Internal Medicine News back issues from September 2007:
New Orleans still lacks health care.(News)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Two years after Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters submerged much of New Orleans, the city's relatively few open health care facilities and diminished corps of physicians are struggling to serve a smaller, but just as needy, population. It's a picture that has changed some--but not ...
Top 10 drugs prescribed by internists in 2006.(VITAL SIGNS)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Top 10 Drugs Prescribed by Internists in 2006 Percentage of prescriptions Lipitor (atorvastatin) 3.0% Lisinopril 2.4% Hydrocodone/APAP2.0% Atenolol2.0% Hydrochlorothiazide ...
One measure for overall glycemia to guide patient care: 'obtuse concept' of Hb[A.sub.1c] to be sidelined.(News)
Sep 01, 2007; ... If all goes as expected, the number of ways in which a diabetes patient's overall glucose control is expressed will soon increase to three but essentially boil down to just one concept: average glucose. New joint guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the ...
Trastuzumab may benefit HER2-negative patients.(Women's Health)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Some patients with HER2-negative breast cancer may benefit from trastuzumab therapy, judging from findings from two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. A retrospective analysis of the phase III Cancer and Leukemia ...
PPIs not tied to heart risk, FDA says.(News)
Sep 01, 2007; ... New data supplied by AstraZeneca, maker of the prescription proton pump inhibitors Prilosec (omeprazole) and Nexium (esomeprazole), do not suggest that either drug poses an increased risk for cardiovascular events in patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease, according a ...
Disaster planning is still lacking.(News)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Public health systems need more federal funding to respond to day-to-day emergencies and mass casualty events, according to disaster preparedness recommendations released by a coalition of 18 health organizations. The coalition, led by the American Medical Association and the ...
European SLE guidelines found to fall short.(News)(systemic lupus erythematosus)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The first-ever attempt to develop "comprehensive management guidelines" for systemic lupus erythematosus resulted in 12 recommendations--some potentially controversial--from a European task force. European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) task force, which was composed of 19 ...
Greens, NSAIDs may prevent squamous cancer.(News)
Sep 01, 2007; ... AMSTERDAM -- Adoption of a diet rich in leafy green vegetables and the regular use of NSAIDs are evidence-based supplementary measures available to patients with prior skin cancer to reduce their risk of future episodes, Dr. Adele C. Green said at the 11th World Congress on Cancers of the ...
TZDs given black box warning on heart failure.(News)(thiazolidinediones)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The labels of all thiazolidinediones will carry a black box warning about the risk of heart failure emphasizing that these drugs may "cause or exacerbate congestive heart failure in some patients," according to the Food and Drug Administration. The agency sent the manufacturers ...
CryoCor Cardiac Cryoablation System.(NEW & APPROVED)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CryoCor Cardiac Cryoablation System (Cryocor Inc.) A cryoablation device approved for the ablation of isthmus-dependent right atrial flutter in patients aged 18 years and older. This is the first cryoablation device approved for atrial flutter. The device is also ...
Selzentry.(NEW & APPROVED)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Selzentry (maraviroc, Pfizer Inc.) A CCR5 coreceptor antagonist approved for use in combination with other anti-retroviral drugs for treating adults infected with only CCR5-tropic HIV-1 and who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to ...
Physicians as terrorists.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow have startled many. One of the biggest surprises is that the alleged would-be terrorists are physicians or medical students--people who take an oath to save lives. But throughout human history, those in our profession have been involved in ...
Should hormone treatment be started early in response to rising PSA levels?(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)(patient-stimulated anxiety)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Why wait? A raging controversy exists regarding the use of early vs. delayed hormone therapy and the use of chemotherapy for patients with rising prostate-specific antigen levels after failed local therapy, or stage D1.5 disease. Biochemical failure is common and can ...
Reimbursement system is unfair.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007 ... It sounds like the American Board of Internal Medicine is prepared to make a sweet deal with the insurance companies to increase the number of internists taking the boards by tying payment fees to board certification ("New Certificate Option Endorsed for Internists," July 1, 2007, p. 46). ...
Lowering LDL cholesterol is key.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... I have a pearl for Dr. Jon O. Ebbert and Dr. Eric G. Tangelos ("Reducing Microalbuminuria in Diabetics on ACE Inhibitor Therapy," Mindful Practice, July 15, 2007, p. 21). The most effective way of reducing microalbuminuria is to profoundly lower LDL cholesterol, whether or not ...
'Pay for performance' anxiety.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Pay for performance? First let me do what I think the patient needs. A non-MD tells me over the phone that a CT scan or MRI isn't indicated. A mail-order prescription plan tells me I can't use a drug because I didn't try OTC medication first. Medicare tells me how often I can do a ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Our report, "Standard Hepatitis C Treatment Highly Effective" (July 1, 2007, p. 42), stated the study findings incorrectly. The first sentence should have been replaced with this: WASHINGTON--Findings from the largest-ever study of the standard treatment for hepatitis C virus infection, ...
Pain relievers.(Opinion)(Cartoon)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Give it to me in layman's ...
Novel diabetes drugs block glucose reabsorption.(Endocrinology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Suppressing the reabsorption of glucose in the kidney is the novel mechanism for an investigational new class of diabetes drugs. Early data presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association suggest that inhibition of the sodium-glucose ...
Diabetic retinopathy regresses with pegaptanib.(Endocrinology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Intravitreal pegaptanib appeared to induce regression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy in a small pilot study presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen), which is currently approved for the ...
Diabetic eye disease in the U.S. projected to triple by 2050.(Endocrinology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Diabetic eye disease is expected to triple in the United States by the year 2050, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. "The future changes in the number of ...
Guidelines steer focus from glucose to lifestyle.(Endocrinology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Diabetes management is becoming less "glucocentric" than it used to be, according to Dr. Helena W. Rodbard. Dr. Rodbard is the chairperson of the task force that wrote the new clinical practice guidelines on the management of diabetes issued by the American Association of ...
Manage stress for better prostatectomy outcomes.(Urology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Just 2 hours of teaching men with prostate cancer how to self-manage their stress improves their ability to cope with their fears of undergoing radical prostatectomy. Moreover, the effects of learning how to manage their stress are long-lasting and could ultimately ...
Factors tied to poor prostate ca outcome in blacks.(Urology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- African American men were significantly more likely to have prostate cancer at needle biopsy than were white men in a study reported by Dr. William Dale at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. One of the most unexpected findings of the ...
Postsurgery prognostic tools give inaccurate predictions.(Urology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Prognostic tools that are commonly used to predict postsurgical outcomes in patients with prostate cancer dramatically underestimate the efficacy of surgery, according to Dr. Brant Inman, of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "The prognostic models we commonly use to ...
Circulating tumor cells may be better marker than PSA.(Urology)(prostate-specific antigen)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- An assay to calculate circulating tumor cells may be superior to PSA as a surrogate marker for survival in men treated for castration-refractory prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. ...
Older women, Asians, blacks at higher risk of OSA.(Pulmonary Medicine)(obstructive sleep apnea)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Obstructive sleep apnea is often associated with obesity, especially in men, but other patients are also vulnerable, Dr. Brian A. Boehlecke advised at a meeting on sleep medicine sponsored by the American College of Chest Physicians. Hormonal changes in ...
Sleep-disordered breathing best tested in lab.(Pulmonary Medicine)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Although patients undergoing in-home polysomnography spend more time supine and more time in rapid eye movement sleep than did patients studied in a sleep laboratory, the in-home technique underestimates measures of sleep-disordered breathing, according to a poster ...
Clues to missed PE often found in vital signs.(Pulmonary Medicine)(pulmonary embolism)
Sep 01, 2007; ... SAN DIEGO -- More than 400,000 cases of pulmonary thromboembolism are missed by doctors every year in the United States. Over the past few years, it has become clearer why many of those cases are missed and how they could be diagnosed, Dr. Daniel J. Sullivan said at a congress ...
Exercise guidelines emphasize health maintenance: the aerobic activity should be in addition to routine activities of daily living, such as casual walking.(Sports Medicine)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Exercise experts have clarified what qualifies as the minimum level of physical activity for maintaining health and lowering the risk of disease in older and younger adults as well as in middle-aged adults with chronic conditions in updated recommendations issued by the American College of ...
The benefits of resistance training know no age limit.(Sports Medicine)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Elderly persons in nursing homes can benefit from resistance training, as can patients with heart failure, according to an update on resistance exercise issued by the American Heart Association. The update follows up AHAs first scientific advisory on the topic published in 2000 ...
Tonsillectomy linked with breast cancer risk.(Women's Health)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... LOS ANGELES -- Women who have had a tonsillectomy are 50% more likely to develop breast cancer, but only if they are premenopausal, according to a poster presentation by Ted Brasky at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. This study adds to a ...
Serial screening combo may flag early ovarian ca.(Women's Health)(cancer)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Frequent serum CA125 testing in tandem with transvaginal sonography may be an effective screening method to detect ovarian cancer early in women at increased risk of the disease. When serial CA125 levels were analyzed using the previously established risk of ovarian ...
Endometriosis-related ca risk not tied to parity.(Women's Health)(cancer)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... LYON, FRANCE -- The increased risk of cancer seen in patients with endometriosis is unrelated to parity, according to a large study--the first to examine this association. "Endometriosis and nulliparity did not combine to give a higher cancer risk," said Dr. Anna-Sofia Mellin, ...
'Timing' hypothesis fails to save estrogen therapy.(Women's Health)
Sep 01, 2007; ... ORLANDO -- The "timing" hypothesis is a misguided effort to keep estrogen therapy an option for reducing heart disease risk in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, Dr. Elizabeth Barrett-Connor said at a conference on cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention sponsored by the ...
Diabetes doubles arthroplasty infection rate.(Rheumatology)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... DALLAS -- Diabetic patients have a more than twofold increased risk of infection following elective hip or knee arthroplasty, Dr. Jeffrey L. Glasheen reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine. Moreover, development of postoperative hyperglycemia is ...
Fever after hip, knee surgery may not signal infection.(Rheumatology)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... DALLAS -- Postoperative fever is extremely common in patients undergoing elective hip or knee surgery--and it's seldom associated with infection, Dr. Josiah K. Halm reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine. Indeed, when a surgeon requests a consultation ...
Charlson score may predict early postop mortality.(Rheumatology)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007; ... DALLAS -- The Charlson Comorbidity Index may have clinical utility as an independent predictor of postoperative infection and 30-day mortality in geriatric patients undergoing hip surgery, Dr. Lisa L. Kirkland reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine. ...
Radiation exposure.(THE EFFECTIVE PHYSICIAN)
Sep 01, 2007; ... The growth of radiographic imaging has raised concerns about the acute and cumulative exposure of patients to radiation. The American College of Radiology recently released a white paper outlining the extent of this issue and potential interventions to reduce risk. Background ...
Secondary cachexia often has multiple causes.(Clinical Rounds)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Primary cachexia in patients with advanced cancer is frequently exacerbated by secondary complications that decrease energy intake, according to data presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "Secondary cachexia should ...
0.3% Differin gel.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Food and Drug Administration has approved adapalene (Differin) gel 0.3% for the treatment of acne ....
Enjuvia for vaginal dryness.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Enjuvia (synthetic conjugated estrogens, B) is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe vaginal dryness and pain with intercourse, which are symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy ...
Noninvasive central pressure monitor.(PRODUCTS)(SphygmoCor)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The SphygmoCor system is available for assessment of the blood pressure waveform at the ascending aorta. Applications include cardiovascular risk evaluation and ICU monitoring. The system ...
Home-based fertility screening.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The first at-home fertility screening test for men and women, Fertell enables couples to assess key elements of fertility earlier in the process, and facilitates earlier professional care when there are results ...
Lipid profile device.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... CardioChek PA is a diagnostic device that can measure a patient's lipid profile in the office or waiting room in less than 2 ...
Estradiol spray to treat menopause.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Evamist (estradiol transdermal spray) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms ...
Diabetic retinopathy detection.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Retasure enables primary care physicians to detect retinopathy at an early stage. The physician uses a digital fundus camera to capture nondilated, high-resolution retinal images. The images are transmitted ...
'Smart' brace for stroke victims.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The e100 NeuroRobotic System has been cleared by the FDA for marketing as a portable elbow brace. No electrical stimulation or surgery is required. The device is designed to help people relearn how to move impaired upper limbs ....
First artificial cervical disk.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Prestige cervical disk for treating cervical degenerative disk disease. The disk, manufactured by Memphis-based Medtronic Sofamor Danek, is used to replace the impaired natural ...
Urinary flow measuring system.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... Installed in a standard toilet, with no awkward chair, the FloPoint Elite Uroflow System measures and records a patient's pattern of urinary flow, allowing physicians to assess bladder function and ...
Office lab chemistry analyzer.(PRODUCTS)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Data Pro Plus is a compact, automated benchtop analyzer designed for routine diagnostic laboratory use in physician offices. It has a throughput of up to 230 tests per hour, ...
Lifestyle can rectify some prehypertension.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... NEW ORLEANS -- Therapeutic lifestyle changes are effective for lowering blood pressure in individuals with prehypertension, but obese individuals may not derive maximum benefit, according to findings from a prospective study of nearly 2,500 patients who had prehypertension at baseline. ...
'Stop Sudden Cardiac Arrest' Web site.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(www.stopcardiacarrest.org)(Brief article)
Sep 01, 2007 ... The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Coalition has launched a Web site with extensive information on SCA for public health advocates, the medical community, and the public, as well as links to more than 30 member organizations. ...
Combo drug lowers refractory HT.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(hypertention)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Nearly three-fourths of patients with uncontrolled hypertension on monotherapy achieved national blood pressure targets on a fixed-dose combination of amlodipine and valsartan that will soon be available, Dr. Joseph L. Izzo Jr. reported at the annual meeting of the American ...
Unstable angina, non-STEMI get new guidelines.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Early invasive and conservative strategies for managing unstable angina or non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction both received endorsements in the first guidelines on the topic from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association since 2002. ...
Value of presurgery revascularization is still unresolved.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... BALTIMORE -- The jury remains out on the safety and efficacy of coronary revascularization for very high-risk patients before they have major vascular surgery. A pilot study that randomized 101 adult patients to revascularization or medical therapy before major vascular surgery ...
Diabetics with CKD benefit from atorvastatin.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Sep 01, 2007; ... CHICAGO -- Intensive lipid lowering with high-dose atorvastatin significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events in coronary patients who have both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, Dr. James Shepherd reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American ...
Supplemental olive oil may cut Cardiac Risk in diabetes.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Sep 01, 2007; ... BARCELONA -- Additional supplementation of olive oil in the diets of patients with type 2 diabetes may reduce their risk of cardiac problems, according to research presented at an international congress on prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. In a preliminary study to identify a ...
Waist circumference predicts risk of cardiovascular events.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
Sep 01, 2007; ... BARCELONA -- Although body mass index is a poor predictor of mortality from myocardial infarction in patients with diabetes, this measure should not be discounted altogether, Dr. Jonathan Shaw said at an international congress on prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. "Within every ...
Episodic amiodarone flops for atrial fibrillation.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... DENVER -- Episodic amiodarone therapy is a losing strategy for maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, according to the first randomized trial comparing this approach to continuous amiodarone. "Episodic amiodarone therapy is no option for ...
Claudication drug may cut cerebrovascular events.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... BALTIMORE -- Treatment with the claudication drug cilostazol was linked to a significant drop in the rate of cerebrovascular events in a post hoc analysis of data collected from more than 1,400 patients with peripheral artery disease. Further studies on cilostazol for preventing ...
Echinacea may protect against the common cold.(Infectious Diseases)(Report)
Sep 01, 2007; ... Users of echinacea supplements in clinical trials reduced their odds of developing the common cold by more than half, according to findings from a meta-analysis of 14 published, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. When patients in the trials caught a cold, those who used ...
Logistics pose an obstacle for flu antiviral Rx.(Infectious Diseases)
Sep 01, 2007; ... MONTREAL -- Although influenza vaccination continues to be underutilized, it is a success story compared with the use of influenza antiviral medications, experts agreed at an international conference on community-acquired pneumonia. Medications such as zanamivir and oseltamivir ...
American ginseng for prevention of respiratory illness.(ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE)
Sep 01, 2007; ... History and Rationale for Use Nearly 300 years ago, the first descriptions of Asian Panax ginseng reached the West from China, and shortly thereafter another member of this genus, Panax quinquefolius, was identified in Canada. This plant was later found in many locales in ...
Crohn disease drug backed, with restrictions.(Gastroenterology)
Sep 01, 2007; ... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- A federal advisory panel has recommended that the immune modulator natalizumab be approved to treat moderate to severe Crohn disease under highly restrictive conditions. Because of the serious risks associated with this agent, including progressive ...