Family Practice News articles from July 2004

Family Practice News archives from July 2004

FPs develop novel health access plan; concierge care for the uninsured.
July 1, 2004... NEWPORT, R.I. -- All Dr. Michael Fine wanted to do was provide a way for uninsured and self-paying patients to see a family physician when they needed to. He tried a "radical sliding-scale" payment system for established patients in his...

Primary prevention of CVD in type 2 diabetes = statins: cards from the U.K.: controversy persists on whether therapy should be targeted to a specific LDL level.(Cardiovascular Disease)
July 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Data from the Collaborative Atorvastatin Study lend strong support to the beneficial impact of using statins as primary cardiovascular disease prevention in patients with type 2 diabetes, but the findings are not expected to...

Obesity is the cause of most U.S. liver damage: alcohol plays a smaller role: risk of disease fourfold higher in obese.
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Obesity is a far stronger risk factor for the development of liver disease in the United States than alcohol use, based on an analysis of data collected in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In fact,...

Central obesity a risk factor for cirrhosis of the liver: Nhanes data.(News)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Central but not peripheral obesity is associated with a 2.2-fold increased risk of cirrhosis-related death or hospitalization, Dr. George N. Ioannou reported in a poster session at the annual Digestive Disease Week. "I know...

Adipose tissue may function as part of endocrine system: adipokines relay information.(News)
July 1, 2004... BOSTON -- The traditional view of body fat as an inert storage dump for excess caloric energy is being challenged by the discovery of adipokines, a group of cytokine hormones thought to play a role in infertility, osteoporosis, diabetes,...

Interstitial cystitis research pays off with protein; easier diagnosis, treatment.(News)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Scientists have successfully characterized a protein found only in the urine of patients with interstitial cystitis, and they hope it will unlock the door to easier diagnosis and treatment of the disease. This bit of basic...

Panel supports SSRI label changes for pregnancy; neonatal withdrawal, toxicity.(News)
July 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel supported the addition of information to the professional label and patient package insert of serotonin reuptake inhibitors concerning neonatal withdrawal syndrome and toxicity...

Mild mental illnesses get more than serious mental disorders: resource allocation.(News)
July 1, 2004... Reallocation of treatment resources would have the greatest impact on the unmet needs of people with serious mental illness around the world, according to recent data from the WHO World Mental Health Survey Consortium. The survey of 60,463...

Why rural hospitals matter.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... In the health-planning initiatives of the 1970s. a hub-and-spoke system of health care facilities was envisioned with rural clinics feeding urban hospitals--a system eliminating the "duplication" of the rural hospital. But in reality, all...

Is robotic-assisted surgery clearly superior for radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer?(Pro & Con)
July 1, 2004... YES Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy offers several benefits, both for the patients and for health care facilities. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, a major advantage of robotic prostatectomy is that blood loss generally does...

Horses and carts.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... Recent guidelines for the treatment of otitis media published by a joint subcommittee of the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians are certainly a well-intentioned effort at correcting the troubling overuse of...

Inappropriate Meds in elderly.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2004... I've read your report ("Elderly (let Inappropriate Meds at 8% of Visits," April 15, 2004, p. 14) about the presentation by Margie Rauch Goulding, Ph.D., on inappropriate medications and I would like to note an ongoing error, in my opinion. ...

Study faults Medicare criteria for ICD coverage: QRS cutoff deemed arbitrary.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- New data from the landmark Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial call into question last year's controversial decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to restrict coverage for implantable cardioverter...

CMS ponders expanded ICD indications; medicare official urges focus on value.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- What's the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services going to do about coverage for implantable cardioverter defibrillators? That was the dominant question under discussion at this year's meeting of the Heart Rhythm...

Postop AF carries steep price tag for Medicare program; cost will increase.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Atrial fibrillation arising after cardiac surgery is a major problem costing the Medicare program an estimated $143 million annually, John Hernandez, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society. In...

Pacemakers reduce stenosis: retrospective study.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The extent of coronary artery stenosis and the number of cardiac events declined in 19 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy who had pacemakers implanted, compared with 19 similar patients without pacemakers. All of the...

T-wave alternans may predict benefit from ICD therapy; ISO: a better risk stratifier.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The search is on for a more reliable predictor of patients with heart failure likely to benefit from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator--and T-wave alternans shows the most promise, Dr. Stefan H. Hohnloser said at the...

Clinically depressed patients have more than 50% greater risk of sudden cardiac death: not associated with antidepressants.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- People with clinical depression have a more than 50% greater risk of experiencing sudden cardiac death than those who are not depressed, according to a study reported by Dr. Jean Philippe Empana at a conference on...

Medtronic recalling ICDs: delay or failure of shock Tx.(Clinical Rounds)(implantable cardioverter defibrillators)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Medtronic Inc. is voluntarily recalling two older model implantable cardioverter defibrillators because of concerns that the devices may delay delivery of or fail to deliver shock therapy to patients with cardiac arrhythmia, potentially...

LDL management may be easier with e-mail: one-click statin update.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- "If you got an e-mail about one of your patients telling you that the patient's cholesterol was too high, would you do anything about it?" Dr. William T. Lester asked physicians at a meeting sponsored by the American Heart...

A better way to monitor warfarin Tx: saves money, improves quality of care.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Monitoring chronic warfarin therapy using point-of-care international normalized ratio testing backed by computerized decision support software is far superior to traditional anticoagulation monitoring in terms of both quality of...

Epilepsy surgery is rated long-term success; temporal lobe disease has best response.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Surgery for medically intractable partial epilepsy provides long lasting efficacy, with nearly three-quarters of patients in one large series remaining essentially seizure free for up to 16 years, Dr. Gregory D. Cascino...

Topiramate 'approvable' for migraine prevention: improves triptan efficacy.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Anticipating the imminent marketing approval of topiramate for prevention of migraine, investigators presented a flood of supportive data at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Ortho-McNeil...

Stratified care best plan for acute migraine: beats stepped care.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO -- Stratified care is the best treatment strategy for acute migraine, Dr. Lawrence C. Newman said at a symposium sponsored by the American Headache Society. This approach is better for both patient and physician than two...

Resistance up among gram-negative bacteria: infection control strategy.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The prevalence of multidrug resistance is rapidly rising among nosocomial, gram-negative bacteria, based on a 9-year surveillance study at one hospital. And results from a second U.S. survey showed that fluoroquinolone...

Risk score flags vancomycin-resistant enterococci carriers; targets screening to high-risk patients.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- A new way to quantify a patient's risk of carrying vancomycin-resistant enterococci may help contain this dangerous nosocomial infection. A risk score for patients who carry vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) was...

Many new fillers, but few data to back them; cosmetic dermatology.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- With so many fillers available for cosmetic procedures, it might seem difficult to keep track of them all and remember their advantages and disadvantages. But the truth is that for most of them, there isn't much to...

WashMnl, PDA cases.(Digital Assistance)(Book Review)
July 1, 2004... Featured App: WashMnl (The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics, 30th Edition) As a welcome to new interns across the country, and in remembrance of our own training experience, we have chosen to feature the Washington Manual of...

Herbal ED treatment may be the real thing: alternative products.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Two of seven herbal products marketed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction contained undeclared pharmacologic concentrations of drugs found in Viagra and related medications, an analysis found. Since the advent of...

Web sites touting herbal ED therapies don't fully inform; warn patients of danger.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Important gaps in the information provided by Web sites selling herbal treatments for erectile dysfunction could put buyers in danger, Dr. Ramesh Thurairaja said at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association. ...

Saw palmetto may delay progression to BPH; inexpensive herbal remedy.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Saw palmetto that is given to men who are at risk for developing symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy can prevent a good portion of them from progressing to the point of needing medical treatment, Dr. Bob Djavan reported at...

Tamsulosin may benefit nonresponders to saw palmetto BPH therapy; postmarketing data.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Men with symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy who do not respond to saw palmetto may get symptom relief from treatment with the selective alpha-1a blocker tamsulosin, Dr. Andreas J. Gross said in a poster presentation at...

Use of soy-based supplement slows increase in PSA levels; post-prostate cancer trial.(Clinical Rounds)(prostate specific antigen )
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A soy-based nutritional supplement delayed the rise in prostate specific antigen levels after treatment for prostate cancer in a double blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of 49 patients, Dr. Fritz H. Schroder said at the...

Some respiratory ills are tied to indoor damp: Institute of Medicine report.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Exposure to mold and damp indoor environments is associated with several respiratory problems, but many of the suspected adverse health effects of such exposure are not supported by solid evidence, according to a report from the...

Acetaminophen may increase risk of developing asthma and COPD: validation of findings needed.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Regular acetaminophen use may up the risk of asthma and COPD, Tricia McKeever, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the 100th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society. "We saw an increased risk with...

Elderly prone to SSRI-induced hyponatremia; monitoring sodium levels essential.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... Hyponatremia is an underrecognized and potentially lethal complication in elderly patients treated with paroxetine and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, reported Tanya J. Fabian, Pharm.D., of the University of Pittsburgh and her...

Detecting pain in cognitively impaired patients; assess nonverbal signs.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Physicians must put on their detective caps to assess pain in cognitively impaired elderly patients, Phillip Wizwer said at a joint conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on the Aging. ...

Mental health services in primary care: beneficial for elderly.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A convergence of new data suggests that enhancing mental health services in primary care practices provides benefits for elderly patients. The findings come from two studies soon to be published and three recently...

Integrated care might fix Medicare; 'leave turf behind'.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The same kind of big and bold actions that created Medicare in the 1960s are needed today to fix it, Betsy W. Beckwith said at a joint conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on the Aging. She...

Higher caffeine intake may lower liver injury risk; results of data analysis.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Consuming coffee and other caffeinated beverages may reduce the risk of liver disease in people who are at high risk for liver problems, Dr. James Everhart reported at a press briefing at the annual Digestive Disease Week. ...

Managing colon ca's other genetic risk factors; surveillance key when mutations detected.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- While familial adenomatous polyposis is the most common genetic disorder leading to colorectal cancer, at least four other similar autosomal dominant disorders have been identified, Dr. Randall Burr said at a meeting on...

Four factors prognostic in advanced esophagogastric ca; multivariate analysis.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Four prognostic factors can be combined to predict the outcome in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer, Dr. Ian Chau reported at a meeting on gastrointestinal cancers sponsored by the American Society of Clinical...

Triage pancreatic cancer with CT, MRI, PET before surgical resection: avoid inappropriate surgery.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Imaging studies can help identify the small percentage of patients with pancreatic carcinoma who may benefit from surgical resection, Dr. R. Brooke Jeffrey Jr. said at a meeting on gastrointestinal cancers sponsored by the...

Harmless intestinal worms may resolve IBD; helminth eggs ingested every 3 weeks.(Clinical Rounds)(inflammatory bowel disease)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Industrialized society has allowed people to purge themselves of intestinal worms, but this may have opened the door to inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune disorders. Results from pilot clinical studies show that...

Aggressive therapy gets better control over Crohn's colitis; five-year follow-up.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... DALLAS -- Conservative management isn't necessarily best for patients with Crohn's colitis, Dr. Alessandro Fichera said at the annual meeting of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Of 126 patients available for long-term...

Get a sharper image of inflammatory bowel disease with capsule endoscopy; new window on small intestine.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Capsule endoscopy was safe and effective for evaluating the small intestine of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a series of 65 patients. Capsule endoscopy "opens a new window on the small intestine that allows us...

[beta]-blockers, even with allergies?(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... [beta]-Blockers improve survival in heart disease patients who are also at risk for anaphylaxis, even though the drugs may render emergency epinephrine treatment ineffective, according to Dr. John A. Ten-Brook of Tufts-New England Medical...

Alcohol's effect on iron levels.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Consumption of any amount of alcohol is associated with a decreased likelihood of having iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, but heavier drinking is associated with an increased risk of iron overload, according to an analysis of data...

Usage of colorectal ca tests.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Fewer than half of all U.S. adults aged 50 years or older have undergone tests for colorectal cancer for screening or non-screening purposes, reported Dr. Laura C. Seeff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and her colleagues. ...

Carotid surgery, stroke risk.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Carotid endarterectomy halves the 5-year risk of disabling or fatal stroke in patients who are asymptomatic but have carotid stenosis of 70% or more on ultrasound exam, reported Alison Halliday and her associates in the Medical Research Council...

Dust off old warhorses to treat MRSA; tetracycline, Bactrim, rifampin.(Clinical Rounds)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
July 1, 2004... AUSTIN, TEX. -- What's the right choice in antimicrobial therapy for a boil or other non life-threatening skin infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus? "Dust off the old guys--tetracycline, Bactrim, and rifampin,"...

Know how MRSA skin lesions react to oral Keflex; wound care.(Clinical Rounds)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... AUSTIN, TEX. -- Many a physician has puzzled over this clinical scenario: You prescribe an oral [beta]-lactam, such as Keflex, for a patient with furunculosis, who responds with marked clinical improvement over the next 24-48 hours--at which...

Imiquimod relieves patients with severe skin disorders: children and adults studied.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Imiquimod showed promise in the treatment of challenging skin conditions in three recent studies, Dr. Daniel C. Sauder said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. In an open-label study of children with...

Skin lesions point to vasculitis: morphology, distribution analysis.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- The most straightforward way to differentially diagnose skin lesions is to analyze their morphology and distribution pattern. Biopsies provide additional information, but they must be timed properly for accurate interpretation of...

Derm diagnosis.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2004... A 41-year-old fisherman presented with a large ulcerative lesion extending from the thigh to lower leg. The lesion started as a spot on the lower leg about 5 months previously. The lesion exhibited peripheral growth with central healing,...

Breast cancer boosts malignant melanoma risk; retrospective study.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Women diagnosed with breast cancer appear to have an increased risk of malignant melanoma, particularly during the first year following diagnosis of the breast tumor, reported Dr. Rony Weitzen at the annual meeting of the...

Exemestane after tamoxifen improves disease-free survival; postmenopausal women with breast cancer.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... Switching to exemestane therapy after 2-3 years of tamoxifen treatment improves disease-free survival in postmenopausal women with breast cancer, according to Dr. R. Charles Coombes and his associates in the Intergroup Exemestane Study, a large...

Choose safe maneuvers for shoulder dystocia; consider early delivery of posterior arm.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... MAUI, HAWAII -- The different maneuvers to deliver a baby with shoulder dystocia fall into three categories: the good, the not bad, and the downright ugly. Leading off the ugly category is traction with fundal pressure, which increased the...

Limited use of prenatal steroids recommended: benefits not worth risk.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Repeated weekly courses of prenatal steroids reduce infant morbidity in certain cases, but the overall risks of this approach outweigh the benefits, Dr. Ronald J. Wapner said at the annual meeting of the Society for...

Preterm birth risk possible with prepregnancy antibiotics: randomized controlled trial.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Prepregnancy antibiotic treatment in women with a prior preterm birth was associated with an in creased risk of subsequent preterm birth and low birth weight in a randomized controlled trial. Of 124 nonpregnant women with a...

Specific TNF-[alpha] polymorphism may be culprit in preterm labor: new genetics study.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Genetic susceptibility may be one of the missing links in the poorly understood relationship between bacterial vaginosis and preterm labor and delivery, Dr. George Macones said at the annual meeting of the American College of...

Antibodies in cervical fluid don't appear to help predict preterm labor; IgA, IgG levels higher in BV.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Concentrations of antibodies in cervical fluid don't appear to enhance the predictive value of cervical length in assessing preterm labor, Dr. Rodney Edwards reported at the annual meeting of" the Society for Maternal Fetal...

Breast-feeding may decrease risk of infant death; reduced risk of infection, SIDS, injuries.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... Promoting breast feeding could prevent or delay about 720 postneonatal deaths every year in the United States, Dr. Aimin Chen and Dr. Walter J. Rogan said. Breast-feeding is associated with a reduced risk of death not only from infection,...

Human milk may prevent sepsis in the smallest newborns: preliminary results from large study.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Human breast milk may protect extremely low birth-weight infants from developing late-onset sepsis, preliminary results from an ongoing study suggest. In fact, increasing the proportion of human milk was associated with a...

HPV vaccine: if you have it, will they come? Insurance coverage may up acceptance.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Without a thorough public education program, ignorance and stigma could stymie any future attempts to vaccinate Americans against human papillomavirus. "Having a vaccine available doesn't necessarily mean the public will...

Human papillomavirus persistence in teen girls linked to coinfections: Chlamydia trachomatis, multiple HPV types.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Infection with more than one type of human papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis coinfection are both associated with persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus types, Erika Samoff, Ph.D., reported. In a study of 282...

Sun exposure linked to higher risk of cervical HPV infection; possible immunosuppression.(Women's Health)(human papillomavirus)
July 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A high level of sun exposure was associated with an increased rate of cervical infection with human papillomavirus, Dr. William J.M. Hrushesky reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. ...

Antiviral therapy helps reduce PHN incidence; risk factors identified.(Women's Health)(postherpetic neuralgia)
July 1, 2004... Older age and female sex are among the significant risk factors for persistent pain following shingles infection, a study has shown. Also predictive of substantial pain for 120 days or more after the onset of herpes zoster infection--a...

Patient questionnaires give at-a-glance history; cancer risk assessment.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... TORONTO -- Family physicians can make a quick and accurate assessment of a patient's breast and ovarian cancer risk using a questionnaire filled out by the patient in the waiting room. "Studies show that physicians have a tough time getting...

Consolidate chemotherapy for some, not all, ovarian cancers: two studies compared.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- The adoption of maintenance chemotherapy immediately after a patient demonstrates a complete clinical response following surgery and first-line chemotherapy may not always make the most sense for patients with advanced ovarian...

First noninvasive fibroid therapy gets panel nod; alternative to hysterectomy.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel last month recommended, with conditions, the approval of a system that ablates uterine fibroids using focused ultrasound under the guidance of magnetic resonance. If...

Fibroid pain in pregnancy relieved with glucocorticoids; short course recommended.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- A short course of a glucocorticoid provides rapid and sustained pain relief for painful uterine leiomyomas during pregnancy, according to a chart review of six patients presented in poster form at the annual meeting of the...

Psychiatric history and birth.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Women with a psychiatric history who are admitted to a hospital for a psychiatric illness within 6 months of giving birth are at high risk for readmittance, reported Dr. Paul Garfield of the Child, Adolescent, and Family Consultation Service,...

Glycoprotein inhibitors.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The use of glycoprotein inhibitors in women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) doubled the risk for bleeding during the procedure, Dr. Hursh S. Naik said in a poster presented at a meeting sponsored by the American Heart...

Earlier preeclampsia diagnosis.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A 6- or 12-hour urine collection can accurately diagnose proteinuria in a woman being evaluated for preeclampsia, Dr. Eugene Y. Chang reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and...

Cortisol levels and cancer.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Stress doses of cortisol were shown to significantly increase the invasive potential of certain ovarian cancer cells in vitro, Dr. Anil Sood reported at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Orlando, Fla. The effects...

Beef up bone density with better diet, not OCs; amenorrheic athlete.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2004... VANCOUVER B.C. -- The adolescent female athlete with amenorrhea who is found to have a low bone density should be treated first with improved diet and vitamin intake, before oral contraceptive treatment is considered, Dr. Aurelia Nattiv said at...

More women than men injure hands in hockey games; protective gloves needed.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Collegiate women who play field hockey have twice the rate of hand injuries as men who play ice hockey or women who play lacrosse because field hockey players shun the use of protective gloves, Dr. Brian J. Sennett said at...

Women copy men's athletic moves in programs that help avoid ACL injuries; training reduces injury rates.(Women's Health)(Anterior Cruciate Ligament)
July 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Programs to help prevent anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women work, Dr. Kimberly Fagan said at the annual meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Not just one, but a number of different...

Asthmatic teens find relief in ointments and syrups; small studies.(Children's Health)
July 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- Did grandma know best? Rubbing ointments and syrups outdid albuterol in providing asthma relief for urban adolescents in studies presented by Dr. Marina Reznik at the annual meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric...

Asthma has more serious effects in minority children; large families, small houses.(Children's Health)
July 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Minority children tend to be more affected by asthma and allergies than white children, Dr. Michael Forbes said at a meeting sponsored by the Alliance of Minority Medical Associations, the National Association for Equal...

Adults don't know how smoking harms children; risk of SIDS, ear infections.(Children's Health)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- Adults knew lots of reasons why smoking is bad for them in a recent study. What few knew is how it hurts children, Dr. Iman Sharif reported at a meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research. Only a third of...

Ways to work with parent and child to optimize inhaled drug delivery; make it fun.(Children's Health)
July 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Teaching a parent and child to use an inhalation device is one thing; getting them to keep on using it is another. "The most important aspect is not the device itself not the anatomy; it is what goes on in the patient's and...

Prescribe careful hygiene to curb pruritus vulvae: topical treatments sometimes needed.(Children's Health)
July 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Pruritus vulvae is a relatively common complaint in prepubescent girls, Dr. Sheryll Vanderhooft said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. Girls of this age are susceptible to pruritus vulvae because the...