Maggie is a senior 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.
Saliva May Be a Reliable Alternative to Blood for HIV Antibody Testing
August 13th 2020HIV-specific antibodies of 3 immunoglobulin isotypes are readily found in human saliva, providing a potential second reliable method of detecting the virus that may be used as a painless alternative to a blood draw.
Are There Benefits to Awake Breast Cancer Surgery During COVID-19?
August 11th 2020In Italy, a study looked at reallocating resources meant for patients with breast cancer to those stricken with coronavirus disease 2019, finding that the former could benefit from fast-track awake surgery to reduce risk of cross-infection.
Hospital Readmissions for Heart Failure Linked to Higher Rates of 3-Year Mortality
August 10th 2020Being male and Black, having comorbidities, and admission to a nonteaching hospital were linked to greater chances of subsequent readmission for heart failure in a recent Journal of Clinical Hypertension study.
Survival Consistent for Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Despite Surgery Delays
August 7th 2020Delays in surgery to treat early-stage breast cancer and receiving neoadjuvant endocrine therapy did not decrease survival odds among female patients, authors report in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
HIV Education, Prevention Efforts See Lukewarm Results in Dhaka, Bangladesh
August 7th 2020A 3-year endeavor to scale up HIV prevention and education efforts among men who have sex with men in Dhaka, Bangladesh, showed only modest gains in the country where intercourse with a same-sex partner could mean a lifetime jail sentence.
Immunosuppression to Blame for Oral Microbiota Change in Children With HIV
August 5th 2020Bacterial changes in the oral cavity from immunosuppression, not HIV itself, are more likely to blame for the greater incidence of oral caries in children 6 months to 6 years, reports a study from the Department of Oral Biology at the Rutgers University School of Dental Medicine.
Comorbidity Burden for HFpEF, HFrEF on the Rise Among Women and Men
August 4th 2020Evidence may support a greater comorbidity burden among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) or reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), although this finding was shown to be worse among women with HFpEF.
Patients With Advanced Heart Failure May Not Benefit From Telemedicine-Based Palliative Care
July 29th 2020Results from a racially diverse clinical trial show that despite bringing palliative care to rural and minority populations with heart failure facing hurdles to accessing such care, using telehealth delivery methods to improve access does not improve the mood or quality of life of patients or their caregivers.
NIH Deems Kidney Transplantation Safe Between HIV-Positive Donors and Recipients
July 29th 2020HIV-positive individuals with end-stage kidney disease may now have a larger pool of kidneys available to them, with recent study results from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showing that kidneys from HIV-positive deceased donors can be used in addition to those from HIV-negative donors.
Women With Extremely Dense Breast Tissue May Not Benefit From 3-D Mammography
July 28th 2020Compared with digital mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis, also called 3-dimensional (3-D) mammography, has been proven superior at effectively detecting breast cancer and leading to fewer recall visits, but more information is needed for how subgroups of women with different breast densities benefit from the screening method, especially those classified as having extremely dense breast tissue.
What Factors Are Most Likely to Predict Disclosing HIV Status in the Community?
July 26th 2020Having health insurance, a higher level of education, and more money were associated with a greater likelihood of caregivers disclosing their HIV status in the community, either positive or negative, while being male and living in a rural location indicated a lesser likelihood, reports AIDS Research and Therapy.
Germline BRCA-Mutated Breast Cancer Does Not Increase Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
July 23rd 2020Women with early-onset germline BRCA-mutated breast cancer can have subsequent pregnancies without increasing their risk for disease recurrence, according to the authors of a recent study in Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Treatment Adherence, Viral Suppression Suffer Due to HIV-Related Stigma in Florida
July 22nd 2020Stigma perpetuated in a health care setting has been linked to greater odds of poor outcomes in the HIV continuum of care for antiretroviral treatment adherence and reduced viral suppression among persons living with HIV in Florida.
Diagnostic Delays From COVID-19 May Increase Cancer-Related Deaths, UK Studies Say
July 21st 2020The next several years could bear witness to thousands of additional deaths from cancer that could have been prevented through routine diagnostic care that was delayed because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a pair of studies in The Lancet Oncology.
Access to Care: Burris Says United With Our Patients, We Accelerate Progress Together
July 20th 2020“We’ve had advancements, but we need to go faster,” said ASCO President Howard A. "Skip" Burris III, MD, as he stressed the importance of advancing therapies for better patient outcomes by addressing obstacles to patients’ care. “Access to care, access to clinical trials, and access to information are really key.”
Male Breast Cancer Survival Similar to That in Women Despite Treatment Variation
July 17th 2020Because male breast cancer is such a rare disease, few strides have been made that convey advantages in its detection, incidence, and mortality. Most treatment guidelines have been extracted from studies performed among female patients.
How Patients With Stress Cardiomyopathy Have Fared During the Pandemic
July 16th 2020Stress cardiomyopathy has presented in more patients with acute coronary syndrome during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, despite none having positive antibody results for the virus, compared with several measured periods before the pandemic.
A Computer-Simulation Model Attempts to Reframe Costs, Solutions to Ending HIV in the United States
July 16th 2020To effectively end the HIV epidemic in the United States, combination strategies should be tailored according to need, backed by evidence-based interventions, and scaled according to location, report study results in The Lancet HIV.
Interval Breast Cancer Found Within 1 Year Linked to Worse Mortality
July 14th 2020Breast cancer diagnosed in the year following a negative result after a mammogram has now been associated with an increase in mortality compared with breast cancer detected at a screening, report JAMA Network Open study results.