Family Practice News articles from February 2004

Family Practice News archives from February 2004

New knees safe, effective for most: total knee replacement.
February 1, 2004... Primary care physicians care for most patients eligible for total knee replacement, yet many are not fully informed about the procedure's efficacy and safety, according to some members of an expert panel convened at the National Institutes of...

Health care spending, 2002.(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2004... Health Care Spending, 2002 Private Health Insurance 36% Medicare 17% Medicaid and SCHIP 16% Out of Pocket 14% Other Public * 12% Other Private ** 5% * Includes...

Uninsured are a top priority for election year: tax credits likely: Senate Republicans say they will convene a task force to address the issue.
February 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- What will Congress' health policy priority be in 2004? Two words: The uninsured. "The increasing number of people without health coverage truly represents one of the most daunting policy challenges facing our nation," Senate...

Bar raised for silicone gel breast implant approval: revised FDA guidelines: autoimmune diseases are a concern.
February 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration has revised its guidelines for manufacturers seeking approval to market silicone gel breast implants, curbing the hopes of the California company that seemed closest to this goal. The new FDA guidance...

FDA launches effort to ban ephedra products; linked to deaths.(News)
February 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to ban the sale of all dietary supplements containing ephedra, marking the first time the agency has moved to ban a dietary supplement. The agency issued a consumer alert advising the public...

Primary care groups focus on uninsured, medical liability: agenda 2004.(News)
February 1, 2004... Insuring the uninsured remains at the top of the policy agenda for primary care groups in 2004. The three main primary care organizations are determined to maximize their lobbying power on Capitol Hill to promote their individual plans for...

Don't delay drugs in adult bacterial meningitis; a big factor in mortality.(News)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Delay in administering antibiotics is an extremely powerful predictor of mortality in adults with acute bacterial meningitis, Dr. Normand Proulx reported at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy....

Fewer hysterectomies, less menorrhagia with ablation: compared with resection.(News)(microwave endometrial ablation)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Women with menorrhagia who underwent microwave endometrial ablation reported greater satisfaction with the procedure and fewer hysterectomies 5-7 years after treatment than did those who had endometrial resection in a randomized...

New tests for two STDs offer convenience, other advantages; investigational assays.(News)(sexually transmitted diseases)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Investigational assays for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae via self-collected vaginal swabs are equivalent in their high accuracy to nucleic acid amplification tests already approved by the Food and Drug...

Guideline targets edema, CHF risk in diabetes; thiazolidiendiones.(News)(Congestive Heart Failure )
February 1, 2004... Concerns about managing edema associated with the use of thiazofidinediones are addressed in a new consensus statement from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. The benefits of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone...

Hypertension treatment kept pace with prevalence in 1990s: NHANES findings.(News)(National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey )
February 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Hypertension became more prevalent in the United States during the 1990s, but awareness, treatment, and attainment of goal pressure all increased. By the year 2000, 59% of white men and 62% of black men with hypertension...

Sharpening the saw.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
February 1, 2004... You've invested a lot of money in your medical equipment, so you're careful to maintain it with regular service and anything else you need to keep it in good working order. Your computers are important to your practice, so you back up your...

Caring for a 'baboon colony'.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... Referring to electronic health records, American Academy of Family Physicians President Michael O. Fleming said, "It is absolutely critical that we make this available... to every physician that's out there, no matter the size of the group, no...

Protecting the CME process.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... The Coalition for Healthcare Communication, which represents 11 major organizations with members in all phases of health care communications, gives credit to Dr. Robert W. Rebar for recognizing all the measures now in place to protect the...

Is tort reform the most important legislative issue for physicians?(Talk Back Online)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2004... Is tort reform the most important legislative issue for physicians? (January 1, 2004, p. 4) NO 17% YES 83% To Talk Back, visit www.efamilypracticenews.com Note: Table made from pie chart.

Time for immune work-up?(Guest Editorial)
February 1, 2004... "Why is my child sick so often?" As primary care pediatricians, you hear that question a lot, especially from parents with a first child in day care. Of course, chances are good that the child simply has an immature immune system, and the...

Should everyone with ischemic cardiomyopathy and an ejection fraction less than 30% get an ICD?(Pro & Con)(implantable cardioverter defibrillators )
February 1, 2004... YES The facts are in, and the evidence all points to the efficacy of implantable cardioverter defibrillators as primary prophylaxis in these patients. In randomized clinical trials, patients with ejection fractions less than 30% do better...

Low-fat foods helped fuel obesity epidemic: reworking the food pyramid.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- It's time to end the national obsession with low-fat foods and develop a more evidence-based approach to dietary recommendations, according to Dr. Walter C. Willett. Toward that end, he is urging an overhaul of the Food Guide...

Green tea for weight loss: catechins and caffeine: increased thermogenesis.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... LONDON -- Green tea consumption may play a role in stemming the worldwide tide of obesity, Dr. Mary L. Hardy said at a symposium on alternative and complementary therapies sponsored by the universities of Exeter and Plymouth. One area of...

Eating fish may stave off macular degeneration: the eyes have it.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Follow-up data gathered from a large randomized study of dietary supplementation appears to show that eating fish more than one time per week is associated with a 36% decreased risk of developing age-related macular...

Early fitness lowers risk of later heart disease: 15-year study.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... Regular activity to improve fitness over the long term probably has a bigger effect on metabolic-related cardiovascular risk factors than it does on cholesterol or blood pressure, according to a longitudinal study that followed its subjects for...

Exercise training outpaces stenting in trial; coronary artery disease.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Two years into a unique clinical trial in which patients with stable coronary artery disease were randomized to percutaneous stenting or a daily exercise program, those in the exercise arm continue to do significantly better,...

Cardiovascular prevention will save Medicare dollars: Chicago epidemiologic study.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Individuals who enter middle age free of the traditional cardiovascular risk factors ultimately end up costing the Medicare system substantially less money, even though they live longer than those having risk factors in middle...

Percent of adults who hit the recommended level of physical activity, 2000.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2004... Percent of Adults Who Hit the Recommended Level of Physical Activity, 2000 18-34 26.1% 35-49 24.7% 50-64 25.9% 65+ 29.8% Overall 26.2% Note: Recommended physical activity level is reported physical...

Multiple lipid abnormalities? Try combo Tx: statin plus another agent.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... New YORK -- Many dyslipidemic patients could benefit from combination lipid-lowering therapy, speakers said at a symposium sponsored by the Giovanni Lorenzini Medical Foundation. "In clinical practice, most of our patients don't achieve...

Rosuvastatin fares best in comparative statin efficacy trial: non-HDL-cholesterol-lowering results.(Clinical Rounds)(High density lipoprotein)
February 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Rosuvastatin is the statin with the greatest impact on non-HDL cholesterol, according to results of the largest-ever trial of statins" comparative efficacy. Non-HDL cholesterol--the atherogenic portion of blood cholesterol--has...

Angiotensin receptor blocker cuts atrial fibrillation: Val-HeFT and life trials.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Angiotensin receptor blocker therapy reduces the incidence of new-onset atrial fibrillation by nearly 40% in patients with congestive heart failure or ECG evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy, according to new secondary analyses...

Calcium mass: best for cardiac risk assessment: international consortium weighs in.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- An international consortium of radiologists, researchers, and manufacturers has moved to adopt calcium mass as the standard method of coronary artery calcium assessment. The group has been working for 4 years to develop a single...

Tai chi is heart healthy: pilot study.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Tai chi may be an ideal exercise for heart failure patients, according to a study reported at the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America. Twice-weekly participation in tai chi classes for 12 weeks led to...

Obesity surgery mortality higher than believed: surgeon's experience a factor.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- The chance of a patient dying as a result of bariatric surgery is actually about 1 in 50, not 1 in 200 or 1 in 500, as obese patients are often told, Dr. David R. Flum reported at the annual clinical congress of the American College...

PPIs may reduce dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus: retrospective study.(Clinical Rounds)(proton pump inhibitors)
February 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- The prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors is associated with a reduced risk of dysplasia in patients with Barrett's esophagus, Dr. Thomas Aguirre reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. ...

H. pylori appears not to be linked with Barrett's esophagus: metaanalysis.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Helicobacter pylori infection probably does not play a role in the etiology of Barrett's esophagus, based on a metaanalysis presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. Dr. Chang-Cheng Wang and...

Immunosuppressives boost cyclosporine's effect: ulcerative colitis.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Combination therapy with either 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine plus cyclosporine may help patients with severe ulcerative colitis avoid colectomies for at least 12 years, Dr. Russell D. Cohen reported at the annual meeting of the...

Hepatitis C awareness.(Clinical Rounds)(Be HEP C s.m.a.r.t.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The American Gastroenterological Association's "Be HEP C s.m.a.r.t." campaign features fact sheets about risk factors for and myths about the disease and links to additional sources. Funding is provided by Roche. For more information, go to...

Surgery may reduce mortality from sleep apnea: retrospective data.(Clinical Rounds)(Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty)
February 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is an underused and understudied treatment for sleep apnea that may reduce mortality more effectively than continuous positive airway pressure, Dr. Edward Weaver said at the annual meeting of the...

Psychoneuroimmunology: it's not what you think: cytokine theory of depression.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... ASPEN, COLO. -- Psychoneuroimmunology has changed drastically since many physicians first encountered the field in medical school, Mark L. Laudenslager, Ph.D., said at a meeting on stress sponsored by the University of Colorado. The...

Trauma admission a teachable moment: alcohol-dependent patients.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Admission to a trauma unit may represent a "teachable moment" for alcohol-dependent patients that may be missed if their wounds are repaired and they're simply sent on their way, Dr. Donald N. Reed Jr. said at the annual clinical...

Mindfulness meditation for chronic disease.(Alternative medicine: an evidence-based approach)
February 1, 2004... * Mindfulness meditation involves deep breathing and heightened attention to physical and emotional sensations, with the goal of easing stress and pain. * Many clinical studies have found benefits of mindfulness meditation in various types...

Photochemotherapy is workhorse for chronic actinic dermatitis: sunscreen of little value.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... BARCELONA, SPAIN -- Spontaneous resolution is often part of the natural history of chronic actinic dermatitis, Dr. Rik Roelandts said at the 12th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. This was well illustrated by...

Antimalarial combo may help photoinduced autoimmune disease: two are better than one.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- For patients whose photoinduced autoimmune disease does not respond to treatment with hydroxychloroquine, add another antimalarial drug, Dr. Victoria P. Werth said. She routinely starts hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) therapy in...

Respiratory, skin conditions pose risk of adverse antibiotic effects: comorbidities.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Comorbidities in patients with certain respiratory and skin conditions can increase the risk of adverse events from antibiotics, reported Dr. Gregory P. Hess of Surveillance Data Inc., Plymouth Meeting, Pa. In a retrospective...

Urticaria: start with nonsedating antihistamines: one dermatologist's view.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Nonsedating [H.sub.1] receptor antagonists should be the frontline therapy in treating chronic idiopathic urticaria, Dr. Eugene Conte said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. As for which works best,...

IVIG boosts survival in toxic epidermal necrolysis: reduction in mortality.(Clinical Rounds)(intravenous immunoglobulin)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Eighteen of 19 consecutive toxic epidermal necrolysis patients survived after receiving intravenous immunoglobulin at the University of Miami, reported Dr. Francisco Kerdel at a dermatology seminar sponsored by the Skin Disease...

Common topical antibiotic is among top contact allergens: bacitracin.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Bacitracin, one of the most commonly used topical antibiotics in the United States, was named "contact allergen of the year" by the American Contact Dermatitis Society, Dr. David E. Cohen announced at a dermatology seminar...

Derm diagnosis.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... A 57-year-old man presented with a bluish lesion on his nose. Since first appearing 3 months earlier, it had grown to 2.5 by 2.7 cm in size. On histology, the lesion showed as a dermal tumor featuring haphazard deposition of osteoid material...

ABCLabData, PDA styli.(Digital Assistance)(Personal digital assistants)
February 1, 2004... Featured App: ABCLabData ABCLabData is an expansive laboratory test reference program for Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld computers. Originally published (in hard copy) by Dr. Seymour Bakerman in 1983, the ABC's of Interpretive Laboratory...

Smallpox vaccine linked to myocarditis: unexpected complications.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Smallpox immunization of more than 38,000 health care workers last year triggered 22 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, including 9 cases of acute coronary syndrome. The ischemic complications led the Centers for...

Quick, easy skin test may identify smallpox immunity: previous vaccinees.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- A safe and inexpensive skin test may be effective in assessing immunity to smallpox before vaccination, said Dr. Eli Somekh of the Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel. In a study of 77 healthy subjects, reactions to the...

Screening blood supply for Trypanosoma cruzi nears: Chagas' disease pathogen.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Screening of the U.S. blood supply for evidence of contamination with Trypanosoma cruzi will probably start within the next 2 years, as soon as the Food and Drug Administration licenses a blood screening test. "Universal...

Antibiotic 'represcriptions' often from same class: second treatment failure likely.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- More than 15% of 256,208 antibiotic prescriptions written for 137,562 managed care patients did not work, and although those patients needed new prescriptions, the new drug often was from the same class as the old one, said Katie J....

Education, enforcement help curb antibiotic use: for physicians.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Educating physicians about their prescribing patterns and the effectiveness of different antibiotics--or even enforcing specific prescribing rules-can help reduce overuse of antibiotics, according to results presented in a poster at...

Influenza vaccines do not trigger MS relapses: IOM report on adults.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... Killed-virus influenza vaccines do not trigger relapse of multiple sclerosis in adults, according to a report on the possible association of the influenza vaccine with demyelinating neurologic disorders by the Institute of Medicine Immunization...

Prion disease called potential risk to humans: chronic wasting disease of deer.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Unless you are a deer hunter or live in selected areas of the country, you may never have heard of chronic wasting disease. So far, this disease has only been known to infect cervids--deer and elk. But in light of the recent...

Revised guidelines simplify HIV/AIDS regimens; 'preferred' and 'alternative' regimens.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Newly revised guidelines on treating adults and adolescents with HIV and AIDS provide suggestions for regimens that are more definitive than ever before, Dr. Paul Volberding said at a meeting on HIV management sponsored by the...

HIV dynamics may help explain lack of cure: complete eradication impossible.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite the availability of drugs that greatly decrease the viral burden in patients infected with HIV, it's important to remember that "we haven't cured anyone with this infection yet," Dr. Warner Greene said at a meeting on...

Survival rates up for HIV patients on dialysis: since HAART era began.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Median survival time of patients with end-stage renal disease stemming from HIV-associated nephropathy has more than doubled nationwide since highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was introduced in January of 1996, Dr....

Syphilis incidence up.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Syphilis rates increased for the first time in a decade in 2001, and increased again in 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. In 2001, the rate increased by 9%, from 2.2 to 2.4 per 100,000 population, and it...

Yogurt for diarrhea.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A daily serving of yogurt reduces the incidence and duration of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, reported Dr. Ripudaman S. Beniwal of Indiana University, Indianapolis, and associates. In the first randomized, controlled trial of yogurt to...

Colorectal cancer surveillance.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The majority of asymptomatic individuals at moderate risk for colorectal cancer who undergo a screening colonoscopy at less than 50 years of age will have a normal examination, said Dr. Nicola Bradshaw and colleagues at Western General Hospital...

Optic neuritis progression to MS.(Clinical Capsules)(Multiple Sclerosis)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... Patients with optic neuritis progress to clinically definite multiple sclerosis at significantly lower rates than patients with other clinically isolated syndromes, Dr. Susana Gispert reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society...

A long flight ups VT risk 12%.(Clinical Capsules)(venous thromboembolism)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... A single, long airplane trip per year raises the annual risk for venous thromboembolism by 12%, reported Dr. C.W. Kelman of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging, Canberra, Australia, and associates. They reviewed hospital...

MRI finds more roles in breast cancer care; definitive trials now underway.(Women's Health)(Magnetic resonance imaging)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- One of the most promising emerging indications for breast MRI is in staging the contralateral breast in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, according to Dr. Bruce L. Daniel. Three preliminary studies totalling more than...

Adolescent fat intake may affect breast cancer risk: new scrutiny.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Dietary fat consumption during adolescence--but not in midlife--may be an important modifiable risk factor for breast cancer, according to DE Walter C. Willett. Three separate analyses of data from the Nurses' Health Study...

Update on lifestyle modification for breast cancer prevention: a 30%-40% reduction feasible.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- American women aren't going to be able to lower their breast cancer risk to the extent they'd like solely through dietary changes and other lifestyle measures, according to Dr. Walter C. Willett. "It's pretty clear that...

Aromatase inhibitors impressive against breast ca: adjuvant therapy.(Women's Health)(breast cancer)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Tamoxifen is looking increasingly like "yesterday's drug" for endocrine therapy of early breast cancer. A newer class of antiestrogens--the aromatase inhibitors--is racking up impressive evidence of superiority over...

Chemotherapy suboptimal in most early breast cancer patients: alarming finding.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Nearly two-thirds of women with early-stage breast cancer experience a substantial reduction in chemotherapy dosing due to toxicity, Dr. Gary H. Lyman reported. This finding from a very large community practice-based study is...

Compliance poor in Hispanic breast cancer patients: fear factor.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Fear, confusion, and mistrust may explain why many Hispanic patients are noncompliant with breast cancer care, Dr. Alexander R. Miller said at the annual clinical congress of the American College of Surgeons. He explained that...

Socioeconomics don't explain racial differences in breast cancer outcome: poor outcomes in African Americans.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- African Americans undergoing adjuvant therapy for breast cancer have greater than 40% worse survival than women of other races--even after adjusting for differences in socioeconomic factors, baseline disease, and treatment...

Second primary tumor common in breast ca patients: gynecologic, colon cancers.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... SAN ANTONIO -- Gynecologic and colon cancers are the malignancies most often associated with breast cancer, both as preceding and second events, Dr. K. Popi Siziopikou reported at a breast cancer symposium sponsored by the Cancer Therapy and...

Lung cancer risk twice as high for women smokers: annual CT detects early cancers.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Women who smoke are twice as likely to develop lung cancer from tobacco as their male counterparts, according to results from the 10-year Early Lung Cancer Action Project. A total of 77 lung cancers were diagnosed in baseline...

Early diagnosis is essential in patients with lymphedema: 40,000 new cases per year.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... MONTREAL -- Lymphedema is a condition that has a high morbidity and can be fatal, but most physicians know little about its risk factors, diagnosis, or treatment, Dr. Horst Weissleder said. "Awareness is a big problem, because early...

Bilateral mapping is best for sentinel lymph node detection: cervical cancer.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. -- Bilateral sentinel lymph node mapping is feasible in cervical cancer and ideally should be done bilaterally, two researchers recommended. "The cervix is a midline structure, and so it's got lymphatics exiting the...

Modest physical activity may curb breast cancer risk: easy swimming, biking, dancing.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... Even moderate levels of physical activity can reduce a woman's risk of breast cancer and, together with appropriate dietary changes, can help women achieve and maintain long-term weight loss, the results of two studies suggest. ...

Laparoscopic hysterectomy: early discharge OK: patient education key.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Women who chose to go home the same day after laparoscopic hysterectomy fared as wall as those who stayed longer in the hospital in a study of 359 patients. After undergoing total or supracervical laparoscopic hysterectomy in...

Study links estrogen use to improved cognition: postmenopausal women.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Postmenopausal estrogen users performed significantly better on computerized cognitive tests than nonusers, suggesting that the hormone may have a beneficial effect on cognition in some women, Joan Friebely, Ed.D, reported in a...

Hysterectomy did not impair sexual function in two studies: no differences with surgical technique.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- Sexual function does not diminish and may even improve after hysterectomy, according to two new studies. In the first study, 70% of 70 women said they had no net change or an increased desire for sex at an average...

Good long-term results for laparoscopic hysterectomy: average 55-month follow-up.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy reported high satisfaction rates and had a low incidence of subsequent cervical surgeries or vaginal bleeding an average of 55 months after the procedure in a study of 357 patients....

Treating headache is a challenge in pregnancy: avoid migraine drugs.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Headaches during pregnancy and the postpartum period are common, but challenges lie in considering safe diagnostic measures and the teratogenic risk of drugs when offering treatment, said Dr. Christine Lay at a symposium...

Uterine artery embolization tied to rise in adverse pregnancy outcomes: compared with myomectomy.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Women whose fibroids were treated using uterine artery embolization are at significantly increased risk of future preterm delivery, malpresentation, and spontaneous abortion, compared with women who've undergone laparoscopic...

Smoking raises risk of gestational diabetes: NICHD study.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- One more reason for women to quit smoking is to decrease their risk of gestational diabetes. In a subgroup analysis of the larger Calcium for Pre-Eclampsia Prevention study, which was conducted in five U.S. medical centers...

Limit operative vaginal delivery to three attempts: forceps or vacuum, not both.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... MAUI, HAWAII -- When physicians consider the safety of an operative vaginal delivery, three seems to be the number to keep in mind. Results of three studies in recent years show that risks increase significantly with attempted operative...

Better birth outcomes seen for immigrant mothers: varies by country of origin.(Women's Health)
February 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Better birth outcomes among pregnant foreign-born women in New York City compared with U.S.-born women varied considerably by country of origin, with more problems in babies born to Jamaican women and fewer problems in Chinese...

Magnesium sulfate linked to neurologic effects: thalamostriate vasculopathy.(Women's Health)(Magnesium and Neurologic Endpoints Trial)
February 1, 2004... LA JOLLA, CALIF. --The use of magnesium sulfate for tocolysis may increase a neonate's risk of thalamostriate vasculopathy, according to a new analysis of data from the Magnesium and Neurologic Endpoints Trial. In a multivariate regression...

Postpartum reference guide.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2004... The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals is offering a new guide "Postpartum Counseling: A Quick Reference Guide for Clinicians." The reference offers guidance on nutrition, weight loss, exercise, mood disorders, sexuality, and...