WARNING: Do You Really Want to Prescribe This?
Hospital Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
A computerized order entry warning system prevented some potentially inappropriate medication use in hospitalized older patients.
Delirium in Elders Is a Significant Problem
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Risks increase for mortality, institutionalization, and dementia — but is there a connection with antipsychotic treatment?
Survival After Diagnosis of Dementia in Primary Care
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Survival time is much shorter when diagnoses occur in general practice than when patients are screened.
Vertebroplasty: New Trial, Conflicting Results
General Medicine Summary and Comment
This time, vertebroplasty led to less pain immediately and at 1 year.
Caregiver Support and Functional Improvement in Dementia Patients
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Structured home-based intervention improves some outcomes for both caregivers and patients.
Calcium Supplementation Is Associated with Excess Risk for Myocardial Infarction
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Marginal-to-moderate bone benefits must be weighed against cardiovascular risks.
Post-Bypass Delirium Predicts Increased Mortality
Neurology Summary and Comment
The reason for the association remains unknown.
By Jon Brillman, MD, FRCPI
August 31, 2010
Covering:
Gottesman RF et al., Ann Neurol 2010 Mar; 67:338
Shifting Attention to Heart Rate
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Slowing heart rates with ivabradine improves outcomes — and provokes questions about the optimal use of beta-blockers — in patients with heart failure.
Spinal Fluid Markers Predict Progression to Alzheimer Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Levels of two proteins that have long been associated with AD might be useful predictors.
Trends in Carotid Endarterectomy, Carotid Angioplasty, and Stenting
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Geographic variation seems too wide to be explained by clinical factors.
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
August 24, 2010
Covering:
Patel MR et al., Arch Intern Med 2010 Jul 26; 170:1218
Halm EA., Arch Intern Med 2010 Jul 26; 170:1225
Gout and Heart Failure Outcomes
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Allopurinol appears to lower risk for hospital readmission or death.
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
August 24, 2010
Covering:
Thanassoulis G et al., Arch Intern Med 2010 Aug 9; 170:1358
Does Thyroxine Replacement Improve Cognition in Subclinical Hypothyroidism?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Cognition scores did not improve in older patients who received thyroxine.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 19, 2010
Covering:
Parle J et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010 Aug; 95:3623
Gait Abnormalities in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
The problem seems to be more than just claudication.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 19, 2010
Covering:
Koutakis P et al., J Vasc Surg 2010 Aug; 52:340
Treating Prostate Cancer in Men with Low Prostate-Specific Antigen Levels
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Most men had low-risk disease but received aggressive therapy.
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
August 17, 2010
Covering:
Shao Y-H et al., Arch Intern Med 2010 Jul 26; 170:1256
Hoffman RM and Zeliadt SB., Arch Intern Med 2010 Jul 26; 170:1262
New Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
SIRT1 suppresses production of Aβ plaques.
By Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
August 17, 2010
Covering:
Donmez G et al., Cell 2010 Jul 23; 142:320
Wolfe MS and Selkoe DJ., Cell 2010 Jul 23; 142:194
Variations in Care of Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Wide variations in cost and quality of care are not explained by clinical features.
Supervised Exercise Therapy for Intermittent Claudication
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Median walking distance was longer in supervised patients than in advice-only patients.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 12, 2010
Covering:
Nicolaï SPA et al., J Vasc Surg 2010 Aug; 52:348
What Is the Yield of Brain Biopsy in Patients with Neurological Decline?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Brain biopsy established diagnoses in 18 of 51 cases but changed management in only 4 cases.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 12, 2010
Covering:
Schuette AJ et al., Neurology 2010 Aug 3; 75:419
Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: New Diagnostic Tool, New Drug, New Therapeutic Strategies
Powerful tools are available to identify patients at high risk for fracture and to lower that risk.
By Nelson B. Watts, MD
August 12, 2010
How to Determine Your Risk for Postmenopausal Fractures — And Where to Go from There
Women's Health Patient Information
General information about postmenopausal osteoporosis, a tool you can use to determine your personal fracture risk, and treatments for women at excess risk for fractures
An Autobiographical Memory Task to Assess Dementia
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Patients are asked to recall participation in two recent events.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 10, 2010
Covering:
Dreyfus DM et al., Arch Neurol 2010 Jul; 67:862
Observation for Patients with Low-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Surveillance, instead of surgery or radiation, is an appropriate initial strategy for many patients.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 10, 2010
Covering:
Stattin P et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2010 Jul 7; 102:950
Is Low Vitamin D Associated with Depression in Elders?
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Free
Perhaps, but this community-based U.K. study did not explore all possible contributors.
By Joel Yager, MD
August 9, 2010
Covering:
Stewart R and Hirani V., Psychosom Med 2010 Jul 1
Which Antibiotic for Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Ciprofloxacin offered no benefit over an old standby, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
By Abigail Zuger, MD
August 5, 2010
Covering:
Nouira S et al., Clin Infect Dis 2010 Jul 15; 51:143
Another Study of Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening
General Medicine Summary and Comment
In a Swedish trial, screening was associated with an absolute reduction of 0.4% in prostate cancer mortality.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
August 3, 2010
Covering:
Hugosson J et al., Lancet Oncol 2010 Aug; 11:725
