Primary Care Reports articles from May 2004

Primary Care Reports archives from May 2004

Update on prostate specific antigen (PSA).
May 1, 2004... Since its discovery in the early 1980s, prostate specific antigen (PSA) has revolutionized the diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of men suffering from prostate cancer The clinical application of PSA has led to the detection and diagnosis of...

Physician CME questions.(continuing medical education)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... 20. At what age should PSA screening begin for a Caucasian man with no family history of prostate cancer? A. Age 30 B. Age 40 C. Age 45 D. Age 50 E. At any age when he complains of bone pain 21. What has been the most common clinical...

Atherosclerosis reversed with lipid-lowering drugs.
May 1, 2004... When it comes to treating lipids in patients with heart disease, the mantra may be, "The lower the LDL, the better." Data from the multicenter Reversal of Atherosclerosis with Aggressive Lipid Lowering (REVERSAL) trial indicate that aggressive...

Positive alendronate data in osteoporosis.
May 1, 2004... Does alendronate prevent fractures after 10 years of therapy? According to a new multicenter placebo-controlled trial, the drug is effective and safe over 10 years in women with osteoporosis. Data from the study are from a followup of 2...

NSAIDs for myocardial infarction.(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Nonaspirin NSAIDs, especially ibuprofen and naproxen, may protect against myocardial infarction in patients who are not taking aspirin. Researchers from Pennsylvania conducted a case-control study with cases of first, nonfatal MI identified...

Four-hour window for CAP patients.(community-acquired pneumonia )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Medicare patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) fare better if they receive their first dose of antibiotics within 4 hours of hospitalization, according to new study. The records of nearly 14,000 Medicare patients admitted for CAP,...

FDA actions.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Rofecoxib (Vioxx) has been approved for the treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura in adults. The approval was based on a large study that showed that the single dose of rofecoxib, either 25 or 50 mg, effectively reduced migraine...

Migraine and subclinical brain lesions.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Source: Kruit MC, et al. JAMA. 2004;291:427-434. THE DATA ON THE RELATIONSHIP between migraine and other vascular events such as stroke have been conflicting, although in some populations (such as young women smokers who suffer migraine...

Memantine treatment in alzheimer disease.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Source: Tariot PN, et al. JAMA. 2004;291:317-324. MEMANTINE (MEM) IS THE FIRST clinically available NMDA receptor antagonist with demonstrated clinical efficacy and an acceptable adverse event profile for persons with Alzheimer disease...

Casual postprandial glucose levels in type 2 diabetes management.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Source: El-Kebbi IM, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:335-339. TIGHT CONTROL OF TYPE 2 DIAbetes (DM2) has been proven to reduce microvascular complications. Use of the hemoglobin Ale to assess long-term control is standard, but for modulation...

Exemestane after tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Source: Coombes RC, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(11):1081-1092. TAMOXIFEN (TAM) IS WELL ESTABlished to reduce, over 5 years, both risk of breast cancer (BCA) recurrence (47%) and mortality (26%) among women who have undergone surgery for...

An analysis of how long patients remain on various antihypertensive therapies.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Source: Esposti LD, et al. J Clin Hypertens. 2004;6:76-84. THE TERM 'Drug Efficacy' IS TECHnically intended to reflect impact of an agent on a designated end point in a study population participating in a clinical trial. 'Drug...

Association of endothelial dysfunction with insulin resistance and carotid wall thickening in hypertension.(diabetes)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Source: Suzuki M, et al. Am J Hypertens. 2004;17:228-232. ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION (END) IS a fundamental defect in essential hypertension (HTN) and is closely associated with carotid wall thickening (CWT), a consistent marker for early...