Family Practice News articles from March 2005

Family Practice News archives from March 2005

Mobile screening gains acceptance.
March 1, 2005... Scan in a van? From a country club in Austin, Tex., to an evangelical church in Porterville, Calif., to the community hall in Rutherfordton, N.C., people are lining up to be screened for their stroke risk, and maybe even to have their bone...

Vital signs.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2005... VITAL SIGNS Many Americans Don't Want to Pay More for Genetically Personalized Health Care Are you willing to be Would you pay more for genetically tested? genetically personalized care? No...

Groups call for 'uncompromising' diabetes care: get them to target and keep them there.
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Diabetes must be managed with an "uncompromising insistence to treat to target," according to new guidelines issued by the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. The...

Seniors look to doctors for Medicare drug info.
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Older patients are choosing their physician over the phone or electronic resources to help them understand the complexities of the new prescription drug law. Many beneficiaries don't understand what the new law does, and many...

Treatment of substance abuse and mental illness should occur together.(News)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is now telling health professionals to expect to see substance use with other mental health disorders and to treat both problems at the same time. The release of...

Avoid valproate in fertile women, expert panel recommends.(News)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Valproate should not be prescribed as first-line therapy for any indication in women of childbearing age because it increases the risk of major malformations in exposed infants, the American Epilepsy Society's pregnancy outcomes...

Rise in obesity surgery prompts look at standards.(News)
March 1, 2005... The rush to offer bariatric surgery to the growing number of obese Americans has resulted in a proliferation of procedures performed, sometimes without the necessary experience to manage those high-risk patients. It's unclear if more...

U.S. infant mortality rate rises for the first time since 1958.(News)
March 1, 2005... The U.S. infant mortality rate rose in 2002, the first such increase since 1958, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The increase, from 6.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2001 to 7 deaths per...

Collaborating to serve.(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Cultural rhetoric paints doctors and lawyers as natural enemies. In reality, both share a fundamental mission: to use specialized knowledge of systems to help people. Efforts to join the two professions in the pursuit of a common cause can thus...

Should red and processed meats be removed from U.S. dietary guidelines?(Pro & Con)
March 1, 2005... [YES] The study by Ann Chao, Ph.D., et al. that recently appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association showing that red and processed meat consumption greatly increases one's risk of colon cancer is but one example of the problems...

Chronic fatigue in adolescents.(Guest Editorial)
March 1, 2005... For adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome, one of the most important factors in their successful treatment and recovery is the early recognition of the illness and the support of a caring primary care physician. Chronic fatigue syndrome...

Pulmonary artery catheterization not useful.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Routine use of an indwelling pulmonary artery catheter to guide medical therapy in patients hospitalized for &compensated heart failure can no longer be justified, according to the findings of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood...

Elevated troponin a red flag in heart failure: high serum levels of the protein can identify patients as high risk, data from the ADHERE registry show.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Patients seen in the emergency department for acute decompensated heart failure fared much worse if they had elevated serum troponin, W. Frank Peacock IV, M.D., said in a poster at the annual meeting of the American College of...

Social factors predict onset of depression in heart failure.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- A brief checklist of social and health factors predicts onset of depressive symptoms in heart failure patients, Edward P. Havranek, M.D., said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. The...

Conivaptan reverses hyponatremia, studies show.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Conivaptan was safe and effective for treating hyponatremia in three phase III studies that together involved about 200 evaluable patients. Based in part on these findings, the Food and Drug Administration issued an...

Chronic methamphetamine use appears to be cardiotoxic.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Chronic use of methamphetamine can lead to nonischemic, dilated cardiomyopathy and profound left-ventricular dysfunction, according to a study of 53 methamphetamine users seen at a single medical center in California. "To...

Low relative lymphocyte count flags cardiomyopathy risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- A depressed relative lymphocyte count was associated with an increased risk of death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a study with 962 patients. The relative lymphocyte count (RLC) is an inexpensive,...

USPSTF: screen older male smokers for AAA.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(United States. Preventive Services Task Force)(abdominal aortic aneurysms )
March 1, 2005... The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that men between the ages of 65 and 75 years, who are or have been smokers, undergo a one-time ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm. The recommendation is based on new...

Bare-metal stents match bypass in 5-year mortality.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... MUNICH -- Percutaneous treatment of coronary stenosis with stents carries the same mortality risk as coronary bypass surgery but a significantly higher rate of later revascularization procedures, based on 5-year follow-up results from a...

Prior oxygen boost may aid post-CABG cognition.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(coronary artery bypass graft )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Spending a few hours in a hyperbaric chamber before undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery markedly reduces post-operative neurocognitive dysfunction, according to the findings of a randomized double-blind trial....

Cardiovascular risks rising in Native Americans.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease is alarmingly high and continues to rise in Native Americans, according to several reports at a prevention conference on heart disease and stroke sponsored by...

Low-molecular-weight heparin may aid acute MI: reviparin improved patient outcomes in thrombolysis with streptokinase or urokinase.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Antithrombotic treatment, in the form of the low-molecular-weight heparin reviparin, has been shown for the first time to safely improve the outcomes of patients with an acute myocardial infarction. "Although heparin is...

Heart attack outcomes called 'dismal' in renal disease patients.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
March 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Mortality is extra-ordinarily high in the year after acute MI in patients with renal failure--and the explanation may lie largely in their strikingly different clinical characteristics as compared with the general MI population....

An on-site diabetes educator may boost patient outcomes.(Metabolic Disorders)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- A "chronic care model" that includes a diabetes educator actually working in the primary care office can ease the burden on the physician and improve outcomes for patients with diabetes, Linda M. Siminerio, Ph.D., said at a...

Better, smaller: the future of continuous monitors.(Metabolic Disorders)(continuous glucose monitoring devices)
March 1, 2005... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Look for next-generation continuous glucose monitoring devices to be more accurate, less obtrusive, and easier for diabetic patients and their families to use, according to H. Peter Chase, M.D. Among the numerous devices...

For type 1 diabetes patients, islet cell transplants are a potential therapy.(Metabolic Disorders)
March 1, 2005... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- Formidable obstacles continue to prevent pancreatic islet transplantation from having a major impact on type 1 diabetes despite the spectacular technical advances of the past 4 years, Ronald G. Gill, Ph.D., said at a...

Mother's pediatric type 2 diabetes affects offspring.(Metabolic Disorders)
March 1, 2005... QUEBEC CITY -- The long-term complications of childhood type 2 diabetes can stretch beyond the patient and into the next generation, according to new data from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. In a cohort of almost 90 children born to...

Size doesn't matter most in thyroid nodule malignancy.(Metabolic Disorders)
March 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- The two most important things to gather from an ultrasound study of thyroid nodules is the solidity and the presence or absence of calcifications, according to one expert. These characteristics, not size, should guide a...

Surgeon volume affects resection in thyroid ca.(Metabolic Disorders)(cancer)
March 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Most thyroid cancer surgery is done by low-volume operators, who are less likely to perform a total thyroidectomy than are high-volume surgeons, Philip I. Haigh, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid...

Increased risk of low BMD in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.(Metabolic Disorders)(bone mineral density)
March 1, 2005... LISBON -- Women who receive long-term glucocorticoid treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency are at risk for decreased bone mineral density, Jeremy A. King, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the...

Pertussis cases show need for adult booster shot.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... Three recent hospital pertussis outbreaks and one infant death from the disease strongly point to the need for improved recognition and protection against transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The cases, from...

Transmission of MRSA traced to breast milk.(Infectious Diseases)(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been transmitted via breast milk, Dawn Terashita Gastelum, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. ...

140 L.A. children hospitalized with MRSA in 6 months.(Infectious Diseases)(methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- A clonal outbreak of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Los Angeles County led to a high rate of hospitalizations among children in 2003, Elizabeth Bancroft, M.D., reported in a poster at the annual...

Resistant TB may spur WHO guideline revision: currently recommended first-line TB treatments may be contributing to drug resistance.(Infectious Diseases)(tuberculosis)
March 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- An effective fight against increasing resistance to tuberculosis treatment worldwide may require rethinking of the World Health Organization's recommended standard treatment regimen, David Olson, M.D., said at the annual meeting...

Many symptoms, long duration: think Lyme disease.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Persistent musculoskeletal pain, headache, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction that occur for no apparent reason over a prolonged period of time are key elements of a clinical diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease in children, results of a...

Hantavirus survivors have long-term pulmonary, renal complications.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- Hantavirus survivors commonly experience fatigue, shortness of breath, and myalgias up to 5 years after infection, according to the final summary of a longitudinal, prospective study. Proteinuria, which may be clinically...

In HIV therapy adherence, almost isn't good enough.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... Being almost compliant with antiretroviral therapy was associated with a sharp increase in the risk that HIV-infected patients would develop resistance to one or more of the drugs, P. Richard Harrigan, Ph.D., reported at an American Medical...

Handheld computers may assist in HIV education.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Educational videos on handheld computers were a hit with patients learning how to start or switch HIV medications, a preliminary study of 50 patients found. Handheld computers, also called personal digital assistants...

Pros and cons to testing for HIV-drug resistance.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- All official guidelines on HIV treatment either make blanket recommendations for drug-resistance testing or at least suggest that the clinician consider such testing depending on the patient's circumstances, Brad Hare, M.D.,...

Metronidazole treats tonsillitis anaerobes.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Metronidazole is effective in the treatment of non-[beta]-hemolytic streptococcal tonsillitis, Itzhak Brook, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy....

Neuropathy case linked to metronidazole.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... SAVANNAPI, GA. -- Brief metronidazole treatment has been associated with a case of reversible autonomic neuropathy in a 15-year-old girl, Lisa Hobson-Webb, M.D., reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Association of...

Strep throat: cephalosporin beat penicillin.(Infectious Diseases)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- A short-course regimen with a cephalosporin was more effective than a 10-day regimen with penicillin for curing strep throat, based on a metaanalysis of 14 studies done in adults and children. A short-course regimen, which...

Therapy for acute bacterial sinusitis.(Drug Update)
March 1, 2005... Acute bacterial sinusitis is usually preceded by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Because experts agree that the indiscriminate use of antibiotics for sinusitis has contributed to the emergence of resistant organisms,...

Recognizing deadly anticonvulsant side effects.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... STOWE, VT. -- "Tell me you have a patient with a rash who also happens to have a seizure disorder [and it's] enough to make me stop what I'm doing and get right over," Dirk M. Elston, M.D., said at a dermatology conference sponsored by the...

Corticosteroids may promote favorable outcome in SJS, TEN.(Skin Disorders)(Stevens-Johnson syndrome)(toxic epidermal necrolysis)
March 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Corticosteroid therapy for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis received a big boost from two observational studies presented at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. Juergen...

Endogenous protein protects skin from E. coli.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Healthy skin secretes an antimicrobial protein called psoriasin that is a potent Escherichia coli-killing compound, Regine Glaser, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. Psoriasin...

Atopic dermatitis more common in very clean home.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- A case-control study conducted in Greece lends support to the theory that a "superclean" environment during infancy and early childhood may predispose children to atopic dermatitis. Penny Emmanouil, M.D., and associates...

5-year survival has improved for invasive melanoma.(Skin Disoders)
March 1, 2005... SANDIEGO -- Over the next 15 years, 5-year survivors of melanoma have a 91.5% chance of having achieved cure, Duane C. Whitaker, M.D., reported at a melanoma update sponsored by the Scripps Clinic. "Stated another way, all comers with an...

Fast and effective: full-body examinations uncover otherwise missed skin lesions.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... KEY BISCAYNE, FLA. -- A full-body examination is a quick and useful tool to screen patients and uncover benign and cancerous lesions that would otherwise remain undetected, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Noah...

The eyes have it: look for periocular melanoma.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Ocular and periocular melanoma will occur in fewer than 2,900 people in the United States in 2005, Geva Mannor, M.D., said at a melanoma update sponsored by the Scripps Clinic. Despite the rare prevalence of these lesions, it's...

Sun protection factor rating is ideal, not actual, protection.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- No matter what sun protection factor sunscreen you recommend, remember that the SPF system has its limitations, Shanna Meads, M.D., advised at a melanoma update sponsored by the Scripps Clinic. For one thing, SPF measures only...

Derm DX.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... A 71-year-old woman presented with expanding necrolytic erythema on her tongue and perineum. Her history was remarkable for eczema, anemia, and painful glossitis during the previous year. She had experienced nausea and vomiting for 6 months and...

Identify, eliminate triggers to reduce hair shedding.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... STOWE, VT. -- Getting to the root of diffuse hair shedding requires uncovering and eliminating or treating the possible triggers, said Wilma E Bergfeld, M.D. "The key to optimal management of shedding, or telogen effluvium, is detective...

Treatment of lice requires specificity.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... STOWE, VT. -- Location, location, location. Where lice live on the body and how they got there are important considerations for optimal diagnosis and therapy, according to Dirk M. Elston, M.D. While much attention is given to the...

Psoriasis responds to intermittent etanercept.(Skin Disorders)
March 1, 2005... KOHALA COAST, HAWAII -- New data suggest that etanercept can be given intermittently like other psoriasis treatments, according to a poster that Alice B. Gottlieb, M.D., presented at a conference on clinical dermatology sponsored by the Center...

Balance SSRI benefits with risks for children.(Mental Health)(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- It is important to balance risks with benefits when considering a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor to treat a child or adolescent, several experts said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent...

Depression does not predict mortality.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... Depressive symptoms are not independent predictors of mortality, according to data from a national sample of 3,617 adults. The findings of previous studies of associations between depressive symptoms and mortality have been inconsistent,...

Genetic defect may raise risk of depression.(Mental Health)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A recently discovered genetic mutation that causes dysfunction in the synthesizing of serotonin might explain why some depressed patients are resistant to drug treatment, researchers say. Xiaodong Zhang, M.D., and colleagues at Duke...

Stalking may be linked to right brain dysfunction.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Some paraphilic stalking behaviors may be associated with right-hemispheric brain dysfunction, Montgomery Brower, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. The brain's right...

Drug abuse in gay men linked to other issues: depression, partner abuse, and childhood sexual abuse are often intertwined with drug abuse.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Substance abuse is pervasive among gay men and is so intricately intertwined with epidemics of depression, partner abuse, and childhood sexual abuse that adequately addressing one issue requires attention to the others as well, said...

Naltrexone depot formulation increases adherence for alcoholism.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- An injectable depot formulation of naltrexone, now in phase III trials, may help overcome the adherence problems that have compromised the drug's efficacy in the treatment of alcohol dependence, Helen M. Pettinati, Ph.D., said at...

Antiseizure drug reduces frequency of binge eating.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... Obese patients with binge-eating disorder treated with topiramate in an open-label study binged significantly less often and lost weight, according to a study by Susan L. McElroy, M.D., and her colleagues. A previous, randomized,...

Question culls child's school problems.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Physicians can screen for academic problems in school-age children by asking parents a simple question, Jeffrey P. Brosco, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Asking...

Checklist finds high rates of child PTSD.(Mental Health)(posttraumatic stress disorder )
March 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Preliminary findings suggest that the Pediatric Symptom Checklist can identify high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder among children, but that results vary depending on whether a child or parent completes the checklist. ...

New schizophrenia algorithm being developed.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- An interactive, online schizophrenia treatment algorithm provides a decision tree complete with graded supporting evidence and special clinical considerations for patients with comorbid or pre-existing conditions, Herbert Meltzer,...

Cochrane review favors vaginal hysterectomy: the vaginal approach meant shorter hospital stays and quicker return to normal activities.(Mental Health)
March 1, 2005... Vaginal rather than abdominal hysterectomy should be performed "whenever technically feasible" to reduce potential complications and to speed hospital discharge and patients' return to normal activities, according to a new review of randomized...

Teen pregnancies may rise with notification laws.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2005... Laws that require parental notification for teens to receive prescription contraception at family planning clinics could increase the risk of teen pregnancy, according to a study by Rachel Jones, Ph.D., and her colleagues. "Family planning...

Monophasic OCs said to ease menstrual migraine.(Women's Health)(oral contraceptives )
March 1, 2005... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Fluctuating hormones are believed to be the key culprit behind menstrual migraines, so low-dose monophasic oral contraceptives are generally the best alternative to help such patients, Christine Lay, M.D., said at a...

Genital atrophy common, rapid after HT stopped.(Women's Health)(hormone therapy)
March 1, 2005... WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.VA. --Within just 6-12 months of discontinuing hormone therapy, more than 96% of postmenopausal women will show altered vaginal pH, a marker for tissue change and its associated genital atrophy, Murray Freedman, M.D.,...

UAE shows some advantage over myomectomy.(Women's Health)(Uterine artery embolization)
March 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Uterine artery embolization appears to have a slight edge over myomectomy in terms of recovery after treatment of uterine fibroids, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. ...

Depot medroxyprogesterone looks safe, helpful for endometriosis pain.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A form of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate is as effective as leuprolide for the treatment of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain, but it's significantly safer and better tolerated, Anthony A. Luciano, M.D., said at the...

Patient satisfaction high with microwave ablation.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A retrospective study involving 6 years of experience with microwave endometrial ablation revealed that almost 87% of 660 women were satisfied with the outcome of the procedure. Overall, 80% of the women avoided...

Fast biopsy is key in pregnant melanoma patients.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Pregnant women who present with changing nevi should not be treated differently from other patients of similar age, Dina R. Massry, M.D., said at a melanoma update sponsored by the Scripps Clinic. "Prompt biopsy is key," said...

Third-trimester nausea may point to acute fatty liver of pregnancy.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Acute fatty liver of pregnancy must be ruled out in any woman who presents in the third trimester with nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, or malaise, Michael F. Fesenmeier, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Central...

IBD relapse not triggered by pregnancy, treatment appears safe.(Women's Health)
March 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Pregnancy does not cause relapse in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, and standard IBD treatments during pregnancy do not increase the risk of adverse fetal outcomes, a prospective case-control study suggests. The...

The state of cervical cancer.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Most U.S. states are falling behind when it comes to cervical cancer screening rates, coverage of routine screening tests in public insurance programs, and legislation on cervical cancer, according to a new report from Women In Government. In...

Nerve block for breast ca surgery.(Clinical Capsules)(cancer)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Paravertebral block for the surgical treatment of breast cancer offers significant quality of life advantages over general anesthesia, according to a prospective randomized trial, Christina Weltz, M.D., said at a breast cancer symposium...

Focus on folic acid.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Women of childbearing age with a family history that puts their potential children at high risk for neural tube defects should supplement their diets with 4 mg of folic acid each day, according to the U.S. surgeon general. But the increased...

Postpartum OCD.(Clinical Capsules)(obsessive-compulsive disorder)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The addition of quetiapine to antidepressant therapy may benefit treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder in women diagnosed with major depression postpartum onset and OCD, said Shaila Misri, M.D., and Lisa Mills, both of St. Paul's...

Gender differences in panic disorder.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Gender differences exist in panic disorder patients with or without agoraphobia in the areas of anxiety symptoms and the personality characteristics of extraversion, with fewer differences seen in other areas, according to Meredith Foot and...

Physiotherapy beats talk therapy for neck pain.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
March 1, 2005... Standard physiotherapy appears more effective than a brief, cognitive behavioral-type intervention for neck pain, although patient preference for the brief intervention can enhance its effectiveness, according to a randomized trial. ...

Most Sjorgen's patients negative for RA antibodies.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(rheumatoid arthritis)
March 1, 2005... Most patients with primary Sjorgen's syndrome test negative for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody and antikeratin antibodies, in contrast to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a new study shows. However, primary Sjorgen's...

Some atypical symptoms should also spark suspicion of Sjorgen's syndrome.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
March 1, 2005... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Sjorgen's syndrome is the second most common autoimmune disorder that affects the musculoskeletal system, and yet the average time to diagnosis is 6 years, said Yvonne Sherrer, M.D., at a meeting sponsored by the...

Lifestyle modifications may reduce dental decay in Sjorgen's patients.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
March 1, 2005... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- The chronic dry mouth that characterizes Sjorgen's syndrome can accelerate dental decay in approximately 70% of patients with the disease, Steven J. Kusnick, D.D.S., said at a meeting sponsored by the Sjorgen's Syndrome...