Internal Medicine News articles from June 2009

Internal Medicine News archives from June 2009

Coalition aims to cut growth in costs.(NEWS)
June 1, 2009... Leaders of several health care and labor organizations who met with President Obama proposed ideas to reduce the growth in health care costs by up to $2 trillion over the next decade. In a letter sent to the president, the six...

Dutasteride shown to lower risk of prostate cancer: agent lowered risk by 23.5% at 4 years.(NEWS)
June 1, 2009... CHICAGO--Dutasteride, prescribed for benign prostatic hyperplasia, reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 23.5% over 4 years in a randomized trial of at-risk men. The drug's effects were consistent across key baseline subgroups and at 2-...

Hypertension improves with combo intervention.(NEWS)
June 1, 2009... MIAMI BEACH--A combination of home blood pressure monitoring plus a tailored behavioral intervention delivered by a nurse significantly improved control of hypertension, compared with usual care, in a study of 636 patients. In contrast,...

Health care reform options include primary care boost.(NEWS)
June 1, 2009... The health care reform package being crafted in Congress could include Medicare payment bonuses to primary care physicians and general surgeons, according to policy options released by leaders of the Senate Finance Committee. The 52-page...

Vital signs.(NEWS)(physicians' earnings)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Physicians in Private Hospitals and Practices Earned Over $78 per hour Note: Data are from the 2007 National Compensation Survey program. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Novel diabetes drug approved.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Cycloset)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Cycloset, a quick-release oral formulation of bromocriptine mesylate, was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, according to the manufacturers, VeroScience and S2 Therapeutics Inc. ...

Warning issued on testosterone gels.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Two prescription topical testosterone gels will now include a boxed warning following confirmed adverse effects in eight children, the FDA announced. The children did not have the gel directly applied, but rather incurred secondary...

TNF blocker wins approvals.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonist Golimumab)(Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Golimumab, the first once-monthly, injectable tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonist, was approved for treating adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, active psoriatic arthritis, and active ankylosing spondylitis, based...

New botulinum product approved.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Dysport by Ipsen)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Dysport (abobotulinum toxin A) has been approved for the treatment of cervical dystonia and glabellar lines, bringing competition to Botox (botulinum toxin type A). Ipsen will market Dysport in the United States for the therapeutic...

Hydroxycut recalled for liver risks.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Iovate Health Sciences Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Reports of severe liver injuries--including one fatality--associated with Hydroxycut brand dietary supplements have prompted a nationwide product recall. The products are marketed as weight-loss aids, energy enhancers, low-carbohydrate diet...

Warnings strengthened for pain drugs.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The FDA is requiring manufacturers to place more prominent warning labels on certain over-the-counter drug products to alert consumers to the potential risks of liver injury from acetaminophen and stomach bleeding from NSAIDs. Many...

Botulinum toxin labels updated.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The FDA will require all botulinum toxin manufacturers to add boxed warnings to the label that address the potential for paralysis-like symptoms resulting from the toxin's distant spread. The drug has been associated with an unexpected loss...

Panel votes in favor of AF device.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Watchman for atrial fibrillation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... More than half of a federal advisory panel voted in favor of approving a device designed to reduce the risk of stroke in people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, but the recommendation was contingent on certain conditions, including...

Data needed on cognitive-enhancing drugs.(Editorial)
June 1, 2009... If we had drugs that would make people smarter, wouldn't that benefit society? And would using drugs in this way be a bad thing? The reality is: We do have such drugs. And, more and more, we are hearing accounts of normal people taking...

Herbal pharmacopeia is 'wild west'.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2009... We write to protest what we perceive as editorial irresponsibility in Internal Medicine News' near-promotional presentation of herbs to treat erectile dysfunction ("Herbal Options Exist for Erectile Dysfunction," March 15, 2009, p. 15). ...

Keeping it confidential.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2009... Dr. S.Y. Tan makes several good points regarding how physicians' communication methods and skills can mitigate against the subsequent initiation of a malpractice lawsuit (Law & Medicine, "Communication and Malpractice," April 15, 2009, p. 37)....

Botox benefits overactive bladder patients.(UROLOGY)
June 1, 2009... CHICAGO--Patients with idiopathic overactive bladder refractory to anticholinergics reported significant improvements in health-related quality of life, symptom severity, and satisfaction for at least 24 weeks after treatment with botulinum...

Prostate cancer risk lower in digoxin users.(UROLOGY)
June 1, 2009... DENVER--Men on digoxin were roughly one-quarter less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than digoxin nonusers, according to findings from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The longer the duration of digoxin use, the lower...

NASH treatments controversial, unproven.(GASTROENTEROLOGY)(nonalcoholic steatohepatitis)
June 1, 2009... SAN DIEGO -- Treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is difficult territory for clinicians because no therapy has been proved effective, Dr. Arthur J. McCullough said at a meeting on chronic liver disease sponsored by Scripps Clinic. "All...

Diabetes may increase risk of liver cancer.(GASTROENTEROLOGY)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... DENVER--Diabetes appears to be an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma, with the risk rising as duration of the endocrine disease increases, according to an ongoing, prospective case-control study. Also, the magnitude of...

25 years later, HIV/AIDS still an epidemic.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
June 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- The two researchers credited with discovering HIV in 1984, Dr. Robert C. Gallo and Dr. Luc A. Montagnier, came together in a "Global Call to Action" to remind the world on the 25th anniversary of their discovery that HIV/AIDS...

Outbreak highlights low flu vaccination rates.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
June 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Even if history records the 2009-H1N1 influenza epidemic as mild, its appearance highlights the need to improve seasonal-flu vaccination rates among the elderly and the health care workers who take care of them, said speakers during...

Test flu specimen to determine treatment for elderly.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
June 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- The 2009-H1N1 influenza epidemic has mostly affected young people so far, but health professionals should take care to protect the vulnerable elderly from infection, Dr. Stefan Gravenstein said during an influenza symposium at the...

Teach patients the sexual side effects of SSRIs.(PSYCHIATRY)(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
June 1, 2009... PENTAGON CITY, VA. -- Educating depressed patients about the sexual side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors could mitigate their experiences with those side effects, results of a study of 92 adults who were first-time users of...

Pruritus diagnosis tied to psychopathology.(PSYCHIATRY)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... SAN FRANCISCO--Patients with pruritus are twice as likely to have a co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis as those with other dermatologic diagnoses, according to a large epidemiologic study. This is driven largely by the strong association...

Emerging thyroid ca therapies show promise.(ENDOCRINOLOGY)
June 1, 2009... Kinase inhibitors and antiangiogenic drugs may offer the first real hope of treating differentiated metastatic thyroid cancer, and seem to be especially effective in tumors exhibiting the B-type Raf kinase mutation. Although such tumors...

Thyroid carcinoma recommendations updated.(ENDOCRINOLOGY)
June 1, 2009... HOLLYWOOD, FLA.--The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has updated its thyroid carcinoma guidelines to add consideration of small molecule kinase inhibitors in metastatic disease treatment, refine diagnosis and treatment strategies based on...

Lower normal TSH range may help detect hypothyroidism.(ENDOCRINOLOGY)(thyroid-stimulating hormone)
June 1, 2009... Philadelphia--A lower normal range for thyroid-stimulating hormone would help physicians detect and treat more cases of occult hypothyroidism, Dr. Leonard Wartofsky said at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. Based on...

NCCN offers updated breast cancer guidelines: genetic counseling is now advised for women with DCIS and a high risk for hereditary breast cancer.(WOMEN'S HEALTH)(National Comprehensive Cancer Network)(ductal carcinoma in situ)
June 1, 2009... HOLLYWOOD, FLA.--New recommendations in breast cancer guidelines rank preferred adjuvant chemotherapy regimens and offer guidance on local therapy for women who present with stage IV breast cancer, according to an update presented at the annual...

Aromatase inhibitors may hasten bone loss in osteopenia.(WOMEN'S HEALTH)
June 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Aromatase inhibitors are associated with small but significant levels of additional bone loss in osteopenic women who take the drugs for hormone-sensitive breast cancer, according to a study of 104 women. After just 1 year of...

No CV benefit from rosuvastatin in dialysis.(NEPHROLOGY)(cardiovascular)
June 1, 2009... While rosuvastatin significantly improved the lipid profile of patients with end-stage renal disease, those improvements did not translate into a decrease in the combined rate of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death, a large...

Exercise lowers risk of death in HF patients.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE)(heart failure)
June 1, 2009... ORLANDO -- Heart failure patients who engage in aerobic activity can lower their risk of all-cause mortality or hospitalization, according to a new secondary analysis of data from a major National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored...

CRT beneficial in mild heart failure.(CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE)(cardiac resynchronization)
June 1, 2009... ORLANDO -- Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves key clinical outcomes in patients with mild heart failure, a randomized trial has shown. In the European cohort of the Resynchronization Reverses Remodeling in Systolic Left Ventricular...

Heart failure: hospital management 2009.(THE EFFECTIVE PHYSICIAN)(Report)
June 1, 2009... Background The American College of Cardiology recently published a focused update of their 2005 guideline for the diagnosis and management of heart failure in adults. One of the major changes incorporated in this guideline was a review of...

Will Plavix be the pharmacogenetic exemplar?(GENETICS IN YOUR PRACTICE)
June 1, 2009... Pharmacogenetics is the use of a patient's genetic information to inform the selection or dosing of medications. In general, pharmacogenetics involves "gene-drug" pairs, where DNA sequence variants of the gene are linked either to variation in...

Registry fails to find adverse PPI-Clopidogrel interaction.(GENETICS IN YOUR PRACTICE)(proton-pump inhibitor)
June 1, 2009... ORLANDO -- Patients with coronary disease who combine clopidogrel with a proton-pump inhibitor risk clinical consequences that remain unclear but are of concern, several reports indicate. The most recent report, on 535 patients from the...

Revise workflow when launching EMR system.(PRACTICE TRENDS)(electronic medical record)
June 1, 2009... Philadelphia--Installing an electronic medical record system at a primary care practice is a perfect time to also revamp the tasks the office staff performs. Having all staff members "work at the top of their licensure" is the guiding...

IOM issues 16 conflict of interest recommendations.(PRACTICE TRENDS)(Institute of Medicine)
June 1, 2009... Physicians should stop accepting gifts or meals from industry representatives, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine that offers 16 recommendations aimed at limiting financial conflicts of interest in medicine. While some...

Part a to go broke in 2017.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will run out of money in 2017-2 years earlier than predicted last year--in part because the fund is collecting fewer payroll taxes during the recession, trustees of the fund announced in their annual...

Mental heath parity comments due.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 )(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The federal government is seeking public comments before implementing a law that demands broader insurance coverage for mental health benefits. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requires that health plans use the same...

Families can't afford insurance.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The majority of uninsured American families cannot afford to buy non-group health insurance, according to a study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study measured families' median net worth--their savings plus other...

Medical homes are challenging.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Transforming a primary care practice into a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) requires "epic whole-practice reimagination and redesign," according to researchers who reported on one of the first demonstrations of the PCMH model. The results...

HHS launches lupus campaign.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(United States Department of Health and Human Services)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Department of Health and Human Services, in cooperation with the American College of Rheumatology and other health care organizations, has launched a national advertising campaign to educate women about lupus. "Despite its prevalence in the...

New Web site pushes reform.(POLICY & PRACTICE)('Voices of Physicians' campaign of the Doctors for America)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Doctors for America, a new grassroots physician organization, is launching a campaign to get physicians' voices heard on health care reform. The "Voices of Physicians" campaign has collected and published comments from doctors nationwide at...

Health reform plan to be released in June.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
June 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- The three committees with jurisdiction over health care in the House of Representatives will make their health reform "framework" public by early June, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said at a forum sponsored by the policy analysis...

Residency redux with a Foreign twist.(GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON MEDICAL PRACTICE)(Mark Delman)(Interview)
June 1, 2009... The difference in the public's perception of doctors made a strong impression on Dr. Mark Delman during an 8-month locum tenens experience in New Zealand. "Going through an internal medicine residency in the United States, you get used to...

National health service corps to get overhaul.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
June 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- With $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funding, major changes are in the works for the National Health Service Corps. And according to new Health Resources and Services Administration director Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., the money...

Indications.(Psycho Donuts and treadmill desk)
June 1, 2009... Deep-Fried Controversy The next stop on our tour of the world's medically themed restaurants is Psycho Donuts in Campbell, Calif. "We bid a fond farewell to the tired, round ring of lameness," says the shop's Web site...