Medicare Bounce-Back Hospital Admissions
Hospital Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
Rehospitalization rates among Medicare beneficiaries are unacceptably high.
Relaxin in Acute Heart Failure
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Results of a phase II trial in patients with normal-to-elevated blood pressure are promising — but it is still early in the game.
Surgical Ventricular Reconstruction: Function Fails to Follow Form
Cardiology Summary and Comment
This procedure did not improve clinical outcomes in CABG patients.
By Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
March 29, 2009
Covering:
Jones RH et al. for the STICH Hypothesis 2 Investigators., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 29
Eisen HJ., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 29
GentleWaves May Be Too Gentle
Dermatology Summary and Comment
Patients whose wrinkles were treated with this photomodulating device were satisfied, but objective observers saw no change.
By George J. Hruza, MD
March 27, 2009
Covering:
Boulos PR et al., Dermatol Surg 2009 Feb; 35:229
Mammography for Elders: A Controversy Rekindled
Does mammography generally benefit or harm women who are older than 80? We still don’t really know.
Excess Risk for Prostate Cancer with Folic Acid Supplementation
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Men who took folic acid daily were more likely to develop cancer during 7 years of follow-up.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
March 26, 2009
Covering:
Figueiredo JC et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 Mar 18; 101:432
Intensive Glucose Control Harms Critically Ill Patients
General Medicine Summary and Comment
More evidence that just keeping glucose levels <180 mg/dL is better than striving for very low levels.
By Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
March 24, 2009
Covering:
The NICE-SUGAR Study Investigators., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 26; 360:1283
Inzucchi SE and Siegel MD., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 26; 360:1346
Scoring System to Stratify 10-Year Risk for Atrial Fibrillation
General Medicine Summary and Comment
An online scoring system and online interactive risk calculator can be applied readily in primary care practices.
By Bruce Soloway, MD
March 24, 2009
Covering:
Schnabel RB et al., Lancet 2009 Feb 28; 373:739
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Performed by Nurses
General Medicine Summary and Comment
A large randomized trial showed that this practice is safe and effective.
By Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
March 24, 2009
Covering:
Williams J et al., BMJ 2009 Feb 10; 338:b231
Richardson G et al., BMJ 2009 Feb 10; 338:b270
Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer
Compared with patients who underwent observation after prostatectomy, those who received adjuvant RT had lower risk for metastasis and longer overall survival.
Self-Reports of Abuse by Family Caregivers of Patients with Dementia
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
More than half of caregivers reported acting abusively toward family members with dementia.
Vitamins Might Help Prevent Blindness
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Folic acid, vitamin B6 , and vitamin B12 supplements were associated with lower risk for age-related macular degeneration.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
March 19, 2009
Covering:
Christen WG et al., Arch Intern Med 2009 Feb 23; 169:335
PSA Screening: Initial Reports from Two Randomized Trials
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Screening reduced prostate cancer–specific mortality slightly in one study, and not at all in the other.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
March 18, 2009
Covering:
Andriole GL et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 26; 360:1310
Schröder FH et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 26; 360:1320
Barry MJ., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 26; 360:1351
Health-Related Behaviors and Stroke Risk
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Stroke prevention involves not only treating risk factors, but also encouraging patients to embrace health-related behaviors.
Surrogate Endpoints for Prostate Cancer Survival
Distant metastasis and treatment failure at 3 years might be surrogates for survival at 10 years.
Male-Factor Infertility and Germ-Cell Cancer
Infertile men were 2.8 times more likely than fertile men to develop testicular cancer.
Statins and Risk for Alzheimer Disease
Neurology Summary and Comment
In a large, prospective study, use of statin cholesterol-lowering drugs was associated with reduced risk for Alzheimer disease, independent of the drug’s lipophilicity.
By Gad A. Marshall, MD
March 17, 2009
Covering:
Haag MDM et al., J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009 Jan; 80:13
Sparks L., J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009 Jan; 80:1
Cognitive Effects of DBS for Parkinson Disease
Neurology Summary and Comment
FDG-PET reveals a correlation between low neuronal metabolism and poor cognitive function in some patients with Parkinson disease treated with deep brain stimulation.
By Michael T. Hayes, MD
March 17, 2009
Covering:
Kalbe E et al., Neurology 2009 Jan 6; 72:42
Surprising Twist in Pathogenesis of Alzheimer Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
A protein that is associated with prion disease is also the amyloid-β receptor.
By Anthony L. Komaroff, MD
March 12, 2009
Covering:
Laurén J et al., Nature 2009 Feb 26; 457:1128
Cisse M and Mucke L., Nature 2009 Feb 26; 457:1090
Growth of Hospitalists in the U.S.
Hospital Medicine Summary and Comment
The percentage of general internists who were identified as hospitalists tripled during the past decade and now approaches 20%.
By Aaron J. Calderon, MD, FACP
March 11, 2009
Covering:
Kuo Y-F et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 12; 360:1102
Hamel MB et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Mar 12; 360:1141
Circulating Tumor Cells in Advanced Prostate Cancer
CTC counts predicted mortality risk in patients with progressive, metastatic, castration-resistant disease who underwent first-line chemotherapy.
Memory in Elders: Food for Thought
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Education doesn't protect against memory loss, but eating less helps.
By Jonathan Silver, MD
March 9, 2009
Covering:
Wilson RS et al., Neurology 2009 Feb 3; 72:460
Witte AV et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009 Jan 27; 106:1255
Emerging Perspectives: Diabetes and the Brain
Recent studies examine the importance of glucose to brain functioning in elders.
Risk Stratification in Acute Coronary Syndromes
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Physicians’ estimates of patient risk do guide their treatment decisions but are often inaccurate when compared with validated risk scores.
Unrecognized MI
Cardiology Summary and Comment
A Dutch study used delayed enhancement MRI to assess prevalence of silent MI.
