Neurology Alert articles from February 2003

Neurology Alert archives from February 2003

FDA issues 'Black Box' warning based on WHI study. (Pharmacology Watch).(Women's Health Initiative research on hormone replacement therapy)
February 1, 2003... The FDA has mandated a "Black Box" warning for all estrogen and estrogen/progestin products for use by postmenopausal women. The new warnings are based on analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study that was published July...

Stroke reduction in older hypertensives with abnormal nocturnal blood pressure dipping.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Source: Hishide Y, et al. Am J Hypertens. 2002;15:844-850. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN adverse cardiovascular events and blood pressure (BP) is direct and linear. Numerous prospective randomized trials indicate that reduction of BP produces a...

Primary prevention of hypertension.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Source: Whelton PK, et al. JAMA. 2002;288:1882-1888. ACCORDING TO JNC VI REPORTING, AS many as 43 million adults in America have hypertension (HTN), defined as blood pressure > 140/90. Although treatment with a variety of agents has been...

Effect of aggressive screening and treatment on prostate cancer mortality.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Source: Lu-Yao G, et al. BMJ. 2002;325:740-743. THERE REMAINS A GREAT DEAL OF heated debate about the appropriate use of PSA screening amongst asymptomatic men. Although mortality for prostate cancer has declined since the mid-1990s, it...

Diuretics, mortality, and nonrecovery of renal function in acute renal failure.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Source: Mehta RL, et al. JAMA. 2002;288:2547-2553. DIURETICS ARE COMMONLY USED IN the setting of acute renal failure (ARF), based upon premises that they will reduce volume in extracellular volume overload and may convert oliguric ARF to...

Nut and peanut butter consumption and risk of DM-2 in women.(type 2 diabetes)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Source: Jiang R, et al. JAMA. 2002;288:2554-2560. RECENT TRIALS HAVE CONFIRMED that both pharmacologic treatment acarbose or metformin) and lifestyle intervention (weight loss and exercise) may prevent onset of type 2 diabetes (DM-2) in...

Optimal diets for prevention of CHD.(coronary heart disease)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Source: Hu FB, Willett WC. JAMA 2002;288:2569-2578. THE CLASSIC DIET-HEART HYPOTHESIS postulates that dietary saturated fat and cholesterol are causally associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). Though the evidence for this hypothesis...

Promising novel therapy for multiple sclerosis.(natalizumab)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Miller DH, et al. A controlled trial of natalizumab for relapsing multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:15-23. NATALIZUMAB (ANTEGREN) IS A HUMANIZED MONOCLONAL antibody against an alpha-4 integrin...

Late secondary injury may limit the effectiveness of thrombolysis.
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Sources: Kidwell CS, et al. Late secondary ischemic injury in patients receiving intraarterial thrombolysis. Ann Neurol. 2002;52:698-703; Fisher M. Editorial. Reversal of diffusion abnormalities after ischemic stroke:...

Blood pressure treatment for stroke patients: what should be the first line?
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Major outcomes in high-risk hypertensive patients randomized to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or calcium channel blocker vs. diuretic. The antihypertensive and lipid lowering treatment to prevent...

Do statin drugs prevent dementia? Data from the PROSPER study.
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Shepherd J, et al. Pravastatin in elderly individuals at risk of vascular disease (PROSPER): A randomized controlled trial. Lancet. 2002;360:1623-1630. AMONG PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, HMG CoA...

IVIG for MG.(intravenous immunoglobulin monotherapy for myasthenia gravis)
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Wegner B, Ahmed I. Intravenous immunoglobulin monotherapy in long-term treatment of myasthenia gravis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2002;105:3-8. INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN (IVIG) IS SAFE AND effective therapy...

Homocysteine and dementia.
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Sources: den Heijer T, et al. Homocysteine and brain atrophy on MRI of non-demented elderly. Brain. 2003;126:170-175; Kado DM, et al. Homocysteine levels and decline in physical function: MacArthur studies of...

In Epilepsy, not all MRI scans are created equal.(magnetic resonance imaging )
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Von Oertzen J, et al. Standard magnetic resonance imaging is inadequate for patients with refractory focal epilepsy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002;73:643-647. AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING EPILEPSY...

Clinical pearls in differentiating junctionopathies, histologic pearls in defining IBM.(inclusion body myositis)
February 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Sources: Wirtz PW, et al. Difference in distribution of muscle weakness between myasthenia gravis and the Lambert Eaton myasthenic syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002;73:766-768; Dahlbom K, Lindberg C,...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
February 1, 2003... In the January 2003 Neurology Alert, the CME questions were incorrectly numbered. They should have been numbered 1-3. We regret the confusion this may have caused.