Antipsychotic Medication Increases Stroke Risk
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
The effects were more pronounced in patients who took atypical antipsychotics and in patients with dementia.
Exposure to Antipsychotics and Risk for Stroke
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
Use of antipsychotics, especially atypical drugs, raises risk for stroke, and this risk is higher in patients with dementia than in those without.
Sweet and Salty: Hemoglobin A1c and Cardiovascular Events in Heart Failure
Cardiology Summary and Comment
In a CHARM substudy, increased HbA1c levels were strongly associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure patients, whether or not they had diabetes.
By William T. Abraham, MD
September 10, 2008
Covering:
Gerstein HC et al. for the CHARM program investigators., Arch Intern Med 2008 Aug 11; 168:1699
Do White-Matter Hyperintensities Reflect Disease Process or Underlying Susceptibility?
Neurology Summary and Comment
A comparison of the spatial distribution of white-matter hyperintensities in subjects with Alzheimer disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and healthy aging shows that the pattern is not disease-specific but reflects regional variability in normal cerebral perfusion.
By Françoise Gray, MD, PhD
September 9, 2008
Covering:
Holland CM et al., Stroke 2008 Apr; 39:1127
New Possibilities for Treating Alzheimer Disease?
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
An old medication may help; immunization doesn’t; and exercise may be good — but just for general health.
By Jonathan Silver, MD
September 8, 2008
Covering:
Doody RS et al., Lancet 2008 Jul 19; 372:207
Holmes C et al., Lancet 2008 Jul 19; 372:216
Burns JM et al., Neurology 2008 Jul 15; 71:210
Please Hold: Why You Are Anxious That You Have to Keep Going
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
In an animal study, an overactive bladder increases locus coeruleus activity.
By Jonathan Silver, MD
September 8, 2008
Covering:
Rickenbacher E et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008 Jul 29; 105:10589
Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators and Quality of Life
Cardiology Summary and Comment
In a primary-prevention trial, no adverse quality-of-life effects were seen in ICD recipients during 30 months of follow-up.
By Mark S. Link, MD
September 3, 2008
Covering:
Mark DB et al. for the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial Investigators., N Engl J Med 2008 Sep 4; 359:999
Beware of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Shocks!
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Both inappropriate and appropriate ICD shocks predicted mortality in SCD-HeFT.
By Mark S. Link, MD
September 3, 2008
Covering:
Poole JE et al., N Engl J Med 2008 Sep 4; 359:1009
Healey J and Connolly S., N Engl J Med 2008 Sep 4; 359:1058
Continued Support for Protective Effects of NSAIDs in Alzheimer Disease
Neurology Summary and Comment
The largest epidemiologic survey to date of NSAIDs and prevention of Alzheimer disease suggests highly significant, duration-dependent effects of common NSAIDs.
By Joseph Rogers, PhD
September 2, 2008
Covering:
Vlad SC et al., Neurology 2008 May 6; 70:1672
Stormy SEAS
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Free
Unexpected findings from a trial of simvastatin plus ezetimibe raise questions about the effects of aggressive LDL-cholesterol reduction.
USPSTF Recommends Against Screening for Prostate Cancer in Older Men
General Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline Watch
The evidence also is insufficient to recommend screening in younger men.
By Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
August 26, 2008
Covering:
Lin K et al., Ann Intern Med 2008 Aug 5; 149:192
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force., Ann Intern Med 2008 Aug 5; 149:185
Advances with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Humans
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Disease-specific pluripotent stem cells are now a reality.
By Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
August 26, 2008
Covering:
Dimos JT et al., Science 2008 Jul 31
Park I-H et al., Cell 2008 Aug 7
Limited Effectiveness of Atypical Antipsychotics in Alzheimer Disease
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
The continuing need for safe <$EMPH_O>and<$EMPH_C> effective medications for patients with AD becomes even clearer.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 25, 2008
Covering:
Sultzer DL et al., Am J Psychiatry 2008 Jul; 165:844
Kuehn BM., JAMA 2008 Jul 23/30; 300:379
Telemedicine for Stroke Patients
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
Telemedicine consultation with a stroke-certified neurologist might increase appropriate use of thrombolytic agents in stroke patients.
SMART-COP: A Better Pneumonia Stratification Score?
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
This new, simple-to-use score had high sensitivity for predicting need for intensive respiratory or vasopressor support among CAP patients.
Rate of Increasing Ventricular Size and AD
Neurology Summary and Comment
Might serial MRI measures of ventricular volume one day be used to identify preclinical Alzheimer disease?
By Kirk R. Daffner, MD
August 19, 2008
Covering:
Carlson NE et al., Neurology 2008 Mar 11; 70:828
Weiner MW., Neurology 2008 Mar 11; 70:824
Perforation from Colonoscopy: A Case Series
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In this large single-center study, the perforation rate was 0.07%, and nearly all patients with perforations were treated operatively.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 14, 2008
Covering:
Iqbal CW et al., Arch Surg 2008 Jul; 143:701
Does Flu Vaccination Lower Risk for Pneumonia in Elders?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In contrast to results of previous studies, flu vaccine did not lower risk in this study.
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
August 12, 2008
Covering:
Jackson ML et al., Lancet 2008 Aug 2; 372:398
Belongia EA and Shay DK., Lancet 2008 Aug 2; 372:352
Generalist vs. Neurologist Care in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Does It Matter?
Hospital Medicine Summary and Comment
According to a recent study — no
Live Long and Risk Dementia
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Women older than 90 were almost twice as likely as men of that age to have dementia, and risk doubled every 5 years thereafter for women.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
August 7, 2008
Covering:
Corrada MM et al., Neurology 2008 Jul 29; 71:337
Can Risk Models or Patient Factors Predict Readmission of Heart Failure Patients?
Cardiology Summary and Comment
An exhaustive literature review fails to identify any patient characteristics that consistently affect rates of hospital readmission after heart failure.
Laparoscopic Colectomy for Colon Cancer
Oncology and Hematology Summary and Comment
Free
Survival advantages were associated with laparoscopic versus open colectomy in patients with advanced disease.
Primary Androgen-Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Overall survival was not improved with primary ADT versus conservative management in a majority of older men.
Validation of PiB-PET Imaging in Alzheimer Disease
Neurology Summary and Comment
Comparison of the distribution and burden of plaques with PiB-PET imaging from the same patient provides strong support for this imaging method as an accurate marker of disease in AD.
By Matthew P. Frosch, MD, PhD
August 5, 2008
Covering:
Ikonomovic MD et al., Brain 2008 Jun; 131:1630
Old Antihistamine Could Improve Symptoms in Alzheimer Patients
General Medicine Summary and Comment
After 1 year of treatment, Alzheimer patients still benefited from dimebon.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
July 31, 2008
Covering:
Doody RS et al., Lancet 2008 Jul 19; 372:207
