The January issue of AJN is now live. Here are some articles we’d like to bring to your attention.

CE Feature: “Triglycerides: Do They Matter?”

In light of the increasing incidences of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, lowering triglyceride levels has been getting renewed interest. In addition to the focus on lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, clinicians need to be aware of the role of triglycerides—their contribution to CVD, and the causes and treatment of hypertriglyceridemia. In this article, the authors discuss the importance of lowering triglyceride levels and review the lifestyle changes and pharmacologic treatments that can help achieve this goal.

CE Feature: “Human Papillomavirus-Related Oral Cancers: The Nurse’s Role in Mitigating Stigma and Dispelling Myths”

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oral cancers has been rising, with the cancers occurring in adults at a younger age than HPV-negative oral cancers typically do and in men more often than women. Because HPV is sexually transmitted, diagnosis with an HPV-related oral cancer may prompt feelings of shame and guilt. It’s essential for nurses to educate patients on HPV transmission and HPV-related oral cancer, thus helping to mitigate the stigma and dispel myths, and to promote vaccination in at-risk populations, including children and young adults.

In the News: “Top Health Stories of 2016: ACA, Opioids, Zika—Representation and Misrepresentation in a Post-Fact Era”

AJN‘s annual “Year in Review” news roundup includes this close look at top health care headlines of 2016, as well as other takes on the top health care policy, nursing, and clinical news stories of the year.

Supporting Family Caregivers: “Teaching Caregivers to Administer Eye Drops, Transdermal Patches, and Suppositories”

This third installment in a series published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute outlines techniques nurses can use to teach caregivers how to administer nonoral or intravenous medications that require steadiness, patience, and practice.

There’s much more in our January issue, including our 2016 Book of the Year Award winners and a Cultivating Quality article on the role of nurses in improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Click here to browse the table of contents and explore the issue on our Web site.

A note on the cover:

On this month’s cover, mothers and their children with the birth defect microcephaly—probably associated with Zika virus infection—wait for care at Hospital Oswaldo Cruz in Recife, Brazil. Although the World Health Organization declared in November that Zika virus is no longer a global health emergency, it emphasized that the virus and its associated consequences remain a “significant enduring public health challenge.” This is especially true in impoverished areas such as Recife, where many parents of children born with Zika-related conditions lack adequate financial resources to care for them. And as mosquito activity peaks during Brazil’s summer months, the country could potentially face a Zika resurgence.