Maggie is an editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and produces written, video, and podcast content covering several disease states. She joined AJMC® in 2019, and has been with AJMC®’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2014, when she started as a copy editor.
She has a BA in English from Penn State University. You can connect with Maggie on LinkedIn.
Panel: We Must Invest in Communities With HIV, Respond to Their Needs, and Leave No One Behind
July 6th 2020This year marks the 23rd International AIDS Conference, AIDS 2020, and the 30th anniversary of the first conference held in San Francisco in 1990 amid the first few years of the AIDS epidemic. The theme for this year’s conference is “Resilience,” and that certainly holds true for this global undertaking, which is happening in a virtual setting for the first time in the conference’s history due to the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Study Identifies Possible New Patient Phenotype in HIV Space
July 4th 2020Previously associated with elite controller status, having an inherent low viral reservoir is now possibly linked to individuals with chronic HIV infection who initiate treatment with antiretrovirals more than 6 months after becoming infected.
Is It Possible to Predict Heart Failure Risk Through a Wearable Sensor?
July 2nd 2020At the 5-year mark, half of patients hospitalized for heart failure typically have died. These study authors set out to determine if a wearable sensor can better predict who is at risk for heart failure so that the risk can be modified.
Study Results Show Possible Link Between Medicaid Expansion, Drop in Advanced Breast Cancer
July 1st 2020Despite ongoing disparities in the use of health care services among races/ethnicities and ages, as well as by insurance status, African American women with advanced breast cancer benefited the most following implementation of the Affordable Care Act in states that chose to expand Medicaid coverage.
Heart Failure Improvements Seen With Plant-Based Diets
June 30th 2020Plant-based diets have been shown to improve both ejection fraction and cardiac remodeling in patients with heart failure among a recent review of interventional studies, thereby lessening the adverse effects of obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes.
Novel Subcutaneous, At-Home Breast Cancer Treatment Approved
June 30th 2020The FDA approved Phesgo (pertuzumab/trastuzumab/hyaluronidase-zzxf) as a subcutaneous (SC) treatment for adult patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer or early-stage HER-2 positive disease. The treatment combines 2 monoclonal antibodies in a single SC injection.
Previous Breast Cancer Therapy Not Likely to Affect Outcomes in Patients With COVID-19
June 26th 2020Results from an analysis of patients with breast cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), from Institut Curie hospitals in France, show that mortality is determined more by comorbidities than previous or current treatment for the cancer.
Opioid Use Has a Detrimental Effect on Uptake of Care for Uncontrolled HIV
June 24th 2020Individuals who self-report a problem with drugs, especially opioids, are more likely to have uncontrolled HIV, to not be adherent to antiretroviral therapy, and to engage less in primary care for their infection but more in risky behaviors, including sharing needles and having multiple concurrent sexual partners.
Having a High Risk of HCV Does Not Always Lead to Testing Among Those With HIV
June 18th 2020Despite the CDC’s recommendation, which has been in effect since 1998, study results show that just half of HIV-positive individuals choose to get tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the 12 months following the receipt of their diagnosis.
Zaia Draws on Decades of Innovation in Infectious Disease for Breakthroughs in Gene Therapy
June 17th 2020Known as a gene therapy pioneer, Zaia has spent almost 40 years at City of Hope, in Duarte, California. He was first drawn by the promise of studying cytomegalovirus. Over the decades, his groundbreaking research has encompassed HIV/AIDS, cellular gene transfer therapy, immunotherapy, bispecific antibodies, and now hyperimmune globulin for workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
How Does Cardiotoxicity Present Itself in Patients With Cancer?
June 12th 2020Three abstracts presented at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology focused on cardiotoxic effects of cancer treatment and how cardiac disease remains a barrier to effective cancer therapy among patients with cancer and survivors.
High-Dose Chemo Most Benefits Patients With High-Risk Breast Cancer
June 11th 2020A 20-year follow-up comprising a secondary analysis to an original study shows that high-dose chemotherapy plus hematopoietic stem cell transplant benefit patients with high-risk stage III disease with 10 or more axillary lymph nodes involved.
Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer Show Decreased Brain Health, Cognitive Function
June 8th 2020Previous studies show that up to 75% of women with breast cancer exhibit disease- and treatment-related affects that include poorer cognitive function in the forms of psychological well-being, decision making, and adherence to treatment.
Palliative Care Linked to Fewer Hospitalizations Among Veterans With Heart Failure
June 6th 2020There could be a 46% spike in the incidence of heart failure in the United States by 2030, bringing the total to more than 8 million adults living with the condition and an approximate $69.6 billion hit to the economy.