Family Practice News articles from December 2004

Family Practice News archives from December 2004

Novel system wins FDA approval.
December 1, 2004... Negotiations with insurers are underway and some physicians' hopes for maximal efficacy are high now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first noninvasive therapy for symptomatic uterine fibroids. In a statement...

Mixed results on medical liability ballot initiatives: reforms approved in Nevada, Florida; shot down in Oregon and Wyoming.
December 1, 2004... Physicians got mixed results when they took the issue of medical liability reform to the voters this year. Voters approved noneconomic damages caps and other reforms in Nevada and passed limits on attorney contingency fees in Florida, but...

Carvedilol advantageous for diabetics with high BP: metabolic syndrome components improved.
December 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Carvedilol provides compelling metabolic advantages over metoprolol when used in combination with a renin-angiotensin system blocker in hypertensive diabetic patients, according to the results of a landmark clinical trial. ...

Investigational vaccine prevents HPV 16-linked CIN 2 and 3.(News)(Papillomavirus Vaccine Strain)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- An experimental monovalent vaccine against human papillomavirus vaccine strain 16 prevents cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 and 3 in young women, Constance Mao, M.D., said at the annual Interscience Conference on...

Inhaled insulin performs well in phase III trials.(News)
December 1, 2004... QUEBEC CITY -- Inhaled insulin outperformed oral hypoglycemic agents and rosiglitazone and was as effective as subcutaneous insulin in improving Hb[A.sub.1c] levels in three phase III trials. The studies, funded by Pfizer Inc. and Aventis...

Intensive insulin Tx may kick-start pancreas in adolescents with diabetes.(News)
December 1, 2004... QUEBEC CITY -- A 12-week course of intense insulin therapy appears to restore pancreatic function in some adolescents with type 2 diabetes, allowing complete discontinuation of therapy with maintenance of stable glycemic control, according to...

Most physicians were in solo practice or small groups in 2002.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... Most Physicians Were in Solo Practice Or Small Groups in 2002 Practice Size Solo 35% 2-4 33% 5-9 20% 10-39 9%...

Landmark Alzheimer's study starts next year.(News)
December 1, 2004... Government agencies, industry, academia, and advocacy groups are working together in a unique collaboration to undertake what could be the Framingham Study of Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, headed by...

Single-dose azithromycin cures respiratory ills: compliance with simple regimen could 'help minimize the emergence of antibiotic resistance.'.(News)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Single-dose therapy is now feasible for bacterial respiratory tract infections, a strategy that's expected to substantially improve patient compliance with treatment. A new formulation of azithromycin that binds the drug to...

MRSA growing as cause of community-acquired infections.(News)(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
December 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is rearing its ugly head outside of the hospital, causing record numbers of skin infections in children, necrotizing fasciitis in otherwise healthy adults, and severe pneumonia among some...

Californians vote for $3 billion stem cell research fund.(News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... California voters sent a clear message in support of embryonic stem cell research last month when they approved a measure to spend nearly $3 billion on it over 10 years. Proposition 71 establishes and funds the California Institute for...

Doctors and patients cite different health care agendas.(News)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Physicians and consumers appear divided on their health care priorities for the coming year, according to several polls released at a forum sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and Forbes magazine. Although...

New CPT codes pay for vaccine administration.(News)
December 1, 2004... A long anticipated set of new CPT codes recognizes the counseling work involved in administering injectable immunizations to children and adolscents. "This is great news for physicians who give vaccines," Joel Bradley, M.D., of the...

EHRs save time and money.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I just read the letter to the editor by Adam Gladstone, M.D. ("Barriers to EHRs," Nov. 15, 2004, p. 14). I am in solo practice. Four years ago, I had a staff of 12 employees--including a nurse practitioner--and a 10 by-10-foot chart room....

Clinical trial registration.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I have some concerns about medical research ("Physicians Still Back Clinical Trials Registry," Oct. 1, 2004, p. 7). With regard to selective reporting of clinical trials, it seems clear to me that to make the best decisions, all the data...

Should newborn screening be expanded to include rare, potentially disabling conditions?(Pro & Con)(Mental retardation and developmental disabilities)
December 1, 2004... [YES] A fundamental tenet of newborn screening is proven benefit to the infant, traditionally limiting newborn screening to conditions for which there are identifiable treatments known to alter the course of the disease. Many genetic conditions...

Regulating academia.(Guest Editorial)
December 1, 2004... The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and multiple other national, state, and local agencies are very, very busy assuring quality of care. No one can argue with the desired...

A personal look at brain injury.(Guest Editorial)
December 1, 2004... I am a forensic psychiatrist who often examines and treats patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury. As such, I'm often called upon to use quality-of-life measurements to quantify the extent of a patient's disability for litigation and...

Clinicians not heeding hypertension guidelines.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Many clinicians do not follow clinical guidelines for treating high blood pressure, resulting in a "disturbing pattern of poor-quality hypertensive treatment in the United States," said James Gill M.D. Despite the recent...

White coat HT less risky than 'real' HT.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- White coat hypertension conveys significantly less risk than the combination of raised clinic and ambulatory blood pressure, according to the results of a 7-year follow-up study. In a cohort of nearly 6,000 primary care...

Three risk factors predict stroke in coronary bypass patients.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Age greater than 70 years, abnormal preoperative neurologic status, and prior cardiac surgery are independent risk factors for coronary artery bypass graft-related stroke, Scott Woods, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

A-HeFT results held applicable to all races.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Treating patients with advanced heart failure with the combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine in addition to standard therapy led to clinical improvement and a drop in deaths during an average of just 10 months of...

Registry is a problem for expanded Medicare ICD coverage.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Implantable cardioverter defibrillators)
December 1, 2004... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says that its registry of patients receiving implantable cardioverter defibrillators will be up and running by the first of the year. The assertion comes despite a statement by two of the groups...

Screen all heart failure patients for sleep apnea.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... MUNICH -- Sleep-related breathing disorders were present in 70% of 440 unselected consecutive patients with symptomatic heart failure, Barbara Lamp, M.D., reported at the annual congress of the European Society of Cardiology. "From my...

In-hospital IV diuretics linked to poorer heart failure outcomes.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... TORONTO -- Data from a national registry have shown that hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure who received intravenous diuretic therapy had worse outcomes and used more hospital resources than did those who did not...

Anemia tied to mortality in younger heart failure patients.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... MUNICH -- Anemia flags a higher risk of death in patients with heart failure, even in relatively young patients with mild or moderate heart failure who receive optimal treatment, based on a review of 497 patients at a single medical center. ...

Move quickly to high-dose statin after MI.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
December 1, 2004... MUNICH -- The results from two trials, although both flawed, support the notion that patients should start a substantial statin regimen quickly following a myocardial infarction. But the new findings give less guidance about the best statin...

Cholesterol test unneeded before statin therapy in ACS.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Acute coronary syndromes)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Forget in-hospital cholesterol measurement for patients with acute coronary syndromes. Automatically initiating statin therapy in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes (ACS)--without any inpatient lipid...

Loss of motion predicts vision loss in graves'.(Metabolic Disorders)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Reduced eye motility in more than two directions is the most important clinical predictor of subsequent loss of vision in patients with severe Graves' ophthalmopathy, Peter Laurberg, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Mom's hypothyroidism hurts neurodevelopment.(Metabolic Disorders)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Children whose mothers were hypothyroid during pregnancy display selective cognitive deficits out to at least age 5 years, Joanne Rovet, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. The nature...

Dietary iodine is inadequate in many pregnant women.(Metabolic Disorders)
December 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- More than one-quarter of fetuses may be at risk for neurodevelopmental deficits resulting from exposure to inadequate iodine in American women during pregnancy, Offie P. Soldin, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Send high-risk thyroid Ca patients to clinical trials.(Metabolic Disorders)
December 1, 2004... BOSTON -- High-risk thyroid cancer patients should be referred to clinical trials of promising antiangiogenesis agents and other novel therapies, Bryan McIver, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical...

Gene testing, tailored Tx for atypical diabetes.(Metabolic Disorders)
December 1, 2004... QUEBEC CITY -- The identification of patients with genetic forms of diabetes is pointing the way to more effective treatments for many of these patients, according to Ewan Pearson, M.D. "Research in the last year has enabled us to identify...

Norditropin NordiFlex, Omnicef.(New & Approved)
December 1, 2004... Norditropin NordiFlex (somatropin [rDNA] injection, Novo Nordisk) The FDA approved the first premixed, prefilled, multidose disposable human growth hormone pen for long-term treatment of children with growth failure caused by inadequate...

Intradermal flu vaccine could stretch supply.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... Intradermal injection of a reduced dose of influenza vaccine may be as effective as intramuscular administration of the normal dose, at least for adults up to age 60, according to two reports. The intradermal approach could be a way of...

Focus on all 7 recommendations to manage AOM.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Don't let controversy over one aspect of the recent guidelines for management of acute otitis media divert attention from other key recommendations, S. Michael Marcy, M.D., said. Much of the reaction to the guidelines...

Guidelines hone acute otitis media Dx.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The three requirements for a diagnosis of acute otitis media that are spelled out in recent guidelines should decrease the number of misdiagnoses, S. Michael Marcy, M.D., said. Middle ear effusion and inflammation of a...

Pepsin found in ear fluid of OM patients.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Pepsin or pepsinogen is present in the middle-ear fluid aspirates of many children with chronic or recurrent otitis media, but there appears to be no increase in symptoms of reflux in these children, Judith Lieu, M.D., reported at...

Hand sanitizer reduces spread of stomach bugs.(Infectious Diseases)
December 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Regular use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in the home can reduce the spread of gastrointestinal infections among family members, Thomas J. Sandora, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America....

Bacterial conjunctivitis.(Drug Update)
December 1, 2004... Bacterial conjunctivitis is a rare, generally self-limiting condition in adults. It is distinguished from viral or allergic conjunctivitis by its thick, mucopurulent discharge and absence of pruritus. Treatment is usually with...

Derm Dx.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A 13-year-old boy with high-functioning autism presented with a 4-cm by 5-cm soft plaque over his left buttock. It had been present since birth and became raised after puberty. He had three small cafe au lait macules elsewhere on his body, but...

Psoriasis strongly linked with several comorbid conditions.(Skin Disorders)
December 1, 2004... PARIS -- Psoriasis is highly associated with several diseases, including arterial hypertension, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and alcoholism--a finding with profound implications for monitoring patients and choosing appropriate medications,...

Efalizumab effective for at least 2 years.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The efficacy and safety of efalizumab does not appear to deteriorate during the long-term treatment of patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, Alice B. Gottlieb, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Expert panel offers new psoriasis Tx paradigm.(Skin Disorders)
December 1, 2004... VIENNA -- The time has come to abandon the traditional stepwise therapeutic approach to psoriasis in light of the biologic agents' well-documented advantages over older systemic therapies, according to a new international consensus statement by...

Acne management: think combination therapy.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Combination therapy is often better than single-agent treatment of mild, moderate, and severe acne, Dr. Larry E. Millikan said at the annual meeting of the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. ...

Acne severity linked to endocrine factors.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Severity of acne in postpubertal women appears to depend on peripheral hyperandrogenism, with a negative relationship between the ache severity and serum sex hormone-binding globulin levels, a large study of Italian women indicates. "The...

Visual test may predict antidepressant adherence.(Mental Health)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Depressed patients who perceive a neutral facial expression as a look of anger, fear, disgust, or sadness are more likely to have somatoform symptoms and less likely to adhere to antidepressant therapy than are patients who...

Health organizations use claims data to contact people at risk for mental illness: adults and children identified are invited to enroll in free, confidential early intervention programs.(Mental Health)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Insurance claims data are helping two health care systems identify and treat patients at risk of developing mental disorders, presenters said at a meeting sponsored by the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation....

Resources used by adults for a mental health problem in the past 2 years.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... Resources Used by Adults for a Mental Health Problem in the Past 2 Years Friend/family member 59% Primary care physician 44% Online research 21% Insurance plan adviser 17% Clergy/spiritual...

Study: FPs didn't take depression seriously enough.(Mental Health)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... HONOLULU -- A study conducted at an Ohio HMO suggests family physicians are failing to properly address depression in their patients, even when they have conspicuously identified it, Lori A. Milo, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Benzodiazepines can jump-start anxiety therapy: they can be very useful with an antidepressant in the first 2-3 weeks of therapy to tide patients over.(Mental Health)
December 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- The sedative effects and potential for abuse associated with benzodiazepines haven't scared physicians away from using the drugs to treat anxiety or panic disorder, Javaid I. Sheikh, M.D., said at a psychopharmacology congress...

Escitalopram beats paroxetine for generalized anxiety disorder.(Mental Health)
December 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Escitalopram is as effective as paroxetine but is better tolerated for long-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, Robert Bielski, M.D., said at the annual conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. ...

Escitalopram is effective for long-term anxiety Tx.(Mental Health)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Anxiety scores continuously improve over at least 24 weeks in patients with generalized anxiety disorder who take escitalopram, Jonathan R.T. Davidson, M.D., said in a poster presentation at a meeting of the New Clinical Drug...

Methylphenidate beats atomoxetine for ADHD in head-to-head comparison.(Mental Health)(Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
December 1, 2004... PARIS -- A combined immediate- and extended release formulation of methylphenidate was more effective than atomoxetine for controlling symptoms in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in a study of more than 1,300 patients....

Meth abuse, ADHD tough combo to treat.(Mental Health)(Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Methamphetamine abusers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are functionally worse after treatment than are other methamphetamine abusers who have not received help, Craig Jaffe, M.D., said at the annual conference of...

FDA ethics panel okays psychoactive drug study in children.(Mental Health)
December 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The newly created ethics subcommittee of the Food and Drug Administration's pediatric advisory panel recommended approval, with modifications, of a proposed trial designed to study the effects of a psychoactive agent on...

Baths can significantly ease pain of active labor.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Taking a bath can decrease the pain of active labor and reduce the use of analgesics, but don't draw the water if the mother is less than 5 cm dilated or you may prolong labor, Tekoa L. King said at a meeting on antepartum and...

Operative delivery increases episiotomy rate.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Operative deliveries appreciably increased one hospital's rate of episiotomies, according to a study presented by Richard E. Alien, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians. "Forceps...

Early heart disease in PCOS patients.(Clinical Capsules)(Polycystic ovary syndrome)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Women in their early 20s who have polycystic ovary syndrome have signs indicative of a risk of early heart disease, even when their weight is normal, Francesco Orio Jr., M.D., and his colleagues reported. The researchers matched 30 young...

Capsaicin cream for vulvar vestibulitis.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Capsaicin 0.025% cream is an effective treatment for vulvar vestibulitis, results from a small study suggest. Adam Steinberg, M.D., and his associates conducted a retrospective chart review of 52 women with a mean age of 31 years who were...

Smoking in pregnant teens.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The overall rate of U.S. women who smoke during pregnancy significantly declined between 1990 and 2002, but 10 states reported recent increases in the number of pregnant teenagers who smoke, according to results of a federal report. ...

Genital herpes Rx.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Both valacyclovir and acyclovir were highly effective for suppressing the frequency and quantity of genital herpes simplex virus shedding in a double blind, three-period crossover study. In 69 immunocompetent patients with genital HSV-2 who...

Pregnant blood pressure: how low can you go? Preconception counseling is especially important or patients who have chronic hypertension.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Aiming for "normal" blood pressure in a pregnant patient with chronic hypertension may set the fetus up for problems by worsening preexisting placental insufficiency, Christy Isler, M.D., said at the annual Southern Obstetric...

Consider continuing treatment of mild, moderate hypertension in pregnancy.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- If mild to moderate hypertension is well controlled by medical therapy at the time of conception, consider continuing treatment throughout pregnancy, Mari-Paule Thiet, M.D., said at a meeting on antepartum and intrapartum...

Pregnancy-induced HT is on the rise.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- The incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension in the United States more than doubled between 1993 and 2000, national hospital discharge data show. The alarming trend is of serious concern because pregnancy-induced hypertension...

MRI best for carriers of BRCA gene mutations: study shows MRI detects more breast cancers in this population than do ultrasound or mammography.(Women's Health)(Magnetic resonance imaging)
December 1, 2004... Magnetic resonance imaging proved far superior to mammography or ultrasound in diagnosing breast cancer in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, but still not as good as screening with all modalities combined. In a Canadian study,...

Ductal lavage not a sensitive breast cancer screening tool.(Women's Health)
December 1, 2004... The sensitivity of ductal lavage in detecting breast cancer was so low in a recent study that it cannot be recommended as a screening tool, investigators have reported. "Ductal lavage should not be recommended to high-risk women as a...

Less severe frontal sinus fractures typical today: injuries now are not as high velocity as they were because of improved automobile restraint systems.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
December 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Strict seat belt laws and improved automobile restraint systems, including air bags, are probably responsible for the dramatic decrease in the severity of frontal sinus fractures seen in Sacramento, over the past 28 years. ...

Autologous chondrocytes return teens to playing field.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Autologous chondrocyte implantation reduced pain and swelling and improved function in 29 of 32 children and adolescents followed for at least 4 years after undergoing an innovative procedure to repair large chondral defects of...

Celecoxib reduces opioid use after arthroscopic knee surgery.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
December 1, 2004... QUEBEC CITY -- Celecoxib administered 1 hour before and again after arthroscopic knee meniscectomy reduces the need for opioid medication in the first 24 hours post surgery, according to a new study. The multicenter, randomized,...

Single out OA patients with risk factors: osteoarthritis is complex and multifactorial. Here are some risk factors for rapid progression.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
December 1, 2004... BERLIN -- a portrait is emerging of the osteoarthritis patient at risk for rapid disease progression, Tim D. Spector, M.D., said at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology. Getting a clearer picture of who is susceptible to fast...

Hyaluronan injections reduce pain from hip osteoarthritis.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Hyaluronan injections reduced pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip by a mean of about 30%-40% at 3 months and improved function by a mean of 38%, according to a placebo-controlled trial involving 42 patients. ...

Hand OA signals later knee, hip involvement.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... BERLIN -- Patients with hand osteoarthritis are twice as likely as those without it to eventually develop the disease in the knees or hips, particularly when the initial hand disease occurs in the metacarpal joints and at the base of the thumb,...

Glucosamine helps osteoarthritis more than other treatments, study finds.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Glucosamine appears superior to many other osteoarthritis agents in reducing pain and disability, according to the findings of a 5-year observational study. Among 1,376 patients with osteoarthritis, those who took...

Strength and flexibility for older patients, part 2.(Exercise Rx)
December 1, 2004... The neck and shoulders are made up of versatile, but vulnerable, muscles. Patients may present with a variety of complaints related to the neck and shoulders, including headaches, numbness, radiating pain, stabbing pain, dull aching pain, and...

MRI shows brain changes prior to MCI diagnosis: the Dartmouth group's research is aimed at broadening the use of magnetic resonance imaging.(Geriatric Medicine)(Magnetic resonance imaging)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Magnetic resonance imaging has the potential for detecting very early brain changes related to memory impairment, Andrew J. Saykin, Psy.D., reported at the Ninth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related...

Memantine also effective in mild to moderate Alzheimer's.(Geriatric Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Memantine is a beneficial therapy across the full spectrum of Alzheimer's disease severity, Steven G. Potkin, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonist...

Donepezil improves Alzheimer's disease behaviors.(Geriatric Medicine)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Alzheimer's disease patients who don't obtain clear-cut cognitive benefits with donepezil nonetheless often experience significant improvement in behavioral symptoms of the dementia, Ralf Ihl, M.D., said at Wonca 2004, the...

Midlife cardiovascular risk factors boost dementia risk later in life.(Geriatric Medicine)
December 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The presence of multiple cardiovascular risk factors in midlife markedly increases the risk of developing dementia late in life, Dr. Kristine Yaffe said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. This...

Depression rates differ among various dementias.(Geriatric Medicine)
December 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Rates of depression vary by dementia subtype, Annette L. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. The prevalence of depression among...

Feds look at drugs, surgical options for obesity.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... Food and Drug Administration-approved weight loss medications all promote weight loss when given along with recommendations for diet, according to a report from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. But surgical treatment...

Antiobesity drug pipeline holds 189 contenders.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Drugs in development will soon offer more hope to patients struggling to control their weight, Louis Aronne, M.D., said at a symposium on obesity sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians. The future of...

Treating acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis: how can therapy be optimized?(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. (1,2) In 1997, chronic bronchitis cost one corporate benefits system almost $6,000 per beneficiary, and over $31...

Whole-body CT may raise cancer mortality.(Clinical Rounds)
December 1, 2004... Whole-body CT scans used for screening purposes may increase cancer mortality, according to estimates from a new analysis. Using standard radiation risk estimation methods, David J. Brenner, Ph.D., D.Sc., and Carl D. Elliston of Columbia...