Family Practice News articles from August 2005

Family Practice News archives from August 2005

Changes to ADHD label can wait.(News)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
August 1, 2005... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration panel has decided to postpone changes to safety warnings in the label for Concerta, a stimulant widely prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The FDA's Pediatric Advisory...

ACIP: assess all adults 40+ for varicella immunity: asking about chickenpox is often enough.(News)(Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices )
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- All healthy adolescents and adults born in the United States after 1965 should be assessed for varicella immunity and vaccinated if susceptible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization...

Doctors need to support patients' weight loss work.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... Physicians must adopt a different paradigm of care to help patients combat excess weight and its accompanying health challenges, William Dietz, M.D., director of nutrition and physical activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

ACIP: add Tdap to routine shots.(News)(Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- The new adolescent/ adult formula tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine should be routinely administered to 11- to 12-yearolds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices...

Committee tables vote on routine second varicella vaccine dose.(News)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Family physicians and pediatricians would be more favorable toward giving children a second dose of varicella vaccine if a measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine were available, Mona Marin, M.D., reported to the Advisory Committee...

Provider tax could raise Medicaid cash.(News)
August 1, 2005... Michigan physicians are divided over efforts by Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) to pass a physician tax that would help increase payments to Medicaid providers in the state. Under the governor's proposal, a 2.28% gross receipts tax would be...

Governors propose strategies to reform Medicaid program.(News)
August 1, 2005... The Bush administration has focused on overhauling the Social Security program, but the nation's governors and health providers say the real crisis is in Medicaid. The National Governors Association (NGA) has offered a reform proposal to...

Congress looks at physician payment options.(News)
August 1, 2005... Any legislative approach to fixing Medicare's sustainable growth rate system "would be prohibitively expensive," according to House Ways and Means Chair Bill Thomas (R-Calif.). Attaining a permanent fix is possible, however, provided that...

Supplement contains glyburide: FDA.(News)(Liqiang 4)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... A dietary supplement available in the United States contains the oral hypoglycemic drug glyburide and could cause life-threatening effects in some people, according to a nationwide alert issued by the Food and Drug Administration last month....

Difficulties with laborist system.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... Many large single-specialty groups, including Kaiser Permanente, assign a physician to cover only labor and delivery for 12- or 24-hour blocks in house ("'Laborists' Branching Off From Hospitalist Trend," July 1, 2005, p. 80). Such a...

Health IT support: not a 'Stark' kickback.(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... Physician adoption of electronic health records is woefully inadequate, and current Stark and anti-kickback laws are part of the problem. Congress should pass reforms that create new exceptions to these statutes so that hospital systems and...

Should experts with potential conflicts of interest be allowed to serve on FDA advisory panels?(PRO & CON)
August 1, 2005... YES What is the best thing for patients? That is the key question. Patients are best served when the experts who have the most knowledge about a medicine or disease advise officials at the Food and Drug Administration. These...

Treating advanced heart failure is cost effective.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- With no medical therapy, patients with stage C and D heart failure face a 2-year mortality risk of 35%, Lee Goldberg, M.D., said at the 100th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society. But clinicians can reduce...

Cardiac resynchronization cuts mortality in heart failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2005... ORLANDO -- Cardiac resynchronization therapy was, for the first time, proved to cut mortality in patients with severe heart failure in a controlled study with 813 patients. With an average follow-up of almost 2.5 years, the results of the...

Effort takes aim at gender gap in post-MI mortality.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(myocardial infarction)
August 1, 2005... ORLANDO -- Implementation of an acute MI guideline program in 33 Michigan hospitals resulted in significantly reduced 1-year mortality in both men and women, although the improvement was notably smaller among women, Kim A. Eagle, M.D., said at...

Unseen ischemic symptoms result in poor care.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGT0N -- Myocardial infarction patients who lacked documented ischemic symptoms upon hospital admission received lower quality care, were issued fewer established therapies, and had significantly higher risk-adjusted, in-hospital mortality...

New drug successfully converts atrial fibrillation: conversion rate after 8-45 days of atrial fibrillation was 8% with drug and 0% for placebo.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- The novel antiarrhythmic agent RSD1235 effectively converted atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm in a median of just 11 minutes in its initial phase III clinical trial, Dennis Roy, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the...

Classic Cox-Maze surgery for AF: perhaps not all it's cut out to be?(Cardiovascular Medicine)(atrial fibrillation)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- The classic cut-and-sew Cox-Maze procedure is considered the definitive method for ablation of atrial fibrillation-the benchmark therapy to which a host of emerging innovative percutaneous and surgical ablative approaches must...

Mental distress is strong risk factor for AF onset.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(atrial fibrillation )
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Anxiety and other forms of psychological distress constitute a potent independent risk factor for development of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease, Charles M. Blatt, M.D.,...

Statins for very-high-risk patients.(Drug Update)
August 1, 2005... The differences among the six statins available in the United States become sharpest when treating patients at very high risk for coronary artery disease. Moderate dosages of any statin will usually be adequate for lower-risk patients who do...

2 adult diabetes drugs appear safe in children.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Two oral glucose-lowering agents that are commonly used in adults with type 2 diabetes appeared safe and effective in children in two industry-funded studies presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes...

Glucose meters: watch change in measurement.(Metabolic Disorders)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... LifeScan Inc. is notifying users that it is possible to accidentally change the measurement units on its OneTouch Ultra, InDuo, and OneTouch FastTake blood glucose meters, which can lead patients to misinterpret their results. The company...

Breast ca risk may rise in prediabetes.(Metabolic Disorders)(cancer)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed diabetes were more likely to have had a history of breast cancer before their diagnosis than were women without diabetes, results from a large cross-sectional Canadian study showed. ...

Prompts aid doctors' diabetes prevention efforts: when nurses alert physicians, high-risk patients get exercise, diet, and weight-loss plans more often.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- A simple nurse-based physician prompt significantly improved the rates of counseling for exercise, diet, and weight control received by primary care patients at high risk for diabetes, results from a multisite study showed. ...

Tap peers to educate adults newly diagnosed with diabetes.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Looking to make your adult diabetes education program more effective? Consider enlisting the help of patients with controlled diabetes to lead group sessions and educate patients newly diagnosed with the disease, America Bracho,...

Physicians report gap in diabetes education, prevention management.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Only 21% of primary care physicians who were surveyed reported that they are doing "very well" in managing patients with diabetes, and only 9% felt "extremely confident" that adequate educational resources exist to help patients...

Amitriptyline overused in elderly neuropathy patients.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Doctors continue to prescribe the antidepressant amitriptyline for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the elderly despite advisories that discourage its use in this population, according to study findings reported at the...

Peripheral symptoms strike even well-controlled disease.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Diabetic peripheral neuropathy was the most common microvascular complication among people with diabetes who underwent a comprehensive annual diabetes assessment, Robyn Anderson reported in a poster session at the annual scientific...

New drug shows promise for diabetic nephropathy patients.(Metabolic Disorders)(specific protein kinase C beta inhibitors )
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Ruboxistaurin, a specific protein kinase C beta inhibitor, had favorable effects on albuminuria and renal function in patients with diabetic nephropathy, according to results from the first human trial of the drug. ...

Becaplermin improves healing of diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Diabetic neuropathic foot ulcers treated with becaplermin were 30% more likely to heal during a 20-week study than ulcers not treated with the drug, David J. Margolis, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Wound Healing Society....

Intervention cut ED visits for blacks with diabetes.(Metabolic Disorders)(emergency department)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- An intensive intervention conducted by a nurse case manager and community health worker over 18 months helped reduce visits to the emergency department, and possibly hospitalizations, among urban African Americans with type 2...

Patient not often informed about risk of diabetes.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Despite a higher risk of diabetes in some ethnic/racial groups, physicians are not discriminating and neglect to inform most patients about their risk, according to a study presented at the annual conference of the Society of...

Prediabetes pushes medical costs 32% higher.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- It pays to be proactive about preventing diabetes. Data from a 9-year study of adults enrolled in a large HMO showed that annual health care costs for people with the highest prediabetic glucose levels were about 32% higher...

Most should get birth dose against hepatitis B: ACIP recommendation says waiting to vaccinate infants weighing more than 2 kg should be 'rare.'.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- The birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is now the standard of care, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted at its meeting. Although giving newborns their first dose...

Educate parents to back watchful waiting for ear infections.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... Watchful waiting for nonsevere acute otitis media can be as acceptable to parents as immediate antibiotic treatment--if parents are properly educated about the options, new study findings and survey results indicate. Parents' satisfaction...

Smallpox revaccination shows different reaction.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2005... ST. LOUIS -- Patients previously vaccinated for smallpox will, with revaccination, experience a smaller erythematous response, a quicker time to pustulation, and a fourfold increase in antibody titers, compared with vaccine-naive patients. ...

Conjunctivitis doesn't always need an antibiotic.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Most healthy children with conjunctivitis will get better by themselves and don't need an ophthalmic antibiotic, Peter W. Rose, M.B., and his colleagues reported. "Parents should be encouraged to treat children themselves without medical...

Metapneumovirus is unseen culprit in bronchiolitis.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Human metapneumovirus may be underreported as a pathogen in bronchiolitis and may lead to admittance to intensive care, especially when it infects infants in combination with human respiratory syncytial virus, reported Malcolm G. Semple, M.D.,...

No simple markers of HPV risk in older women.(Infectious Diseases)(human papillomavirus infection)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- There's no easy way to identify older women whose risk for human papillomavirus infection is low, so physicians should continue cervical screening unless the woman has tested negative consistently for the virus, Concepcion...

Survey finds gaps in physicians' HPV knowledge.(Infectious Diseases)(human papillomavirus )
August 1, 2005... VANCOUVER B.C. -- A large survey of U.S. clinicians in nine specialties identified clinically important gaps in their knowledge of human papillomavirus and found that many don't test for HPV in the recommended ways. Several analyses of the...

Laser therapies inappropriate for first-line acne treatment.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2005... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Light-based therapies are heavily promoted as options for treating acne, but issues of cost and convenience should rule them out as a first line of treatment, said experts at a cosmetic dermatology seminar sponsored by the...

Assess vulgaris patients for lesions on trunk.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- Be vigilant for acne vulgaris on the trunk because almost half of acne patients might have it on their shoulders, chest, or back, according to a presentation at a symposium sponsored by the Florida Society of Dermatology and...

Combination formula provides fast, convenient acne treatment.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- A combined formulation of clindamycin (1%) and tretinoin (0.025%) in an aqueous hydrogel improved acne vulgaris significantly faster than did either drug alone or vehicle, James Leyden, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at...

Adapalene trial offers rare look at long-term results.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... MAUI, HAWAII -- An open-label trial of adapalene gel 0.3% offered a rare long-term look at efficacy beyond the standard duration of most clinical acne medication trials. "Most of the trials that we do with retinoids or topical acne...

Botox reduced excessive sweating in 1-year trial.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2005... KOHALA COAST, HAWAII -- Underarm injections of botulinum toxin type A reduced underarm sweating by at least 75% in 80%-84% of patients for a median of 7 months in a yearlong study of 322 patients with primary hyperhidrosis, said Dee Anna...

Treating axilla with Botox.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... To treat the axilla with Botox, Dr. Glaser first delineates the treatment area by Minors starch/iodine test. She dries the armpit, swabs it with Betadine a couple of centimeters beyond what appears to be the axillary border, and applies a light...

Sun protection: making sure your patients are covered.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2005... New York -- Several factors contribute to patients' poor use of sun block, including vague package instructions, a lack of understanding about proper use, and the perception that a little sunscreen goes a long way, Heidi A. Waldorf, M.D., said...

Higher income, binge drinking, student status tied to sunburn.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2005... ST. LOUIS -- Higher income, binge drinking, and student status are all independent risk factors for sunburn, Tamu Brown reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. "We suggest targeting young adults,...

Derm Dx.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2005... A 62-year-old retired coal miner was hospitalized in West Virginia for a weeklong history of symmetric necrotic lesions with blisters on the dorsum and palmar aspect of both hands. Herpes zoster was diagnosed. A consultation was sought with the...

Question the right people for bipolar Dx.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Diagnosing bipolar disorder requires not just asking the right questions but the right people, Michael J. Gitlin, M.D., said. More than a third of 600 bipolar disorder patients sought help within a year of becoming...

Subthreshold bipolar disorder is prevalent.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2005... PITTSBURGH -- Subthreshold bipolar disorder is highly prevalent and disabling, according to a nationwide survey of more than 9,000 Americans sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health. About 2% of the U.S. adult population has...

Bipolar patients at risk for alcohol dependence.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2005... PITTSBURGH -- Patients with bipolar II disorder are at high risk for alcohol abuse and dependence, based on findings from a 20-year, longitudinal study with about 600 patients. The study's findings also suggest that bipolar II disorder can...

Pediatric SSRI use calls for intense monitoring.(Mental Health)(Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
August 1, 2005... Sherry Boschert San Francisco Bureau SAN DIEGO -- Vigilantly monitor depressed children and adolescents during the first month of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor therapy--especially in the first 10 days, David Sack, M.D., said at a...

Bipolar history boosts depression in pregnancy; women with a history of unipolar depression or bipolar disorder are at increased depression risk.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2005... PITTSBURGH -- Women with a history of bipolar disorder have an increased risk of developing depression during and after pregnancy, based on a review of more than 2,000 pregnant women. A history of unipolar depression also predisposed women...

Pregnancy often triggers bipolar relapse, studies show.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2005... PITTSBURGH -- Pregnancy can trigger a relapse in women with bipolar disorder, especially if they stop their mood-stabilizing treatment. Although data from several studies are conflicting, a prospective study showed that about two thirds of...

Data watch.(Mental Health)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Who Diagnoses Bipolar Disorder? All others, 4.1% General practitioners, family physicians, and osteopathic physicians, 21.3% Internists, 4.4% Neurologists, 0.7% Note: Based...

Atomoxetine improves ADHD, anxiety disorder.(Mental Health)(attention-deficit hyperactivity drug)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The attention-deficit hyperactivity drug atomoxetine does not appear to improve comorbid depression in adolescents, but it does appear to reduce comorbid anxiety in children and adolescents, according to data from two studies...

Comorbidities common with ADHD diagnosis: among children with ADHD, 80% also meet criteria for conduct, oppositional defiant, or bipolar disorder.(Mental Health)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
August 1, 2005... HOUSTON -- "When I am asked whether I think [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] is overdiagnosed, I say that kids are underfoot now more than they used to be," Saundra Gilfillan, D.O., said at the annual meeting of the American Society...

Physician adherence to guidelines for ADHD varies widely.(Mental Health)(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- It appears that there is a wide range of adherence to the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Wendy Davis, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies....

Restless sleep? Hot flushes could be to blame.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Sleep problems in perimenopausal women can diminish quality of life significantly and should not be minimized or overlooked, according to Hadine Joffe, M.D. In general, hormonal fluctuations may be to blame, but hot flushes and...

Pertussis transmission begins at home: How do infants get pertussis? They get it from their family. That's right--their moms and dads, brothers and sisters, even grandma and grandpa!
August 1, 2005... According to a recent study of pertussis in 264 infants, a family member was identified as the source of the disease in three quarters of the cases. In fact, the infant's mother was positively identified as the source in 32% if the cases. In...

Estrogen alternatives ease menopause symptoms.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- In the wake of the Women's Health Initiative, "it's easier to get OxyContin out of a doctor's office than Prempro," Melissa A. McNeil, M.D., joked at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. But how then...

Moderate exercise improves breast ca outcomes: study results suggest a possible hormonal mechanism for effect on cancer survival, researchers said.(Women's Health)(breast cancer)
August 1, 2005... Women who exercise moderately after a diagnosis of breast cancer experience a 20%-50% reduction in their risk of breast cancer death or breast cancer recurrence, data from the Nurses' Health Study suggest. The survival advantage is...

Angiosarcoma rate in breast cancer survivors will rise, pathologist predicts.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2005... NAPLES, FLA. -- In the last year, Michael B. Morgan, M.D., has seen four cases of angiosarcoma on the breast of women who previously underwent radiation therapy for breast cancer. Historically, there are only about 100 cases of angiosarcoma...

Counseling helps women at risk for ovarian cancer take action.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Enhanced counseling can help women at high risk of ovarian cancer make better use of the information they receive from genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, according to a study presented in poster form at a cancer...

Gonorrhea screening.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Physicians should perform routine screening of all sexually active women at increased risk for gonorrhea, because of the high risk for pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain associated with asymptomatic...

Soft cheese risks.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Soft white cheeses made with raw milk present a health risk, the Food and Drug Administration has warned. Such cheeses can cause listeriosis, brucellosis, salmonellosis, and tuberculosis, and they pose a particular risk to pregnant women,...

Vitamin [B.sub.6] intake and colorectal cancer.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... High intake of vitamin [B.sub.6] is associated with a protective effect against colorectal cancer in women, especially those who drink alcohol, reported Susanna C. Larsson of the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, and her associates. In a...

Treating antipsychotic-linked adiposity.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Topiramate appears to help alleviate the weight gain associated with olanzapine use in women, reported Marius K. Nickel, M.D., of Inntalklinik in Simbach/Inn, Germany, and associates. In a 10-week trial of women on olanzapine (Zyprexa) for...

Heart disease in lupus: 'startlingly' worrisome.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
August 1, 2005... LONDON -- The incidence of coronary heart disease among young women with systemic lupus erythematosus is "startlingly" worrisome, Ian Bruce, M.D., said at the Sixth European Lupus Meeting. Studies have shown that the annual incidence of...

In lupus, antioxidants are more influential.(Muscoloskeletal Disorders)
August 1, 2005... LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- Antioxidants have been taking a back seat to fatty acids in research on the dietary factors that may influence systemic lupus erythematosus, but an overview of the literature suggests that vitamins may affect disease...

Rehabilitating a sprained ankle.(Exercise Rx)
August 1, 2005... Ankle sprains aren't just for athletes. You can sprain your ankle doing anything--slipping on the soccer field, stepping off the curb, or falling over someone's outstretched foot. People who tend to walk on the outside edges of their feet...

Pancreatic stone removal won't relieve pain for all.(Digestive Disorders)
August 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Clinical and imaging clues provide excellent guidance as to which patients would derive the most benefit from endoscopic pancreatic calculi removal, Robert H. Hawes, M.D., said at the 12th International Symposium on Pancreatic...

Treatments coming for resistant hepatitis C.(Digestive Disorders)(virami dine)
August 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Watchful waiting may be the prudent approach now when a patient with hepatitis C does not respond to standard interferon treatment, speakers said at the annual Digestive Disease Week. That's because a number of promising new...

Test for hepatitis A in likely candidates only.(Digestive Disorders)
August 1, 2005... Testing for hepatitis A infection should be reserved for patients who have symptoms consistent with the diagnosis or who have had recent exposure to a person known to be infected with hepatitis A, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Genetics, meat eating linked to colon ca risk.(Digestive Disorders)(cancer)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- High intake of red meat has been linked to increased risk of colorectal cancer in many studies, and a new study has found a possible reason. NAT2 genotype appears to activate carcinogenic heterocyclic amines produced in cooked...

Fecal occult blood testing fails to identify high colon cancer risk.(Digestive Disorders)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Fecal occult blood testing was ineffective at selecting people with an increased risk of colorectal adenomas or cancer, based on a review of 147 people who had follow up colonoscopy. "Fecal occult blood testing did not appear...

Effort trains doctors to counsel overweight kids.(Obesity)
August 1, 2005... As Paul L. Rowland III, M.D., now sees it, physicians can talk to parents and their overweight children about diet and physical activity, or they can really counsel--that is, ask, listen, listen some more, and talk. It's only through real...

Obesity education program launched.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... The National Institutes of Health has unveiled a national education program--"We Can! Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition"--to help prevent overweight and obesity among children aged 8-13 years. More information is available at...

New guidelines capture early kidney disease: with the new system, 10 times as many kidney disease patients are identified, expert says.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Current guidelines for diagnosing chronic kidney disease identify far more people in the early stages of the disease, compared with previous criteria, according to data presented at a meeting sponsored by the National Kidney...

Specialty care extends survival in chronic renal disease.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Patients in the middle to later stages of chronic kidney disease who are referred to a nephrologist have longer progression-free survival than those being treated by a primary care provider, a retrospective study has shown. ...

Childhood cancer raises risk of adult ailments; thirty years after being diagnosed with cancer, 68% of survivors have at least one other major condition.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... ORLANDO -- Adult survivors of childhood cancers face more than four times the risk of a major health problem compared with their siblings, according to a survey of 10,397 adults diagnosed with a pediatric cancer between 1970 and 1986. ...

Young radiation recipients at higher basal cell cancer risk.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2005... ST. Louis -- Survivors of childhood cancer who were treated with radiation develop basal cell carcinoma at up to 20 times the rate seen in the general population, with almost all of the lesions occurring within the radiation treatment field,...

RLS: unrecognized, underdiagnosed.(Clinical Capsules)(restless legs syndrome )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The diagnosis of restless legs syndrome is made correctly in only 6% of symptomatic patients, Richard R Allen, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and colleagues have reported. The investigators surveyed 15,391 adults in the...