Cardiology

Phthalates may be replacing lead as the leading environmental exposure concern. Some studies indicate that there may be a link between phthalates, obesity, endocrine disruption, and metabolic interference.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare and severe hereditary lipid disorder. Patients with HoFH generally have very high serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) that is treatment-resistant. HoFH puts affected patients at extremely high risk of premature onset coronary heart disease, and many patients die before they reach their mid-30s.

As the number of bariatric surgeries increase, clinicians require more and better data about its long-term outcomes. As we know, as more people take a medication or undergo a surgical procedure, the better the quality of the collective data. It's the strength in numbers concept. In the case of bariatric surgery, many clinicians have questions about treatment failure rates and they suspect that reports of sustained weight loss may be overly optimistic.

While the dangers of smoking are well known to most people there still remains a segment of the population who continues to smoke despite efforts to encourage them to quit.

There are many factors that go into a successful lung transplant operation. One key factor after surgery is routine radiological checks of a patient's progress.

Looking at patients with asthma it can be easy to group them all together for treatment options. Recent studies have shown that that may not be the best way to approach helping people dealing with both obesity and asthma.

The authors reviews several challenging cases illustrating the utility of the anion gap in the evaluation of an acidotic patient.

Obesity is becoming a growing problem in the country as is asthma in many of those patients. Doctors are now looking at ways to treat both to help the overall health of the people they see.

Lung cancer screenings have been proven beneficial for many patients and the American College of Chest Physicians has been working to make the screenings available to more people who need them. The topic was discussed at the organization's recent national meeting.

Just how effective is vitamin D in helping with various conditions? A look at some of the most recent data

A study of the affect prescribing drugs during infancy can have on childhood obesity

As the workload for doctors increases some practices and hospitals are turning to scribes to help with some of the duties. What they should be doing and how much involvement they should have remains a topic of discussion.

A middle-aged man presents with exertional hemoptysis to your clinic. There is no associated chest discomfort with activity. At rest, he has no complaints. His exam is significant for a normal HR and BP and a normal lung exam. His cardiac exam is notable for a gallop. No murmurs are appreciated. A pulmonary evaluation including PFTs and CT PE protocol are negative.

Amgen has released positive top-line results from the first of two Phase III studies of ABP 501, its candidate for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis that is being developed as a biosimilar to adalimumab.

A closer look at the usage of niacin for patients with vascular disease

This is a 23-year-old female admitted for the first time who provides the history of congenital right chest wall deformity, right hypoplastic breast and absent right pectoralis muscles (1). Preliminary upright PA, lateral and right posterior oblique radiographs were obtained to evaluate the osseous and soft tissues of the thorax prior to cosmetic surgery and repair. No past history was made available.

The new Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis medications that were recently approved will help with treatment for patients but are not a cure for the condition.

Hypersomnia may not receive the amount of attention as other sleep disorders like sleep apnea, but it affects up to 5% of the population and left untreated can significantly diminish a patient's quality of life.

The area of sleep study is only around 30 years old but there are still new advancements that can help improve the daily life of a patient.

As part of the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians new information was rolled out on the "Live Well" Campaign aimed at helping patients with COPD.

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved once-daily Xigduo XR (dapagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride extended-release) for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Family practice has a reputation for being a low-tech, hands-on specialty. But speaking in a keynote address at the American Academy of Family Physicians Assembly Oct. 26 , Eric Topol, MD told his audience they would do well to use more technologically sophisticated devices.

While the survival rate for lung transplantation may be low compared with other transplant surgeries, advances in technology have helped increase the success rate.

With the approval of two new drugs for the treatment of IPF, patients who otherwise would have only had lung transplantation as a treatment option now have a new way to improve their quality of life.

The 2013 revision of guidelines on managing overweight and obesity in adults suggests that providers and patients set a goal of a sustained weight loss of 3-5% of baseline body weight to obtain improvements in triglycerides, blood glucose, HbA1c, and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Individuals who engage in physical activity on a regular basis have improved cardiovascular fitness, improved insulin sensitivity, and improved glucose tolerance.

Patients who are overweight or obese have several medication options as an adjunct to lifestyle modification for weight loss.

App will help patients with diabetes log their hypoglycemic events and achieve better control of these events by becoming more aware of preceding signs and symptoms.

Provocative research raises the question of whether we should we look at Alzheimer's disease as "type 3 diabetes."

Presentation at CMHC 2014 provides updates on emerging classes of diabetes treatment, including preliminary data from current clinical trials.