Primary Care Reports articles from October 2004

Primary Care Reports archives from October 2004

An evidence-based approach to the preoperative evaluation.
October 1, 2004... Each year, more than 36 million surgical procedures are performed in the United States. (1) Approximately one-third are performed in patients older than 65 years. (1) This subset of the population also is the fastest growing, with estimates...

Physician CME questions.(continued medical education)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... 21. The goal of the preoperative evaluation is to clear patients for surgery. a. True b. False 22. All of the following factors improve compliance with the consultant recommendations except: a. promptness. b. limiting...

Folate therapy and in-stent restenosis and coronary stenting.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Source: Lange H, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2673-2681. OBSERVATIONAL DATA HAVE Supported the role of homocysteine (HCS) as a cause of or contributor atherosclerosis. Randomized trials of interventions to reduce HCS have provided...

Quinapril reduces markers of oxidative stress in the metabolic syndrome.
October 1, 2004... Source: Khan B, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:1712-1715. THE METABOLIC SYNDROME (MBS) MAY be defined as 3 or more of: increased waist circumference (men > 40 inches, women > 35 inches), triglycerides > 150, reduced HDL (men 130/85, and...

Donepezil in patients with Alzheimer's.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Source: AD2000 Collaborative Group Lancet. 2004;363:2105-2115. BECAUSE USE OF CHOLINESTERASE inhibitors is neither inexpensive nor without significant potential adverse effects, their long-term impact on patients with dementing disorders...

Effect of the dietary approaches to stop hypertension diet and reduced sodium intake on blood pressure control.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Source: Svetkey LP, et al. J Clin Hypertens. 2004;6:373-381. THE DIETARY APPROACHES TO STOP Hypertension (DASH) diet, which suggests high intake of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat diary products, has been shown to favorably affect blood...

Methylprednisolone, valacyclovir, or the combination for vestibular neuritis.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Source: Strupp M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:354-361. VESTIBULAR NEURITIS (VN) IS characterized by acute onset of vertigo, a positive Romberg's sign, nystagmus, and nausea. It is second only to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as a...

Improved plasma glucose control, whole-body glucose utilizations, and lipid profile on a low-glycemic index diet in type 2 diabetic men.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Source: Rizkalla SW, et al. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:1866-1872. AT THE SAME LEVEL OF GRAMS OF carbohydrate, different foods vary in their rate of rise of plasma glucose, and in the subsequent amount and timing of insulin response they elicit....

Linking COX-2 inhibitors and cardiovascular event risk.
October 1, 2004... A new, and as of yet unpublished study, has raised increased concern about the relationship between rofecoxib (Vioxx), Merck's blockbuster COX-2 inhibitor, and cardiovascular events. The study, which was presented at a meeting in Bordeaux...

Viagra: maximum capacity at high-altitudes?(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... High-altitude hikers may soon be requesting sildenafil (Viagra) prescriptions based on the results of a new study. The drug, which is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, is known to cause pulmonary vasodilation. German researchers postulated that...

FDA actions.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Eli Lilly has received FDA approval to market duloxetine (Cymbalta) for the treatment of major depression. The drug is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), similar to venlafaxine (Effexor-Wyeth). The drug is also being...