What is Nexlizet?

 Nexlizet is a brand-name prescription drug. It’s FDA-approved to help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol,* also known as “bad” cholesterol. This medication should be used along with a low cholesterol diet and a statin drug.

Nexlizet is approved for this use in adults with either of the following conditions:

• heart disease
• heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), an inherited condition that causes high cholesterol

Drug details

Nexlizet contains two active drugs: bempedoic acid and ezetimibe. Bempedoic acid belongs to a group of drugs called adenosine triphosphate-citrate lyase inhibitors. Ezetimibe belongs to a group of drugs called cholesterol absorption inhibitors.

Nexlizet works to lower your cholesterol in two different ways:

• by decreasing the amount of cholesterol your liver makes
• by preventing your small intestine from absorbing cholesterol

For more information, see the “How Nexlizet works” section below.

Nexlizet comes as a tablet that you swallow. You’ll likely take it once per day. It’s available in one strength: 180 milligrams (mg) of bempedoic acid/10 mg of ezetimibe.

FDA approval

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Nexlizet to help reduce LDL cholesterol in adults. Nexlizet became the first combination drug approved for this use that doesn’t contain a statin. (A combination drug is a drug that contains more than one active ingredient.)

Effectiveness

For information about the effectiveness of Nexlizet, see the “Nexlizet uses” section below.

Nexlizet generic

Nexlizet is available only as a brand-name medication. It’s not currently available in generic form.

A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs.

Nexlizet contains the active drugs bempedoic acid and ezetimibe.

Nexlizet side effects

Nexlizet can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Nexlizet. These lists do not include all possible side effects.

For more information about the possible side effects of Nexlizet, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome.

Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you’d like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with Nexlizet, you can do so through MedWatch.

Mild side effects

Mild side effects* of Nexlizet can include:

• anemia (low levels of red blood cells)
• constipation
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• influenza (flu) or flu-like symptoms, such as aches, chills, or cold sweats
• diarrhea
• increased liver enzymes
• pain in your abdomen (belly), back, joints, or extremities (arms, legs, hands, or feet)
• respiratory infections, such as the common cold and bronchitis (inflamed or irritated airway)
• sinusitis (swelling of your sinuses)
• urinary tract infections
• muscle spasms†

Most of these side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become more severe or don’t go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Source: Medical News Today

What is shingles?

 Shingles is a viral infection that results from the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus that causes chickenpox. It typically affects a single sensory nerve ganglion and the skin surface that the nerve supplies.

Anyone who has had chickenpox can later develop shingles.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1 in 3 people in the United States develop shingles during their lifetime.

However, a person can only develop shingles if they have had chickenpox or exposure to the virus that causes it. This virus can lie dormant for years.

Most adults with the dormant virus never develop shingles, but for some, the virus reactivates several times.

Shingles is most common after the age of 50 years, but it can appear at any age if a person has previously had chickenpox.

In this article, learn more about shingles, including symptoms, complications, and treatments.

Symptoms

Shingles usually affects one side of the body. This is most often the waist, chest, abdomen, or back. Symptoms can also appear on the face and in the eyes, mouth, ears. The virus can also affect some internal organs.

Shingles typically affects a single sensory nerve ganglion near the spinal cord, called a dorsal root ganglion. This is why the symptoms occur in specific areas of the body, rather than all over it. The pain results from nerve involvement, rather than the rash itself.

In fact, some people have pain but no rash. Others, meanwhile, may have a rash with pain that is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, chills, or headache.

Symptoms can vary in nature, depending on where on the body they appear.

Common symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms of shingles include:

• a constant dull, burning, or gnawing pain, or a sharp, stabbing pain that comes and goes
• a skin rash that resembles a chickenpox rash but only affects certain areas
• fluid-filled blisters that develop as part of the rash

Symptoms on the body

A blistering skin rash may appear in one or more distinct bands with sensory nerves of the skin, called dermatomes.

Common locations for this include:

• the chest
• the abdomen
• the back
• around the waist

It usually occurs only on one side of the body.

The location of the symptoms will depend on which dermatome distribution the virus affects.

Facial symptoms

If the rash affects the face, symptoms usually appear on one side only — usually around one eye and the forehead.

They can include:

• pain over the affected dermatome
• a rash
• muscle weakness
• headache

Eye symptoms

If the virus affects an ophthalmic nerve, it means that a person has herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

This can cause pain, redness, and swelling in and around the eye, as well as temporary or permanent loss of vision.

Ear symptoms

Shingles can also occur in or around the ear, leading to problems with balance and hearing, as well as muscle weakness on the affected side of the face.

These changes can be long term or even permanent. A person who develops symptoms in or around the ears and eyes should seek immediate medical attention to reduce the risk of complications.

Mouth symptoms

If shingles affects the mouth, a person may experience:

• facial tenderness
• pain in the mouth
• toothache
• lesions in hard and soft palate tissues

The pain and discomfort of these symptoms can make it difficult to eat or drink.

Internal shingles

Shingles can also affect the internal organs. There will not be a rash, but other problems can arise.

For example, researchers have found evidence of shingles in the digestive system, which can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction, and in the arteries in the brain, which may increase the risk of stroke and dementia.

Source: Medical News Today

What are the early signs and symptoms of shingles?

 

In the early stages, shingles can produce an extensive range of signs and symptoms. These vary from very mild skin irritation and pain to fever and other symptoms of severe illness.

Until a person develops additional shingles symptoms, they may not realize that this condition is causing their early symptoms.

The varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox, also causes shingles. The virus lives in the body of every person who has ever had chickenpox. If the virus reactivates, it causes shingles. Shingles usually presents as a painful, burning rash that tends to affect an area on just one side of the body.

Keep reading to learn more about the early signs, symptoms, and stages of shingles.

Early signs and symptoms

Shingles outbreaks usually last 3–5 weeks. In the first few days, a person may not have a rash. Instead, early symptoms may include:

• burning or pain on one side of the body, usually in a small area rather than all over
• unusual sensations, such as numbness, tingling, or shooting pains, on a specific area of the skin on one side of the body
• feeling generally unwell or having less energy than usual
• headaches
• fever
• chills
• stomach problems, such as nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting

People who experience these symptoms and have a history of chickenpox should consider that shingles may be the cause. If a person has several risk factors for shingles, it is even more likely to be the culprit.

For most people, a red rash appears 1–5 days after skin burning and tingling begin. A few days later, the rash turns into small fluid filled blisters. About 7–10 days after the blisters form, the fluid inside dries and causes crusty blisters. The scabs will typically clear up within a couple of weeks.

Symptoms but no rash?

It is common to have shingles symptoms without a rash for a few days. In some people, the rash takes longer than 5 days to appear. Although it is less common, some people develop zoster sine herpete, in which they have painful skin symptoms but no rash covering the affected skin area.

Anyone at risk of shingles and experiencing some of the symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible. Although there is no cure for shingles, early treatment can reduce the severity of the outbreak.

Internal shingles

In people with internal shingles, the condition affects systemic areas of the body, aside from the skin, such as internal organs. Internal shingles is more common in people who are older or very unwell, and it comes with an increase in the risk of long-term complications, such as chronic pain.

The pain may be more intense with internal shingles, and some people develop symptoms in multiple locations on the body.

A person should not assume that they do not have shingles just because they do not have a rash.

Source: Medical News Today

 

How rashes look on darker skin and their treatments

 Rashes can appear differently on different skin tones. For example, a heat rash on darker skin may look like a series of gray or white spots, while many medical sources describe them as red.

It is crucial for medical professionals to understand how health issues can present on the full range of skin tones. A lack of this understanding can lead to misdiagnoses.

It is generally advisable to contact a doctor about any rash that lasts longer than a week. The Skin of Color Society offer a database of dermatologists in the United States who have experience treating conditions in people of color.

In this article, we explore what rashes can look like on skin of color. We also describe the symptoms and treatments of specific issues.

Rashes on skin of color

The appearance of a rash varies with skin tone. On skin of color, a rash may be purple, gray, or white — while medical texts often simply describe these rashes as red. Some redness may appear, but typically not very much.

This is due to melanin, a molecule that gives the skin and hair their color. Generally, the more melanin a person has in their skin, the darker their skin tone. It affects how the skin reacts to sunlight, damage, and health conditions that cause rashes.

Some doctors are unaware of how skin conditions present on darker skin. A 2018 study of four major medical textbooks found that darker skin tones were underrepresented in the imagery.

The study’s authors report that while, at the time, 20.4% of the U.S. population was Black, only 4.5% of the photographs in the textbooks showed people with dark skin. They suggest that this is likely an example of racial bias in the healthcare system.

Below, we explore how various health issues can appear in skin of color.

Heat rash

Heat rash, sweat rash, and prickly heat are all common names for miliaria, a skin condition that occurs when the skin’s sweat ducts become blocked.

The symptoms of heat rash include:

• small, raised blisters on the skin
• swelling
• itchiness

On darker skin, the blisters may be gray or white.

This rash often occurs due to heat and humidity, but intense exercise, nonbreathable clothing, and medical dressings can also cause it. The condition typically improves within 1–2 days.

Cooling down, wearing more breathable clothing, and changing or, if recommended, removing dressings can help.

Eczema

Eczema causes patches of dry, itchy skin, and the affected area may also be flaky or scaly. If the skin is very dry, it may crack or bleed.

In darker skin tones, patches of eczema may be red, pink, magenta, or darker than surrounding skin.

Eczema is also more likely to form in specific ways in people of color. For example, there is a higher chance that the rash may be papular, characterized by a series of small bumps like goosebumps.

There are several types of eczema, including:

Contact dermatitis

This occurs when the skin comes into contact with an irritant, such as poison ivy, nickel, or fragrance. The skin may itch, sting, burn, or blister.

People with certain jobs have a higher risk of contact dermatitis. These jobs may involve regular contact with chemicals, food, or water. People with a higher risk may include:

• beauticians
• healthcare workers
• plumbers
• people who work in kitchens

Avoiding contact with the trigger, such as a specific chemical, is the best approach. A dermatologist can also describe products that can help and perform skin allergy testing to identify the trigger.

Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is eczema with no clear cause. The condition often begins in childhood and may not last into adulthood. In the U.S., it appears to be more common among African Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders than other groups.

There is no cure for atopic dermatitis, but there are ways of alleviating and preventing the rash from forming.

This typically involves using a non-irritating moisturizer regularly, after bathing or showering. It is also important to avoid fragranced products, food allergens, and irritating fabrics, such as wool. In addition, a person may need a topical corticosteroid, which a doctor can recommend or prescribe.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a long-term inflammatory condition that causes thickened patches of skin. On skin of color, these patches may be red or violet and have a top layer of silver or gray scales.

In the U.S., psoriasis is more common in white people than Black people. However, in Black people, it may be more likely to cover larger areas of the body.

Psoriasis can affect the nails as well as the skin, and a significant portion of people with psoriasis also have arthritis.

There is no cure, but it is possible to manage the symptoms. Among the range of options are:

• calcitriol, also called calcipotriene, a synthetic form of vitamin D
• oral or injectable biologic medications
• topical treatments, such as corticosteroid creams
• moisturizing
• UV light therapy

Lichen planus

Lichen planus causes a series of bumps to form on the skin. Each bump is shiny, raised, and has a flat top. On skin of color, these bumps may be gray-brown or purple.

The most commonly affected areas are the back, neck, lower legs, ankles, and the insides of the wrists. In 20% of cases, lichen planus causes no symptoms beyond the bumps, but in others, it causes intense itching.

Lichen planus can last for months or years, and there is no known cure. Treatments that can relieve the symptoms include:

• wet dressings
• colloidal oatmeal
• antihistamines
• topical or oral corticosteroids
• retinoids

Source: Medical News Today

 

What to know about lung cancer

 Lung cancer is a condition that causes cells to divide in the lungs uncontrollably. This causes the growth of tumors that reduce a person’s ability to breathe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 218,527 people in the United States received a lung cancer diagnosis in 2015. Early diagnosis can help a person seek treatment, as early as possible, in the disease’s course.

Identifying lung cancer in its earliest stages can be difficult, however, because the symptoms may be similar to those of a respiratory infection, or there may be no symptoms at all.

In this article, we explain the nature of lung cancer, how to recognize the symptoms, and the ways doctors treat lung cancer before it becomes life-threatening.

What is lung cancer?

Cancer causes certain mutations in otherwise healthy cells.

Typically, the body programs cells to die at a certain stage in their life cycle to avoid overgrowth. Cancer overrides this instruction, causing cells to grow and multiply when they should not.

The overgrowth of cells leads to the development of tumors and the harmful effects of cancer.

In lung cancer, this pattern of cell overgrowth occurs in the lungs, which are vital organs for breathing and gas exchange.

Doctors typically diagnose two lung cancer types, small cell and non-small cell, depending on how they appear under a microscope. A person is more likely to have non-small cell lung cancer than small cell.

While anyone can develop lung cancer, cigarette smoking and exposure to smoke can increase the likelihood that a person will experience the condition. Lung cancer can develop if a person has a history of exposure to inhaled chemicals or other toxins.

Even if this exposure to chemicals and other toxins was a long time ago, it could cause changes in lung cells that lead to cancer.

To discover more evidence-based information and resources for healthy aging, visit our dedicated hub.

Symptoms

In people with lung cancer, symptoms do not always occur until the condition has reached a later stage.

However, some people may notice symptoms, which they may think are related to a less serious, acute illness.

Examples of these symptoms include:

• appetite loss
• changes to a person’s voice, such as hoarseness
• frequent chest infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• lingering cough that may start to get worse
• shortness of breath
• unexplained headaches
• weight loss
• wheezing

A person may also experience more severe symptoms associated with lung cancer. These include severe chest or bone pain or coughing up blood.

Diagnosis

If a doctor identifies a suspicious lesion on a lung cancer screening, or a person is experiencing symptoms that could indicate lung cancer, several diagnostic tests are available to confirm the next steps.

Examples of these include:

Imaging studies: Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans might reveal areas of lung tissue with cancer. Bone scans can also indicate cancerous growths. Doctors may also use these scans to track the progress of treatment or to ensure cancer has not returned, following a course of treatment.

Source: Medical News Today

What is causing this pain in my back?

Back pain is a common reason for absence from work and for seeking medical treatment. It can be uncomfortable and debilitating.

It can result from injury, activity and some medical conditions. Back pain can affect people of any age, for different reasons. As people get older, the chance of developing lower back pain increases, due to factors such as previous occupation and degenerative disk disease.

Lower back pain may be linked to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, abdominal and pelvic internal organs, and the skin around the lumbar area.

Pain in the upper back may be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, and spine inflammation.

Causes

The human back is composed of a complex structure of muscles, ligaments, tendons, disks, and bones, which work together to support the body and enable us to move around.

The segments of the spine are cushioned with cartilage-like pads called disks.

Problems with any of these components can lead to back pain. In some cases of back pain, its cause remains unclear.

Damage can result from strain, medical conditions, and poor posture, among others 

Source: Medical News Today

What to know about lung cancer

 Lung cancer is a condition that causes cells to divide in the lungs uncontrollably. This causes the growth of tumors that reduce a person’s ability to breathe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 218,527 people in the United States received a lung cancer diagnosis in 2015. Early diagnosis can help a person seek treatment, as early as possible, in the disease’s course.

Identifying lung cancer in its earliest stages can be difficult, however, because the symptoms may be similar to those of a respiratory infection, or there may be no symptoms at all.

In this article, we explain the nature of lung cancer, how to recognize the symptoms, and the ways doctors treat lung cancer before it becomes life-threatening.

What is lung cancer?

Cancer causes certain mutations in otherwise healthy cells.

Typically, the body programs cells to die at a certain stage in their life cycle to avoid overgrowth. Cancer overrides this instruction, causing cells to grow and multiply when they should not.

The overgrowth of cells leads to the development of tumors and the harmful effects of cancer.

In lung cancer, this pattern of cell overgrowth occurs in the lungs, which are vital organs for breathing and gas exchange.

Doctors typically diagnose two lung cancer types, small cell and non-small cell, depending on how they appear under a microscope. A person is more likely to have non-small cell lung cancer than small cell.

While anyone can develop lung cancer, cigarette smoking and exposure to smoke can increase the likelihood that a person will experience the condition. Lung cancer can develop if a person has a history of exposure to inhaled chemicals or other toxins.

Even if this exposure to chemicals and other toxins was a long time ago, it could cause changes in lung cells that lead to cancer.

To discover more evidence-based information and resources for healthy aging, visit our dedicated hub.

Symptoms

In people with lung cancer, symptoms do not always occur until the condition has reached a later stage.

However, some people may notice symptoms, which they may think are related to a less serious, acute illness.

Source: Medical News Today