Family Practice News articles from August 2007

Family Practice News archives from August 2007

Teamwork exposes elder abuse cases.(Practice Trends)(Elder Abuse Forensic Center)
August 1, 2007... Dr. Laura Mosqueda asserts that it takes a village to stop elder abuse--or at least a really reliable list of go-to people and their cell phone numbers. And she ought to know what it takes. Since the Elder Abuse Forensic Center opened its...

Vital signs.(costs of treating dementia)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Estimated Direct Costs of Dementia Highest in Europe (in billions of dollars) Africa $0.5 Oceania $2.3 Latin America $3.0 Asia $32.0 North America $52.6 Europe ...

Alzheimer's poised for exponential increase worldwide: even modest success will have an impact.(News)
August 1, 2007... The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is expected to quadruple over the next 40 years, affecting almost 107 million people--1 in 85--worldwide by 2050. This projected exponential increase points up even more sharply the need for advances...

Interventions can curb college freshmen drinking.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Behavioral interventions can nip problem drinking in the bud, before it becomes an established pattern of college campus life, researchers said at the annual meeting of the Research Society for Alcoholism. Primary care...

Incentives lead to traction on diabetes after 1 year.(News)
August 1, 2007... Preliminary results of a demonstration project that allows physician groups to share in savings they earn for the Medicare program has also resulted in quality gains, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The...

Febrile reactions reported after propofol administered in GI suites.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
August 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has issued an alert about patients who developed chills, fever, and body aches shortly after receiving propofol and is advising health care professionals who observe similar reactions to evaluate these patients...

IV ceftriaxone interacts with calcium-containing solutions.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
August 1, 2007... Fatal cases of calcium-ceftriaxone precipitates in the lungs and kidneys of both term and premature newborns have prompted a warning and a new contraindication regarding concomitant use of the intravenous antibiotic ceftriaxone with calcium or...

Letairis.(New & Approved)
August 1, 2007... (ambrisentan, Gilead Sciences Inc.) An endothelin receptor antagonist for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This is the sixth drug, and the second drug in this class, approved for PAH. * Recommended Dosage: Starting at 5...

Exelon patch.(New & Approved)
August 1, 2007... (rivastigmine transdermal system, Novartis) A transdermal formulation of the cholinesterase inhibitor approved for treating mild to moderate dementia in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in people with Parkinson's disease. The oral...

Immunization congress highlights better funding.(News)
August 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Concerns about removing financial barriers to childhood vaccination took center stage at an immunization congress sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, Dr. Walter Orenstein reported at...

Health workers, unvaccinated kids must get shots.(News)
August 1, 2007... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated recommendations for the 2007-2008 flu season emphasize vaccinating health care personnel and catching up previously unvaccinated children aged 6 months to 8 years with two doses of...

Physicians as killers?(Editorial)
August 1, 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,...

Such clinics could manage some conditions.(POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Should retail clinics eventually manage chronic conditions?)
August 1, 2007... Many people who have no health insurance or too little insurance fail to seek treatment for their chronic disease until it presents an acute complication. When this happens, they usually go to a hospital emergency department. The cost this...

Chronic disease is too complex for retail clinics.(POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Should retail clinics eventually manage chronic conditions?)
August 1, 2007... Certainly there is a role for retail clinics in treating acute health problems. In fact, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has proposed guidelines to help retail clinics achieve the highest quality of care, in part by referring...

Wanton negligence.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I hope the case of the TB-infected lawyer who exposed hundreds of people to his deadly disease will cause some lawyers to think twice before using the word "wanton." Wanton negligence is not a mistake. In legal terms, it is "an intentional...

Reality vs. academic practice.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... The article, "Chlamydia Screening Rates Fall Short of Guidelines" (June 1, 2007, p. 30), shows the difference between academic and clinical practice. Screening is not done mainly because of the high cost of the test and becuse many plans...

Blame insurance company greed.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Screening for chlamydia is not being done, largely because most insurance companies will not pay for it ("Chlamydia Screening Rates Fall Short of Guidelines," June 1, 2007, p. 30). In my Medicaid patient population, the screening rate is...

Combination tops monotherapy for hypertension.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Combining the calcium channel blocker amlodipine with the angiotensin receptor blocker olmesartan provides greater reductions in blood pressure than does either agent used as monotherapy, Dr. Steven G. Chrysant said at the annual...

Chocolate lowered blood pressure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2007... Eating a small piece of dark chocolate every day reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in a randomized, controlled study of older people who had prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension. The "dose" was too small to adversely affect...

Lifestyle can rectify some prehypertension.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 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...

Valsartan cuts hypertension in young children.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Valsartan significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure without significant adverse events in the first trial of an angiotensin II receptor blocker in children younger than 6 years. Valsartan is indicated for...

Acute coronary treatment veers off guidelines.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- A large proportion of patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome get medical management without coronary angiography despite contemporary guidelines emphasizing an invasive strategy--yet this highest-mortality group...

Target resistance training to select groups, AHA advises.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
August 1, 2007... Elderly men and women in nursing homes can benefit from resistance training, as can patients with heart failure, according an update on resistance exercise issued by the American Heart Association. The update follows up AHA's first...

Metabolic dysfunction, testosterone levels tied.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Higher free testosterone levels appear to be associated with metabolic dysfunction in women from the general population, according to a cross-sectional study of more than 1,600 women in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort....

Children of type 1 mothers are at greater risk of type 2 as adults.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Children born to mothers with type 1 diabetes have a three times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes as adults, according to a Danish cohort study that followed a group of adult individuals born to diabetic mothers. The...

Maturity-onset diabetes mimics type 2 disease in children.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- About 5% of antibody-negative/C-peptide-positive children and adolescents diagnosed with diabetes in the United States may have Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young rather than type 2 diabetes, Dr. Lisa Gilliam reported at the annual...

100-g glucose test finds more gestational diabetes.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2007... OTTAWA -- The value of a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test for diagnosing gestational diabetes was called into question when it was compared with a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test in a randomized study that involved more than 1,000 women. ...

Insulin injection refresher improves Hb[A.sub.1c] levels.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Many patients with diabetes probably could benefit from a refresher course in how to inject insulin properly, according to a report presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. In a trial of...

Gestational diabetes may be declining.(Metabolic Disorders)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- A review of births at a large health maintenance organization suggests the incidence of gestational diabetes is declining, but it is being offset by an increase in pre-existing diabetes. "Gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM]...

Diabetic eye disease projected to triple by 2050.(Metabolic Disorders)(Brief article)
August 1, 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. ...

Colesevelam aids glycemic control.(Metabolic Disorders)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- The cholesterol-lowering drug colesevelam HCl improves glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes who are inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy, Dr. Harold E. Bays reported in a poster presentation at the annual...

Herpes zoster vaccine's safety affirmed at 1 year.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- The safety profile for herpes zoster vaccine Zostavax, manufactured by Merck & Co. was reinforced during its first year of widespread use, based on adverse event reports collected from clinicians, patients, and others. "Zostavax...

Family physicians skirt otitis media guidelines.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2007... Many family physicians and pediatricians are not following recommended guidelines on the management of acute otitis media set by their professional organizations, results from a survey suggest. Dr. Louis Vernacchio of the Slone Epidemiology...

MRSA decolonization warranted during outbreak.(Skin Disorders)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus )
August 1, 2007... DESTIN, FLA. -- The prevention of recurrence in patients presenting with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections may require decolonization of certain skin surfaces, Dr. Dirk M. Elston said at a meeting sponsored by the...

Watch dermatomyositis patients for cancers and organ involvement.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2007... VIENNA -- Adult patients who are diagnosed with dermatomyositis should have a thorough work-up for malignancy because they are at heightened risk for various cancers, Dr. Ralph M. Trueb said at the 16th Congress of the European Academy of...

Community approach is best in promoting kids' sun protection.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- It takes a multi-pronged approach to prevent a child from getting sunburned, the results of a randomized trial of sun protection strategies suggest. An intervention group of children in the sixth to eighth grades--a time...

Heavy drinking slashes survival in severe illness.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- A history of heavy drinking cuts the life span by up to 25 years across all major chronic diseases, Hsiao-ye Yi, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism. The effect seems particularly...

ADHD drugs continue to show benefit in trials.(Mental Health)(Lisdexamfetamine from Shire Pharmaceuticals Group PLC treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
August 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Lisdexamfetamine, the recently approved once-daily medication for ADHD that appears to have low abuse potential, was safe and effective when given for a full year, and guanfacine, an investigational alpha-2A-adrenoreceptor,...

Make chemoprevention an option now.(Point/Counterpoint: Should high-risk women take tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention?)
August 1, 2007... Breast cancer is still the No. 1 cancer among women. For patients who carry a gene that predisposes them to breast cancer, the weight of that possibility is ever present on their minds. What do we have to offer women with such risk?...

Its prophylactic benefits are open to question.(Point/Counterpoint: Should high-risk women take tamoxifen for breastcancer prevention?)
August 1, 2007... Based on data indicating that 5 years of tamoxifen therapy after primary treatment for breast cancer could improve the disease-free interval, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project began its P-1 study in 1992. This study used...

Assay predicts relapse risk in node-positive breast Ca patients.(Women's Health)(Oncotype DX from Genomic Health Inc. )
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- The Oncotype DX, a 21-gene assay that has been shown to be useful in predicting relapse risk in breast cancer patients with no lymph node involvement, can also predict risk of relapse in patients who have up to three positive lymph...

SSRIs in pregnancy exert small teratogenicity risk: even with a large increase in risk, the absolute risk would still be less than 1%.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2007... Two large-scale studies of the possible teratogenic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have concluded that the absolute risk of birth defects related to the drugs is small. Neither study could confirm previously reported...

Autism and exposure to thimerosal.(Drugs, Pregnancy, And Lactation)
August 1, 2007... The etiology of autism is not yet clear and the debate continues about whether the increase in prevalence noted in the past few decades is actual or is because of better diagnosis. However, the evidence for a genetic link is accumulating, as is...

Eating flaxseed may slow prostate cancer growth.(Men's Health)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Adding flaxseed to the diets of men with prostate cancer appears to slow tumor growth, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In a study of 161 men with prostate cancer,...

Cautiously diagnose asthma in dyspnea patients: when patients present with dyspnea, do exhaled nitric oxide and methacholine challenges.(Pulmonary Medicine)
August 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Asthma may be over-diagnosed in many obese African American women who present with dyspnea, results from a small pilot study suggest. The finding is important because the incidence rates of asthma and obesity have increased...

Theophylline, ipratropium increase mortality in COPD.(Pulmonary Medicine)
August 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do worse when their regimens include theophylline or ipratropium, according to two poster presentations by Todd A. Lee, Pharm.D., at the International Conference of the...

Breathing, relaxation improve asthma patients' symptoms.(Pulmonary Medicine)
August 1, 2007... Breathing and relaxation training added to usual asthma treatment improved patients" respiratory symptoms, dysfunctional breathing, and mood better than did usual asthma care alone, according to a British randomized controlled trial. The...

Comorbidity undiagnosed in overweight children.(Obesity)
August 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Only about one-third of weight-related comorbidities were identified by generalist providers before referral to a weight management program, Dr. Moises Auron-Gomez reported at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies....

Nutrition campaign targets 'tweens.'.(Obesity)(Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition launches "Spot the Block")(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has launched a public education program, branded "Spot the Block," that encourages "tweens" (youth aged 9-13 years) to read the "Nutrition Facts" block on food...

Obesity-related liver disease eludes diagnosis.(Obesity)
August 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Obesity-related liver disease may be clinically underrecognized, results from a single-center study showed. "Our results indicate that a normal liver ultrasound, liver function tests, and gross appearance does not exclude the...

In gastric banding patients, 13% need major reoperation.(Obesity)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Thirteen percent of patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding required a major reoperation, results from a long-term single-center study showed. "We see complications, even many years after surgery," Dr....

Hepatitis C treatment should last 24 weeks.(Digestive Disorders)
August 1, 2007... Twenty-four weeks should be considered the routine duration of treatment with peginterferon [alpha]-2a and ribavirin for patients with hepatitis C virus genotypes 2 and 3, said Dr. Mitchell L. Shiffman, of the Virginia Commonwealth University...

Unexpected health risks found in celiac patients.(Digestive Disorders)
August 1, 2007... Children diagnosed with celiac disease usually experience complete remission once they are started on a gluten-free diet, and thus early diagnosis can be beneficial. But early diagnosis may have adverse effects as well. A large British study...

Gluten-free diet response flagged.(Digestive Disorders)
August 1, 2007... Celiac disease-associated serum antibodies and the expression of the human leukocyte antigen complex (HLA) DQ2 genotype can identify individuals with diarrhea-dominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) who are likely to respond to a gluten-flee...

Probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome.(ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH)
August 1, 2007... History and Rationale for Use The concept of probiotics as beneficial for intestinal health began with Nobel Prize-winning Russian scientist Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov. He viewed the large intestine as a vestigial organ that harbored dangerous,...

Try nondrug options to relieve OA pain.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(osteoarthritis)
August 1, 2007... BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND -- Structural modification for treatment of osteoarthritis maybe worthwhile because it offers more than just symptom relief, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the British Society for Rheumatology. A...

Surgery eases joint discomfort in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
August 1, 2007... BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND -- Surgery can be an effective pain-relieving strategy for children with hip or knee joints severely disabled by juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Total hip replacement is a good pain-relieving operation, and sometimes is...

TNF inhibitors improve mortality in rheumatoid arthritis.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
August 1, 2007... BARCELONA -- Treatment with tumor necrosis factor blocking drugs has been shown for the first time to improve mortality in rheumatoid arthritis, Dr. Lennart Jacobsson said at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology. Patients with...

Hospital discharge rife for adverse drug events: have patients bring a list of their medications, match the drug with the condition, and get rid of the rest.(Geriatric Medicine)
August 1, 2007... SEATTLE -- Nursing home patients have a higher rate of adverse drug reactions than is sometimes seen in intensive care units, and many of these events occur right after the patient gets out of the hospital, where medication regimens generally...

Protein C is linked to cognitive impairment following ICU stay.(Geriatric Medicine)(intensive care unit)
August 1, 2007... SEATTLE -- Low protein C levels appear to be associated with the cognitive impairment many patients have after a stay in the intensive care unit, according to a study of 46 patients conducted 3 months after they left the hospital. "We...

ACE inhibitors may slow mental decline, early data show.(Geriatric Medicine)
August 1, 2007... SEATTLE -- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors that cross the bloodbrain barrier slow mental decline by about 50% relative to the decline seen in patients on other antihypertensives, according to an observational study of 1,074...

For nausea at end of life, think mechanistically.(Geriatric Medicine)(haloperidol)
August 1, 2007... DALLAS -- Haloperidol is, perhaps surprisingly to many, the drug of choice for nausea and vomiting caused by stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone--the No. 1 mechanism for nausea in patients nearing the end of life, Dr. Steven Pantilat...

Malnutrition missed in hospitalized elderly.(Geriatric Medicine)
August 1, 2007... DALLAS -- Nutritional deterioration in elderly hospitalized patients is very common, often unrecognized, and linked to negative consequences in terms of key hospital outcome measures. "Let me say, for sure, malnutrition in elderly patients...

False positives prevalent in some cancer screenings.(Clinical Rounds)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Screening for colorectal, lung, ovarian, and prostate cancer resulted in false-positive findings in almost half of 68,415 adults, according to study findings presented at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. ...

Diet can't stem recurrences in breast cancer.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2007... A low-fat diet very high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber failed to decrease recurrences in women who had survived early-stage breast cancer, reported Dr. John P. Pierce and his associates in the Women's Healthy Eating and Living study. ...

Serial screening combo nabs early ovarian cancer.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 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...

HBV drug may fuel HIV drug resistance.(Clinical Capsules)
August 1, 2007... The hepatitis B drug entecavir is a potent partial inhibitor of HIV replication--activity that may promote high-level resistance to antiretroviral drugs, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Entecavir is recommended as a...

Tobacco protects against Parkinson's.(Clinical Capsules)(Clinical report)
August 1, 2007... A pooled analysis of 11 clinical studies has confirmed that cigarette smoking protects against Parkinson's disease in a dose-dependent manner. Men who smoked cigars or pipes also showed a substantial reduction in risk of Parkinson's...

Posttrauma complications in diabetics.(Clinical Capsules)
August 1, 2007... Diabetics develop more complications when hospitalized for trauma than do those who are not diabetic, according to a retrospective analysis of nearly 300,000 patients. Dr. Rehan Ahmad and his associates at Pennsylvania State University and...

Nursing home fees to increase.(Policy & Practice)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed increasing the work relative value units--and therefore the physician fees--for services provided in the nursing home setting. If the increase is included when CMS publishes its final...

CMS releases Medicaid rule.(Policy & Practice)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... CMS has unveiled a new method of setting limits on what the federal government will reimburse state Medicaid agencies for prescription drug payments. As part of the new regulation, states will be required to collect information from physicians...

Joint Commission announces goals.(Policy & Practice)(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) will require health care institutions to take specific actions to reduce the risks of patient harm associated with the use of anticoagulant...

Americans buy drugs overseas.(Policy & Practice)
August 1, 2007... More than 5 million Americans adults, or more than 2% of the U.S. population, have recently purchased prescription drugs from another country, such as Canada or Mexico, according to a survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of...

HHS expands vaccine capacity.(Policy & Practice)
August 1, 2007... The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded two contracts to expand the domestic influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity that could be used in the event of a potential influenza pandemic. The 5-year contracts were awarded to Sanofi...

Patients want to shake hands.(Policy & Practice)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Most patients want physicians to shake their hands when they first meet, but only about half want their first names used in greetings, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The authors surveyed adults and also analyzed...

Funding woes curb childhood vaccination efforts.(Practice Trends)
August 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- The current vaccine financing system in the United States continues to derail vaccinations for underinsured children, based on new survey data from state immunization program managers. "Limitations in 317 funding and state...

Redefining the personal approach.(GENOMIC MEDICINE)(Column)
August 1, 2007... As a primary care provider, I am skeptical of those who say the concept of "personalized medicine" is new. Every day, we sit down with our patients, listen to their concerns, make diagnoses, and try to tailor treatment to their physical and...

A practice-changing consultation.(THE OFFICE)
August 1, 2007... Five years ago, Dr. Brent Greenberg's practice was running into the red. After years of doing well financially in a full-risk practice, the budget got out of control around the time his firm spun off a second business that offered billing...

At least they're not on drugs, right?(Indications)(video game addiction)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Haunted by youth misspent in all-night Pong benders, the American Medical Association at its recent annual meeting called for more long-term studies of video games' addictive potential. But the AMA said that including Nintendo Wii addiction in...

Cheers to public health.(Indications)(workers in bar have a high carcinogen level)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Just one shift in a smoky Oregon bar led to increased levels of a biomarker for a carcinogen in the urine of bar wait staff, researchers from the Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Public Health Division have found. Waitrons also...

Next time, buy 'em a happy meal.(Indications)(veggie booty causes diarrhea)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... A massive outbreak of salmonella linked to the popular "Veggie Booty" snack food, which consists of puffed rice and corn with a vegetable coating, prompted the Food and Drug Administration last month to issue a nationwide warning not to eat the...

Tastes like (fossilized) chicken.(Indications)(diet for increasing glucose tolerance in diabetic patients)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Now that yummy, bacteria-laden "Veggie Booty" is unavailable, soccer-mom food fascists may want to put Junior on the Paleolithic diet, modeled after the food consumption of Stone Age (seriously) humans. Staffan I. Lindberg and a research team...

Try a spin on the mouse wheel?(Indications)(stress affects body weight)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... "Chronically stressed" mice that were exposed to an aggressive "alpha mouse" and fed a high-fat diet gained twice as much weight as unstressed mice on the same fatty diet, according to a study published online July 1 in Nature Medicine. By...

New Orleans seeks primary care docs.(Practice Trends)
August 15, 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 the needs of a smaller, but just as needy,...