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Health Matters: Safety of Childhood VaccinationsVaccines are one of the most important public health advances in the 20th century, yet fewer people are getting them.
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Elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and carotid atherosclerosisWe assessed the relationship between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level and carotid plaque progression in 1952 men and women with preexisting carotid atherosclerosis over a period of 7 years. The HDL cholesterol level was inversely related to plaque growth. The plaques that became more echogenic during follow-up had a lower growth rate compared with those that became more echolucent. These findings suggest that HDL cholesterol stabilizes plaques and counteracts their growth by reducing their lipid content and inflammation.
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TechSectors - Medical Device: Teaching the Brain to Take the Right StepCan the application of chaos theory lead to better clinical rehabilitation and assistive devices for patients suffering from neuromuscular disorders?
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Is There a Relationship between Early Statin Compliance and a Reduction in Healthcare Utilization?Compliance with statin therapy in the first two years of use may reduce hospitalization rates and direct medical costs in the subsequent year.
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Meeting the Challenge of Daily Physical ActivityNursing is a demanding profession, especially for oncology nurses who often deal with depressed, angry, and frightened patients.
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Renal dysfunction in older age groups and mortality after acute myocardial infarctionOnly one third of patients admitted to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction have normal renal function, and 17% have severe renal impairment. Decreased renal function is associated with the presence of comorbid conditions, underuse of effective treatments, and higher mortality. Renal function parameters should not only be included in scoring systems to assess risk levels, but patients with abnormal renal function should benefit from careful application of guidelines-recommended treatments for acute and long-term care.
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AMIA 2010Steve Davis, MD, DFAPA, shares his notes from the annual meeting of the American Medical Informatics Association.
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Hydatid Liver Disease in a Patient with Chronic Right Upper-Quadrant Abdominal PainHydatid disease of the liver is endemic in some areas of the world but is rarely encountered in the United States. The disease is usually caused by the parasite Echinococcus granulosus. Physicians who work within multicultural communities must be aware of this disease and its treatment. We present the case of a 35-year-old Mexican woman who complained of chronic right upper-quadrant pain. Computed tomography scanning revealed a ring-enhancing lesion within the right lobe of the liver, suggesting the diagnosis of a hydatid cyst. Following a course of antiparasitic therapy, the cyst was surgically removed. Six months later, the patient was pain free.
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New Framingham Heart Study global cardiovascular risk instruments: Helping physicians optimize their patients' cardiovascular careWhile most patients are concerned about their risk for myocardial infarction, it is important to remember that the risk factors for death from all cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and coronary artery disease, are similar.
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A New Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Drug on the HorizonIn pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, riociguat serves as a reasonable first-line alternative to PDE-5 inhibitors or in combination therapy with an endothelin antagonist or inhaled prostacyclin analogues.
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Ten Facts About Medical Aid in DyingWhat a longtime family practitioner in a state that authorizes medical aid in dying has learned through his own experience of the controversial practice.
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Treatment Decisions and its Relation to Patient AccessibilityFinal thoughts from expert KOLs regarding treatment decisions and how they relate to patient accessibility when manage dyslipidemia.
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Nurses as Full Partners in Health CareA recent article outlined the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine that included more training and independence for nurses.
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Should radiofrequency ablation be first-line therapy after a first episode of symptomatic atrial flutter?Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) is a cost-effective approach that has modified the treatment of patients with supraventricular tachycardia. In the Loire-Ardèche-Drôme-Isère-Puy-de-Dôme (LADIP) study, we compared RFA treatment with amiodarone therapy after the first episode of symptomatic atrial flutter. Results showed that RFA should be considered a first-line treatment, especially in elderly patients, because it has a better long-term success rate, the same risk of subsequent atrial fibrillation as amiodarone, and fewer secondary effects compared with amiodarone. Radiofrequency catheter ablation first-line therapy should be recommended in routine clinical practice, even when the atrial flutter is isolated without a previously documented atrial fibrillation episode.
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Heartache Over New Cholesterol Treatment GuidelinesTo produce the greatest impact from the implementation of the new American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), physicians should counsel patients on the benefits and risks of medication intervention to prevent CVD, but also explain the absolute necessity of regular exercise and abstention from tobacco use.
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Can New Technologies Be Used to Predict Treatment Response in Cancer Patients?The next leap forward in cancer treatment will see physicians tailoring treatments based on patients' individualized tumor profiles.
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Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome: Diagnosis, Genetic Factors, and Long-Term Health ImplicationsPanelists discuss how familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) is characterized by severe hypertriglyceridemia and genetic mutations in the LPL gene, highlighting the key diagnostic criteria and complications, such as acute pancreatitis, while emphasizing the impact of untreated FCS on patient quality of life and long-term health risks.
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Survival after heart failureWe conducted a multi-hospital population-based study of 2445 residents of a large New England metropolitan area hospitalized with acute heart failure and found that the long-term prognosis for these patients remains poor. More than one third of patients died in the first year after hospital discharge,and nearly 4 of 5 patients died over the 5-year follow-up period. Several demographic and clinical factors were associated with an adverse prognosis. It is important to know the factors that negatively affect long-term survival after hospital discharge for decompensated heart failure so that treatment can be directed toward specific high-risk groups.
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Highlights from Two Key Symposiums: Reporting on new research and emerging trends in breast and liver cancer.Reporting on new research and emerging trends in breast and liver cancer.
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New Antiepileptic Drugs: A Bit of Bad NewsThe new generation of AEDs is not perfect. Is anyone surprised by this?
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Mortality of patients with diabetes mellitus and acute myocardial infarctionWe evaluated trends in the treatment and mortality of patients with and without diabetes mellitus and acute myocardial infarction over the last decade. Despite improvements in the provision of evidence-based care, patients with diabetes did not derive improvements in long-term survival.
