Family Practice News articles from July 2005

Family Practice News archives from July 2005

Insulin resistance in 5% of youngsters.(News)
July 1, 2005... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Metabolic syndrome is now present in as many as 5% of elementary school children, potentially setting them up for an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and vascular disease in adulthood, Katrina D....

Snapshot of top 15 recruited specialties.(VITAL SIGNS)(Illustration)
July 1, 2005... VITAL SIGNS Snapshot of Top 15 Recruited Specialties Cardiology 231 Radiology 218 Orthopedic surgery 210 Internal medicine 188 Family practice 166 General surgery 116 Gastroenterology ...

Primary care has role in treating cancer survivors: oncology group soon to issue guidelines.(News)
July 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Primary care physicians and other clinicians from specialties outside of oncology can expect to find their respective roles spelled out in new guidelines under development for medical management of cancer survivors. Among...

Potent zoster vaccine cuts shingles rate by half.(News)
July 1, 2005... A Potent live zoster vaccine halved the incidence of herpes zoster and reduced its disease burden and complications even more dramatically in a large study of adults aged 60 years and older, said M.N. Oxman, M.D., of the University of...

Primary care recruiting on rebound.(News)
July 1, 2005... The demand for family physicians and internists has rebounded after several years of decline, Merritt, Hawkins & Associates reported in its 2005 survey on recruitment trends. Many health care employers are turning their attention back to...

Low-fat diet reduces breast cancer recurrence.(News)
July 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Breast cancer survivors on a low-fat diet had their rate of recurrence reduced by 24% in what may be the first phase III trial to show that a lifestyle change can protect cancer patients from relapse. In a study with a...

Doctors to CMS: one identifier only, please: as 2007 deadline looms, it isn't clear whether you'll need a different NPI for yourself, your group practice.(News)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, national provider identifier)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will review national provider identifier protocols that now require separate numbers for each covered entity. The requirement could mean some physicians who are also part of group...

And a directory would be useful, too.(News)(Medicare Medicaid, national provider identifiers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Security concerns are currently keeping CMS from developing a directory of all NPI numbers for all health providers and covered entities, but one may be developed in the future, Ms. Brandt told PPAC members. "We may get to a point where we...

Available doses of flu vaccine may be tallied by August.(News)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The total number of doses of inactivated influenza vaccine available for the 2005-2006 season won't be known until August at the earliest. That's when it's expected that the Food and Drug Administration will have results from...

Professional organizations take aim at prevention, treatment of childhood obesity.
July 1, 2005... A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association is among the first of many resources aimed at helping clinicians in the prevention and treatment of obesity in children. The AHA Scientific Statement on Overweight in Children...

Guest editorial: medical marijuana.(Opinion)(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... First, it was medical marijuana; next, it will be alcohol. The recent decision by the Supreme Court (Gonzales v. Raich) allowing federal prosecutors to go after patients who use medical marijuana, even in places where such use is legal under...

Pain relievers.(Opinion)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: "It's responding to medication, so the next step is to bring legal action against the virus."

Drug industry funds influence FDA.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... In 1992, in an effort to speed up drug approvals, Congress authorized the Food and Drug Administration to collect funds from the brand name drug manufacturers. I recently completed my doctorate in public administration. My thesis explored...

Practice threatened by Medicare cuts.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I am already reeling from the cuts and low reimbursement to date ("CMS Projects 4.3% Cut in Physician Pay," May 1, 2005, p. 1). Additional cuts as projected will cause me to retire early or seek a salaried position; I will not be able to keep...

Medicare cut may close practice.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I have been a geriatrician in solo private practice since 1984. If there is a Medicare cut I will close my practice ("CMS Projects 4.3% Cut in Physician Pay," May 1, 2005, p. 1). At 51, I'm not ready to retire, but I will no longer be a primary...

Correction: Dermabond advantages misstated.(Letters)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
July 1, 2005... A recent article incorrectly stated that "wounds treated with Dermabond can withstand wetness, which is indispensable for patients who want to swim" ("Dermabond Good Quick-Fix for Closing Children's Incisions," April 15, 2005, p. 32). The...

Do brief interventions for unhealthy alcohol use work?(Pro & Con)
July 1, 2005... YES Brief intervention does work in primary care settings for nondependent unhealthy alcohol use. A brief intervention involves giving advice and providing feedback, and often includes assessing readiness to change, negotiating goals,...

Rosuvastatin linked to excess adverse events: use is associated with reports of rhabdomyolysis, proteinuria, nephropathy, and renal failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... A newly published analysis of the adverse event reports filed during the first year that rosuvastatin was on the U.S. market showed that its use was linked with significantly more adverse events than other statins. From October 2003 to...

African Americans fall short of achieving LDL cholesterol goals.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(low density lipoprotein)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- African American patients with dyslipidemia are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to achieve LDL cholesterol treatment goals, Luther T. Clark, M.D., and his associates reported in a poster at a conference on cardiovascular...

Depression hits one in five MI patients, evidence shows.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(myocardial infarction)
July 1, 2005... Depression strikes one in five patients hospitalized for myocardial infarction, with severe consequences, including a threefold increased risk of cardiac mortality and significantly elevated mortality from all causes, a comprehensive evidence...

Depressive symptoms predict 3-year change in blood-vessel thickness.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Symptoms of depression predict increases in intima-media thickness, Jesse C. Stewart, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society. Intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of the thickness...

Sudden cardiac death found to be poverty-related health risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- The incidence of sudden cardiac death is markedly greater in low-income neighborhoods, according to new data from the Oregon Sudden Unexplained Death Study. Socioeconomic status is known to be an important predictor of many...

Algorithms could replace stress tests.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- In some patients being evaluated for chest pain, stress tests might be avoided through the use of an algorithm designed to predict the probability of cardiac ischemia, David D. Moyer-Diener and his associates said at the annual...

Hard-to-treat hypertensives responded to simple regimen.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A simple, aggressive hypertension treatment regimen controlled systolic hypertension in 77% of 1,005 hard-to-treat patients after 18 weeks, Elijah Saunders, M.D., said. The initial treatment consisted of a diuretic alone....

In-office detection of white coat hypertension possible.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- You may not need to send patients with suspected "white coat hypertension" home with an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. Automated repeat measurements in the office work just as well for ruling out this type of hypertension,...

Nicardipine seen safe for use in high-blood-pressure crises.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
July 1, 2005... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Intravenous nicardipine can reduce blood pressure by 15%-20% without impairing blood supply to the brain in hypertensive emergencies, preliminary results from an ongoing case-control study show. Results so far suggest...

Monotherapy option for type 2 diabetes patients: muraglitazar effectively lowered hemoglobin [A.sub.1c] and triglycerides while raising HDL cholesterol levels.(Metabolic Disorders)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Muraglitazar, a novel agent targeting both glucose and lipid levels, is an effective monotherapy option for patients with type 2 diabetes, Robert Frederich, M.D., and his associates reported at the annual meeting of the American...

Little data about androgens in postmenopausal women.(Metabolic Disorders)
July 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Despite growing interest in the use of androgens among postmenopausal women, there are few clinical data about their efficacy for this population of patients, Carol Havens, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the California...

Moderate exercise helps insulin sensitivity in PCOS.(Metabolic Disorders)(polycystic ovary syndrome,)
July 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Moderate exercise equivalent to a brisk 1-hour walk 4 days a week improved insulin sensitivity in a group of women with polycystic ovary syndrome, even in the absence of weight loss, results from a small trial demonstrated. ...

Women's weight gain higher on thiazolidinedione.(Metabolic Disorders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Women gain more weight on thiazolidinedione therapy than do men, Amy Toscano-Zukor, D.O., and Xiangbing Wang, M.D., reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Weight...

Subclinical hypothyroidism linked to heart failure.(Metabolic Disorder)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Elderly adults with subclinical hypothyroidism and a thyroid stimulating hormone level at or above 7 mIU/L are at increased risk for heart failure, Nicolas Rodondi, M.D., reported at a conference on cardiovascular disease...

Resistance increasing to standard UTI treatment.(Infectious Diseases)(urinary tract infections )
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The prevalence of urinary tract infections in women resistant to standard treatment has been increasing, but there are indications that the increase has begun to level off, Patricia D. Brown, M.D., said at an update on sexually...

Shorter antibiotic course for childhood UTI possible.(Infectious Diseases)(urinary tract infections )
July 1, 2005... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- The treatment and diagnosis of urinary tract infections in young children are undergoing dramatic changes, Aaron L. Friedman, M.D., said at a pediatric update sponsored by Phoenix Children's Hospital. Urinary tract...

Green tea ointment may clear genital warts.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... ST. LOUIS -- An investigational ointment containing extract of green tea successfully clears genital warts in about 60% of patients, Karl Beutner, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. The ointment,...

Only 10% of teens retested after chlamydia treatment.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Physicians mostly fail to follow up with adolescent patients they treat for a chlamydia infection, as recommendations state they should, according to a study conducted with the records from five Northern California pediatric...

High-dose valacyclovir reduced shedding of oral herpes virus.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Treatment with once-daily, high-dose valacyclovir significantly decreases the duration and quantity of oral herpes simplex virus-1 shedding associated with recurrent herpes labialis, according to data from a randomized study. ...

Multidrug-resistant TB persists among immigrants.(Infectious Diseases)(tuberculosis)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Cases of multidrug resistance in immigrant populations in the United States and links to the AIDS epidemic in Africa are attracting the attention of researchers. "There is an erroneous assumption that tuberculosis has been...

Computer keyboards act as bacteria reservoir.(Infectious Diseases)
July 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- Computer keyboards and keyboard covers harbored vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus for more than 24 hours, during which time the bacteria easily spread to bare, and in some...

Sunlight and vitamin D controversy heats up: endocrinologist author argues exposure promotes vitamin D production, reduces melanoma risk.(Skin Disorders)
July 1, 2005... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Physicians, get ready. This summer, patients are likely to ask whether they should be spending more time in the sun, Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., warned attendees at a clinical dermatology conference sponsored by Medicis. He...

Sunless tanning cuts tanning bed use.(Skin Disorders)
July 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Sunless tanning preparations are linked with a decrease in the use of tanning beds and a slight increase in the use of sunscreens, Daniel Sheehan, M.D., said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy...

Genders use different techniques to avoid sun.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Most adults say that they always or nearly always use at least one method of preventing overexposure to the sun, according to a convenience sample of 1,269 adults aged 18-39 years riving in Maryland in 2004. The most common...

De novo nodular nevi pose melanoma risk in kids.(Skin Disorders)
July 1, 2005... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Although childhood malignant melanomas are rare, physicians must keep an eye out for them, Ronald C. Hansen, M.D., said at a pediatric update sponsored by Phoenix Children's Hospital. About 2% of all melanomas appear...

Derm DX.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A 29-year-old black man whose history included gallstones a recurrent left leg ulcer presented with acute chest pain, fever, dyspnea, and a new and painful ulcer on his left leg. He was not a smoker and didn't drink alcohol. What's your...

New drug slows cell destruction in sickle cell.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- A new drug helps slow accelerated red blood cell destruction that is a characteristic feature of sickle cell disease, Kenneth I. Ataga, M.D., reported at a press briefing during the annual meeting of the American Society of...

Bupropion not as effective outside of clinical trials.(Mental Health)
July 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Low-income smokers prescribed bupropion in primary care settings are less successful with smoking cessation than participants in controlled trials, according to a study presented at the annual conference of the Society of...

Selective nicotinic receptor partial agonist may be cessation advance.(Mental Health)(varenicline)
July 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Varenicline, a first-of-its-kind selective nicotinic receptor partial agonist, has racked up unprecedented smoking-cessation success rates in a pair of phase II clinical trials, Cheryl A. Oncken, M.D., reported at the annual...

Comorbid conditions need integrated treatment.(Mental Health)
July 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Comorbid eating disorders and substance abuse are intertwined behaviorally and biologically, so the treatment of both problems must be an integrated effort, Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D., said at an international conference sponsored by...

Genetic tests could improve future drug abuse treatment.(Mental Health)
July 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Simple genetic tests aimed at predicting the risk of drug addiction are still a long way off. But the genomics revolution is slowly changing the way physicians look at their patients and the disorders they treat. Wade...

Oral contraceptive builds bones in anorexic teens.(Mental Health)
July 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- The oral contraceptive Ortho Tri-Cyclen may help teenaged girls with anorexia nervosa build bone mass as a defense against osteoporosis later in life. Compared with placebo, it produced significantly greater increases in...

Parents enlisted to fight teens' eating disorders: skills-training program gives families the tools and the support they need to address behavior at home.(Mental Health)
July 1, 2005... A new group skills-training program is exploring the vital role of parents as part of the treatment team for adolescents with eating disorders. "Most families have neither the skills nor the support to address eating disorders at home,"...

Dieting study has identified four eating-disorder factors in girls.(Mental Health)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HONOLULU -- Four factors can help distinguish a girl who has an eating disorder from one who simply diets, Catherine M. Shisslak, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. More than 50% of adolescent gifts...

Some oral contraceptive side effects irreversible.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The hypoandrogenic effects of oral contraceptives may not be completely reversible after discontinuation of their use, Claudia Panzer, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists....

New drospirenone OC provides effective premenstrual relief.(Women's Health)(oral contraceptive)
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A new drospirenone-based oral contraceptive awaiting approval by the Food and Drug Administration is effective in relieving premenstrual symptoms because it is given in a low dose and for an extended regimen, according to new...

St. John's Wort does not mitigate antiandrogenic effects of OCs.(Women's Health)(oral contraceptives)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... LOS ANGELES -- St. John's wort does not appear to interfere with the antiandrogenic effects of oral contraceptive pills, Robin Fogle, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation. She reported that...

Contraceptive methods used by women aged 15-44 years.(DATA WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... DATA WATCH Contraceptive Methods Used by Women Aged 15-44 Years Male sterilization,9.2% Withdrawal/periodic abstinence/other, 6.5% 3-Month injectable, 5.3% IUD/diaphragm, 2.3% Implant/Lunelle/patch, 1.2% Pill, 30.6% Female...

Bone loss recoverable after stopping DMPA.(Women's Health)(depot medroxy-progesterone acetate )
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- The bone loss associated with injectable depot medroxy-progesterone acetate can be partially recovered within a few years of the patient's discontinuation, Andrew M. Kaunitz, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American...

Essure approved with two ablation techniques.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- The Essure sterilization procedure can be used in combination with two methods of endometrial ablation, according to studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists. The...

ACOG criticized for restricting rural VBACs.(Women's Health)(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists )(vaginal births after cesarean delivery )
July 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Neonatal and maternal mortality in California did not significantly change after the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that vaginal births be attempted after cesarean delivery only in settings with...

MDs need brush up on parturient resuscitation.(Women's Health)
July 1, 2005... PALM DESERT, CALF. -- Obstetricians, emergency physicians, and anesthesiologists may suffer significant knowledge gaps when it comes to resuscitation of women in labor, suggest survey results presented in poster form at the annual meeting of...

Aneuploidy risk assessed.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Women who have had three spontaneous abortions before a current pregnancy have almost a 50% higher risk of carrying a fetus with aneuploidy than those who've never had a miscarriage, according to a large review of women who had undergone...

Essure safe for at least 5 years.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Hysteroscopic sterilization with Essure microinserts appears safe and effective for at least 5 years after the procedure, according to a poster presented by John E Kerin, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and...

NuvaRing has low expulsion rate.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... In a year's experience with the NuvaRing contraceptive, only 2.3% of women had an expulsion of the device, according to the pooled results of four large, phase III clinical trials, Marc Kaptein, M.D., and Edio Zampaglione, M.D., reported in a...

Surgery for brachial plexus injuries.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Surgery is the best option for treatment in children with global brachial plexus birth palsies, according to one study. Final shoulder function in 36 infants with such injuries who underwent surgery was fair in 22% of patients, satisfactory...

Graphesthesia test may ID early Alzheimer's.(Geriatric Medicine)
July 1, 2005... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Impaired graphesthesia, a prevalent finding among patients with mild cognitive impairment, may be an early sign when considered with memory loss that a patient has preclinical Alzheimer's disease, according to a study. ...

Low plasma n-3 fatty acids associated with dementia.(Geriatric Medicine)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Higher intake of n-3 fatty acids may protect against cognitive impairment, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. In a study of almost 1,000 people aged 65 years and older,...

Smoking, estrogen therapy combo increase risk for Alzheimer's disease.(Geriatric Medicine)
July 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- The risk of Alzheimer's disease declines by almost half among postmenopausal nonsmokers who use estrogen therapy, but nearly doubles among those who both smoke and use estrogen therapy, Rosebud O. Roberts, M.B., said in a poster...

Alzheimer's disease.(DRUG UPDATE)
July 1, 2005... Five drugs are approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, but none provides a cure. Four of the five drugs are cholinesterase inhibitors, which enhance cholinergic neurotransmission and may benefit patients with mild to moderate disease....

New surgeries emerging for fecal incontinence.(Geriatric Medicine)
July 1, 2005... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Anterior overlapping sphincter repair is commonly performed in patients with fecal incontinence secondary to an anterior defect in the sphincter complex, but long-term outcomes are questionable. In the short term,...

Geriatric syndrome may affect QOL, compliance.(Geriatric Medicine)
July 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Screening for the four common problems of old age that constitute geriatric syndrome--cognitive loss, falls, incontinence, and depression--offers a holistic way to meet the needs of elderly patients, William J. Hall, M.D., said...

Lens implants may improve post-cataract surgery focus.(Geriatric Medicine)
July 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- A foldable, pseudoaccommodative intraocular lens being tested in Europe shows promise of freeing most users from the need to wear glasses after removal of their cataracts, Thomas Kohnen, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the...

Calcium, vitamin D supplements didn't lower elders' fracture risk.(Geriatric Medicine)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Calcium and vitamin D supplements do not appear to reduce the risk of fractures among older, community-dwelling women, according to David J. Torgerson, Ph.D., of the University of York (England), and his colleagues. Although...

Medicare vertebroplasty coverage: no time soon: an advisory panel listened to a day of mostly favorable testimony on vertebral augmentation.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
July 1, 2005... BALTIMORE -- Although some local carriers already cover vertebral augmentation through vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services does not intend to consider a national coverage policy for the procedures,...

Surgeons wax skeptical on mobile-bearing knee implants.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Mobile-bearing knee implants are hyped in advertisements and demanded by patients, but the jury is still out on whether the devices deliver what's promised. During a panel discussion on "controversial issues and hot topics"...

Don't neglect vitamin D levels in osteoporosis Tx.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Vitamin D levels are inadequate in up to half of postmenopausal women who receive treatment for osteoporosis, Ethel Sifts, M.D., reported at an international symposium sponsored by the National Osteoporosis Foundation. ...

Calcium-poor diets common in rich women.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... INDIAN WELLS, CALIF. -- Educated women of high socioeconomic status do not appear to get enough daffy calcium, Andrea Stein, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society. In a survey of 180 middle-aged patients...

Antimalarials may have survival benefit in SLE.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(systemic lupus erythematosus)
July 1, 2005... LONDON -- The list of reasons for treating patients who have lupus with antimalarial drugs now includes long-term survival benefits, according to a Spanish cohort study. Antimalarials have proved beneficial for several aspects of systemic...

Annual CV risk evaluation a must in lupus patients.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(cardiovascular)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... LONDON -- Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus should be evaluated on an annual basis for cardiovascular risk until such time as specific recommendations are formulated, Heiko Schotte, M.D., said at the Sixth European Lupus Meeting. ...

Relieving pain due to whiplash.(Exercise Rx)
July 1, 2005... Whiplash, an acute condition often associated with car accidents in which one car hits another from behind, also can occur as a result of a collision on a football or soccer field if someone is hit hard from behind by a fellow player. The...

Dopamine antagonists effective for migraine.(Clinical Rounds)(droperidol)
July 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- Dopamine antagonists appear quite effective in the treatment of acute migraine and are especially useful in the emergency department, John E Rothrock, M.D., said at a symposium sponsored by the American Headache Society. "I...

Somatization scores predict success of headache therapy.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2005... BOSTON -- A test measuring somatization can predict which patients with chronic headaches will benefit from outpatient care and which ones won't--and will instead require intensive inpatient therapy, according to a new study. The next step...

Migraines may develop in one in three patients with allergic rhinitis.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SAN ANTONIO -- More than 33% of patients with allergic rhinitis experience migraine headaches, compared with 3.5% of people without allergic rhinitis, according to a study by investigators in New York City. The findings highlight a...

New drug puts brakes on premature ejaculation.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2005... SAN ANTONIO -- Dapoxetine, a rapidly acting serotonin transporter inhibitor, significantly improves premature ejaculation, Jon L. Pryor, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association. At the 30-mg dose, the...

'Normal' testosterone values found to vary immensely among labs.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2005... SAN ANTONIO -- A survey of academic and community medical centers has revealed enormous variability in testosterone reference values, complicating the diagnosis of hypogonadism, Stephen Lazarou, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the...

Testosterone often low among older men seen in primary care.(Clinical Rounds)
July 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- More than one-third of men aged 45 years and older seen in primary care settings have hypogonadism, Sherwyn Schwartz, M.D., said in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. ...