George Vasquez-Rios, MD, MSCR, FASN, is a nephrologist and glomerular disease specialist and director of the Glomerular & Genetic Diseases Center.

 patients enter the health system through internists, general nephrologists, and glomerular disease specialists alike, yet guidance on recognizing, staging, and treating these conditions remains scattered across journals, guidelines, and institutional resources. Patients managed only by general nephrologists, without access to a glomerular disease specialist, are less likely to receive a kidney biopsy or newer therapies, a gap tied to delayed diagnosis and treatment.¹

built the Glomerular Diseases Collaborative (GD-C) Compendium to address fragmentation rather than a shortage of information, curating committee-reviewed guidance across 5 conditions: ANCA-associated vasculitis, 

, and membranous nephropathy. The compendium sits alongside, not in place of, clinical guidelines, moving faster than formal guideline development typically allows while curating landmark studies, a recognition-to-referral pathway, and practical guidance on prior authorization, referrals, and appeals.²

The GD-C Compendium is built to be actionable rather than encyclopedic, according to the American Society of Nephrology.² A dedicated recognition-to-referral pathway walks general nephrologists and internal medicine physicians through which tests to order and when to refer, while a separate library curates landmark clinical trial data as new glomerular disease therapies expand and grow more complex to prescribe.

The compendium is designed to serve 2 distinct audiences with different clinical questions: general clinicians deciding whether a case is glomerular disease at all, and glomerular disease specialists weighing newer therapies and monitoring strategies. George Vasquez-Rios, MD, MSCR, FASN, director of the Glomerular and Genetic Diseases Center at Renal Medicine Associates, helped shape the compendium's structure around homogenizing management regardless of a patient's point of entry into care. In the following interview, Vasquez-Rios discusses the origins of the GD-C Compendium and how it serves both general clinicians and glomerular disease specialists.

HCPLive: What led to the creation of the GD-C Compendium, and what gap in existing resources was it meant to address?

George Vasquez-Rios, MD: The Glomerular Disease Collaborative is an initiative within the American Society of Nephrology. The Society is trying to ensure good care for patients regardless of where they enter the health system, whether they're seen by an internist, a general nephrologist, or a glomerular disease expert. 

We're trying to create a platform that allows physicians at different stages of expertise to learn more about these conditions: how to treat, when to refer, and what options are available. The problem was never a lack of information. We live in an era with a lot of information and a lot of great articles out there. The problem is fragmentation. 

The compendium is trying to serve as a platform with curated information, carefully reviewed by a board committee, that represents what we think is the most substantial and relevant information to guide the management of patients. 

We're not coming up with new information. We're intentionally broader than the clinical guidelines, because guidelines take time to develop. We intend to provide information and education to guide clinical management as much as we can in this novel and very dynamic field.

HCPLive: What kind of resources does the compendium bring together, and which sections would you point clinicians to first?

George Vasquez-Rios, MD: As I mentioned, the compendium isn't meant to replace clinical guidelines. Those remain the most authoritative information for guiding patient management. We're curating studies, background education, and foundational material, along with information about newer therapies and clinical trials that can help enrich the management of GN patients. 

There are a few sections I'd highlight. We provide information on disease biology and mechanisms of action for certain therapies, but we also have dedicated sections meant to make navigating patient management easier. For example, we have a glomerular disease recognition-to-referral section, intended to guide general nephrologists, clinicians, and even internal medicine doctors on how to recognize an active glomerular disease, what tests to start, and when to make referrals. 

We also dedicate sections to relevant articles published in recent years, landmark studies and landmark clinical trials, given how hard it is to find time to read through all the literature being published. It's also important to mention we're trying to incorporate patient voices, because we're not only looking to inform or educate physicians, but to empower patients. That's an evolving part of the compendium. And we talk about access to treatment. 

With these highly effective medications, there are nuances at the time of prescribing, such as when a medication is indicated, what the side effects are, and how to ensure patients can access these medications. One thing we provide is tips for navigating those issues: prior authorizations, referrals, appeals, and documentation that can help busy clinicians with that side of care.

HCPLive: How does the compendium balance serving both general clinicians and glomerular disease specialists?

George Vasquez-Rios, MD: That's an important consideration, because these are physicians with different needs who manage different populations. A general nephrologist or primary care physician is often trying to answer questions like: is this a glomerular disease, how active is it, how should we approach testing or management? 

Those are the questions we're trying to address for that audience. A glomerular disease expert is asking different questions: what are the latest therapies, what evidence supports them, how do I monitor the effects of these medications. Those are more sophisticated, more complex questions.

 What we're trying to do with the compendium is help homogenize the management of these patients, regardless of where they entered the healthcare system. We recognize glomerular disease patients are seen across a wide array of specialties, so it's important to have practical foundations and information on how to approach these patients. Hopefully, in the future, this becomes a dynamic resource that can also incorporate recommendations as the evidence emerges.

Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools.

Monk B, Ewert B, Bomback AS, Gibson KL. Barriers to Patients Accessing Specialized Treatments for Glomerular Diseases. 

American Society of Nephrology. Glomerular Diseases Collaborative (GD-C) Compendium. Accessed September 22, 2026. 

https://epc.asn-online.org/projects/gd-c/

Articles

The ASN Glomerular Diseases Collaborative Compendium centralizes committee-reviewed, clinically actionable guidance to mitigate fragmented glomerular disease resources and variability in care pathways. It targets inequities seen when patients lack access to subspecialists, including lower biopsy rates and reduced uptake of newer therapies. Covering ANCA-associated vasculitis, IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, C3 glomerulopathy, and membranous nephropathy, it complements—not replaces—formal guidelines by updating faster and curating landmark trials, biology, and treatment access tools.

George Vasquez-Rios, MD, explains how the ASN's GD-C Compendium curates glomerular disease guidance for general clinicians and specialists alike.

Clinical

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News

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Nephrology

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IgA Nephropathy

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Strategic Alliance Partnership

How the ASN's GD-C Compendium Aims to Unify Glomerular Disease Care

Diana Isaacs, PharmD, is an endocrine clinical pharmacist, director of Education and Training in Diabetes Technology, and codirector of Endocrine Disorders in Pregnancy at the Cleveland Clinic.

-approved therapy in roughly 30 years, with finerenone (Kerendia) gaining an indication built on dedicated trial data rather than extrapolation.

Finerenone Approval Expands CKD Care in Type 1 Diabetes

On a recent episode of Diabetes Dialogue, hosts Diana Isaacs, PharmD, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, discussed the approval of the nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) and the phase 3 FINE-ONE trial behind it.

Watch the full episode discussing finerenone’s new approval

Evidence gaps have long shaped care in type 1 diabetes. Because far more people live with type 2 diabetes, trials and indications have concentrated there, including finerenone's prior approvals for CKD in type 2 diabetes and for heart failure. Without dedicated data, clinicians could not confirm benefit in type 1 diabetes, and coverage often proved difficult.

FINE-ONE randomized 242 adults across 80 sites in nine countries to finerenone or placebo, each added to standard of care, in a double-blind design. Finerenone reduced the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) by 25% relative to placebo over six months. At any point after baseline, 68.1% of finerenone recipients achieved a UACR reduction of at least 30%, compared with 46.6% of placebo recipients.

The 30% threshold carries clinical weight, as the American Diabetes Association recognizes it as a marker of slower CKD progression. Hyperkalemia occurred more often with finerenone than placebo (10.1% vs 3.3%) and led to discontinuation in 1.7% of patients, reinforcing the need for routine potassium monitoring.

The approval also fills a gap left by sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. Trials of the class in type 1 diabetes did not use kidney endpoints, and the risk of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, a real concern in practice, has kept these agents from FDA approval in this population.

Finerenone adds to, rather than replaces, control of blood pressure, lipids, and glycemia, each of which drives injury in the small renal arterioles. Its benefit depends on detecting albuminuria, yet annual UACR screening remains underused. Explaining to patients that the urine test looks only for protein, not drug use, can improve participation.

Collectively, the approval gives clinicians a kidney-protective option with dedicated evidence in type 1 diabetes and places renewed emphasis on routine albuminuria screening as the entry point to treatment.

Editors’ Note: Isaacs reports disclosures with Dexcom, Abbott, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Medtronic, Insulet, and others. Bellini reports disclosures with Abbott Diabetes Care, MannKind, Povention Bio, and others.

Bayer. Bayer’s KERENDIA (finerenone) Receives FDA Approval as the First New Treatment in 30 Years for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Type 1 Diabetes. September 17, 2026. Accessed September 18, 2026. 

https://www.bayer.com/en/us/news-stories/treatment-forchronic-kidney-disease-and-type-1-diabetes

Videos

In this segment from the latest episode of Diabetes Dialogue, Diana Isaacs, PharmD, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, discuss the FDA's recent approval of finerenone for CKD with T1D.

Endocrinology

The HCPLive endocrinology page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on endocrine system conditions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for diabetes, hormonal disease, and more.

This page also hosts content previously published by EndocrinologyNetwork. 


Type 1 Diabetes

Chronic Kidney Disease

FDA News

Andrew J. Cutler, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Interim data from the real-world ProACt study show adjunctive cariprazine (VRAYLAR) drove early improvement in PHQ-9, functioning, and anhedonia scores in patients with 

Nearly one-third to one-half of patients with major depressive disorder show inadequate response to antidepressant therapy despite adequate dosing and duration.

 Pivotal trials supporting FDA approval apply strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, often excluding common psychiatric comorbidities and limiting generalizability to routine practice. Real-world studies capture outcomes closer to what specialists see in everyday practice, including function and quality of life.

"For clinicians, one of the most important questions is whether the benefits demonstrated in clinical trials hold up in the real world, where patients have unique needs, experiences, and treatment journeys," said Andrew J. Cutler, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University and investigator of the ProACt study.

ProACt is a prospective, real-world observational study evaluating adjunctive cariprazine in adults with MDD and an inadequate response to antidepressant therapy.

 In an interim analysis (n = 76) presented at Psych Congress 2026, mean PHQ-9 scores fell from 15.7 at baseline to 7.1 at week 6, a model-estimated change of -9.29 (95% CI, -11.13 to -7.45; P <.001).² Mean scores on the Functioning Assessment Short Test decreased from 37.4 to 19.9 over the same period, a change of -15.86 (95% CI, -22.53 to -9.18; P <.001).

Scores on the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) and Motivation and Energy Inventory-Short Form (MEI-SF) improved as early as week 2 and continued through week 6, reflecting early gains in anhedonia, motivation, and energy.

These functional domains often drive patients to seek care in the first place. In the following Q&A, Cutler discusses what the interim ProACt findings mean for functional recovery in MDD.

Q&A: ProAct Data Show Early Functional Gains with Adjunctive Cariprazine In MDD

What gap does a real-world study like ProACt fill that the pivotal trials didn't?

 The clinical trials that we do to get medications FDA approved are very important, but there's certain rules you have to follow. The trials have lots of restrictions; they have inclusion-exclusion criteria. There are restrictions on other psychiatric concomitant conditions, other medical conditions, [and] concomitant medications, and so on. Very often the dosing in those trials is not as flexible as in the real world.

The rating scales used to get drugs approved…tend to be very symptom-based. What really matters to patients in the real world is not just symptoms but quality of life and function. Real-world studies approximate the real clinic more closely.

I find them extremely important as a companion to the clinical trials. They look at what actual clinicians and real patients are doing, so I like to tell clinicians this is your peers and your patients we're looking at. It's not as rigorous, it's often retrospective rather than prospective, and you're not controlling all the variables, but it's a very important complement that helps inform clinical practice and adds to the evidence from the clinical trials.

Why was it important to include patients with anxiety, trauma, and sleep comorbidities?

 In the ProACt study, we allowed patients with anxiety, trauma, and significant sleep issues. Those patients are often excluded from the pivotal clinical trials, [which]… may allow a little anxiety, but there’s usually a limit. In the real world, anxiety is very common alongside depression and other conditions, so this is a more realistic patient type.

Sometimes patients with trauma might have PTSD, and that would be excluded from the trials as well. Insomnia or sleep problems are usually allowed in clinical trials but [with] restrictions. A sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea [is not typically permitted even though] it's very common in the real world.

PHQ-9 scores dropped from 15.7 to 7.1 by week 6. What does that shift look like day-to-day?

 The PHQ-9 is a patient self-report scale versus a clinician-rated scale, and it's simply the 9 potential symptoms of depression from the DSM. You need 5 out of 9 to qualify for a major depressive episode. The PHQ-9 is more relevant to practicing clinicians because they use it more frequently [than a]… Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale or Hamilton Depression Scale, and it's often embedded into electronic health records.

What I like about the PHQ-9 is the severity levels correlate with every 5 points. I think clinicians understand those numbers better than a MADRS score.

FAST scores fell nearly 16 points. How does that translate to real functional improvement?

 By the time a patient comes to see us when they're depressed, they've had symptoms for months or even years, so the question I always ask is, why now? Why are they coming to see me now?

Usually, the driver of seeking treatment is impairment in quality of life or function. Patients will say, "I'm afraid I'm going to lose my job," [or] a spouse says, "If you don't get help, I can't take this anymore."

[One] mom told me, "I used to be fun mom. I would do arts and crafts with my kids. We went on field trips. Now, I just lay on the couch and let them play video games, and I’m so guilty. I feel like I'm a bad mom." Those are the things that often motivate [someone to seek care.]

The FAST, the Functioning Assessment Short Test, is very useful because…it measures quality of life… [including] relationships… managing money… taking care of the house, [and]… autonomy. If we merely address symptoms, I don't think we're getting people all the way better.

Anhedonia and motivation and energy scores improved by week 2. Why does that early movement matter?

 With traditional antidepressants, it can take several weeks for symptoms to get better, and 2 of the most impairing symptoms of depression are anhedonia and low energy. Anhedonia is not only lack of pleasure but lack of motivation. If nothing seems exciting, interesting, or worth doing, you're not going to get off the couch.

Having those symptoms improve early is critical because they're the ones that impair function, which can translate into someone being able to get off the couch, get out of the house, and function better. Not all [9 potential symptoms of a depressive episode] correlate as strongly with functional impairment. Anhedonia and concentration correlate most with function… [along with] fatigue and low energy and motivation. Traditional antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs don’t treat those very well.

AbbVie. AbbVie highlights new real-world data supporting the effectiveness of VRAYLAR (cariprazine) at Psych Congress 2026. Published September 18, 2026. Accessed September 22, 2026. 

Rafeyan R, Papakostas GI, Jackson WC, Trivedi MH. Inadequate response to treatment in major depressive disorder: augmentation and adjunctive strategies. 

Interim prospective observational data from ProACt suggest adjunctive cariprazine in antidepressant-inadequate responders with MDD yields rapid, clinically meaningful improvements across symptom severity and functional domains. By week 6, patient-reported depression severity (PHQ-9) and global functioning (FAST) both improved substantially, with early signal by week 2 in anhedonia, motivation, and energy (SHAPS; MEI-SF). Broad inclusion of common comorbidities (anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, sleep disorders) aims to better mirror routine practice and inform real-world functional recovery.

Andrew Cutler, MD, says real-world MDD patients respond to adjunctive cariprazine like trial participants, with gains in mood and function within weeks.

Psychiatry

Psychiatry condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on mental illnesses. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and more.

Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into depression can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on MDD research, treatment, and drug development.

ProACt Data Show Early Functional Gains with Adjunctive Cariprazine In MDD

David Berg, MD, is a cardiologist and critical care specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a member of the TIMI Study Group.

In a new meta-analysis examining the DAPA-HF, DELIVER, and DAPA-ACT-HF trials, dapagliflozin substantially reduced the risk of cardiovascular death or worsening 

DAPA-TRIO-HF: Dapagliflozin Improves HF Outcomes Regardless of Healthcare Setting

The DAPAgliflozin for TReatment of Inpatients and Outpatients with Heart Failure (DAPA-TRIO-HF) meta-analysis included the DAPA-HF, DELIVER, and DAPA-ACT-HF-TIMI 68 trials of dapagliflozin in HF. These prior studies had displayed substantial improvements in cardiovascular death risk, as well as worsening HF and all-cause mortality; however, they largely prioritized either hospitalized or ambulatory patients. To address this, investigators initiated the present analysis to examine dapagliflozin in both groups.

“Almost a year ago, I presented the primary results of the DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68 trial, and that new data really gave us an opportunity to question the effect of dapagliflozin not only across the spectrum of ejection fraction, but across the different heart failure care settings – both inpatients and outpatients,” David Berg, MD, a cardiologist and critical care specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a member of the TIMI Study Group, told 

 in an exclusive interview. “It allowed us to ask questions about whether we want to view heart failure patients holistically.”

All patients enrolled in DAPA-HF and 98.6% of patients in DELIVER were randomized in the ambulatory setting, while all patients in the DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68 trial were enrolled during hospitalization for HF. Median follow-up was 18 months in DAPA-HF, 28 months in DELIVER, and 2 months in DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68. The analysis’s primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death or worsening HF. Secondary endpoints included each component individually, cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF, and all-cause mortality.

The 3 trials included a total of 13,408 patients, with a mean age of 69 years. 43% of patients had diabetes mellitus, and 54% were hospitalized for HF. Regarding left ventricular ejection fraction, 48% of patients had ≤40%, 17% had 41-49%, and 35% had ≥50%. All 3 trials randomly assigned participants to either dapagliflozin or placebo.

Across the 3 trials, dapagliflozin recipients saw a reduction of 22% in cardiovascular death or worsening HF (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71-0.86; 

 <.001). Cardiovascular death on its own was reduced by 15% (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.96; 

 = .011), while worsening HF was reduced by 22% (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.69-0.87; 

 <.001). The composite secondary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF was reduced by 23% (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.7-0.84; 

 <.001), while all-cause mortality saw a reduction of 13% (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76-0.99; 

 = .034). Berg and colleagues also found no heterogeneity in the treatment effects of dapagliflozin in any subgroup, including ambulatory versus hospitalized treatment.

Ultimately, Berg and colleagues concluded that dapagliflozin’s treatment results are consistent regardless of the care setting in which treatment is initiated. Additionally, treatment effects were seen regardless of age, sex, race, diabetes status, baseline LVEF, background medication use, or eGFR. The team concluded that these data support the early initiation and usage of dapagliflozin across the HF care continuum.

“We now have very robust data for dapagliflozin across the ejection fraction spectrum and across different care settings,” Berg said. “What I hope to see from here is greater adoption of this therapy, and implementation of this therapy in clinical practice, both for hospitalized and ambulatory patients.”

Editors’ Note: Berg reports disclosures with AstraZeneca, CeleCor Therapeutics, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizzer, Radcliffe Cardiology, and others.

Berg D. DAPAgliflozin for TReatment of Inpatients and Outpatients with Heart Failure: The DAPA-TRIO-HF Meta-Analysis. Presented at the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting. September 29, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2026.

Berg DD, Vaduganathan M, Docherty KF, Bellavia A, Murphy SA, Claggett BL, Desai AS, Inzucchi SE, Patel SM, Wiviott SD, Solomon SD, McMurray JJV, Sabatine MS. Dapagliflozin in Patients With Heart Failure Across the Care Spectrum: A Meta-Analysis of DAPA-HF, DELIVER, and DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68. JACC Heart Fail. 2026 Aug;14(8):103232. 

David Berg, MD, discusses his meta-analysis of 3 major trials of dapagliflozin, which determined its efficacy in reducing cardiovascular death risk.

Cardiology

Cardiology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for heart disease and cardiovascular events, as well as associated diabetes, renal failure, and more...

Heart Failure

The HCPLive heart failure page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on HF. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for heart disease, reduced and preserved ejection fraction, and more.

Frances Lee, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of liver diseases at Mount Sinai.

 nearly doubled nationally, climbing from 6.71 to 12.53 deaths per 100,000 between 1999 and 2022, with a significant acceleration from 2018 to 2022 (annual percentage change, 8.94%; 95% CI, 6.27%-14.51%; 

Of the 436,814 ALD deaths recorded across those 2 decades, women and adults aged 25 to 44 years experienced particularly pronounced increases, even as men accounted for 70.7% of total deaths.¹ Earlier identification remains a challenge, particularly when alcohol use is underreported or not routinely discussed during clinical encounters.

Frances Lee, MD, joined Mount Sinai's REACH Program in April 2025 to integrate 

 care with addiction treatment.² She now directs Mount Sinai's Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Program, which uses a harm-reduction model to address the complex needs of patients with alcohol-associated liver disease.²

"Through my co-location within REACH, we've created a destination where patients ... can now get multispecialty, wraparound services," said Lee, assistant professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.²

Biological differences may also contribute to differences in alcohol exposure. Women generally reach higher blood alcohol concentrations than men after consuming equivalent amounts of alcohol, in part because of differences in total body water and body composition.³ A 2025 analysis found that 

 variants were associated with greater fibrosis risk in the setting of both alcohol use and metabolic dysfunction.⁴ The interaction was particularly pronounced among younger patients with metabolic risk and heavier alcohol consumption.⁴

, Lee discusses how alcohol-related stigma can affect clinical care and how biological and metabolic factors may contribute to differences in ALD risk and progression among women and younger adults.

Q&A: stigma and biology behind rising ALD rates

HCPLive: What does alcohol-related stigma look like in practice at REACH, and where does it derail a patient's path to treatment?

 Not every patient shares the moments in their lives or their health care experiences in which they felt stigmatized for their alcohol intake. However, we know that the word "alcoholic" comes with stigma, and in using "alcohol-associated liver disease" or "alcohol use disorder," patients may feel that they are seen as more than just their addiction and become open to creating a therapeutic relationship with their health care provider.

HCPLive: Is there a suspected but underexplored biological mechanism behind faster ALD progression in younger adults and women, and how could it be studied?

 The biological basis of ALD in women, and why ALD may progress faster in women, has been studied in the past. We know women are generally smaller and have decreased total body water and higher body fat percentage, which causes higher blood alcohol concentrations compared with men who ingest the same amount of alcohol. This makes sense, as we know alcohol causes dose-dependent injury to the liver. 

There is still so much to learn, though, about other features of sex differences, such as hormone levels and menopausal status, and their effect on the progression of ALD. We additionally acknowledge that metabolic factors and alcohol intake combined act like adding fuel to the fire, and with the increasing incidence of diabetes, obesity, and other features of metabolic syndrome, especially in younger patients, the more likely we are to see clinical disease. We are also increasingly aware of genetic factors that may increase one's risk of developing liver disease, whether from PNPLA3 polymorphisms or otherwise.

These genetic polymorphisms may help elucidate why younger patients are developing liver disease, especially alongside the progression of metabolic disease and alcohol intake.

HCPLive: What single shift in screening, clinical mindset, or the evidence base would make the biggest difference for this patient population?

 More evidence is needed to inform how providers counsel patients.

Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools. Lee does not report any relevant disclosures.

Mount Sinai Health System. Mount Sinai helps set a new standard for treating alcohol-associated liver disease. Published 2026. Accessed September 21, 2026. 

https://reports.mountsinai.org/article/liver2026-reach-clinic-for-alcohol-related-liver-disease

Pan CW, Abboud Y, Chitnis A, Zhang W, Singal AK, Wong RJ. Alcohol-associated liver disease mortality. 

. 2025;8(6):e2514857. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.14857

Kezer CA, Simonetto DA, Shah VH. Sex differences in alcohol consumption and alcohol-associated liver disease. 

. 2021;96(4):1006-1016. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.08.020

Age-adjusted mortality from alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) in the US almost doubled from 1999 to 2022, with a marked acceleration after 2018. Despite men comprising most deaths, mortality increases were especially steep among women and adults aged 25 to 44 years, underscoring gaps in early identification amid underreporting and limited routine alcohol histories. Integrated hepatology–addiction models using harm reduction aim to lower barriers to care. Emerging contributors include sex-based pharmacokinetics, metabolic comorbidity, and genetic susceptibility (eg, PNPLA3, TM6SF2), particularly in younger, metabolically at-risk drinkers.

Frances Lee, MD, on the stigma driving under-detection of ALD and its disproportionate rise in women and younger adults.

Hepatology

Addiction

Addiction medicine condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into clinical addiction can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on addiction therapy research, treatment, and drug development.

Stigma and Sex Differences in ALD Care, With Frances Lee, MD

Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, is a dermatologist in California. 

Podcasts

SOCS leaders explain SOCS Serves, a toolkit-based program connecting dermatology volunteers with students and underserved communities.

Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color

Hosted by Skin of Color Society and produced by HCPLive, 

 delves into the latest research, clinical insights, and culturally intelligent care practices in dermatology with leading experts. 

Whether it’s groundbreaking research, practice-changing insights, or highlights from the SOCS community, this twice-monthly program provides dermatologists and care providers with expert perspectives on treating patients with skin of color.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

podcasts page features a feed of medical news and interview podcast series, including DocTalk, Lungcast, Derm Discussions, and Heart Trials.

Skin of Color Savvy: How SOCS Serves Builds Dermatology Pathways and Community Trust

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team in 2022 and is currently an associate editor for 

. He is also the executive producer of two podcasts: 

. Previously, he was the producer of the Lungcast podcast. He graduated from UC Berkeley and worked in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. You can contact him at tsmith@mjhlifesciences.com.

EMBARQ-CSU1 and EMBARQ-CSU2 showed sustained reductions in urticaria, with the antibody meeting all primary and key secondary endpoints at Week 12.

Urticaria

The HCPLive urticaria page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on chronic idiopathic urticaria and chronic spontaneous urticaria. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for urticaria, and more.

EMBARQ-CSU: Barzolvolimab Meets Primary, Secondary Endpoints in CSU Trials

Victoria Johnson joined MJH Life Sciences in 2020 and has written for NeurologyLive, CGTLive, and is now an assistant managing editor for HCPLive and RheumatologyLive. She doesn’t have enough time for her numerous hobbies. You can reach her at vjohnson@mjhlifesciences.com.

The FDA-approved update adds phase 3 HYPERION data on adults diagnosed with PAH within the past year.

Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

Hypertension

The HCPLive hypertension page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on high blood pressure. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for hypertension, and more.

FDA Updates Sotatercept Label with HYPERION Data in Early PAH

Josh D. Woolley, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, University of California, San Francisco.

Josh Woolley, MD, PhD, explains why current active placebos fail to mask high-dose psilocybin trials and outlines a framework proposed to fix it.

Q&A: Woolley on UMBRAA's Multidrug Approach to Psilocybin Trial Masking

Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, on zasocitinib results in the scalp, nails, palms and soles, speed of response and once-daily oral dosing in psoriasis.

Plaque Psoriasis

The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

Q&A: Zasocitinib Response in the Scalp, Nails, Palms and Soles

Philadelphia-area PAH specialists discuss real-world patient mismatch with trial criteria, drug sequencing, and insurance access barriers.

PAH Experts Discuss Trial-to-Clinic Mismatch in Care

Kazem Rahimi, MD, is a professor of cardiovascular medicine and population health and the director of the Deep Medicine program at the University of Oxford.

Kazem Rahimi, MD, discusses his recent IPD analysis highlighting the consistent relative risk reduction of first cardiovascular event with BP-lowering drugs.

Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Blood Pressure Treatment Shows Consistent Benefit Across Cardiovascular Risk Spectrum

Professor of Clinical Microbiology at Radbound University Medical Center

van Ingen, of Radboud University Medical Center, discusses the ENCORE trial's patient-reported endpoint for ALIS in MAC lung disease.

ENCORE ALIS Data Could Reshape First-Line MACLD: Jakko van Ingen, MD, PhD

Woolley discusses why an active placebo's own therapeutic effects complicate psilocybin trial blinding and outlines next steps for testing UMBRAA.

PTSD

Confounding Risk in Psilocybin Trial Comparators, With Josh Woolley, MD, PhD 

Alex Hillenbrand is an assistant editor for 

. She earned her BA in English from Lafayette College in 2023 and went on to write for pop culture, entertainment, and sports media outlets before joining MJH Life Sciences in 2025. In her free time, Alex enjoys cooking, going on walks, and meeting new people. Contact her at mjhlifesciences.com.

FDA expands marstacimab approval to children and patients with inhibitors, backed by new BASIS trial data.

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Stigma and Sex Differences in ALD Care, With Frances Lee, MD