Family Practice News back issues from July 2007:
Melanoma trends can inform practice.(Skin Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. -- For the first time in about 25 years, the number of malignant melanoma cases in the United States has dropped, Dr. Darrell S. Rigel said at a meeting of the American Society for Mohs Surgery. According to data from the ...
Childhood cancer survivors receive subpar follow-up: only 18% of survivors received screening.(News)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Barely a third of adult survivors of childhood cancers receives follow-up care based on their cancer history,, according to results of an 8,522-survivor survey reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Fewer than half of survivors at ...
Waist circumference flags health problems in men.(Metabolic Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- A tape measure may be one of the most useful tools to predict whether male patients have diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, a large prostate, a high prostate-specific-antigen level, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculatory dysfunction. ...
Top therapeutic categories contributing to 2006 drug spending.(VITAL SIGNS)(Table)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Top Therapeutic Categories Contributing To 2006 Drug Spending Endocrine and diabetes8% Respiratory and allergy 9% Gastroenterology 10% ...
Combo treatment ups survival in kidney cancer.(News)(Clinical report)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Bevacizumab in combination with interferon-[alpha] nearly doubled survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in a phase III trial reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Comparative studies are needed, but the ...
MRI doubles the sensitivity for high-grade DCIS.(News)(ductal carcinoma in situ)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Magnetic resonance imaging is more sensitive than is mammography in diagnosing ductal carcinoma, particularly in women with high-grade breast lesions, according to a report at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "MRI doubled the ...
Sorafenib extends survival in liver cancer patients.(News)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- The oral multikinase inhibitor sorafenib significantly extended overall survival by 44%, compared with placebo in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in a phase III trial presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The results are ...
Panel votes down rimonabant on safety concerns.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
Jul 01, 2007; ... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- The Food and Drug Administrations Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously against recommending approval of Sanofi-Aventis' weight-loss drug Zimulti (rimonabant). Though panel members said they believed the drug effectively ...
Neupro, Lovenox.(New & Approved)(Medical condition overview)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System, Schwarz Pharma) A transdermal patch containing rotigotine, a nonergotamine dopamine agonist, for treating the signs and symptoms of early-stage idiopathic Parkinson's disease. This is the first transdermal drug delivery system ...
Gastric bypass linked with neurologic sequelae: all 26 patients in the retrospective review showed signs and symptoms of multiple nutritional deficiencies.(News)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Jul 01, 2007; ... A retrospective review of 26 patients presenting with disabling neurologic symptoms weeks to years after undergoing bariatric surgery illustrates the breadth of the potential neurologic sequelae and the lifelong risk of nutritional deficiencies in these patients. Physicians ...
Primary care management of asthma, COPD found flawed.(News)(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Jul 01, 2007; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Only 33% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and only 53% of patients with asthma were receiving appropriate medications from their primary care physicians in the year before visiting a subspecialty clinic, according to a poster presentation by Dr. V.J ....
Give patients the full picture.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
Jul 01, 2007; ... I realize that statins are likely to lower even an elderly person's lipids and thereby lower that person's cardiovascular risks, but I would ask what that means to an elderly person ("Elderly Benefit From Aggressive Statin Therapy;" May 15, 2007, p. 14). Considering that ...
Is a low-carbohydrate diet the best diet for metabolic syndrome? Restricting carbs also lowers calorie intake.(Point/Counterpoint)(Clinical report)
Jul 01, 2007; ... The increase in obesity in the United States over last 30 years parallels an increase in carbohydrate consumption over the same time period, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show. I became interested in studying low-carbohydrate diets when ...
Is a low-carbohydrate diet the best diet for metabolic syndrome? It's a short-term solution to a long-term problem.(Point/Counterpoint)
Jul 01, 2007; ... The clinically measurable variables in the metabolic syndrome make it a prime target for lifestyle therapy. It is a construct that identifies, in a clinically definable way, patients at high risk for coronary heart disease and diabetes. The West of Scotland Coronary Prevention ...
Fish oil, secondary CVD prevention link still murky.(cardiovascular disease)
Jul 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- The value of fish oil for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular-disease events was placed in some doubt with results from a diet study that involved about 200 patients. "We saw no difference between the American Heart Association's Step II diet and the ...
Diesel exhaust fumes promote myocardial ischemia in CHD.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(coronary heart disease)
Jul 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Brief inhalation Of dilute diesel exhaust at levels comparable with those encountered curbside along city streets promotes myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary heart disease, said Dr. David E. Newby at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology ...
Weight gain in migraineurs may raise cardiovascular risks.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Patients who gain at least 5% of body weight while taking prophylactic migraine medications experienced changes in clinical markers that could indicate increased risk of cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Marcelo Bigal at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society ...
ICD programming safely slashes needless shocks.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(implantable cardioverter defibrillator)(Clinical report)
Jul 01, 2007; ... DENVER -- Implantable cardioverter defibrillators can be programmed to safely eliminate three-quarters of unnecessary shocks in patients with a primary prevention indication for the device, according to a study presented at the annual scientific sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society. ...
Methadone at therapeutic levels linked to SCD.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Jul 01, 2007; ... DENVER -- Methadone in therapeutic doses appears to be associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death, Dr. Carmen Socoteanu reported at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society. This observation from a prospective case-control study has important public health ...
Race drives path of peripartum cardiomyopathy.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Full recovery of left ventricular function is significantly less likely in black patients than in white patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy, Dr. Sorel Goland said at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. There are other intriguing racial ...
HIV care sees metabolic syndrome uptick.(Metabolic Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... BARCELONA -- Patients with HIV who are treated with antiretrovirals are more likely to have metabolic syndrome than are their untreated counterparts, Dr. Julian Falutz said at an international congress on prediabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Dr Falutz and colleague Dr ....
Sleep apnea may triple Type 2 diabetes risk.(Metabolic Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- People with obstructive sleep apnea have almost three times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a poster presentation by Dr. Nader Botros at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society. This increase in risk is independent of ...
No improvement in mortality in diabetic women.(Metabolic Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Despite marked drops in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in men with diabetes between 1971 and 2000, no such improvements were seen in women with diabetes in those periods, a study has shown. "The improvements seen in men suggest that the improvements in diabetes care are ...
Universal flu shots will warrant all hands on deck.(Infectious Diseases)
Jul 01, 2007; ... TORONTO -- Alternative settings, such as schools, should be considered if universal influenza vaccination is recommended for all U.S. school-age children, Dr. Cynthia Rand said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies "Kids aged 6-18 ...
Combination vaccines: simpler or more complex?(Expert Commentary)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Combination vaccines make life easier for our patients. But until the payment and regulatory issues are resolved, the same is not true for us. In January, the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee endorsed the overall safety ...
Hep B vaccine immunity may wane after 15 years.(Infectious Diseases)
Jul 01, 2007; ... BALTIMORE -- Immunity to hepatitis B might wane 15 years after vaccination among those who received the vaccine series beginning at birth, Dr. Stephanie R. Bialek said at a conference on vaccine research sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Data from ...
Analysis refutes hepatitis B vaccine, RA link.(Infectious Diseases)(rheumatoid arthritis)
Jul 01, 2007; ... BALTIMORE -- The hepatitis B vaccine does not appear to be associated with an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Roger P. Baxter and his associates reported at a vaccine research conference sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Both acute and ...
Vesiculopustular disorders in infants a diagnostic challenge.(Infectious Diseases)
Jul 01, 2007; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MIAMI BEACH -- Several neonatal vesiculopustular disorders can be life threatening, yet difficult to diagnose, Dr. Ronald C. Hansen said at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Neonatal herpes ...
Early treatment of port-wine stains deemed ideal.(Skin Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... GRAPEVINE, TEX. -- Treatment with a pulsed dye laser is safe and effective for clearing port-wine stains in children aged younger than 2 years, according to two independent studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. In the ...
Outcomes worse for melanomas on scalp, neck.(Skin Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... LOS ANGELES -- Only 6% of patients with melanoma present with the disease on the scalp or neck, but these patients account for 10% of melanoma deaths, Anne M. Lachiewicz reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigational Dermatology. ...
Daily sunscreen may block later BCC, melanoma: data from an Australian clinical trial offer the first evidence of a protective effect against skin cancer.(Skin Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... AMSTERDAM -- A landmark Australian study has provided the first glimmer of evidence that daily sunscreen use might reduce the incidence of both basal cell carcinoma and melanoma years later, Dr. Adele Greenreported at the 11th World Congress on Cancers of the Skin. ...
Dermoscopy, total body photos close to new standard of care.(Skin Disorders)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- If dermoscopy and total body photography for early detection of melanoma aren't now the clinical and legal standard of care in dermatology, they're awfully dose, Dr. Allan C. Halpern said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education ...
Antidepressants, metabolic syndrome may be tied.(Mental Health)
Jul 01, 2007; ... SAN DIEGO -- Antidepressant use could be associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome among adult psychiatric inpatients, Stephen B. Woolley, D.Sc., reported at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Woolley and his colleagues found a 40% ...
Migraine associated with psychiatric disorders.(Mental Health)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia were diagnosed twice as often in those with migraine as in those without headache in a major Canadian population survey, Dr. Nathalle Jette said at the American Headache Society meeting. ...
Depressive symptoms linked to CAD.(Clinical Capsules)(coronary artery disease)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Depressive symptoms appear to correlate with the development of coronary artery disease, but hostility and anxiety may not, reported Jesse C. Stewart, Ph.D., and his associates. Several studies have linked various negative emotions with the development of coronary artery disease ...
Grief begins to ease at 6 months.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... The normal grief response to the natural death of a loved one seems to start declining within 6 months of the loss, said Paul K. Maciejewski, Ph.D., of Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and his associates. "The notion that a natural psychological response to loss involves an ...
Delinquent teens at risk for suicide.(Clinical Capsules)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Teenage delinquency was significantly associated with an increased risk for suicidal behavior in girls, according to data from a sample of American teens. Previous studies have shown an association between delinquency and suicide, but none has studied the association in ...
Fewer heavy days with extended-cycle OC use.(Women's Health)(oral contraceptive)(Clinical report)
Jul 01, 2007; ... RENO, NEV. -- Patients taking extended-cycle oral contraceptives had about the same number of total bleeding days over 6 months as women taking a standard, 28-day oral contraception regimen but had significantly fewer days of moderate to heavy bleeding. "There is lower serum and ...
Low-dose OCs may impair teen bone health.(Women's Health)(oral contraceptives)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007; ... ATLANTA -- Impaired bone mass acquisition associated with certain oral contraceptives may be a hidden problem affecting adolescent girls, Dr. Barbara Cromer said at the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Preliminary data from a ...
Implanon's efficacy in obese still not known.(Women's Health)
Jul 01, 2007; ... MIAMI BEACH -- Nearly a year after the approval of a contraceptive implant, its advantages and disadvantages are becoming better known, but there are still no data on its efficacy in overweight or obese women, according to a presentation at an ob.gyn. conference sponsored by the University ...
Rate of sleep aid use higher in young females than in young males.(DATA WATCH)(Table)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Rate of Sleep Aid Use Higher in Young Females Than in Young Males (per 1,000) Females aged Males aged10-19 years10-19 years 20012.41.8 20022.8 ...
Hypnotic sleep aids.(Drugs, Pregnancy, And Lactation)
Jul 01, 2007; ... The physical discomforts of pregnancy Induced by the surge of progesterone and the expanding uterus can result in sleep deprivation in pregnancy. An increased need to urinate, nausea and vomiting, heartburn, difficulty in finding a comfortable sleeping position, and, as the pregnancy ...
Severe exacerbations seen in mild pediatric asthma.(Pulmonary Medicine)
Jul 01, 2007; ... TORONTO -- Current classifications of pediatric asthma fail to capture the potential for severe exacerbations in patients with mild disease, according to Dr. Christopher Carroll of Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford. In a study of nearly 300 asthmatic children, ...
Asthma combo as needed cuts steroid exposure.(Pulmonary Medicine)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Symptom-driven "rescue" use of a single inhaler containing beclomethasone plus albuterol was as effective at controlling mild persistent asthma as was regular twice-daily use of inhaled beclomethasone alone in a prospective, randomized study. As-needed use of the combination ...
Methylnaltrexone rapidly resolves constipation: in a study of 288 frail hospice patients with opioid-induced constipation, 60% responded within 4 hours.(Digestive Disorders)(Medical condition overview)
Jul 01, 2007; ... DALLAS -- Backed by two positive phase III randomized trials, methylnaltrexone is now under Food and Drug Administration review for treatment of opiold-induced constipation in patients with advanced illness. The investigational drug, a quaternary derivative of naltrexone, ...
Behavioral therapy of no benefit in constipated children.(Digestive Disorders)
Jul 01, 2007; ... MILWAUKEE -- Intensive behavioral therapy with laxatives is no better than conventional therapy in the treatment of childhood constipation, data from a randomized controlled trial show. Little is known about the effectiveness of behavioral therapy in the treatment of ...
Guidelines spell out pediatric obesity treatment.(Obesity)
Jul 01, 2007; ... TORONTO -- Diet and exercise remain the first-line treatment for overweight and obese children, according to guidelines on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of pediatric obesity developed by the Endocrine Society. Although selective patients may be candidates for ...
Most well-child visits skip obesity prevention.(Obesity)
Jul 01, 2007; ... WASHINGTON -- Even as pediatric obesity is on the rise, fewer than a third of nonobese children in the United States are likely to be receiving obesity prevention counseling at well-child visits, based on a representative sample presented in a poster by Dr. Chris Branner at the annual ...
Valproate, birth defects update.(Clinical Rounds)
Jul 01, 2007; ... BOSTON -- Two new data sets reinforce the recommendation to avoid valproate as a first-line therapy for any indication in women of childbearing years. The findings, presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, strengthen evidence of a link between ...
Supprelin LA, Xyzal tablets.(New & Approved)(Drug overview)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Supprelin LA (histrelin acetate, Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc.) The Food and Drug Administration approved Supprelin LA (histrelin acetate subcutaneous implant) 50 mg for treatment of central precocious puberty in children. * Recommended Dosage: The ...
Diagnostic criteria offered for refractory migraine.(Clinical Rounds)
Jul 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- A proposed definition and diagnostic criteria aim to help physicians deal with the growing number of patients presenting with refractory migraine, said Dr. Elliott A. Schulman at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. "[Refractory migraine] is out there; ...
Surgery eases spondylolisthesis pain.(Clinical Capsules)(Medical condition overview)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Surgery was found to be superior to nonsurgical treatment in relieving pain and restoring function for patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis, according to James N. Weinstein, D.O., of Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, N.H., and his associates. ...
New Bartonella species identified.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... A new species of Bartonella bacteria has been identified, after it caused an illness resembling Oroya fever in an American woman returning from a trip to Peru, reported Dr. Marina E. Eremeeva of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and her associates. "We initially ...
Autism, Rh immunoglobulin not linked.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Exposure to thimerosal-containing Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg) during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder, said Dr. Judith H. Miles and T. Nicole Takahashi of the University of Missouri--Columbia. Overall, 214 mothers ...
AAFP, other groups seek tobacco tax to fund SCHIP.(Practice Trends)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Federal lawmakers were called upon to approve a tobacco tax increase of 61 cents to fund an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association, along with 65 other organizations. In a joint letter, ...
Rural children's need for SCHIP outweighs urban counterparts'.(Practice Trends)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Rural children are much more dependent on the State Children's Health Insurance Program than are urban children and also have less of a safety net to fall back on if the popular public insurance program is cut, a new study found. The study, by the Carsey Institute at the ...
IOM offers smoking measures.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... A combination of increased excise taxes, nationwide indoor smoking bans, and other measures would significantly lower the U.S. smoking rate, which now hovers at around 21% of the adult population, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine. But to achieve faster, more certain ...
Retiree plans offer Rx coverage.(Policy & Practice)
Jul 01, 2007 ... A majority of retiree health benefit sponsors said that for 2006 they continued to offer prescription drug coverage, despite the availability of the new Medicare Part D drug benefit, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Most plans also accepted the government's retiree ...
Group medical costs rise.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... The cost of providing group health benefits to employees increased sharply during the past 6 months, with the vast majority of employers, regardless of business size, paying significantly more for account renewals than in the fall of 2006, according to a survey by the ...
AMA fights Medicare cuts.(Policy & Practice)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Physicians report that they will severely limit the numbers of Medicare patients they treat if Congress doesn't act to avert planned Medicare physician payment cuts, which will total 10% on Jan. 1, 2008, and will reach about 40% over the next 9 years, according to an American Medical ...
Call to share student mental info.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... Legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives would allow schools and universities to share a student's mental health information with parents or guardians, but only if the student is considered a danger to himself or others. Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), a child psychologist and cochair of ...
Bipolar disorder more common.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
Jul 01, 2007 ... A new survey indicates that as many as 4% of American adults might have bipolar disorder at some point in their lifetime, higher than the 1% prevalence found in previous surveys. Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health queried about 9,282 people from 2001 to 2003 as part ...
On genes and justice.(Genomic Medicine)
Jul 01, 2007; ... Consider the following scenario: At your next job interview, the senior partner in the practice asks about your family history of hereditary colorectal cancer and then requests that you have a genetic test to define your risk. That same day, you get an irate phone call from a patient who ...
Two physicians show there's more than one path to success.(Practice Trends)(Kevin D. Egly and Barbara E. Magera)
Jul 01, 2007; ... SAN DIEGO -- Physicians are finding ways to redesign their practices and improve efficiency, both with and without the use of electronic medical records. Dr. Kevin D. Egly of Sandwich, Ill., has used his comprehensive electronic medical record (EMR) system to practice in a ...
Addiction medicine seeks ABMS recognition.(Practice Trends)
Jul 01, 2007; ... MIAMI -- The field of addiction medicine is preparing to take a major step to enhance its authority and expand its professional ranks. The American Society of Addiction Medicine plans to form a certification board and seek official recognition from the American Board of Medical ...