Neurology Alert articles from December 2004

Neurology Alert archives from December 2004

The changing face of bacterial meningitis.(Abstracts & Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Synopsis: The mortality associated with bacterial meningitis remains high, and the strongest risk factors for an unfavorable outcome are those that are indicative of systemic compromise, a low level of consciousness, and infection with S....

Carotid artery plaque: symptoms and percent stenosis are only part of the story.(Abstracts & Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Synopsis: These results demonstrate a major role of carotid thrombosis and inflammation in ischemic stroke in patients affected by carotid atherosclerotic disease. Source: Spagnoli LG, et al. Extracranial Thrombotically Active Carotid...

Atherothrombosis and atrial fibrillation: mixing treatments to match pathophysiology.(Abstracts & Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Synopsis: Current clinical trial evidence favors the use of aspirin or clopidogrel as first-line agents for the majority of patients with vascular disease. Sources: Tran H, et al. Oral Antiplatelet Therapy in Cerebrovascular Disease,...

Porphyria, neurology, and neuropathy.(Abstracts & Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Synopsis: The severity of the neuropathy and the availability of potential treatments, including avoidance of provocative factors, make identification important. Source: Albers JW, et al. Porphyric Neuropathy. Muscle Nerve....

Sudden-onset sleep in Parkinson's disease: who is at risk?(Abstracts & Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Synopsis: SOS, in part, can be attributed to PD-specific pathology because disease duration and subjective disease severity have been shown to be predictors of SOS. Sources: Korner, Y et al. Predictors of Sudden Onset of Sleep in...

Chronic immune sensory polyradiculopathy: a possibly treatable sensory ataxia.(Abstracts & Commentary)
December 1, 2004... Synopsis: This condition preferentially affects large myelinated fibers of the posterior roots, may respond favorably to treatment, and may be a restricted form of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Source:...

CME questions.
December 1, 2004... 17. In a TIA or stroke patient without AF, first-line treatment is: a. Warfarin and an antiplatelet agent b. ASA and extended release dipyridamole c. ASA and clopridogrel d. ASA or clopridogrel e. Ticlopidine. 18. The...

ACE inhibitors and receptor blockers: which is inferior?
December 1, 2004... The first head-to-head comparison study of an CE inhibitor and an angiotensin receptor blocker, to assess renoprotective effects in type 2 diabetes, has shown that the drugs are comparable in their benefit. It has been known for more than a...

The infection risk of acid-suppressing drugs.
December 1, 2004... Ever since cimetadine was first marketed in 1977, physicians have been concerned about the risk of infection associated with acid-suppressing drugs. Now researchers from the Netherlands have shown that concern is warranted, by demonstrating a...

Is rosuvastatin as safe as other statins?
December 1, 2004... Rosuvastatin (Crestor), AstraZeneca's entry into the high potency statin market, has not achieved marketshare comparable to Pfizer's atorvastatin (Lipitor) or Merck's simvastatin (Zocor). This, despite the facts that the drug is very potent and...

Which estrogen preparation is the safest?
December 1, 2004... Is esterified estrogen safer than conjugated equine estrogen? At least with regard to venous thrombosis, the answer may be yes, according to a recent study. Group Health Cooperative in Washington State, a large HMO, switched their patients from...

FDA actions.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Serono has been given approval to market recombinant human luteinizing hormone (Luveris) for the treatment of infertility in women. The drug, which was granted orphan status, has been available in more than 60 countries for several years. ...

Toenail chromium in men with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Source: Rajpathak M, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(9):2211-2216. AT ONE TIME IN THE NUTRITION LITERATURE chromium (CRM) was known as glucose tolerance factor. The role of CRM in glucose homeostasis was further corroborated by studies of...

Combination of fenofibrate and rosiglitazone and HDL cholesterol.
December 1, 2004... Source: Normen L, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(9):2241-2242. THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF LIPID CONTROL even amongst diabetics, remains the LDL level, since most accumulated data provides good support for improvement in cardiovascular outcomes...

Outcomes for patients with diet-controlled diabetes.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Source: Hippisley-Cox J, Pringle M. Lancet. 2004;363:423-428. THE UNITED KINGDOM PROSPECTIVE diabetes Study (UKPDS) is the landmark clinical trial which forms the foundation for treatment of persons with type 2 diabetes (DM2). UKPDS showed...

Erythromycin and the risk of sudden death.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Source: Ray W, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:1089-1096. AGENTS WHICH ALTER CARDIAC repolarization have been associated with torsades de pointes. Although erythromycin (ERY) is a generally safe and efficacious medication, it does have the...

Acute hyperglycemia, mood, and cognitive performance in type 2 diabetics.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Source: Sommerfield AJ, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(10):2335-2340. HYPERGLYCEMIA IN DIABETES IS ASSOCIATED with increased incidence of neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. Data about the effects of hyperglycemia upon cognitive...

Psychosocial risk factors and risk of acute MI.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Source: Rosengren A, et al. Lancet. 2004;364:953-962. STUDIES IN NORTH AMERICA, Europe, and Japan have provided some support for the concept that emotional stress is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but there is scanty...