Family Medicine

Researchers using mice models have shown that the compound SR2211, which targets a nuclear receptor that is a key regulator of TH17 cells, significantly reduces joint inflammation and erosion.

A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 56 children with Crohn's disease suggests pediatric patients treated with thalidomide have better rates of remission and response than those given placebo.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Xiaflex (collagenase clostridium histolyticum) as the first non-surgical treatment for Peyronie's disease.

Though automated clinical reminders sent to physicians have produced notable results in diabetes management, a Mayo Clinic study found they do not improve weight loss in overweight and obese patients.

A 60-year-old gentleman presented to a clinic with a large ulceration over his left tibia. The wound was friable, erythematous, and purulent, with necrotic involvement of the tibial tendon sheath. He reports that the lesion started 15 years ago and worsened after surgical debridement 10 years ago. High-dose prednisone helped in the past, but other medications have been of no help. Recently, the patient developed intense pain with occasional fevers, chills, and night sweats. He has type 2 diabetes mellitus, but denies any history of bowel difficulties, hepatitis, or arthralgias. What is your diagnosis?

Displaying the real-time costs of common laboratory tests through electronic health records (EHR) can help physicians cut back on excessive ordering.

Even if health information technologies (HIT) were only fully implemented in less than a third of all primary care offices, the overall demand for physicians would still fall by nearly 10% due to increased efficiency.

I find myself longing for the days when bags flew free on all airlines and when practices treated patients the same regardless of their willingness to pay an extra fee.

A 55-year-old married university professor has past medical history notable only for hypertension treated with hydrochlorothiazide, and no history of intravenous drug abuse or blood transfusions. Should this patient still be screened for hepatitis C?

The risk calculator tool and recommendations included in the new American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) hyperlipidemia guidelines are open to significant debate.

Compared to a low-fat diet, adherence to a Mediterranean diet has significant benefit in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease among patients aged 55-80 years old at high baseline cardiovascular risk without cardiovascular disease.

While some low- to moderate-level evidence exists for the short-term use of opioids in low back pain, this well-done systematic review found no evidence to support their long-term use.

A study sheds some light on how a bedtime routine may play a role in childhood - and possibly adulthood - behavioral problems.

The risk for depression exists in the years prior to menopause, but declines as a woman approaches her final menstrual period (FMP) and decreases even further after FMP, according to one study.

The statement that there is no rule without exception is arguably more true in cases of sarcoidosis than in almost any other condition.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has endorsed Cancer Care Ontario guidelines for colorectal cancer survivor follow-up care, according to a study published online Nov. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

A protein naturally found in breast milk that's responsible for fetal development and wound healing could also have neutralizing effects against HIV-1, according to a recent study.

Although 3-year survival and cancer recurrence rates are comparable for patients who have laparoscopic or open surgery at any stage of colon cancer, older patients who undergo a laparoscopic procedure have a significantly less likelihood of being admitted to a nursing home compared to those who have open surgical resection.

Drawing upon data from a large European study, Andrés Cárdenas, MD, reported an association between hyponatremia and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) during a poster session at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases held November 1-5, 2013, in Washington, DC.

Investigating the association between hyponatremia and cognition in patients with cirrhosis, Jasmohan Bajaj, MD, and colleagues from Virginia Commonwealth University presented results showing reduced brain edema, better quality of life (QOL), and less caregiver burden with the use of the aquaretic tolvaptan.

Emerging data from a clinical trial on triple direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy plus ribavirin (RBV) in hepatitis C (HCV) genotype 1 (GT1) patients shows that the low rate of relapse during and after treatment leads to high concordance rates between measurements of sustained viral response (SVR) at 4, 12, and 24 weeks post-treatment.

High medication adherence and sustained viral response (SVR) has been reported in hepatitis C (HCV) patients taking an interferon-free, short-duration, oral regimen of ribavirin (RBV) combined with 3 direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) that are currently in phase 2b/3 clinical trials.

As the worldwide disease burden increases and the need for expanded access to care rises concomitantly, primary care clinics utilizing an interdisciplinary staffing model offer a promising alternative to treating patients with hepatitis C (HCV).

New evidence suggests that physical activity and drug interventions are similar in terms of mortality benefits in the secondary prevention of congestive heart failure (CHF), rehabilitation after stroke, treatment of heart failure, and prevention of diabetes.

The REDUCE randomized clinical trial determined that 40 mg prednisone administered daily for 5 days wasn't inferior to 14 days of treatment in a placebo-controlled, double-blind setting.

Results of a randomized controlled trial demonstrate that a long-term, supervised, moderate-intensity exercise training program for chronic heart failure patients can produce improvements in hospital readmission and survival rates.

Tech-savvy family physicians are largely embracing health information technology (HIT), though the same can't be said for social media.

Though physicians understand the advantages of electronic health records (EHR), their experience with cumbersome health information technology (HIT) systems is increasingly contributing to their professional dissatisfaction.

A commonly used adage is "there's no such thing as a free lunch." Suffice it to say that in the wake of the Sunshine Act, there may be no such thing as an industry-provided "free lunch."

This 6-year-old boy presents to the ER with a 2-day history of increasing pain and swelling in his right ankle. On the day of his arrival, he also developed the rash pictured here. The patient denies any other symptoms aside from his ankle and knee pain. His chest X-ray, vital signs, complete blood count (CBC), and basic chemistry panel were normal, though urinalysis showed a trace of blood.