Endocrine therapy-induced hair loss (ETIHL) associated with aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen treatment is currently mostly reported but remained an unresolved therapeutic issue in patients with breast cancer (BC) since the number of studies regarding the management is limited in literature. Herein we investigated the possible causes of this clinical problem and its relation with endocrine therapies widely used for BC survivors and made some modest practical recommendations in light of the literature review in order to provide an optimal management. On the basis of literature findings, common causes of hair loss apart from endocrine therapies should be investigated with an initial evaluation workup and then should be corrected, if observed. Treatment with topical 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and supplementation of Vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids are likely appeared to be the most appropriate treatment agents for ETIHL without causing an adverse effect on BC prognosis. However, more prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled studied are required in order to confirm our results and also identify the clinical effects of this problem on patients with BC.
Poor sleep quality (SQ) is increasingly recognized as giving rise to decreased quality of life, and raising pain perception. Our aim is to evaluate the SQ in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) therapy. This was a prospective observational and open-label study of RA patients. A total of 35 patients with RA were enrolled in this study. Of the 35 patients, 22 had high disease activity (DA), and 13 were in remission. High DA group was initiated an anti TNF-α therapy. Clinical and objective parameters of SQ were assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG). The total PSQI score and the frequency of poor SQ were high in 60 % of the RA patients. The median PSQI score was significantly higher in the high DA group than in the remission group (P = 0.026). Following an anti-TNF-α therapy initiation, significant improvements were observed in the high DA group by PSQI test (P = 0.012). However, no statistically significant difference was found by PSG (P > 0.05). Although an improvement in DA with anti-TNF-alpha therapy did not provide an amelioration in laboratory parameters, we found a significant improvement in SQ by subjective PSQI test. These findings may support that sleep disorders in RA are likely to be associated with a complex pathophysiology.
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