Internal Medicine News articles from September 2003

Internal Medicine News archives from September 2003

West Nile virus effects may linger: neurologic manifestations.(News)
September 1, 2003... The poliomyelitis-like syndrome that is sometimes associated with West Nile virus is linked with a poor long-term outcome and may be irreversible, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in two articles that...

Paricalcitol therapy tops calcitriol in dialysis patients: 16% higher survival rate; new vitamin D analogue is more effective in treating secondary hyperparathyroidism.(News)
September 1, 2003... PHILADELPHIA -- Paricalcitol was more effective than calcitriol for treating secondary hyperparathyroidism and preventing deaths in patients on dialysis in an uncontrolled, retrospective analysis involving more than 60,000 patients. This...

Most physicians not ready for HIPAA compliance; feds ease standards slightly: Oct. 16 deadline will catch many off guard.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)(News)
September 1, 2003... Harry Reynolds is worried. Mr. Reynolds is responsible for making sure that his health plan, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, is ready on Oct. 16, the deadline for complying with the part of the Health Insurance Portability and...

Top turnover rates reported by Medical Staff in 2002.(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Top Turnover Rates Reported by Medical Staff in 2002 Position * Turnover Ultrasound Technician (164) 25% File Clerk (896) 25% Receptionist (3,271) 20% Medical Assistant...

Hemodialysis better for end-stage renal disease patients with CHF: compared with peritoneal dialysis.(congestive heart failure)
September 1, 2003... MIAMI BEACH -- Hemodialysis may be preferable to peritoneal dialysis in patients with both end-stage renal disease and congestive heart failure, based on data on more than 100,000 patients. "The popular belief is that peritoneal dialysis is...

Troponin T flags death risk in renal patients: most sensitive serum marker.(News)
September 1, 2003... PHILADELPHIA -- Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin T were associated with an increased risk of death among patients with end-stage renal disease, in a study of 399 patients. On the basis of this finding, physicians at the Hennepin...

AAMC slams plan to redirect academic health center funds: reaction to IOM report.(Association of American Medical Colleges, Institute of Medicine)(News)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Redirecting certain Medicare funds to supplement "innovative education efforts" in academic health centers would hurt the health care system, not help it, the Association of American Medical Colleges said. The association was...

Annual Pap not for all women, ACOG revised guidelines say: intervals of 2-3 years.(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)(News)
September 1, 2003... The annual Pap smear that has become a ritual for most American women is becoming a more risk-directed test and is no longer recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for young, sexually active teenagers or healthy...

Community-acquired VRE found in four states: sources being tracked.(vancomycin-resistant enterococci)(News)
September 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- A national surveillance program has identified 18 cases of vancomycin-resistant enterococci infection that appear to have been acquired in the community, Alison Drake said at an annual conference on antimicrobial resistance...

MRSA, VRE rarely seen in rural hospitals: 'a case or two'.(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus )(News)
September 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections rarely occur outside of large urban medical centers, "but most small rural hospitals have seen a case or two," Dr. Kurt B. Stevenson said at the annual conference on...

NSAIDs for 10 years reduce risk of breast cancer: ibuprofen most protective.(News)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Women who take moderate amounts of NSAIDs weekly for at least 10 years significantly reduce their risk of breast cancer, according to a new analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative. Ibuprofen was especially...

Anemia linked with physical decline in elderly: even borderline cases at risk.(News)
September 1, 2003... Anemia appears to significantly increase the likelihood that older people will experience a physical decline that erodes their ability to live independently. The risk of physical decline is almost as high for those with borderline anemia,...

Altruism has its limits.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I read with amusement the recommendation to raise the residency requirement to 4 years ("Skeptics Question proposal for Fourth Year of IM Training," June 1, 2003, p. 1). As it stands, general internal medicine is dying because we get no...

The truth behind perceptions.(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Dr. Abigail Hagler deplores the unfairness of current public perceptions of physicians ("We Are So Bad," Letters, July 15, 2003, p. 11). She apparently feels sorry for herself and other physicians because of the mistrust and lack of...

Talk back online.
September 1, 2003... TALK BACK ONLINE Is The National Resident Matching Program fundamentally anticompetitve? (Aug. 1, 2003, p. 51) NO 27% YES 73% To Talk Back. Visit www.einternalmedicinenews.com Note: Table made from pie...

Drug benefits and the uninsured.(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... At this present moment, Congress and the White House are finding a middle ground on legislation for a Medicare prescription drug coverage benefit. The Senate bill focuses on the needs of today's Medicare seniors while the House bill would...

Is obesity a disease?(Pro & Con)
September 1, 2003... YES Many people think of eating as a matter of choice, but there is a complex, biological system that controls food intake and makes it hard to lose weight. Many studies suggest that there are at least 40-50 difference...

Assess risk if there's family history of breast ca: women 35 and older.(cancer)(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... BIG SKY, MONT. -- Women who are age 35 years or older and have any reason to believe they have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer should be assessed using the Gaff model to systematically gauge their risk of developing breast cancer,...

Second primary malignancies in 10% of breast ca: most appear in colon.(cancer)(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Patients with breast cancer develop second primary malignancies both before and after diagnosis of breast cancer. About 10% of 952 breast cancer patients registered at the University of Arkansas had second primary...

Breast MRI may find cancer mammogram missed: specificity, cost at issue.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Magnetic resonance imaging detected breast tissue abnormalities that weren't seen on mammography in three recent studies, but the investigators are at odds on whether the technology should be used as a routine screening tool in women...

Little or no difference seen between menstrual, nonmenstrual migraines: comparison study.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- A new study suggests there is no significant difference in the way menstrual-related and nonmenstrual migraines respond to initial treatment. There was no significant difference between the two groups in associated symptoms,...

Zolmitriptan can tackle menstrual migraine: first randomized controlled trial.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- The first randomized con trolled trial to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of a triptan in the acute treatment of true menstrual migraine found that oral zolmitriptan provided significant and sustained relief, said Dr. Michael...

Frovatriptan helps prevent menstrually linked migraines: study of 545 women.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... HONOLULU -- Frovatriptan prevented menstrually associated migraine headaches in 50% of those who took a twice-daily dose during the perimenstrual period, Dr. Stephen Silberstein said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology....

Higher-dose estradiol patch has advantage: female migraineurs.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Dosage may be an important factor in the use of transdermal estradiol for prevention of headache in female migraineurs, Dr. Vincent T. Martin said at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. He reported on a...

New osteoporosis therapies not always better: more expensive.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... CLEVELAND -- Clinicians treating osteoporosis should be selective in their use of new anabolic therapies that are expensive but not necessarily more effective, until more data become available, Dr. Michael McClung advised at a meeting on...

Studies conflict on gastrointestinal event risks from bisphosphonates: alendronate vs. risedronate.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Men and women older than 65 who started bisphosphonate therapy with alendronate had about a 1.5-fold greater risk for gastrointestinal events after 4 months, compared with those who started therapy with risedronate, results from a...

Weekly risedronate shown as effective as daily dose regimen: first study of its kind.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- A 35-mg weekly dose of rise-dronate is just as effective as a 5-mg daily dose, according to results of a detailed bone study. The findings suggest that weekly dosing of the agent for postmenopausal women "is a reasonable...

External hip protectors in nursing homes.(Bottom Line)
September 1, 2003... Medicare coverage of hip protectors for all nursing home residents aged 70 years or older would save the federal government millions of dollars, Dr. Lisa Honkanen said at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. If Medicare...

Mental illness seen more in gays, bisexuals: better studies counter older data.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- Thirty years ago, the American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality is not a mental disorder, largely because of a series of studies starting in 1957 that found rates of mental illness were no higher in...

Divorce.(The Effective Physician)
September 1, 2003... Background An estimated 50% of first marriages and 60% of second marriages end in divorce. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a clinical report detailing the impact of divorce on families and offering guidance in managing...

Depression a barrier to breast, cervical ca testing: reduces screening rates.(cancer)(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- A high burden of depressive symptoms is an independent predictor of reduced odds of undergoing appropriate screening for breast and cervical cancer, Dr. Paul A. Pirraglia said at the annual meeting of the Society of General...

Sertraline okay for depression in Parkinson's disease: open-label trial.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... HONOLULU -- Case reports have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be associated with worsening of Parkinson's disease, but a prospective, open-label trial of sertraline has come to the opposite conclusion, Dr. Jaime...

Dieting, exercise must accompany obesity drugs: obesity therapy.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... DENVER -- Weight-loss medications arguably should never be prescribed without also enrolling patients in some sort of behavioral modification program as well as a dietary intervention, Dr. Samuel Klein said at an international conference of the...

Obesity and eating disorders frequently occur together: specialists urged to join forces.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... DENVER -- It's high time for specialists in the traditionally separate fields of obesity and eating disorders to join forces in an integrated approach to prevention and treatment, said Diane Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., at an international...

Whites more likely to get narcotics for pain: insurance status, age also factors.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2003... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- White patients with chronic nonmalignant pain are more likely to receive narcotics than black ones, even though black patients have significantly higher average pain scores, Dr. Mark E. Pasanen reported at the annual meeting...

Drug update: Parkinson's disease.(Rx)
September 1, 2003... Levodopa has been the mainstay treatment of Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years, but it no longer reigns supreme. The dopamine precursor has had to make room for the dopamine agonists, a class that historically has had an adjunctive role...

FDA okays rosuvastatin for hypercholesterolemia: most potent statin to date.(Rx)
September 1, 2003... BETHESDA, MD. -- Rosuvastatin, the most potent statin to be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, has been approved by the agency as an adjunct to diet for treating hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia. At a meeting in July,...

Repaglinide outperforms nateglinide in two trials: type 2 diabetes.(Rx)
September 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Repaglinide is more effective than nateglinide for patients with type 2 diabetes, whether used as monotherapy or in combination with met-formin, according to results from two open-label multicenter studies presented at the annual...

Limited drug options for acute renal failure: mild benefit achieved.(Rx)
September 1, 2003... DALLAS -- Good pharmacologic approaches to preventing and treating acute renal failure in at-risk patients remain elusive, but mild benefit has been achieved with some drugs and other approaches, Dr. Richard A. Lafayette said at a conference on...

Three lots of Nortrel 7/7/7-28 day oral contraceptive are recalled: out of sequence.(Rx)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Barr Laboratories Inc. has voluntarily recalled three lots of Nortrel 7/7/7-28 day (norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol) oral contraceptive because the color-coded pills may be out of sequence in some cases. About 470,000 packages of the...

New erectile dysfunction drugs pass QT tests: not clinically relevant.(Rx)
September 1, 2003... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- The QT-interval prolongation associated with alfuzosin and vardenafil is not clinically relevant, the Food and Drug Administration's Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee has concluded. The consensus was...

Folic acid not protective in antiepileptic users: congenital anomalies.(Rx)
September 1, 2003... PHILADELPHIA -- The use of folic acid at the time of conception was not associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of having an infant with a major congenital anomaly in women taking antiepileptic drugs. That finding...

New safety warning added for topiramate: two conditions.(Rx)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Patients who take the anticonvulsant topiramate may be at risk for developing oligohidrosis and hyperthermia, according to new safety warnings and precautions released by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, and the Food and Drug Administration. ...

Tetravalent HPV vaccine now in phase III trial: cervical ca prevention.(human papillomavirus, cancer)(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2003... OTTAWA -- A tetravalent human papillomavirus vaccine now in international phase III trials is expected to prevent up to 70% of invasive cervical cancers, Dr. Laura A. Koutsky said at a congress of the International Society for Sexually...

Cranberry juice for UTI prevention.(urinary tract infections)(Alternative Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach)
September 1, 2003... * Current research suggests that tannin compounds in cranberries may prevent the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria to uroepithelial cells. * Evidence for clinical efficacy is limited, but studies continue with funding from the National...

UTI patients show antibiotic resistance: lower resistance in Canada.(urinary tract infections)(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The United States beats Canada--in antibiotic resistance, that is. Data from the ongoing North American urinary Tract Infection Collaborative Alliance (NAUTICA) indicate that antibiotic resistance rates in urinary tract...

Gram-negative bacilli attack cancer patients' urinary tract: antibiotic resistance.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Gram-negative bacilli persist in pestering cancer patients, Dr. Kenneth Rolston said in a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. In a 3-month susceptibility testing period from...

HIV, smoking, and respiration.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... HIV patients have an increased risk of respiratory symptoms and greater susceptibility to the effects of cigarette smoking, and their respiratory risk is further increased if they are current or former smokers, a study suggests. The study...

HIV drug warning.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Abacavir and lamivudine in combination with tenofovir should not be initiated as triple antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients, GlaxoSmithKline warned in a "Dear Health Care Provider" letter. Patients currently controlled on this regimen...

Avoiding HIV transmission.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are designed to help health care providers promote strategies to prevent HIV transmission. The guidelines come on the heels of a CDC report of increasing HIV transmission...

HCV and type 2 diabetes.(hepatitis C virus)(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Hepatitis C virus infection appears to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults at high risk for the disease, according to the results of a community-based cohort study. Of 1,084 adults free of diabetes at baseline, 548...

Diagnosing strep pharyngitis.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A simplified version of Walsh Clinical Prediction Rules was practical and accurate for helping to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis in an inner-city, ethnically diverse clinical setting, a prospective study suggests. Clinical prediction...

Azithromycin for CAP.(community-acquired pneumonia)(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Azithromycin led to significantly shorter hospital stays and lower mortality than clarithromycin in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia in an open-label prospective study. Of 603 patients, 383 received ceftriaxone plus a...

Tifacogin for severe sepsis.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Tifacogin increased the risk of bleeding and failed to improve mortality in patients with severe sepsis and mild coagulopathy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The researchers hypothesized that the tissue factor...

Fluticasone-induced candidiasis.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Inhaled corticosteroid use was associated with oral candidiasis risk in a recent study. The amount of Candida organisms was significantly greater in 143 asthma patients using inhaled corticosteroids than among 11 who were not on inhaled...

Smoking history can point to Crohn's or ulcerative colitis: nicotine tablet studied.(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... COLORADO SPRINGS -- A patient's smoking history can provide important clues to help differentiate ulcerative colitis from Crohn's disease, Dr. William J. Tremaine said at a meeting of the Colorado Chapter of the American College of Physicians....

Smoking, appendectomy affect manifestations of ulcerative colitis: increased extraintestinal disease.(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Patients with ulcerative colitis who smoke or who have had an appendectomy are at increased risk of developing extraintestinal manifestations of the disease, a prospective study suggests. Paradoxically, smoking and...

Inflammatory bowel disease increases bone fracture risk: bisphosphonates warranted.(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... MANCHESTER, ENGLAND -- Only 7% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease were on appropriate bisphosphonate therapy in a case-control study, Dr. Nigel Arden said at the annual meeting of the British Society for Rheumatology. Given the...

New system increases cadaveric liver transplants: waiting list time not primary factor.(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- A reduction in waiting list mortality and an increase in cadaveric transplants have occurred under a revised system for allocating donor livers, Dr. Richard B. Freeman Jr. reported at the American Transplant Congress. The...

Brush sampling screen preferred for colorectal ca: patient friendly.(cancer)(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... ORLANDO, FLA. -- New fecal immunochemical technology that uses brush sampling is superior to standard guaiac fecal occult blood testing as a screening tool for colorectal cancer, Dr. Graeme P. Young reported at the annual Digestive Disease...

FDA drops olestra warning.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Foods that contain the zero-calorie fat substitute olestra no longer have to include a label warning consumers about possible abdominal cramping and loose stools, the Food and Drug Administration said. The decision followed a scientific...

Hemochromatosis mutation.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Centenarians who are heterozygous for the C282Y mutation in the HFE gene, which is associated with hemochromatosis in homozygotes, do not appear to be at increased risk for carcinomas and cardiovascular diseases, reported Helen Coppin of the...

Ulcerative colitis biologic Tx.(treatment)(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Oral mesalamine and enemas of epidermal growth factor appear to be effective in improving ulcerative colitis signs and symptoms, said Dr. Atul Sinha of the Leicester (England) Royal Infirmary and associates. Twelve patients who received...

Aspirin and adenomas.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Chemoprevention with aspirin reduces the recurrence of colonic adenomas greater than 5 mm in diameter after 1 year in patients who had previous colorectal adenomas, reported Dr. Robert Benamouzig of Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France, and his...

TIPS may stop variceal bleeding in cirrhosis: not first-line treatment.(transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt)(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt may be lifesaving--at least in the short term--for patients with recurrent gastroesophageal variceal bleeding associated with cirrhosis, Dr. Henry C. Bodenheimer Jr....

Dialysis Recombivax safe for revaccination against HBV: previous nonresponders.(hepatitis B virus)(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Health care workers who fail to respond to routine vaccination against hepatitis B can safely, and in most cases, successfully, be revaccinated using the dialysis version of Recombivax, according to a recent study. Of 14...

Tomato sauce reduces severity of anemia caused by ribavirin therapy: HCV patients.(hepatitis C virus)(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Daily consumption of a highly concentrated tomato sauce rich in antioxidants reduced the severity of anemia caused by ribavirin in people with chronic hepatitis C infection, researchers in Italy found. Anemia caused by...

Several agents under study for treating HCV: oral protease inhibitor, vaccine.(hepatitis C)(Gastroenterology)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- The discovery of an orally bioavailable protease inhibitor and a promising therapeutic vaccine were among the highlights of new research on treating hepatitis C virus infection presented at a meeting sponsored by the American...

Top 10 diagnoses in gastroenterology office visits in 2002.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Top 10 Diagnoses in Gastroenterology Office Visits in 2002 % of Office Visits Esophageal Disorder NEC 8.6 Abdominal Pain ...

Handheld echo helps triage in acute chest pain: 100% negative predictive value for ACS.(acute coronary syndrome)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Handheld echocardiography appears to be useful in assessment of patients who present with acute chest pain to the emergency department, Dr. Shaul Atar reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography. ...

Tissue Doppler echocardiography gives view of myocardium: noninvasive measure of function.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Echocardiography needs to move beyond the ventricle and start assessing patients' myocardial tissue through routine application of newer tissue Doppler--derived techniques, Dr. Thomas H. Marwick said in the Feigenbaum Lecture at...

Echo screen can assess elderly patients' risk of first CV event: primary prevention.(cardiovascular)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Echocardiography may be an important noninvasive screening tool for stratifying elderly patients for risk of a first cardiovascular event, Dr. Teresa S.M. Tsang reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of...

CRP may predict stroke risk in atrial fibrillation: potential screening test.(C-reactive protein)(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- C-reactive protein levels may reflect stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, Susan E. Jasper reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography. In a multivariate analysis controlling for...

Medicare rule on ICD coverage assailed as 'irrational' policy: inclusion of QRS data questioned.(implantable cardioverter defibrillators)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Medicare's recent decision restricting coverage of implantable cardioverter defibrillators constitutes "a blow to evidence-based medicine," Dr. Leonard Ganz reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of...

Making sense of BNP screen for heart failure: assay has limited use.(brain natriuretic peptide)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... COLORADO SPRINGS -- Brain natriuretic peptide assays are "a real advance" in diagnosis and management of congestive heart failure, provided that physicians understand their proper use and limitations, Dr. JoAnn Lindenfeld said at a meeting of...

Heart failure can masquerade as asthma, COPD: about 20% in ER study.(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emergency room)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- About 20% of patients who present to an emergency department with acute dyspnea and a history of asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease actually have heart failure, based on a study of 1,586 patients. "We were surprised...

Initial nesiritide best for acute decompensated HF: cuts hospital stay.(heart failure)(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Use of nesiritide as initial therapy in patients with acute decompensated heart failure results in shorter hospital stays than conventional intravenous diuretic-based therapy, Dr. Richard Chang reported at the annual meeting of the...

Spinal manipulation may increase risk of stroke: patients under age 60.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... People under age 60 who had strokes or transient ischemic attacks from vertebral artery dissection were 6.6 times more likely to have undergone spinal manipulation in the 30 days preceding their strokes, compared with people who had strokes...

Physician specialty may affect 1-year survival after CHF hospitalization: study draws criticism.(congestive heart failure)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Patients treated by an attending cardiologist during hospitalization for congestive heart failure have lower 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality than those treated by internists or family physicians, according to a large new...

Diabetes education lacks focus on cardiovascular risk: two analyses.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Diabetes education doesn't focus enough on reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, Paula Giesler, R.N., said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Recent data overwhelmingly confirm the...

STAT Cardiac Clearance.(Digital Assistance)
September 1, 2003... Overview: STAT Cardiac Clearance is a Palm OS handheld computer application that helps health care providers assess perioperative cardiac risk for patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Those responsible for preoperative assessment and...

Unusual symptoms noted in pseudostroke: recent stressors common.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- A sequential evolution of strokelike symptoms, unusual exam features, and recent stressors may point to psychogenic pseudostroke, an "uncommon but not rare condition" seen in a widely disparate group of patients, Dr. Timothy...

Triple antihypertensive Tx urged for diabetics: BP-lowering regimen.(treatment, blood pressure)(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Combined treatment with an angiotensin-active drug, a diuretic, and a calcium channel blocker is a good blood pressure-lowering regimen for most patients with diabetes, Dr. Norman M. Kaplan said at the annual meeting of the...

Losartan benefits hypertensives with atrial fib: potential antiarrhythmic effect.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and a history of atrial fibrillation benefit more from a losartan-based antihypertensive regimen than an atenolol-based one, Dr. Kristian Wachtell reported at the annual meeting...