Internal Medicine News articles from January 2003

Internal Medicine News archives from January 2003

Campaign focuses on [HbA.sub.1c] testing. (Below 7% is Target).
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Few diabetic patients know their hemoglobin [A.sub.1c] level, but that may be about to change. A coalition of nearly two dozen diabetes groups has launched a national campaign to alert physicians and diabetic patients about...

Diuretics deemed best first-line tx for hypertension: study shows thiazides 'unsurpassed' for lowering BP and preventing heart failure. (ALLHAT Trial of 33,357 Patients).(treatment, blood pressure, Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- In the world of hypertension treatment, old hat appears to be the best hat. That is the bottom-line finding from the long-awaited results of ALLHAT--the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack...

Federal smallpox initiative puts focus on education: vaccination could get started this month. (Information at Smallpox.Gov).
January 1, 2003... Physician education about smallpox vaccination has become a priority for both the public and private health sectors now that President Bush has announced his plan to reintroduce the vaccine into the U.S. population. In mid-December, the...

Postprandial glucose testing offers clearer picture of diabetes. (Helps Assess Cardiovascular Risk).
January 1, 2003... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Postprandial glucose may be a more sensitive measure of diabetes than fasting glucose, one that could be useful in reducing cardiovascular risk at the prediabetes stage. Postprandial glucose (PPG) is closely related to...

AMA delegates demand fix for Medicare pay formula. (Protest Vote at Interim Meeting).(American Medical Association)
January 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Wearing white lab coats and waving colorful signs, physicians at the interim meeting of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates protested the flawed Medicare payment formula and vowed to lobby Congress to get it...

E-mail with patients. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Physicians must show the same concern for patient confidentiality when communicating via e-mail as they do when using other forms of communication, the delegates agreed. They adopted recommendations from a Council on Ethical and Judicial...

CIGNA settlement. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The AMA has taken no official position on the class action lawsuit Kaiser v. CIGNA et al, or the proposed settlement. In response to widespread confusion on the issue, the delegates agreed to "state [the AMA's position] unequivocally" and to...

Health care coverage for all. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The AMA and interested medical organizations should jointly advocate for universal health coverage, the delegates said, enthusiastically supporting a resolution sponsored by several specialty societies including the American College of...

Clinical skills assessment. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Plans by the National Board of Medical Examiners and National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners to implement national clinical skills assessment examinations (CSAEs) as a requirement for licensure prompted concerns about potential costs...

Smoke-free workplaces campaign. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Workers have the right to a smoke-free environment, the delegates said. They adopted a resolution urging state medical societies to support state-level legislation to ban smoking in all public places and businesses. They also resolved to draft...

Racial and ethnic disparities. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Despite advances in health care, racial and ethnic disparities in the quality of care remain a significant problem that should not be tolerated, the delegates said. They concurred with the findings of a Council on Medical Service report on the...

HIV/STD prevention strategies. (AMA Briefs).(American Medical Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Don't stand by while HIV and STD prevention programs are eliminated; delegates urged the AMA. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently removed a condom information sheet and a sex education curriculum from its Web site, and $135...

First bone-building drug wins FDA approval. (Teriparatide Reduces Fracture Risk).
January 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first osteoporosis treatment that stimulates new bone formation. Teriparatide, an injectable agent made by Eli Lilly & Co. and marketed as Forteo, is a portion of human parathyroid hormone,...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... Certified to Discriminate It was such a pleasure for me to observe the wheel of history turn ("California Codifies Definition of HIV Specialist," Sept. 1, 2002, p. 6). I was there in the beginning, when HIV was still HTLV III. In those...

Correction.('Clodronate Reduces Risk of Bone Metastases in Breast Ca Patients,' in Nov. 15, 2002 issue)(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2003... In "Clodronate Reduces Risk of Bone Metastases in Breast Ca Patients" (Nov. 15, 2002, P. 37), the number of patients in the study was incorrect. The study included more than 1,000 patients.

Dawn of a new year.(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... The year 2002 was not a great one for most of us. Our nation spent most of the year coming to terms with the World Trade Center massacre and subsequent worldwide hunt for terrorists. On the economic front, the NASDAQ has lost 75% of its value...

Does diet influence arthritis pain? (Pro & Con).
January 1, 2003... Dr. Robert G. Lahita is chief of rheumatology, Saint Vincents Hospital and Medical Center, New York. [YES] It depends on which arthritis pain we are talking about. With rheumatoid arthritis, diet has been shown to have an effect. The...

Inhaled steroid risks rise with age and dosage. (Bone, Eyes, Skin).
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Most adverse events associated with the use of inhaled steroids in elderly asthma patients are dose related and do not rule out their use, according to Dr. Michael Schatz. Long-term use of high doses of inhaled steroids has...

Levalbuterol outperforms standard albuterol in treating acute asthma. (Better Bronchodilation at 1 Hour).
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Accumulating data support levalbuterol as the bronchodilator of choice for treating acute asthma in adults, Dr. Richard M. Nowak said at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy Asthma, and Immunology. Marketed...

Levalbuterol does not top albuterol in treating COPD. (No Gain from Adding Ipratroplum).(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Levalbuterol was no more effective than albuterol in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a single-dose comparison trial. Nor was the combination of ipratropium and albuterol more effective at increasing forced expiratory...

Mucus-clearing device opens airways in COPD. (Improved Bronchodilation).(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Use of a handheld mucus-clearing device designed for patients with cystic fibrosis improves bronchodilator efficacy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Dr. Marc A. Baltzan said at the annual meeting of the...

Auto-titrating CPAP as effective as manual titration. (Obstructive Sleep Apnea).(continuous positive airway pressure)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... SEATTLE -- Continuous positive airway pressure devices that automatically adjust the pressure are at least as good as those that rely on manual pressure titration in treating obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Paul E. Wylie reported at the annual...

Physician counseling on tobacco often falls short. (Five-Step Strategy Suggested).
January 1, 2003... FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Physicians need to do a better job advising their patients to quit using tobacco, two researchers asserted at a conference on patient education sponsored by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. The federal...

Recovering alcoholics can use help with smoking cessation. (Screen Heavy Smokers for Alcoholism).
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Smoking cessation should always be addressed at regular checkups in recovering alcoholic patients who continue to smoke, Dr. John R. Hughes said at the annual conference of the Association for Medical Education and Research in...

Data watch.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... DATA WATCH Kicking the Cigarette Habit Men Women Current Smokers Who Want to Quit 68% 72.2% Former Smokers Among People Who Ever Smoked 50% 47.3% Current...

Fractures signal high risk in men over 60. (Indication for a Bone Scan).
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Men aged 60 or older who fracture their humerus, hip, or wrist should get a bone scan. These men have an increased risk of a future osteoporotic fracture and need to be assessed for treatment with a bisphosphonate, Dr. Bruce...

Distal radius fractures linked to higher mortality in elderly. (Study of 325 Consecutive Patients).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... PHOENIX, ARIS. -- Elderly men are twice as likely as elderly women to die within 7 years of sustaining a distal radius fracture, Dr. Tamara Rozental reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Survival...

Security applications: PDASecure. (Digital Assistance).
January 1, 2003... Overview: PDASecure is an easily configured, flexible security application for Palm and Pocket PC handheld computers. Robust pass-word protection and encryption capabilities are at the core of this product. Those who manage individually...

Teriparatide may build bone best when used alone. (Concurrent Agents may Blunt Effect).
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- The next new drug for building stronger bones, a recombinant fragment of human parathyroid hormone, seems to work best when used on its own, without concurrent treatment with a bisphosphonate or raloxifene, experts said at the...

Alendronate can protect BMD during up to 10 years of use. (Two Long-Term Studies).(bone mineral density)
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Ongoing treatment with alendronate maintained or increased bone density in postmenopausal women when the duration of treatment extended to 6 or to 10 years. That finding emerged from two studies sponsored by Merck, which...

Osteoporosis medications called 'vastly underused'. (Only 20% Got TX After Hip Fracture).(treatment)
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Drug treatments for osteoporosis are "vastly underused," Dr. Daniel H. Solomon said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. He and his associates concluded that in 1999, about 20% of the...

Link between bone density, fracture risk persists in very old. (Women Aged 80 and Older).
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Women aged 80 and older have as much risk from weak bones as younger women do, based on a survey of more than 160,000 women. "The relationship between fracture risk and bone mineral density persisted regardless of age," Dr....

Project aims to track lymphoma outcomes. (Non-Hodgkin's Disease).
January 1, 2003... HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- Preliminary results from a project at five leading oncology centers aims to optimize treatment and track outcomes for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The use of new therapies and their clinical results also are being...

What's hot and what's not: 2003. (The Effective Physician).
January 1, 2003... Robert H. Hopkins As we start the sixth year of our column, we thought we would take a look back and assess concepts with increased relevance and those with fading emphasis. What's Hot * Double drug therapy for inpatient...

MRI-guided US treats fibroids in phase II study. (Successful in 43 of 55 Women).(ultrasound)
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Focused ultrasound guided by MRI accurately treated 43 of 55 women with uterine fibroids in a multi-center phase II study, prompting initiation of a phase III clinical trial. This procedure may provide a less painful and less...

Adenomyosis often mistaken for fibroids on ultrasound. (Underdiagnosed Cause of Pelvic Pain).
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Too many sonographers see fibroids where they should be seeing adenomyosis, Dr. Edward A. Lyons said at the 12th World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. "Adenomyosis is probably the single most underdiagnosed...

Family history of breast ca makes women wary of genetic testing. (Less Than 50% of Americans Know of Tests).(cancer)
January 1, 2003... BALTIMORE -- About 44% of U.S. adults are aware that genetic tests exist that can identify people with inherited cancer susceptibility, based on a survey of more than 27,000 people. But many women with a personal or family history of breast...

BRCA1 mutation increases risk of other cancers. (Liver, Cervix, Pancreas).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Women carrying BRCA1 mutations had approximately twice the overall risk of developing cancer at sites other than the breast or ovary in a cohort study of almost 12,000 people. Compared with the general population, women with BRCA1 mutations...

Postmastectomy radiation therapy. (Bottom Line).
January 1, 2003... Postmastectomy radiation therapy for premenopausal women is cost effective in the long run, reported Dr. Jason H. Lee of the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, and his colleagues. The initial expense of the therapy is...

Botanical extracts can lead to dermatitis. (Chamomile, Tea Tree Extract).
January 1, 2003... CLEVELAND--Chamomile and tea tree oil top the list of botanical extracts most likely to trigger allergic contact dermatitis, according to a prospective study presented at a meeting on contact dermatitis. Increasing clinical awareness and...

Slow-release garlic may help reduce carotid atherosclerosis. (Small, Placebo-Controlled Trial).
January 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- A sustained-release garlic preparation led to decreased intima-media thickness of the common carotid arteries in a 24-month study of 103 men with atherosclerosis, Dr. Igor Sobenin reported at a meeting on the cardiovascular...

St. John's wort for depression. (Alternative Medicine).
January 1, 2003... * Treatment of mild depression with St. John's wort may be effective and is generally well tolerated. * Data don't support use in more severe depression. History of Use Medicinal properties have been ascribed to the small, woody...

Hemodiafiltration may help flush iodine toxicity. (Povidone-Iodine Irrigation Poses Risk).
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Hemodialysis followed by continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration shows promise in clearing iodine in patients suffering from iodine toxicity as a result of povidone-iodine irrigation, Dr. Ives de Chazal and his associates reported in...

IV steroids best in treating Graves' ophthalmopathy. (First Randomized Trial).(intravenous)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- Patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy have greater and faster improvement when they receive methyl-prednisolone in intravenous pulses rather than in oral doses, Dr. George J. Kahaly said at the annual meeting of the American...

Steroid overuse may ignite burning skin syndrome. (High Nitrate Levels may Offer a Clue).
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Many highly frustrated patients diagnosed with chronic atopic dermatitis or burning skin syndromes may in fact be reacting to overuse of corticosteroids, Dr. Martin Rapaport said at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2002...

Tacrolimus may safely replace steroids for eyelid dermatitis. (Avoids Glaucoma Risk).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Corticosteroid eyedrops or topical agents for eyelid dermatitis can lead to high intraocular pressure and glaucoma, Dr. Mark Lebwohl said at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference. The problem is not lack of effectiveness--1%...

AK therapy shift: treat regions, not solo lesions. (Field Cancerization).(actinic keratoses)
January 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Emerging therapeutic modalities for actinic keratosis appear to be shifting the focus away from targeting individual lesions in favor of treating entire regions of skin at risk for skin cancer. The philosophy's underpinnings...

Skin disease can provide an external map to internal illness. (Diabetes, Malignancy).
January 1, 2003... SANDESTIN, FLA. -- Acanthosis nigricans can be a sign of malignancy, but in most cases, insulin resistance is the culprit, Dr. Robert A. Skidmore Jr. said at a meeting of the Alabama Dermatology Society. Undiagnosed type I or II diabetes...

FDA approves switch to OTC status for Claritin. (Nonsedating Antihistamine).(over the counter)
January 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration has approved a change to ver-the-counter status for the antihistamine Claritin (loratadine) for treatment of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Manufactured by Schering-Plough, the antihistamine was slated...

Onset of tinnitus may be linked to bupropion use. (More Study Needed).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- A study of two middleaged women who developed tinnitus after starting bupropion as part of a smoking cessation program provides further evidence of a possible causal relationship between bupropion use and tinnitus, Dr. Carlos...

Drug update: hormone replacement therapy.
January 1, 2003... Management of the menopausal woman is more of an art than a science. For patients plagued by urogenital atrophy or vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia, female hormones are among the most effective treatments. ...

FDA approves first laser therapy for back acne. (Alters Structure of Sebaceous Glands).
January 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to the Smoothbeam laser for treating acne on the back--the first time a laser therapy has earned FDA approval for an acne indication. The Smoothbeam laser which uses a 1,450-nm...

Nicotinic drugs tested for tx of Tourette's, ADHD. (Routine Therapeutic Use Years Away).(treatment, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
January 1, 2003... Therapeutic is not a quality usually associated with nicotine. Addictive and deadly, perhaps, but therapeutic? Over the past decade, nicotine and related drugs have shown potential to treat a variety of psychiatric and neurologic disorders....

Phenylephrine gel offers nonsurgical option for some patients with fecal incontinence. (Intact Anal Sphincter Muscles Necessary).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... ST. Louis -- Phenylephrine gel is a promising nonsurgical therapy for fecal incontinence, Dr. Wayne B. Tuckson said at the 12th International Pelvic Reconstructive and Vaginal Surgery Conference. Applied around the anus, this topical...

FDA offers help on safe use of medical gases. (Web Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Prompted by safety concerns about medical gas mix-ups, the Food and Drug Administration offers educational materials about the problem on a new Web page. The page offers "downloadable" educational products on the dangers of medical gas...

Patients unharmed by most medication errors. (Performance Deficit Cited).
January 1, 2003... Most medication errors that at occur in hospitals do not harm patients, Diane Cousins said in a Webcast on medication errors sponsored by U.S. Pharmacopeia. Overall, 97.6% of medication errors that occurred in hospital voluntarily...

Adverse events lead to warning on Bextra label. (Postmarketing Reports).
January 1, 2003... Postmarketing reports of adverse events have led the Pharmacia Corp. to issue a warning letter to health care professionals, alerting them to changes in the product labeling for valdecoxib tablets (Bextra). Valdecoxib is indicated for the...

Needle-stick prevention. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Abbott Laboratories, which offers a variety of needle-stick prevention systems, has launched a new Web site, wwwabbottnps.com, to provide health care professionals with information about preventing needle sticks. Visitors to the site can learn...

Surgical Mask and Respirator. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The N95 Particulate Respirator and Surgical Mask is a flat-fold, three-panel face-piece respirator with over 99% bacterial filtration efficiency. It fits most faces and head shapes, has a soft inner panel for comfort, and has a conformable...

Monitoring system in a vest. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The LifeShirt System has been approved to provide continuous collection, analysis, and reporting of ambulatory physiologic data. It is a lightweight, washable garment (similar to a vest) with sensors embedded in its fabric that monitor heart...

Acne treatment gel. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Duac (cindamycin 1%, benzoyl peroxide 5%) topical gel is now indicated for the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris. For more information, contact Stiefel Laboratories Inc., 888-784-3335, custserv@stiefel.com.

Cool lighting. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Sunnex Tri-Star lamp provides both bright and cool light that can be directed wherever needed. It can be used for examinations or minor surgery applications, and its caster base allows for easy transport. The lamp is available in mobile,...

Larger size for acne cream. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Finevin (azelaic acid cream) 20% is now available in a 50-g tube. The acne cream is indicated for the treatment of mild to moderate inflammatory acne vulgaris, and is known in Europe as Skinoren. For more information, contact Berlex...

Air purifier. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Blueair model 402 medium capacity in-room air purifier uses HEPASilent filter technology to provide a high level of filtration with very little noise, and without emitting ozone. The filter--made of nontoxic hydrophobic polypropylene...

Dermatitis face wash. (Products).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ovace (sodium sulfacetamide 10%) Wash is indicated for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis of the face. It's a gentle, nonsteroidal, fragrance-free cleanser that is safe to use around the eyes and does not contain sulfur. Ovace provides a...

Waterproof wart pads. (Products).
January 1, 2003... Compound W Maximum Strength Waterproof One Step Pads for Common Warts combines salicylic acid with the extra cushioning of a waterproof pad to remove common warts. The waterproofing feature allows the pad to remain in place during activities...

Dual antiplatelet therapy cuts ischemic events. (Clopidogrel Plus Aspirin for 1 Year).
January 1, 2003... Results of the Clopidogrel for the Reduction of Events Dun g Observation (CREDO) trial will have a major impact upon clinical practice involving the close to 1 million Americans per year who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention, observers...

Ultrasound scans may suggest ways to minimize risk of post-CABG strokes. (Instrumentation of Aorta can Spur Emboli).(coronary artery bypass graft)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Epiaortic ultrasound scanning is helping to shed light on why some patients develop strokes after CABG surgery, speakers said at a meeting on cardiovascular disease and stroke sponsored by the American Heart Association. The...

Many women don't enroll in rehab following CABG. (Low Functional Status).(coronary artery bypass graft)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Women are less likely than men to be referred to and participate in cardiac rehabilitation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, Dr. Viola Vaccarino said at a meeting on cardiovascular disease and stroke sponsored by the...

Pregnancy-induced HT tied to poor CV profile. (Preeclampsia History also a Factor).(hypertension, cardiovascular)
January 1, 2003... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Women with a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension or preeclampsia have a poorer cardiovascular disease profile over the long term, compared with women with a normal pregnancy history, according to an ongoing followup...

Preeclampsia can occur up to 28 days post partum. (Severe Headache a Common Symptom).
January 1, 2003... INDIANAPOLIS -- One-third of all cases of preeclampsia occured after delivery in a recent study, and the risk remains for up to 28 days post partum. "Traditional belief is that the risk of preeclampsia is removed with delivery And even...

Chest pain persists after angiography. (Nearly Half of Women Affected).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Nearly half of women referred for angiography may still have chronic chest pain 1 year after referral for coronary angiography, B. Delia Johnson, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at a meeting on cardiovascular disease and...

Stress linked to recurrent coronary events in women. (Work and Marital Stressors).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BERLIN -- Women with coronary disease who report high levels of work and marital stress are at nearly sevenfold greater risk of a recurrent coronary event, compared with women who report low stress, Dr. Kristina Orth-Gomer reported at the 24th...

Anthrax vaccine cleared of link to rheumatic ills. (underreporting Charged by Critics).
January 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- The anthrax vaccine was not linked with serious, long-term rheumatologic sequelae in a new report from the Anthrax Vaccine Expert Committee. The assessment contrasts sharply with complaints by military personnel who have...

Deep cold threatens vaccine potency. (Revaccination Often Problematic).
January 1, 2003... ATLANTA -- Storage of vaccines below the recommended temperature is an increasingly recognized problem, Dr. Gregory S. Wallace said at a meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices....

Adult tonsillectomy. (Clinical Capsules).
January 1, 2003... Tonsillectomy significantly improved quality of life and decreased health-care utilization and economic burden in a study of adults with chronic tonsillitis. In 83 patients who underwent tonsillectomy and were followed for nearly 38...

West Nile Virus vaccine. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Human trials of a West Nile Virus vaccine may begin as early as March. Acambis, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biopharmaceuticals firm, will seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to start clinical trials of its ChimeriVax-West Nile...

Wyeth to drop two vaccines. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Wyeth Pharmaceuticals announced in November that it will cease production of FluShield, an injectable influenza virus vaccine, and Pnu-Imune, a polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine. The company plans to pursue new intranasal flu immunization...

Miltefosine for leishmaniasis. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Oral miltefosine was approximately as effective as the standard intravenous amphotericin B treatment for visceral leishmaniasis in a recent study. Miltefosine, originally developed as an antitumor agent, led to cure in 282 of 299...

Women and AIDS. (Clinical Capsules).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Women now account for half of all people infected with the AIDS virus worldwide, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has reported. As of December 2002, an estimated 39 million adults, including 19.2 million women, were living...

Hepatitis B mortality up fourfold since 1979. (Significant Rise in use of Hospital Services).
January 1, 2003... BOSTON -- Mortality from hepatitis B virus has increased fourfold over the past 2 decades and has been accompanied by a substantial increase in hospital service utilization, Dr. W. Ray Kim said at the annual meeting of the American Association...

Rheumatic symptoms reported by women with hepatitis C. (Infected by Contaminated Blood Products).
January 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Numerous rheumatologic complaints are surfacing among a large cohort of women who were inadvertently infected with the hepatitis C virus through contaminated anti-D immunoglobulin. The results of a survey of 100 of these...

Psychiatric disorders, substance abuse common in patients with HCV. (Interferon can Exacerbate Disorders).(hepatitis C virus)
January 1, 2003... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Substance abuse/dependence and mood, anxiety, personality, and psychotic disorders were all more prevalent in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in patients without the virus, Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai reported at the annual...

History of blood transfusion not always known to patient. (HCV Screening Program).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BOSTON -- One-third of blood-product recipients contacted by a community hospital were unaware that they had a transfusion in the past, according to the results of a hepatitis C virus "look-back" program presented at the annual meeting of the...