested for hepatitis C, a bloodborne virus that affects anywhere from 2.7 million to 3.9 million Americans � many of whom don't know they have the condition. Hepatitis C can go undetected in the body for years, eventually leading to cirrhosis, liver damage, and liver cancer. You may be at risk even if you don't think you have any risk factors for the disease, which is most commonly transmitted today through intravenous drug use. People born from 1945 to 1965 are five times more likely than other Americans to have hepatitis C, although experts aren't sure why this is the case, according to the CDC. It's possible that some people were infected during health care procedures or blood transfusions that took place before the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. A study published in the April 2018 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that less than 13% of these individuals have had the test. Since you're one of those who hasn't, it's a good idea to call your doctor and make a screening appointment.

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For more on diagnosing and treating indigestion, read The Sensitive Gut, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

News briefs

Encouraging news for people who suffer with migraines: in May, the FDA approved erenumab (Aimovig), the first medication aimed at preventing these debilitating headaches. Current medications to treat migraines were actually designed to control other conditions, such as seizures or an irregular heartbeat; their side effects (like sexual dysfunction and fuzzy thinking) often cause people to skip treatment. Erenumab offers a new approach. Injected once a month, it works by blocking a molecule (calcitonin gene-related peptide) involved in migraine attacks, and compared with other drugs, it appears to have fewer side effects (primarily constipation and injection site reactions). "This drug is for people who have more than four migraines per month, but it won't take migraines away entirely," says Dr. Gad Marshall, a neurologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. Clinical trials suggest it can reduce frequency by one or two migraines per month, or even more in some people. "For people with frequent debilitating migraines it could be a game changer," says Dr. Lee Schwamm, a neurologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. "But erenumab is expensive, and it will take time to find out if it's effective and safe over the long term."

Two recent drugs have opened new treatment opportunities for this common eye disease.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in people over age 60, and it's estimated that the number of new cases will more than double over the next few decades. "There is no cure for glaucoma once it appears, so treating it at its earliest stages can help save your vision," says Dr. David Solá-Del Valle, an ophthalmologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear.

Once diagnosed, glaucoma is treated with eye drops to reduce pressure inside the eye by lowering the amount of fluid or improving fluid drainage. They can keep glaucoma from getting worse and hopefully avoid the need for surgery to correct this drainage problem.

Understanding superbugs can help you avoid them.

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It used to be that if you got an infection, you could pop an antibiotic pill and rest assured that it could help you fend off your bacterial attacker. But those old tried-and-true pills may not be as effective as they once were, thanks to a rising number of new types of bacteria often referred to as superbugs.

"'Superbug' is essentially a slang term developed by the press that refers to highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can cause human infections," says Dr. David Hooper, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Research we're watching

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You may want to take precautions if you're planning on swimming or using a hot tub at your hotel on your next vacation. Data released May 18 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report shows that these attractions are hot spots for waterborne diseases. In fact, one-third of waterborne disease outbreaks between 2000 and 2014 were traced to hotel pools or hot tubs.

The three main culprits causing infections in swimmers and hot tub users are Cryptosporidium, Pseudomonas, and Legionella. More than half of the outbreaks were caused by Cryptosporidium parasites, which are typically spread when someone ingests water contaminated by a sick swimmer with diarrhea. Legionella and Pseudomonas bacteria, which caused 16% and 13% of outbreaks respectively, cause pneumonia, flu-like illness, swimmer's ear, or a rash. Any one of these conditions can quickly drain the fun from any trip.

Ask the doctor

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Q. My daughter has just been diagnosed with lupus. What is it, and what can be done to help?

A. A healthy, young patient of mine once asked me what the chances were that she might one day develop a "terrible disease." When I asked her what she meant by "terrible disease," she surprised me: she didn't say a disease that could be fatal, but rather a disease that could attack every part of her body. By that definition, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus for short) is, indeed, a terrible disease.