Family Practice News articles from November 2005

Family Practice News archives from November 2005

Primary care can do syndrome surveillance.
November 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Primary care practices could provide timely illness information as part of a coordinated syndromic surveillance network for detecting emerging infections or bioterrorism, Philip D. Sloane, M.D., said at the annual meeting of...

Drug order shown to be irrelevant for heart failure: [beta]-blocker can be effective when used first.
November 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- A [beta]-blocker and an ACE inhibitor, the two mainstays of heart failure treatment, can be started in either order and be safe and effective, according to results from more than 1,000 patients. Until now, treatment of...

HPV vaccine prevents early cervical cancer.(human papillomavirus )
November 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A multinational study of 11,502 young women showed for the first time that a vaccine for human papillomavirus can prevent precancerous cervical lesions and early in situ cervical cancers, Laura A. Koutsky, Ph.D., reported. ...

Vital signs.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... VITAL SIGNS More Than Half of Patients Discussed Health Information Found Online With Their Physician in the Past Year Never 43% Sometimes 25% Once or twice 18% Always ...

Study results may lead payers to challenge atypical antipsychotic Rx.(News)
November 1, 2005... A landmark study of antipsychotics won't dramatically alter prescribing patterns, but could be used by payers to limit access to more expensive atypical antipsychotics, an expert predicted. State Medicaid programs spend more on...

Atomoxetine given black box warning by FDA.(News)
November 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration's public health advisory on a potential increased risk of suicidal ideation in children and adolescents taking atomoxetine is a cautious move, given the paucity of data. But the data should not be ignored,...

Testosterone may help some post menopause.(News)
November 1, 2005... Postmenopausal women with symptoms of decreased sexual desire may be candidates for testosterone therapy, according to a position statement from the North American Menopause Society. The group did not recommend testosterone without...

AAFP starts push for hard cap on noneconomic damages.(News)
November 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- The best mechanism to hold down increases in medical liability insurance premiums is a hard cap on noneconomic damages of not more than $500,000, according to a report from the American Academy of Family Physicians. ...

Guillain-Barre cases prompt alert on meningococcal shot.(News)
November 1, 2005... Any physician with a patient who develops Guillain-Barre syndrome after receiving the meningococcal conjugate vaccine should report the case to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, according to an alert issued by the Food and Drug...

Adult immunization comes of age.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
November 1, 2005... The era of adult immunization is here. Publication of the adult immunization schedule by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention marks the fourth year in a row that physicians who treat adults get a vaccine chart to post on their walls,...

Is Medicare coverage for ICD implants in patients meeting MADIT-II/SCD-HeFT criteria unaffordable?(Pro & Con)(Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-II )
November 1, 2005... YES The government cannot afford to pay for implantable cardioverter defibrillators in all Medicare patients who meet the criteria established in the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial-II (MADIT-II) and Sudden Cardiac...

Putting patients' interests first.(Letters)
November 1, 2005... The article about concierge medicine raises--albeit tangentially--the age-old question of what to do when the health insurance plan's interests run contrary to the patient's ("Physicians Tailor Their Concierge Care Practices," Sept. 1, 2005,...

Concierge care is better for patients.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... I would like to congratulate Dr. Garrison Bliss on recreating the doctor-patient relationship that third-party payers have degraded ("Physicians Tailor Their Concierge Care Practices," Sept. 1, 2005, p. 84). In my retainer practice, my...

From 'assembly line' to concierge joy.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... I converted to a "concierge" practice with the aid of MDVIP just over a year ago, and it was the best move I ever made ("Physicians Tailor Their Concierge Care Practices," Sept. 1, 2005, p. 84, and "Legal Risk Seen With Some Retainer-Fee Model...

Parity is good, but not enough.(Letters)
November 1, 2005... I was both heartened and disappointed by the recent article about the effort by many organizations to push for mental health parity--as well as other issues ("Groups Join Forces in Fight for Mental Health Reform," September 2005, p. 1). In...

Addition of C-reactive protein levels to Framingham proposed.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- The predictive value of the Framingham risk score could change substantially if serum C-reactive protein levels were included in the calculation. An analysis of data collected on more than 15,000 women in the Women's Health...

Teen hypertension often seen but not addressed.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Physicians may be failing to address abnormal blood pressure levels among adolescents, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The study analyzed blood pressure...

New scan gives rapid diagnosis of chest pain: a single 15-second scan may replace a battery of tests for serious conditions in emergency situations.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Chest pain represents one of the most common presenting symptoms in an emergent situation, and it also represents a diagnostic challenge: Is it a pulmonary embolism? Is it an aortic dissection? Is it coronary artery disease? Or...

Device may improve outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The traditional "code blue" strategy of handling in-hospital cardiac arrests has remained essentially unchanged for about 30 years, a period during which--in sharp contrast--massive resources have been devoted to improving...

Stent patients need to take their aspirin daily.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- Less than 1% of patients who receive a drug-eluting coronary stent develop late stent thrombosis during the first 1.5 years after implantation, on the basis of a study in more than 2,000 patients. While these and earlier...

Fondaparinux betters enoxaparin in acute coronary syndrome.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
November 1, 2005... STOCKHOLM -- The antithrombotic agent fondaparinux provided similar short-term efficacy compared with enoxaparin, but dramatically greater safety and superior long-term outcomes in the largest-ever clinical trial involving patients with acute...

New drugs aim to raise HDL in short, long term.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(High density lipoprotein cholesterol)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Although drug treatments that raise serum levels of HDL cholesterol are already available, several potentially better, more targeted treatments are moving through the development pipeline, H. Bryan Brewer Jr., M.D., said at an...

Pandemic influenza? Physicians calmly prepare: for now, doctors can just watch and wait. In fact, the only panic that's occurring is among the media.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2005... Warnings of a potential avian influenza pandemic have the nation and medical community on--alert but those who would be on the front lines appear to be taking the threat in stride. "Everyone I know is fatalistic about it. Everyone knows...

Most measles cases in 2001-2004 were preventable.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2005... More than half of all the measles cases reported among United States residents during 2001-2004 were preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although endemic measles has been eliminated from the United...

Prevnar: invasive pneumococcal disease at bay.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Routine use of seven-valent pneumooccal conjugate vaccine in young children has dramatically reduced the incidence of vaccine-type and overall invasive pneumococcal disease in children and adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

HSV-2 shedding upped by some contraceptives: genital tract shedding of the virus was not associated with vaginal intercourse, new partner, or douching.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2005... Bacterial vaginosis, high-density group B streptococcus colonization, and the use of hormonal contraceptives each is independently associated with an increased risk of genital tract shedding of herpes simplex virus type 2, Thomas L. Cherpes,...

Valacyclovir cheapest way to prevent neonatal herpes.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Oral valacyclovir was the most economically favorable treatment choice for the prevention of intrapartum herpes transmission in a recent analysis. The clinical outcomes and costs of the three strategies, including oral...

Valacyclovir proves safe for the long-term suppression of HSV-2.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2005... CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Once-daily treatment with valacydovir for the suppression of genital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus type-2 was well-tolerated for up to 20 months in a recent study. Previously, data were available only for up to...

Death rates for diabetic ketoacidosis decline overall.(Metabolic Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Deaths from diabetic ketoacidosis among adults in the United States decreased by one-third between 1984 and 2002, Jing Wang and her associates reported in a poster at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes...

One-quarter of diabetic children present with DKA.(Metabolic Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- One-fourth of children with diabetes present with ketoacidosis at onset, and a majority are hospitalized, Arleta B. Rowers, M.D., reported at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Younger and...

ARBs improve endothelial function, findings show: for patients with impaired glucose intolerance, angiotensin II receptor-1 blockade helps significantly.(Metabolic Disorders)(ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers)
November 1, 2005... TORONTO -- Endothelial function improves significantly with angiotensin II receptor-1 blockade in patients with impaired glucose tolerance, and quickly reverts to baseline after discontinuation of therapy, Thomas H. Schindler, M.D., reported at...

Better glucose control in those who know [A.sub.1c] goal.(Metabolic Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Nearly half of adult patients who received care at a municipal hospital diabetes clinic did not recognize the term [A.sub.1c], and fewer than one-quarter knew what their hemoglobin Axe level should be, Mary K. Rhee, M.D., reported...

Glycemic control unchanged despite changes in Tx strategies.(Metabolic Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Despite a rise in the number of treatment regimens for adults with type 2 diabetes during the 1990s, national surveys showed no improvement in the number of adults who achieved glycemic control, Tao Fan reported in a poster session...

Very-low-carb diet curbed metabolic syndrome.(Metabolic Disorders)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- A very-low-carbohydrate diet was effective at raising serum levels of HDL cholesterol, lowering triglyceride levels, and producing weight loss in overweight patients with metabolic syndrome in a controlled study with 27 patients....

Studies finally link tanning beds to melanoma.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Two new studies presented at the Sixth World Congress on Melanoma have linked tanning bed use and melanoma. "The year 2005 sees the first real, indisputable evidence that tanning bed use contributes to melanoma risk,"...

Extending higher dosage of etanercept found safe: some prescribers may keep patients on a regimen in order to maintain insurance coverage of the drug.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Maintaining patients with moderate to severe psoriasis on a higher than recommended dose of etanercept is safe, according to new long-term multicenter phase III data. Although the recommended dosing in the United States is for 3...

Biologic therapies tackle palmoplantar pustulosis.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Evidence is mounting that biologic therapies such as alefacept and efallzumab can successfully treat palmoplantar pustular psoriasis. Preliminary data from a pilot study of 15 patients at two sites showed a 16-week course of...

Prescribers fume over new isotretinoin program.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- Who's responsible for iPLEDGE, the new, highly restrictive, mandatory registry for isotretinoin prescriptions? A Vioxx-jittery Food and Drug Administration, noncompliant pharmacists, the American Academy of...

Shrink-wrapped lice may have met their match.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- A suffocation-based pediculicide developed by a dermatologist in his office may offer hope for regaining control over head lice, the bane of elementary school morns and the physicians they hound for a cure. That...

Combing beats insecticides for lice, study shows.(Skin Disorders)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Combing wet hair with conditioner and a free-tooth comb is four times more effective at curing pediculosis than water-based, over-the-counter pediculicide shampoos, Nigel Hill, Ph.D., and colleagues reported. The study contradicts others...

Head lice.(Drug Update)
November 1, 2005... Infestation with head lice is primarily a problem among healthy school-age children. However, adults can occasionally become infested with--and require treatment for--lice that their children bring home. Lice usually spread by person-to-person...

Patch test series may miss cosmetic allergens.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... HERSHEY, PA. -- Patch testing with personal cosmetic products or topical prescriptions may identify allergens that are not found on common series in patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis to cosmetics, Erin M. Warshaw, M.D., said...

Clinical pearls for diagnosing, treating dermatitis.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... BLAINE, WASH. -- Skin disorders such as dermatitis can be vexing to parents and children alike, often out of proportion to their seriousness, Marvin J. Scotvold, M.D., said at a conference sponsored by the North Pacific Pediatric Society. ...

Adult ADHD prescriptions doubled in 4 years.(Skin Disorders)
November 1, 2005... The number of young adults, aged 20-44 years, receiving prescriptions for adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has more than doubled in just 4 years, according to an analysis by Medco Health Solutions Inc. And the increase in...

Birth defect risk leads to Paxil label change.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... New data linking paroxetine use during the first trimester of pregnancy with increased risk of major congenital malformations has prompted changes to the drug's label. Preliminary results of a retrospective epidemiologic study sponsored by...

Zoloft was the leading SSRI/SNRI in 2004.(DATA WATCH)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Zoloft Was the Leading SSRI/SNRI in 2004 All Others 16% Paxil CR 8% Celexa 9% Lexapro 16% Zoloft 28% Effexor XR 23% Note: Based on share of total wholesale purchases for selective serotonin...

Reviewing the safety of SSRIs.(Drugs, Pregnancy, And Lactation)
November 1, 2005... Over the past few years, several published studies have addressed the reproductive safety of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Recent studies have focused on the risk for neonatal discontinuation syndrome or symptoms of perinatal...

Screen helps detect global developmental delay: child-development professionals advocate an in-depth process called developmental surveillance.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... BLAINE, WASH. -- Pediatricians and family physicians need to be alert for the signs of global developmental delay in young children. And when these signs are found they must be carefully followed up, Forrest C. Bennett, M.D., said at a...

Home visits fail to identify childhood language delays.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... A home visit program designed to identify early childhood language delays not only failed to spot most delayed children, but also failed to refer the vast majority of identified children for further evaluation or intervention. The results...

E-mail therapy effectively treats eating disorders.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Psychotherapy for eating disorders can be delivered effectively by e-mail and can reach a segment of the population that might otherwise decline treatment, Paul Robinson, M.D., said at an international conference sponsored by the...

Expert sees possible link between strep, anorexia: rarely, group A [beta]-hemolytic streptococcal infection can lead to sudden onset of psychiatric symptoms.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Streptococcal pharyngitis may be a very occasional trigger for anorexia nervosa and other neuropsychiatric conditions and should be investigated in patients with sudden onset of psychiatric symptoms, Mae S. Sokol, M.D., said at an...

Depression common in eating disorders, complicates Tx.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... BALTIMORE -- Depression frequently co-occurs with eating disorders, making treatment challenging, Graham W. Redgrave, M.D., said at a symposium on mood disorders sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. "There are high rates of concurrent...

Refeeding syndrome risk hard to predict with eating disorders.(Mental Health)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Refeeding syndrome is a potential problem for all eating-disordered patients who are reintroducing fluids and food, but it is difficult to predict which patients are at greatest risk, Ovidio Bermudez, M.D., said at an international...

Vaginal delivery linked to high incontinence risk: odds of pelvic floor disorders are increased nearly twofold, compared with cesarean delivery, nulliparity.(Women's Health)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Vaginal delivery is associated with a near twofold increased odds of pelvic floor disorders, compared with cesarean delivery and nulliparity, according to results of a large epidemiologic study. "This study finally gives us...

Postpartum endoanal scan helps project incontinence risk.(Women's Health)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Endoanal ultrasound performed immediately postpartum can identify clinically occult anal sphincter defects, which are linked to an increased risk of anal incontinence, according to a British study. "This technology can improve...

Botox shots may help with resistant incontinence.(Women's Health)
November 1, 2005... ATLANTA -- Botox may be the answer for women with detrusor overactivity incontinence who have failed to respond to conservative therapy. A cystoscopic technique that uses intradetrusor injections of botulinum toxin A injections to decrease...

Make discussing exercise in pregnancy a priority: ample evidence shows that regular, moderate exercise in healthy pregnancies has no adverse effects.(Women's Health)
November 1, 2005... Although exercise is promoted to the general population for its well-recognized benefits, it is still not adequately accepted or recommended during pregnancy, according to Raul Artal, M.D., professor and chair of obstetrics, gynecology, and...

Gastric bypass cuts cardiac risk in morbidly obese: both traditional and emerging biochemical markers improved after surgery, compared with preop values.(Obesity)
November 1, 2005... ORLANDO -- The clinical benefits of gastric bypass surgery go beyond weight loss and include lowering the risk of coronary artery disease, according to the results of a study presented by D. Brandon Williams, M.D., at the annual meeting of the...

Look beyond BMI in gauging cardiovascular risk for obese.(Obesity)
November 1, 2005... ORLANDO -- Body mass index alone is not a good indicator of cardiovascular risk in the morbidly obese and should be supplemented with body habitus measures for screening bariatric surgery candidates, Edward H. Livingston, M.D., said at the...

Teen girls' activity levels drop.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A steep decrease in activity levels among teen girls as they age has led to increases in body mass index and adiposity, particularly in black girls, reported Sue Y.S. Kimm, M.D., of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Dr. Kimm and...

Binge eating disorder.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Guided self-help cognitive-behavioral therapy was associated with a significantly higher remission rate for binge eating disorder than was guided self-help behavioral weight loss treatment, but weight loss was minimal among both groups,...

Managing gastrogastric fistulas.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Gastrogastric fistulas are a rare but serious complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, often marked by unresponsive marginal ulcers, failure of weight loss, nausea, and/or vomiting, reported Lester Carrodeguas, M.D., and his associates at the...

Antipsychotic-related weight gain.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A behavioral weight control program was associated with modest improvements in obese patients taking antipsychotic medications, but longer and more robust interventions are necessary, reported Melissa A. Kalarchian, Ph.D., of the University of...

Payment system thwarts efforts to treat obesity: many physicians try to get counseling paid for by coding for a related comorbidity, such as diabetes.(Obesity)
November 1, 2005... With the obesity epidemic growing, physicians are facing a payment system that hasn't caught up. Although coverage varies by payer, most Medicare carriers do not pay for office visits coded only for obesity and the same is true for most...

Less than half of overweight youth are diagnosed by doctor.(Obesity)
November 1, 2005... Less than half of overweight children in the United States are told that they are overweight by their physicians, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The percentage of children and teens aged 6-19 years who are...

TV watching is linked to overweight around the world.(Obesity)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Watching television may be a bigger culprit in the risk of youth in the industrialized world being overweight than candy and chocolate, according to Ian Janssen, Ph.D., of Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. In a self-reported...

Calcium, vitamin D link to fractures questioned.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Recent data challenge the assumption that sufficient levels of calcium and vitamin D are fundamental in preventing and treating osteoporotic fracture, Eric S. Orwoll, M.D., said at a meeting on osteoporosis sponsored by the...

Dietary supplements had no impact on preventing second fractures, study shows.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
November 1, 2005... Routine dietary supplementation with oral calcium and vitamin D3, either alone or in combination, had no impact on reducing the incidence of low-trauma secondary fractures in patients aged 70 years and older, a large randomized trial...

Osteoporosis specialists vary in diagnosis, Tx.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
November 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Endocrinologists and rheumatologists are the most aggressive specialists when it comes to the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis, Tiffany Karas, M.D., and her associates reported in a poster at the annual meeting...

Balloon kyphoplasty may aid vertebral fractures.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
November 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Balloon kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fractures proved to be a safe and markedly more effective alternative to conservative management in a prospective 12-month comparative study, Arnd Lienert, M.D., Ph.D., said at the annual...

Rehabilitating a pulled hamstring.(Exercise Rx)
November 1, 2005... In general, the hamstrings are so well-trained that they can take a lot of stress. However, hamstring pulls can occur when people are unprepared for sports that involve a lot of stopping and starting, such as basketball or tennis, or during...

Back pain avoided 30 months after teriparatide.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)
November 1, 2005... VIENNA -- The risk of developing new-onset back pain is markedly decreased during and for at least 30 months after stopping teriparatide (Forteo) for the treatment of osteoporosis, Jean-Yves Reginster, M.D., Ph.D., reported at the annual...

Low back pain stays with single steroid dose.(Musculoskeletal Disorders)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- A single intramuscular injection of methylprednisolone failed to relieve idiopathic, nontraumatic, low back pain any better than a placebo in a small, double-blind, randomized trial. Corticosteroids previously had not been...

Treatment falling short for many GERD patients.(Digestive Disorders)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms are poorly controlled across North America and Europe, and people with nocturnal symptoms represent the largest treatment gap, according to two different industry-sponsored studies presented in a...

Treatment of GERD can benefit asthma patients.(Digestive Disorders)
November 1, 2005... MONTREAL -- Asthma patients who have comorbid gastroesophageal reflux disease are able to improve their lung function by treating their acid reflux, Stephen K. Field, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the 13th World Congress of...

Remicade.(New & Approved)
November 1, 2005... (infliximab, Centocor, Johnson & Johnson) A tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] (TNF-[alpha]) blocking agent for reducing signs and symptoms, achieving clinical remission and mucosal healing, and eliminating steroid use in patients with...

Xact carotid stent.(New & Approved)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... (Abbott Laboratories) A carotid stent system approved for use with an embolic protection system, for patients with carotid artery disease who are at high risk for carotid endarterectomy and who meet certain criteria. The second carotid...

Better prophylaxis against upper GI bleeding needed post stenting.(Digestive Disorders)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Patients with coronory artery stents may not be getting the protection they need against the risk of upper GI bleeding due to antiplatelet therapy, according to a poster presented at the annual Digestive Disease Week. In a chart...

Strategy evolves for improving liver allocation.(Digestive Disorders)
November 1, 2005... SEATTLE -- The introduction of "MELD/PELD" 3 years ago was a start, but the liver allocation system is continually undergoing adjustments and refinements in an effort to improve outcomes, said Michael R. Lucey, M.D., at the annual meeting of...

Hepatic encephalopathy treatments remain unproven.(Digestive Disorders)
November 1, 2005... CAMBRIDGE, MD. -- Two existing medications--an antibiotic and a hypoglycemic agent--may add some strength to the poorly outfitted armamentarium for hepatic encephalopathy, Steve Solga, M.D., said at a hepatobiliary update sponsored by Johns...

Treatment options underutilized in hepatocellular carcinoma.(Digestive Disorders)
November 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Only 13% of U.S. patients who are diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma receive potentially curative therapy, Hashem B. El-Serag, M.D., said at the annual Digestive Disease Week. Moreover, only one-third of those patients with...

Spouses bear caregiving burden for MCI patients.(Geriatric Medicine)
November 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Spouses of men and women with mild cognitive impairment are assuming the role of caregiver and are experiencing the caregiver burden associated with the role, Linda Garand, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American...

Psychiatric disorders may be undiagnosed in elderly.(Geriatric Medicine)
November 1, 2005... A common perception, based on relatively few published studies, is that most psychiatric disorders other than depression occur much less frequently among the elderly. Community samples, however, suggest that many older adults who experience...

Fears, misconceptions spur elders' reluctance to use antidepressants.(Geriatric Medicine)
November 1, 2005... NEW ORLEANS -- Fears and misconceptions about antidepressant medications contribute to older adults" reluctance to use pharmacologic treatment for depression, a qualitative study has shown. "Depression is highly prevalent but undertreated...