Bigger Is Not Better: Obesity's Toll
Obesity complicates care and increases morbidity in severely injured children and adolescents.
By William P. Kanto, Jr., MD
April 21, 2006
Covering:
Brown CV et al., J Pediatr Surg 2006 Jan; 41:88-91
A (Not So) Sweet Approach to Weight Reduction
Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with noncaloric beverages reduced BMI in the heaviest adolescents.
By Alain Joffe, MD, MPH, FAAP
April 21, 2006
Covering:
Ebbeling CB et al., Pediatrics 2006 Mar; 117:673-80
Behavioral Intervention Can Lead to Sustained Lifestyle Changes
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
Achieving modest lifestyle changes among adults with hypertension or prehypertension took almost three dozen counseling sessions over 18 months.
By Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
April 18, 2006
Covering:
Elmer PJ et al., Ann Intern Med 2006 Apr 4; 144:485-95
Intramuscular Injections in a Fatter Population
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Many patients have enough fat in their gluteal region to make it unlikely that a typical needle will reach muscle.
By Keith I. Marton, MD
April 11, 2006
Covering:
Nisbet AC., BMJ 2006 Mar 18; 332:637-8
Whose Shopping Cart Is Healthier: Wine or Beer Drinkers?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Some of the cardiovascular benefits attributed to wine might be due to associated dietary factors.
By Keith I. Marton, MD
April 4, 2006
Covering:
Johansen D et al., BMJ 2006 Mar 4; 332:519-22
Simple Pill Not a Simple Answer to Obesity
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Free
Insights about rimonabant from the RIO-North America trial
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
March 30, 2006
Covering:
Pi-Sunyer FX et al. for the RIO-North America Study Group., JAMA 2006 Feb 15; 295:761-75
Simons-Morton DG et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 15; 295:826-8
Low-Carb vs. Low-Fat Diets: A Meta-Analysis
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Both types of diets yielded similar weight loss at 12 months, but each had different effects on serum lipids.
By Frederick A. Masoudi, MD, MSPH
March 30, 2006
Covering:
Nordmann AJ et al., Arch Intern Med 2006 Feb 13; 166:285-93
Homocysteine-Lowering with B Vitamins: No Benefit
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
Vitamin B supplementation did not improve outcomes among patients at high risk for vascular events.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
March 28, 2006
Covering:
The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) 2 Investigators., N Engl J Med 2006 Apr 13; 354:1567-77
Bønaa KH et al., N Engl J Med 2006 Apr 13; 354:1578-88
Loscalzo J., N Engl J Med 2006 Apr 13; 354:1629-32
Bone Health Begins Early
Highlights from an AAP clinical report on bone health and calcium for infants, children, and adolescents.
By Howard Bauchner, MD
March 24, 2006
Covering:
Greer FR et al., Pediatrics 2006 Feb; 117:578-85
Can Vitamin D Prevent Cancer?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
The jury is still out.
By Diane E. Judge, APN/CNP
March 21, 2006
Covering:
Garland CF et al., Am J Public Health 2006 Feb; 96:252-61
WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE UPDATE: Calcium, Vitamin D, and Risk for Fracture, Colorectal Cancer
Women's Health Practice Watch
Supplementation did not affect overall fracture or colorectal cancer risk, but reductions in hip fracture were noted in some subgroups.
By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
March 21, 2006
Covering:
Jackson RD et al., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:669-83
Wactawski-Wende J et al., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:684-96
Forman MR and Levin B., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:752-4
Finkelstein JS., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:750-2
WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE UPDATE: Do Low-Fat Diets Help Prevent Breast and Colorectal Cancers? Cardiovascular Disease?
Women's Health Practice Watch
Not according to these data, but women’s reduction in fat intake was modest, and follow-up was relatively brief.
By Anna Wald, MD, MPH
March 21, 2006
Covering:
Prentice RL et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:629-42
Beresford SAA et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:643-54
Howard BV et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:655-66
Unsafe Neighborhoods, Overweight Children
Parental perception of an unsafe neighborhood was associated with overweight status in children in this primarily white U.S. sample.
By Cornelius W. Van Niel, MD
March 10, 2006
Covering:
Lumeng JC et al., Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2006 Jan; 160:25-31
WOMEN’S HEALTH INITIATIVE UPDATE: Low-Fat Diets Not Associated with Weight Gain
Women's Health Practice Watch
Free
Postmenopausal women randomized to a low-fat diet showed no tendency for weight gain over almost 8 years of follow-up.
By Jane E. Corboy, MD
March 7, 2006
Covering:
Howard BV et al., JAMA 2006 Jan 4; 295:39-49
Succinylcholine: Dose by Total Body Weight for Obese Patients
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
Dosing by ideal weight yields inferior intubating conditions.
By Ron M. Walls, MD, FRCPC, FACEP, FAAEM
February 28, 2006
Covering:
Lemmens HJ and Brodsky JB., Anesth Analg 2006 Feb; 102:438-42
Obesity-Related Steatosis Is Associated with Fibrosis in Hemochromatosis Patients
Gastroenterology Summary and Comment
Environmental factors plus genetics are required for liver disease to develop.
By Atif Zaman, MD, MPH
February 28, 2006
Covering:
Powell EE et al., Gastroenterology 2005 Dec; 129:1937-43
Calcium plus Vitamin D — Little Effect on Fracture Rates
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
A large trial from the Women's Health Initiative showed no significant effect on rates of hip and other fractures.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
February 24, 2006
Covering:
Jackson RD et al., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:669-83
Finkelstein JS., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:750-2
Calcium plus Vitamin D — No Effect on Incidence of Colorectal Cancer
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Calcium plus vitamin D supplementation did not lower the incidence of colorectal cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
February 24, 2006
Covering:
Wactawski-Wende J et al., N Engl J Med 2006 Feb 16; 354:684-96
Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Low Fitness in Adolescents and Young Adults
NHANES data show a high prevalence of low fitness among teens.
By F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
February 24, 2006
Covering:
Carnethon MR et al., JAMA 2005 Dec 21; 294:2981-8
Dietary Modification and CVD Outcomes in the WHI
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Free
A dietary intervention that focused on total fat intake, rather than more-specific dietary dimensions, did not improve cardiovascular outcomes in postmenopausal women.
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
February 23, 2006
Covering:
Howard BV et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:655-66
Anderson CM and Appel LJ., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:693-5
Weight Loss with a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet in Postmenopausal Women
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Insights from the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
February 23, 2006
Covering:
Howard BV et al., JAMA 2006 Jan 4; 295:39-49
Fruits and Veggies for Stroke Prevention?
Cardiology Summary and Comment
A meta-analysis of observational studies showed a significant reduction in risk for stroke associated with consumption of >5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
February 23, 2006
Covering:
He FJ et al., Lancet 2006 Jan 28; 367:320-6
Steffen LM., Lancet 2006 Jan 28; 367:278-9
Leptin: It’s Not Just for Weight
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
This weight-regulating hormone may have antidepressant effects in an animal model.
By Jonathan Silver, MD
February 22, 2006
Covering:
Lu XY et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006 Jan 31; 103:1593-8
Low-Fat Diet and Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, and Heart Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Although a low-fat diet didn’t lead to health benefits in this study, many methodologic questions and caveats must be considered.
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
February 17, 2006
Covering:
Prentice RL et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:629-42
Beresford SAA et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:643-54
Howard BV et al., JAMA 2006 Feb 8; 295:655-66
Obesity in Middle Age Portends Poor Outcomes in Older Age
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Insights from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry
By JoAnne M. Foody, MD
February 16, 2006
Covering:
Yan LL et al., JAMA 2006 Jan 11; 295:190-8
