Internal Medicine News articles from September 2004

Internal Medicine News archives from September 2004

Whistleblowers say they fear retaliation.(News)
September 1, 2004... Despite efforts to increase error reporting in medicine, some physicians say they have been targets for retaliation after reporting unsafe or inadequate care in their hospitals and clinics. Dr. W. Harry Horner, an internist in Waynesboro,...

Distribution of national health expenditures.(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Distribution of National Health Expenditures Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% because of rounding. * Dental health services, durable medical equipment, etc. ** Administration, net cost of private health insurance, research,...

Cardiovascular risk factors tied to dementia risk: simple lifestyle changes that boost HDL cholesterol may have a substantial impact.(News)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension aren't just bad for the heart. They're bad for the brain, too. Data from three large population-based studies presented at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and...

ARB linked to 20% drop in new-onset diabetes: yielded mortality similar to amlodipine.(News)(angiotensin receptor blocker)
September 1, 2004... DETROIT -- Valsartan-based antihypertensive regimens are no more effective than those based on amlodipine for reducing cardiac mortality and morbidity in high-risk adults, but are better at preventing new-onset diabetes, a large clinical trial...

Panel defends low-dose steroids.(News)
September 1, 2004... BERLIN -- Long-term low-dose glucocorticoid therapy has gotten an undeserved bad rap in terms of side effects, an expert panel has concluded. Systemic corticosteroids can be likened to fine wine, Dr. Johannes W.J. Bijlsma said in...

Wireless drug tracking may be wave of future.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- Bar code technology has been a big step forward in patient safety, but it's not a natural part of workflow and is easily bypassed, Alex Wilson said at a meeting sponsored by the Medical Records Institute. ...

CMS seeking public comment on Medicare drug benefit rules.(News)
September 1, 2004... Want to give the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services a piece of your mind on how it should implement the new Medicare prescription drug benefit? Now's your chance. CMS released its proposed regulations on the drug benefit in...

Trial confirms value of CCBs in black patients.(News)(calcium channel blockers)
September 1, 2004... DETROIT -- The efficacy of calcium channel blockers for the treatment of hypertension in African Americans was confirmed in the Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation (VALUE) trial. The 15,245-patient study, designed to show...

Using rTSH can ease thyroid remnant ablation.(News)
September 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Using recombinant thyroid-stimulating hormone to prepare thyroid cancer patients for remnant ablation is just as effective as the traditional approach of withholding thyroxine--and it can allow patients to avoid the unpleasant...

Mercury in fish may damage developing brain.(News)
September 1, 2004... More than half of all freshwater fish samples in a recent Environmental Protection Agency study contained mercury levels that exceed the limit considered safe in women of childbearing age, and more than three-quarters had levels exceeding the...

Soy nuts plus exercise may cut hot flashes.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Adding soy nuts to a low-fat diet cut the number of hot flashes in postmenopausal women, and the effect was amplified in women who exercised more than 276 minutes per week, Stacey E. Panagotopulos, Ph.D., reported. Among...

A calorie is a calorie.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... A calorie is a calorie. How much you eat will control how much fat you lose. Several recent studies have compared high-protein or low-carb diets with low-fat diets and reported dramatic differences in weight loss. Does this represent a...

Should an incidental adolescent varicocele be repaired?(Pro & Con)
September 1, 2004... YES A varicocele can affect testicular growth, function, and histology. There is evidence that testicular volume correlates well with total sperm count, sperm motility, and serum FSH and LH levels. The gonadotoxic effect of the varicocele...

Heart hospitals.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... The articles in the June 15, 2004, issue addressing specialty hospitals failed to discuss the hospital environment, where all too often administrators denigrate or ignore the needs and prerogatives of the physicians who are ultimately...

Pain relievers.(Opinion)
September 1, 2004... "Orthodox medicine is under attack so take everything I say with a grain of salt."

Coping with economic credentialing.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... In communities all over the country, hospitals and hospital systems have taken strong defensive (or, from the physicians' perspective, offensive) actions to counter the conflicts of interest and economic threats posed by the physician owners of...

Genetic risk for Alzheimer's tied to brain atrophy.(Geriatrics)
September 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Nondemented adults with the apolipoprotein [epsilon]4 genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease may have a higher risk for accelerated cortical atrophy, Prabha Siddarth, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at the American Association...

Alzheimer's risk linked to poor lung function.(Geriatrics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Poor respiratory function increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease in women, Dr. Xinxin Guo reported at the Ninth International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. Poor lung function reduces oxygen...

Rivastigmine fights Parkinson's disease dementia.(Geriatrics)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Rivastigmine was safe and effective for improving symptoms of dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease in a randomized, controlled study with 541 patients. Results from prior case series and small, open-label studies...

[beta]-carotene may lower Alzheimer's disease risk.(Geriatrics)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Long-term [beta]-carotene supplementation could significantly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, Francine Grodstein, Sc.D., reported at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related...

Soy no help for bones, cognition in older women.(Geriatrics)
September 1, 2004... Soy supplementation was not associated with significant improvements in cognition, bone density, or lipid profiles, compared with placebo, in more than 200 older postmenopausal women followed for 1 year, Dutch investigators reported. The...

Galantamine can help in tx of vascular dementia.(Geriatrics)
September 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The widely used anti-Alzheimer's disease drug galantamine also is effective in the treatment of patients with vascular dementia, Dr. Alexander P. Auchus said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. ...

After spinal surgery, elderly fare better than expected.(Geriatrics)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Elderly patients fare better after spinal surgery than previously thought, according to the findings of two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. In the first study,...

Hypoglycemia portends unfavorable outcomes in elderly.(Geriatrics)
September 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Hypoglycemia is associated with poor outcomes in elderly, hospitalized patients, Dr. Nadya Kagansky reported at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. Mortality in the hospital and at 3 and 6 months after...

Late-onset asthma often remains unrecognized: effects of aging on lung stiffness and volume can mimic symptoms.(Pulmonary Medicine)
September 1, 2004... TORONTO -- Many physicians are unaware of the frequency of adult-onset asthma, and this is an important factor in the underdiagnosis of this condition, according to Dr. Raymond Slavin. "Up to 40% of asthmatics are at least 40 years old at...

Athletes can damage airways, but training must be intense.(Pulmonary Medicine)
September 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Runners and other athletes who engage in an aerobic activity for more than 20 hours per week probably are at risk of developing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction that leads to permanent remodeling. Dr. Robert J. Johnson...

Sleep lab study links asthma severity with circadian rhythms.(Pulmonary Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Worsening of asthma at night may be caused by circadian rhythm, rather than sleep, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. "If clinicians think that it is just...

Erlotinib, gefitinib nip lung cancer mortality.(Pulmonary Medicine)
September 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Erlotinib and gefitinib both reduced mortality from non-small cell lung cancer in patients who did not respond to standard therapies, researchers reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. ...

FDA panel backs pemetrexed as lung cancer tx.(Pulmonary Medicine)
September 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The Food and Drug Administration's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted to back approval of pemetrexed (Alimta, Eli Lilly & Co.) as second-line therapy for locally advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer,...

Lawsuits link steroids with avascular necrosis: although scientific data do not support causation, patients should be informed even with short-term use.(Dermatology)
September 1, 2004... VICTORIA, B.C. -- The risk of avascular necrosis associated with corticosteroids may not be clearly defined, but it has become a common cause of lawsuits, Dr. Robert N. Richards said at the annual conference of the Canadian Dermatology...

Numerous drugs drive up SCLE incidence rates.(Dermatology)
September 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- The incidence of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is on the rise because of growing use of drugs that can trigger the disorder. Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) can be induced by a long list of drugs,...

Continuous use of efalizumab for up to 2 years appears safe.(Dermatology)
September 1, 2004... VICTORIA, B.C. -- Pooled data from company trials of efalizumab show no safety concerns with up to 2 years of continuous use, the longest anyone has taken the drug. Dr. Charles W. Lynde said at the annual conference of the Canadian Dermatology...

Tuberculosis testing is essential before starting anti-TNF therapy.(Dermatology)
September 1, 2004... TORONTO -- Tuberculosis skin testing should be standard before starting a psoriasis patient on tumor necrosis factor antagonist therapy, Dr. Richard Langley said at the 10th International Psoriasis Symposium sponsored by the Skin Disease...

Polypharmacy, depression may be linked in elderly: somatic complaints by depressed patients lead doctors to prescribe more drugs, thus exacerbating depression.(Psychiatry)
September 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Polypharmacy is a strong predictor of depression in an elderly patient, Dr. James Cassady said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

Patients with depression may take up to 8 weeks to respond to SSRI.(Psychiatry)
September 1, 2004... PARIS -- A patient with depression may take as long as 8 weeks to respond to treatment with an antidepressant, and the length of this possible lag is often underestimated by physicians, Dr. Andrew A. Nierenberg said at the 24th congress of the...

SAD episode incidence reduced with prophylactic bupropion.(Psychiatry)
September 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- For the first time, an antidepressant has been shown to prevent depressive episodes in people with a history of seasonal affective disorder, Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American...

Changing sleep hygiene may hold promise for insomniacs.(Psychiatry)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- A population-based study of insomniacs and normal controls is the first to demonstrate that people with insomnia frequently engage in more inappropriate sleep hygiene practices than do noninsomniacs, Catherine Jefferson said at...

Melatonin for jet lag and sleep disorders.(An Evidence-Based Approach)
September 1, 2004... Mechanisms of Action Melatonin was first described nearly 50 years ago after its isolation from bovine pineal tissue. Experiments on tadpoles showed that it was a powerful skin-lightening agent that inhibited melanin dispersal in...

Caffeine, naps help the night shift just slightly.(Psychiatry)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The combination of caffeine and evening naps has only modest positive effects on performance and subjective sleepiness of night shift workers, Paula Schweitzer, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Associated...

No cognitive benefit from modafinil in healthy sleepers.(Psychiatry)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Modafinil is not an effective enhancer of cognition in healthy, non-sleep-deprived patients, according to the largest study to date on the subject. Modafinil (Provigil) is indicated to improve wakefulness in patients with...

Kidneys from expanded criteria donors increase supply of organs.(Nephrology)
September 1, 2004... BOSTON -- A policy switch promoting the use of kidneys from older donors has succeeded in getting more of these organs to willing patients on kidney transplant waiting lists and may have prevented a slip in the overall number of kidney...

Donor recovery lasts for at least a month.(Nephrology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy may be less arduous than open surgery, but a Canadian study found that 34 of 37 kidney donors at McGill University in Montreal were still convalescing a month after the less-invasive procedure. ...

Low doses of valganciclovir sufficient for most recipients.(Nephrology)
September 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Low-dose valganciclovir hydrochloride was effective for preventing cytomegalovirus infection in most kidney and liver transplant recipients, Derrick Van Beuge, Pharm.D., reported at the American Transplant Congress. For a...

Targeted experimental drug shows promise as cyclosporine alternative.(Nephrology)
September 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Similar rates of acute rejection--19% in patients treated with an experimental drug called LEA29Y and 18% in cyclosporin-treated patients--were reported in presentations of 6-month data at the American Transplant Congress. ...

More diuretic use predicted to increase ESRD.(Nephrology)(end-stage renal disease )
September 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Increasing use of diuretics for treatment of hypertension in the United States and Canada is associated with a surge in the incidence of end-stage renal disease, Dr. Ralph G. Hawkins reported at the annual meeting of the American...

Early intensive glucose control cut neuropathy.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Early implementation of intensive blood glucose control reduces the risk for neuropathy in patients with type 1 diabetes, even if their control worsens down the line, Catherine L. Martin reported at the annual scientific...

Topiramate is beneficial for pain, Canadian physician survey suggests.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Canadian physicians who use topiramate for diabetic neuropathy report that 64% of their patients are "very much" improved by the treatment and another 27% are "minimally" improved, according to a small survey. The survey...

Painful diabetic neuropathy is not being adequately treated.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Painful diabetic neuropathy is suboptimally treated in clinical practice, Mugdha Gore, Ph.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Distal symmetric...

Pain's Inspiration.(A Patient's Perspective)(Poem)
September 1, 2004... It is there like a Background riff in a song Sometimes no more than a single note The smell of the fatback In the black-eyed peas A reminder An annoyance Sometimes it burns hot Like coals singeing the Bottoms of...

Obesity may be cause of infertility in men: higher BMI was linked with lower serum inhibin B, which may be a marker for lower sperm motility.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Here's one more reason to advise overweight men to shed pounds: Obese men have serum markers of compromised fertility, and men who have fathered children tend to have lower body mass indexes than do those without children. ...

In study, pedometers moved sedentary patients to action.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- A pedometer may be a useful tool for raising sedentary patients from their lounging chairs and nudging them into health-enhancing activity, Dr. Steven Stovitz said at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports...

Interactive computing predicted to become valuable weight-loss tool.(Endocrinology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Interactive computing will become a valuable tool in helping obese patients lose weight, Dr. Jeremy Nobel said at a meeting on obesity sponsored by Global Business Research Ltd. For payers and others looking for ways to help...

Percent of adults who hit the recommended level of physical activity, 2000.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Percent of Adults Who Hit the Recommended Level of Physical Activity, 2000 Age in Years 18-34 26.1% 35-49 24.7% 50-64 25.9% 65+ 29.8% Overall 26.2% Note: Recommended physical...

Teriparatide: significant but temporary benefits.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Daily teriparatide injections can lower a menopausal woman's risk of fractures, thanks to marked improvement in skeletal mass and structure, Dr. Robert Lindsay said at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. ...

Black women may need more oral vitamin D.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Black women may need higher doses of oral vitamin [D.sub.3] supplementation than white women to achieve optimal serum levels, Dr. Sonia Talwar said in a poster session at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society. "Black...

Pregnancy calls for increase in levothyroxine.(Endocrinology)
September 1, 2004... ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- Women of reproductive age who have clinical hypothyroidism should be counseled to increase their levothyroxine by two doses per week as soon as pregnancy is confirmed and to have their thyroid-stimulating hormone levels...

Infertility linked to cancer risk in women.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... EDMONTON, ALTA. -- Women with at least a 1-year history of infertility appear to be at significantly elevated risk of developing hormonal cancers, according to data extracted from the Women's Health Initiative database of nearly 162,000...

CodeMeister, PDA chargers.(Digital Assistance)
September 1, 2004... Featured App: CodeMeister As if our days weren't already busy enough with patient encounters, most of us must also make time for a variety of administrative and correspondence tasks. In the "business of medicine" it's now not enough just...

Levetiracetam may avert transformed migraines.(Clinical Rounds)
September 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Levetiracetam is a promising drug for the prevention of attacks of transformed migraine, a notoriously tough-to-treat and common form of chronic daily headache, Dr. Alan M. Rapoport said at the annual meeting of the American...

Obesity.(Drug Update)
September 1, 2004... Withdrawal of the popular obesity drugs fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine (Redux) from the U.S. market in 1997 left Americans hungry for new obesity drugs with long-term efficacy. They're still waiting, as their waistlines continue to grow. ...

Tegaserod considered as constipation treatment.(Rx)
September 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A federal advisory panel recommended approval of the irritable bowel syndrome drug tegaserod for treating primary chronic constipation in women under age 65. At a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration's...

FDA approves Botox for treating severe underarm sweating.(Rx)
September 1, 2004... Physicians and patients searching for answers to primary axillary hyperhidrosis have a new Food and Drug Administration-approved option: botulinum toxin type A. The FDA has approved the use of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) for the...

Drug can ease chronic neuropathic pain: pregabalin, which binds to calcium channels, has analgesic, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant effects.(Rx)
September 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A novel compound called pregabalin provides significant relief to patients who have chronic neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia, two researchers reported at the annual...

Two drugs show promise for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.(Rx)(ruboxistaurin)
September 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Help may be on the way for patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Two drugs showed encouraging evidence of efficacy for this common condition in clinical trials presented at the annual meeting of the...

Panel okays expanded indication for CRT plus defibrillator.(Rx)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- The Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously (8-0) to recommend, with conditions, expanding the indication of Guidant Corporation's cardiac resynchronization therapy...

Duloxetine is approved by FDA for major depression.(Rx)
September 1, 2004... Approval of duloxetine hydrochloride by the Food and Drug Administration offers an additional drug for the treatment of major depressive disorder that affects both serotonin and norepinephrine. In a statement announcing the approval, Dr....

Novel method of cardioversion has advantages.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Combining transesophageal echocardiography with transesophageal cardioversion offers the best means of accomplishing fast-track DC cardioversion of atrial fibrillation, Dr. Itzhak Kronzon asserted at the annual meeting of the...

Dronedarone reduced firing of ICDs, had good safety margin.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(implantable cardioverter defibrillator)
September 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Dronedarone is an antiarrhythmic drug that physicians will be hearing a great deal about between now and year's end, Dr. Peter R. Kowey said at the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society. He presented the results of a...

Atrial fibrillation drug pipeline is flowing with new agents.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A host of antiarrhythmic agents for termination or prevention of atrial fibrillation are in the developmental pipeline. Here are some of the most promising, according to Dr. Peter R. Kowey of Lankenau Hospital and the Main Line...

Lipid testing not needed for statin therapy in ACS.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(acute coronary syndromes )
September 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Forget in-hospital cholesterol measurement for patients with acute coronary syndromes. Automatically starting statin therapy in patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes (ACS)--without any inpatient lipid...

Statin prescribing by cardiologists.(Data Watch)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Statin Prescribing by Cardiologists Estimated Prescriptions in Millions 1999 10.1 2000 11.4 2001 12 2002 10.8 2003 11.1 Source: Verispan Note: Table made from line graph.

Triglycerides do not alter raloxifene's lipid effects.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Raloxifene is equally effective at improving serum lipids and fibrinogen in postmenopausal osteoporotic women regardless of whether they are hypertriglyceridemic or not, Dr. Thomas Dayspring said at the annual meeting of the...

Failure to lower lipids raises risk of cardiovascular events.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Failure to meet treatment goals for HDL cholesterol or triglycerides is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events in patients whose LDL-cholesterol levels remain elevated, Eric J. Stanek, Pharm.D., said in a poster...

Guideline addresses recurrent stroke risk in patients with PFO: patent foramen ovale does not increase future stroke risk after cryptogenic stroke, AAN says.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- The presence of a patent foramen ovale in a medically managed patient who has had a cryptogenic stroke doesn't confer increased risk of another stroke or death, according to a recently released American Academy of Neurology...

Carotid stenting in patients over age 80 carries higher death risk.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
September 1, 2004... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- The risks associated with carotid stenting rise appreciably after age 80, Dr. Robert Hobson II said at the annual meeting of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Citing data from the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy...

Testing stroke patients for lipids in hospital increases LLT prescriptions.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Stroke patients who underwent lipid testing during a hospital stay were more likely to receive lipid-lowering medications when discharged than were patients who were not tested during their stay, Mathew Reeves, Ph.D., said in a...

Radial approach for PCI safe.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Doing percutaneous coronary interventions through the radial artery appears to be as safe as the traditional femoral approach and is becoming more common as operators become more proficient at it, according to Dr. Pierfrancesco Agostoni of the...

Home BP monitoring can help.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... When hypertensive patients monitor their BP at home, they achieve lower levels and better overall control of hypertension than when they receive the usual monitoring in a physician's office or clinic, according to Dr. Francesco P. Cappuccio of...

High-normal aldosterone, HT.(Clinical Capsules)(hypertension)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... People whose serum aldosterone levels are high but still within the physiologic range appear to be predisposed to developing hypertension, reported Dr. Ramachandran S. Vasan of Boston University School of Medicine and associates. They...

Diet may counter inflammation.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... People who follow a Mediterranean diet have low circulating levels of many markers for inflammation and coagulation, reported Dr. Christina Chrysohoou of the University of Athens and associates. The investigators conducted an epidemiologic...

Pulmonary hypertension.(The Effective Physician)
September 1, 2004... Progress in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension has expanded options for patients. The American College of Chest Physicians recently published an evidenced-based set of guidelines for this difficult condition. ...

Combo best for cutting BP in diabetic blacks.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(blood pressure )
September 1, 2004... DETROIT -- Combination treatment with a calcium channel blocker and an ACE inhibitor reduced blood pressure significantly more quickly and substantially than ACE inhibitor monotherapy in a hard-to-treat population of African Americans with...

Syphilis screening recommendations get updated: harm outweighs benefits of testing in low-risk, asymptomatic populations.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... A recently updated guideline on syphilis screening includes a new recommendation against routine screening of low-risk asymptomatic individuals, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. "Given the low incidence of syphilis...

Clinical management of syphilis is poor even as rates soar.(Infectious Diseases)
September 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Patients with syphilis often are not diagnosed and treated promptly, according to a review of the soaring number of cases in California's STD surveillance database. "The presumptive treatment of syphilis appears to be...