Genetic Polymorphisms and Alcohol-Related Cancers
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Polymorphisms in alcohol-processing enzymes contribute to cancer risk in moderate or heavy drinkers.
Effect of New Diagnoses on Smoking and Weight Change
General Medicine Summary and Comment
New health problems can be associated with beneficial behavioral changes.
Immediate Listing for Liver Transplantation in Patients with Stage B Cirrhosis
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Five-year survival was not affected by immediate listing.
What Price Smoking Cessation?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Cash rewards motivated volunteers to quit — but even the well-paid had a long-term failure rate of almost 90%.
By Abigail Zuger, MD
February 11, 2009
Covering:
Volpp KG et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Feb 12; 360:699
HIV and Community-Acquired MRSA
Community-acquired MRSA infections are increasingly common in HIV-positive people. This article summarizes current knowledge regarding risk factors and management of these infections.
QTc Screening When Prescribing Methadone: Practice Guideline
General Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline Watch
About 2% of patients who receive methadone can be expected to exhibit prolonged QT intervals.
Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs: The Wrong Kind of Friends-and-Family Plan
Most adolescents who reported nonmedical use of prescription drugs indicated that friends or family members were the source.
How Safe Is Ecstasy in Low Doses?
Neurology Summary and Comment
An imaging study finds evidence of brain damage in new users, compared with their own pre-use baseline and with ecstasy-naive controls.
By John C.M. Brust, MD
January 13, 2009
Covering:
de Win MML et al., Brain 2008 Nov; 131:2936
Is Childhood Adversity Independently Linked to Lifetime Alcohol Dependence?
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Epidemiologic data indicate a connection.
By Joel Yager, MD
January 12, 2009
Covering:
Pilowsky DJ et al., Am J Public Health 2008 Dec 4
Violence Among Friends: The Role of Substance Misuse
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Nonpartner violence shows some similarities to intimate-partner violence.
By Steven Dubovsky, MD
January 12, 2009
Covering:
Murray RL et al., J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2008 Nov; 69:896
Physician Experience and Medical Errors
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
Emergency physicians with less than 1.5 years of experience were more likely to commit errors than those with more experience.
Too Much Drink Might Make Your Heart Fib
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Consumption of
Smoking and Mortality in China
Cardiology Summary and Comment
An analysis of population and mortality data reveals the immensity of the absolute risk associated with smoking.
Link Between Alcohol Consumption and Atrial Fibrillation in Women
Cardiology Summary and Comment
Findings from a large observational study suggest that consuming two or more drinks per day increases women’s risk for AF.
Unintentional Fatal Opioid Overdoses
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Most cases in West Virginia were associated with inappropriate diversion and "doctor shopping."
By Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
December 24, 2008
Covering:
Hall AJ et al., JAMA 2008 Dec 10; 300:2613
McLellan AT and Turner B., JAMA 2008 Dec 10; 300:2672
Unhealthy Alcohol Use Is Associated with Medication Nonadherence
General Medicine Summary and Comment
People who drank most heavily had lowest adherence to statins and antihypertensive drugs.
Worldwide Injection-Drug Use and HIV Prevalence Are High
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
An estimated 19 million people worldwide inject drugs, and about one in six of them is HIV-positive.
By Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP
December 24, 2008
Covering:
Mathers BM et al., Lancet 2008 Nov 15; 372:1733
Arasteh K and Des Jarlais DC., Lancet 2008 Nov 15; 372:1709
Addiction Treatment and Pain
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Persistent pain is associated with worse outcomes in veterans with non-opioid substance dependence.
By Deborah Cowley, MD
December 22, 2008
Covering:
Caldeiro RM et al., Addiction 2008 Dec; 103:1996
Physician Health Programs Help with Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
Emergency physicians are one of the specialty groups most susceptible to substance use disorders.
Cardioprotection from Moderate Drinking Is Limited to People with Unhealthful Behaviors
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
Nonsmokers who ate healthful diets and exercised didn’t benefit from alcohol.
Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation in Women
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Daily intake of
Increased Prevalence of Risk Behaviors Reported by Chronically Ill Adolescents
Adolescents with chronic conditions were more likely than healthy peers to smoke cigarettes or marijuana or to engage in violent or antisocial acts.
Asking About Parental Alcohol Use Might Be Easier Than You Think
Most parents surveyed would not mind being asked about their alcohol use.
New Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Adolescents Shows Promise
Emergency Medicine Summary and Comment
Treatment decreases dependence, but additional therapies might enhance outcome.
Add PMS to the Antismoking Arsenal
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Smokers were more likely to develop moderate-to-severe PMS than were nonsmokers.
By Diane E. Judge, APN/CNP
December 4, 2008
Covering:
Bertone-Johnson ER et al., Am J Epidemiol 2008 Oct 15; 168:938
