Internal Medicine News articles from May 2004

Internal Medicine News archives from May 2004

Dual intervention; moking: an extra risk in alcoholism.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Dr. Richard Hurt is sick of watching his alcoholism patients die. But it's not the alcoholism they're dying from, said Dr. Hurt, an internist who is director of the Nicotine Dependence Center at the Mayo Clinic,...

Number of women in selected specialties rising.(Vital Signs)
May 1, 2004... Number of Women in Selected Specialties Rising Source: American Medical Association

Operating on the 'super-super obese': bariatric surgeons tweak patient eligibility criteria; Preoperative weight-loss requirement may improve outcomes after gastric bypass.(News)
May 1, 2004... DENVER -- Requiring all morbidly obese candidates for gastric bypass surgery to lose more than 5% of their excess body weight preoperatively screens out insufficiently motivated patients, with resultant better perioperative and long-term...

Promoting HIV awareness: new oral HIV rapid test is expected by Summer; Patients can get results in 20-40 minutes.(News)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- A new rapid test that detects HIV antibodies in oral fluid will for the first time eliminate the requirement that a blood sample be obtained for HIV screening. The OraQuick rapid HIV-1 antibody test for use with oral fluid, which...

CDC surveillance data: gonococcal resistance to quinolones is still spreading.(News)
May 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The rate of fluoroquinolone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae doubled from 2.2% in 2002 to greater than 4% in 2003, and resistant isolates are now surfacing at several sites around the country, according to an official with...

Important to document referrals: overcoming obstacles to rapid HIV testing in private practice.(News)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Rapid testing for HIV infection in private practice has some clear advantages, but it also poses some challenges in terms of staff training, office logistics, privacy requirements, and potential increased liability. That's what...

Avoiding unnecessary prophylaxis: rapid HIV testing offers help in clinical settings.(News)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- The more immediate results that rapid HIV tests offer are particularly advantageous in three clinical scenarios, Lyn Stevens said at a conference sponsored by the American Foundation for AIDS Research. She cited these three...

Fewer pulmonary embolisms: laparoscopic gastric bypass preserves lean body mass.(News)
May 1, 2004... DENVER -- Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery results in weight loss that's virtually identical to that achieved with the open version of the procedure--but with significantly greater preservation of lean body mass and more fat loss,...

Gastric banding fares best: complications tallied in laparoscopic operations.(News)
May 1, 2004... DENVER -- Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding was significantly safer than Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch in the first head-to-head comparison of the laparoscopic versions of the three bariatric...

Findings support selective testing; Gastric bypass: no need for routine barium swallow test.(News)
May 1, 2004... DENVER -- The postoperative fluoroscopic upper GI evaluation that's now routinely obtained a couple of days after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is unnecessary, Dr. Stephen Kolakowski Jr. declared at the annual meeting of the Society of...

No protection against CHD: WHI gauges risks, benefits of estrogen therapy.(News)
May 1, 2004... Recently released data from the estrogen-only arm of the Women's Health Initiative, which was halted prematurely in February, confirm that estrogen therapy is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke and venous thromboembolic...

Largest study of its kind: no link between breast cancer and abortion.(News)
May 1, 2004... Having a spontaneous or induced abortion does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer, according to results from the most comprehensive analysis of its kind. The finding comes from the Collaborative Group on...

Protecting the CME process.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... The Coalition for Healthcare Communication, which represents 11 major communications organizations, gives credit to Dr. Robert W. Rebar for recognizing all the measures now in place to protect the independence of the CME process ("Our...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2004... In the article "Comorbidities Are Common in Patients With Migraine" (INTERNAL MEDICINE NEWS, March 15, 2004, p. 19), the bulleted item and the reference to the disorder beneath it should have read premenstrual dysphoric disorder. The...

A boost for pertussis prevention.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... This could be the year the medical community finally begins to tackle the ongoing problem of pertussis. This year, both Aventis Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline are expected to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for licensure of...

Should an ARB routinely be added to ACE inhibitor and [beta]-blocker therapy for symptomatic heart failure? Yes.(Pro & Con)
May 1, 2004... First, a disclaimer: I was one of the principal U.S. investigators for the Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity (CHARM) program. CHARM was the largest study ever of an angiotensin receptor blocker...

Should an ARB routinely be added to ACE inhibitor and [beta]-blocker therapy for symptomatic heart failure? No.(Pro & Con)
May 1, 2004... The pharmaceutical industry just can't seem to accept the fact that ARBs generally don't provide important benefit in heart failure patients already on an ACE inhibitor and [beta]-blocker. First came Val-HeFT, a study showing that valsartan...

Internal Medicine News editorial advisory board.(Opinion)
May 1, 2004... Roy D. Altman, M.D., is professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Joseph W. Clift, M.D., is an internist in private practice in Oakland, Calif. Faith T. Fitzgerald, M.D., is professor of medicine and assistant...

Intake levels assessed: vitamins E, [B.sub.12] affect rates of bladder, prostate cancers.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- High vitamin intake can be a double-edged sword for cancer incidence, based on results from two epidemiologic studies reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. A high level of vitamin...

Baldness onset by age 30: prostate cancer, early vertex baldness linked.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A nearly threefold increase in the risk of prostate cancer was linked to early-onset, vertex baldness in a preliminary, case-control study with 196 men. The finding suggests that men with vertex baldness by age 30 should...

Prospective study: frequent ejaculation associated with lower prostate ca risk.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... Frequent ejaculation is not associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, Dr. Michael F. Leitzmann and his colleagues reported. If anything, the risk may be lower with more frequent ejaculation. In a prospective study of more...

15 years of follow-up: breast ca recurrence not boosted by pregnancy.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Women who have been treated for breast cancer can later become pregnant without triggering a recurrence of the disease, based on follow-up data from 444 women with a history of breast cancer. Many physicians tell breast...

Risk of breast cancer recurrence: molecular tests predict tamoxifen's effect.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A pair of molecular tests that measured the expression of three genes flagged women with stage I, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer who had a recurrence of their disease despite treatment with tamoxifen. This was...

Essential part of good evaluation: stress incontinence DX requires upright exam.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... BIG SKY, MONT. -- Examination of the patient in an upright position is a key component of a good office evaluation for stress urinary incontinence--and one that often gets overlooked, Dr. Steven D. McCarus said at a meeting on ob.gyn.,...

Most women with stress urinary incontinence have first symptoms before age 50.(Data Watch)
May 1, 2004... Most Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence Have First Symptoms Before Age 50 Don't know 3% Age 39 and under 40% Age 40-49 23% Age 50 and over 34% Note: Based on a survy of 275 women who reported SUI symptoms....

Techniques are simple: simple bladder retraining effective therapy for incontinence.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. -- What patient wouldn't opt for stress and urgency incontinence therapy that is simple, noninvasive, inexpensive, and uncomplicated by side effects? Such an alternative exists in the form of bladder retraining, but...

Single-visit approach: 'smear-and-treat' strategy boosts follow-up.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A "smear-and-treat," single-visit approach to offering Pap smears led to better follow-up treatment in a controlled study of more than 3,000 women. The single-visit strategy also boosted the rate of follow-up Pap smears...

Lower infection rates: fewer complications at high-volume knee centers.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Hospitals where high numbers of knee arthroplasty procedures are performed have fewer complications postoperatively compared with centers where patient volume is comparatively low. Such findings are likely to fuel the...

No added benefit: during knee arthroplasty, safe to skip patellar resurfacing.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Patellar resurfacing during total knee arthroplasty provides no added benefit and is an extra step that can be safely avoided, Dr. Robert Stephen Burnett declared at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic...

Studied in 34 patients: disappointing outcomes seen with UniSpacer knee implants.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Arthroplasty for treating medial-compartment arthritis of the knee using UniSpacer implants leaves a lot to be desired, Dr. Domenick Sisto said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In his...

Critics express concerns: same-day hip replacement has patient appeal.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Incision size and anesthesia requirements aren't the only things shrinking as a result of minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. Length of patient stay also is getting trimmed down to the bare essentials. A new...

Worse long-term outcome: depressed patients get less benefit from joint replacement.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The roughly 20% of patients who are depressed before undergoing total hip or knee replacement surgery are unlikely to benefit as much as nondepressed patients in terms of pain relief, diminished stiffness, and overall total...

Forearm densitometry: room in primary care practice for BMD tests.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Screening for osteoporosis is practical in a primary care setting with the use of peripheral dual x-ray absorptiometry devices, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry....

Artifacts and abnormalities: computer-aided densitometry requires skilled interpretation.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Computer-assisted densitometry can help flag certain abnormalities, but it's probably not going to make its way into the pages of a "Densitometry for Dummies" guidebook. In fact, the technology's accuracy is largely operator...

Reverse sequence doesn't work: PTH followed by alendronate shows synergistic effect.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Sequential use of recombinant parathyroid hormone followed by an antiresorptive agent is a promising therapeutic strategy in osteoporotic patients at high risk of fractures, Dr. Kenneth G. Saag said at a symposium sponsored...

Extended outpatient rehabilitation: delayed physical therapy may benefit hip fracture patients.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Postsurgical discharge of hip fracture patients to subacute rehabilitation programs may cut short the healing time required for intensive physical therapy to be most effective, Dr. Charles N. Cornell said at the annual meeting...

Emphysema also a risk: serum albumin tied to hip fracture mortality.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ALBUQUERQUE -- Low serum albumin, emphysema, and heart disease are significant predictors of in-hospital mortality among patients admitted with hip fractures, Dr. Bryan J. Pimlott and his colleagues reported at the annual meeting of the...

Almost one-fourth had fractures: bone health poor in survivors of pediatric solid tumors.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Half of young adult survivors of pediatric solid cancers had low bone mineral density and nearly a fourth had suffered at least one fracture since completion of their treatment, according to a cross-sectional study conducted at...

Pain rehabilitation program: opioid withdrawal helps chronic pain patients.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A pain rehabilitation program that incorporates opioid withdrawal can significantly improve physical and emotional functioning while successfully eliminating opioids, said Dr. Jeffrey Rome of the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation...

In hospitalized patients: sunlight may ease postop stress and pain.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Sunshine on your patients' shoulders may help take away their pain. Dr. Jeffrey M. Walch reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society. In a randomized prospective study of...

Superior to routine care: duloxetine effective for diabetic neuropathic pain.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Duloxetine is safe and significantly more effective for diabetic neuropathic pain than is routine care, Dr. J.F. Wernicke said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. In a...

Faster titration seems better: anticonvulsant appears to help ease diabetic polyneuropathy in small study.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The anticonvulsant tiagabine appeared to reduce painful diabetic polyneuropathy and improve sleep in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 14 patients, Dr. Louis C. Kirby reported. Ten patients started with 2 mg...

Acupuncture for headache.(An Evidence-Based Approach)
May 1, 2004... * A large randomized trial recently reported acupuncture to be effective for headache. * Acupuncture appears to be safe, with serious adverse effects being very rare. History: Ancient and Modern Acupuncture is thought to have...

More attacks on first day of cycle: near-fatal asthma attacks linked to menstruation.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... Menstruation may be a contributing factor in near-fatal asthma attacks that occur in patients with unstable asthma, reported Dr. Eva Martinez-Moragon of Hospital de Sagunto, Valencia, Spain, and her colleagues. This is the first study that...

May explain some deaths: prolonged QT common in asthma patients.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Severely asthmatic patients appear to have a high prevalence of arrhythmogenic prolonged QT interval, Dr. Craig D. Williams reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. This observation may explain...

Mixed UV/visible light: rhinophototherapy may shine in allergic rhinitis.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A novel form of phototherapy decreased the symptoms of allergic rhinitis in a preliminary study of patients who did not respond adequately to traditional drug treatment, Dr. Alana Ildiko Koreck reported at the annual meeting of...

Nationwide survey; Pet peeves: dog and cat allergens found in most American residences.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Virtually all homes in the United States contain detectable levels of dog and cat allergens. That finding emerged from a survey representative of the nation's 96 million permanently occupied, noninstitutional housing...

Seasonal allergic rhinitis: desloratadine boosts quality of life, reduces symptoms.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Desloratadine significantly decreased symptoms and improved quality of life in patients suffering from seasonal allergic rhinitis, according to a poster presented by Dr. A. Pradalier at the annual meeting of the American...

Herbal remedy: butterbur can help treat atopic asthma.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Butterbur, an herbal remedy, seems to have anti-inflammatory activity in patients with atopic asthma, according to a poster presented by Fiona M. Robb at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and...

Allergy and asthma: running tied to respiratory symptoms.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Recreational runners, who inhale large quantities of air loaded with particulate matter when they exercise near roadways, often develop symptoms of asthma and allergy, Dr. Christopher Randolph said at the annual meeting of the...

Test liberally in early pregnancy: lower threshold for TSH normal limits.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. -- A number of patients can fall through the cracks when it comes to ordering thyroid testing in early pregnancy, so Dr. Jorge H. Mestman likes to set a low threshold for screening, he said at a meeting of the Obstetrical...

Metabolic syndrome risk factors.(The Effective Physician)
May 1, 2004... Background The metabolic syndrome is increasingly recognized as a multifaceted risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in conjunction with the American Heart Association, recently released...

Patient dissatisfaction is factor: biologics are changing psoriasis treatment.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- The advent of immunobiologics for the management of moderate-to-severe psoriasis has created new paradigms for the treatment of the disease. Dr. Alice Gottlieb said at a conference on cutaneous immune disease. "Psoriasis care...

Lentigo maligna melanoma: modified Mohs successful in invasive melanoma.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- None of 59 patients with lentigo maligna and 13 with lentigo maligna melanoma treated with a modified Mohs micrographic surgery technique developed local recurrences over 351 months of follow-up, Dr. Donald J. Grande said at a...

MedRules, PDA Backup Cards.(Digital Assistance)
May 1, 2004... Featured App: MedRules (ver. 3.3) Clinical Prediction Rules Clinical prediction aids and decision support tools have been a part of medicine for many years. Application of guidelines and algorithms in daily practice has facilitated our...

Tight braids, extensions most harmful: ease up on hairstyles behind traction alopecia.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Alopecia has become almost epidemic in black women, the result of certain hairstyles that pull too tightly on the scalp and harsh chemical agents that damage the hair shaft and follicles, Dr. Susan C. Taylor said at the annual...

Cohort of 20 patients: bipolar illness often complicated by comorbidities, alcohol abuse.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Alcohol use and psychiatric comorbidity was common in a cohort of 20 patients with bipolar disorder, Dr. E. Levander reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. The 14 female...

U.S. preventive services task force: alcohol screening in primary care reveals at-risk patients.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... Primary care physicians should screen all adults and pregnant women for alcohol misuse, and refer them for counseling if necessary, according to an updated recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force found...

Co-occurrence of serious mental illness and substance use disorders in adults, 2002.(Data Watch)
May 1, 2004... Co-Occurrence of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders in Adults, 2002 Millions of Persons Substance Use Disorders, No Serious Mental Illness 15.75 Substance Use Disorders and Serious Mental Illness 4.05 Serious...

Smoking cessation strategies examined: web needs better ways to help smokers quit.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Web-based smoking cessation programs can be useful for some smokers, but better quality standards need to be stablished for them, several speakers said at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and...

Survey data: cigarette price hikes may increase attempts to quit.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Increasing the price of cigarettes appears to lead more people to attempt to quit smoking, Mark Reed, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. Dr....

Helping smokers: nicotine patches, gum distributed in street-based study.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- A street-based smoking cessation intervention might be a good way to help otherwise unmotivated smokers quit, Sonia A. Duffy, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Research on...

MRI and PET scans: imaging may spot risk of Alzheimer's.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Brain imaging techniques are giving researchers invaluable clues about the development of Alzheimer's disease well before symptoms appear. Such techniques may offer the chance to test promising ways to prevent the disorder...

Quick, accurate: dementia scoring tool uses caregiver input.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- An investigational dementia scoring tool uses caregiver input to quickly and accurately assess behavior, cognition, and function in community-living dementia patients. The Dementia Severity Scale (DSS), in development...

Hippocampus volumes not affected: MRI shows no dementia protection from statins.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Preliminary imaging evidence indicates that statins don't appreciably slow the shrinkage of the hippocampus that is associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the...

Alzheimer's or Lewy body? Clinical clues can help differentiate dementias.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Specific changes in alertness and cognition provide a key diagnostic clue for clinicians faced with distinguishing Alzheimer's disease from dementia with Lewy bodies and the normal effects of aging, Tanis Ferman, Ph.D., reported at...

Analysis of four studies: very mild Alzheimer's may respond favorably to galantamine therapy.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease may benefit from galantamine treatment, Dr. Gary W. Small reported in a poster session at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. The researchers...

Normal elderly subjects: cutting cerebrovascular risk may slow cognitive decline.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... Treatment of cerebrovascular risk factors may slow the progression of subclinical structural brain disease in the elderly and consequently its effect on cognition, Dr. Ian A. Cook and his associates said. Subclinical structural brain...

Comparison of clinical trials: olanzapine may pose mortality risk in dementia.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Mortality was higher among elderly patients with dementia who were treated with olanzapine, compared with those patients given a placebo, Dr. Robert W. Baker said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American...

Inadequate palliative care: advanced dementia not recognized as terminal.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... Patients with advanced dementia are not recognized as having a terminal condition and so do not receive adequate palliative care in the final phase of the illness, reported Dr. Susan L. Mitchell and her associates at Beth Israel Deaconess...

Disseminate through community agencies: elderly benefit from home-based depression TX.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... A program that partnered psychiatrists with community agencies serving the elderly significantly improved depression in a study of 138 frail, older adults by using primarily nonpharmacologic treatments at home. Approximately half the...

First randomized trial: CBT may prevent depression in nursing homes.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Brief, group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy can reduce symptom severity in nursing home residents who are at risk for depression but who do not yet meet criteria for major depression, a randomized trial has shown. The results...

No consensus on treatment: depression is common in Alzheimer's disease.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI -- A study of more than 300 people with Alzheimer's disease suggests there are distinct subtypes of depression that can occur at any stage of the disease. Depression is common in people with Alzheimer's, and in most cases is not just...

7-year follow-up study: late-life depression may predict onset of dementia in the elderly.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- Depression, especially when it first occurs late in life, appears to predict the onset of vascular and ischemic dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Martine Simard, Ph.D., reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the...

Patients studied over 5 years: drug may slow decline of Alzheimer's in the long term.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Rivastigmine may prevent the progression to severe dementia in patients with Alzheimer's disease, researchers said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Dr. Gary...

Primary care setting: intervention can curb thoughts of suicide.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Primary care physicians who recognize and adequately treat depression in elderly patients can quickly reduce suicidal ideation in an age group that is particularly prone to suicide deaths. This finding comes from the first...

At risk for major, minor depression: monitor elderly patients who have subsyndromal depression.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- It might be a good idea to keep an eye on elderly patients who have some symptoms of depression but don't fit the clinical definitions of major or minor depression, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the...

Schizophrenia, depression, diabetes: late-life bipolar disorder often has company.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Bipolar disorder does not appear to occur as frequently in older adults as it does in younger populations. But the disorder often is complicated by more comorbidities than that which occur in the general older adult population, Amy...

No randomized, controlled trials: treatment of late-life bipolar disorder lacks evidence base.(Focus on Geriatric Mental Health)
May 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Psychiatrists are treating bipolar disorder in older adults primarily through an extrapolation of data from younger patients with the disorder, Dr. Martha Sajatovic said at the annual meeting of the American Association for...

Renal insufficiency in endovascular repair: precautions lower risk of contrast nephropathy.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Chronic renal insufficiency is not a contraindication for endovascular repair using iodinated contrast if appropriate precautions are used, Dr. Frank J. Veith said at the 16th International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy. ...

Coronary angiography: acetylcysteine, statins may prevent nephropathy.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Treatment with either acetylcysteine or a statin appears to cut the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing coronary angiography, according to results from two separate studies. A metaanalysis of the...

Shift away from endarterectomy predicted: carotid stenting performs well in ARCHeR trials.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Carotid stenting with the aid of an embolic protection device produced clinical outcomes that compared "extremely favorably" to conventional surgical endarterectomy in a large, multicenter trial involving high-risk patients, Dr....

Proximal placement has advantages: carotid flow blockage device catches emboli during angioplasty, stenting.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- A dual-balloon catheter that temporarily blocks blood flow within the carotid artery gives a new form of emboli protection during carotid angioplasty and stenting. In a prospective, multicenter study of 157 patients, the...

Powerful prevention tool: preop BNP predicts atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- An elevated B-type natriuretic peptide level prior to cardiac surgery is a powerful predictor of postoperative atrial fibrillation, Dr. Oussama M. Wazni said at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. This...