Family Medicine

Though physicians are already aware that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) cause inflammation in joints, tendons, and surrounding muscle tissues, the effects of those chronic autoimmune disorders on stiffness, strength, and function of the patellar tendon have not yet been determined.

A pair of researchers based in Texas has gained valuable insight into the correlation between individual cell type in the tissues of gout patients and comorbidity factors of the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder.

No studies had determined the genetic cause of early-onset gout cases until a group of Japanese researchers discovered a the same genomic dysfunction among the patients.

Recognizing frustrations stemming from "the contested nature of the diagnosis, ineffective treatments, and a mismatch between general practitioner (GP) and patient explanatory models" for irritable bowel syndrome, a team of British researchers examined the tensions between how physicians approach IBS and what's currently recommended for diagnosing and managing the functional gastrointestinal disorder.

Following previous research that detected a greater risk of major depressive disorder development in HIV-infected patients, a new study examined the psychiatric condition's effect on adherence to antiretroviral therapy.

Although substantial investments are made in health information technology (HIT) to improve practice efficiency and patient care, widespread adoption of electronic prescribing continues to lag throughout the US and Canada, which is why one team of researchers sought to determine what variables predict the technology's successful integration in primary care settings.

Depression patients monitored by physicians and care managers in a collaborative model have better antidepressant medication use and clinical outcomes than those treated in a traditional primary care setting, according to a comparison of the two delivery methods published in the May 2013 issue of Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health.

Primary care physicians rate more than 40 percent of hospitalizations resulting from ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) as avoidable with effective preventive care and disease management.

With strong clinical evidence and adverse event reports linking Daiichi Sankyo's high blood pressure medication Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) to the gastrointestinal condition known as sprue-like enteropathy, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved changes for the drug's label to include a warning about that risk.

A study conducted by the Bronx Collaborative group of hospitals and health insurers found that personal contact with patients before and after hospital discharge resulted in significantly lower readmission rates.

Researchers at the Hanyang University College of Medicine set the record straight on the association between IBS symptoms and methane and hydrogen gas produced by intestinal fermentation of lactulose and excreted in the breath during lactulose breath test.

Steven P. Levine, MD, says new research on an old medicine has injected excitement into major depressive disorder treatment.

Researchers discussed new HIV vaccine developments in protecting antibodies capable of neutralizing many different strains of the virus and reviewed the comorbidity of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Two male patients with prolonged HIV infection who received hematopoietic stem cell transplants still remain virus-free several consecutive weeks after their antiretroviral treatments were discontinued this spring.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the indications of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.'s transdermal therapy for Alzheimer's disease to include the treatment of patients with severe stages of the neurological disorder.

As pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) remains at the forefront of HIV prevention research, clinical trial investigators provided an update on recent oral and topical PrEP efficacy studies at the second plenary session of the 7th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2013), held June 30 to July 3 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Noven Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s once-daily Brisdelle (paroxetine) capsules to reduce moderate to severe hot flashes and night sweats that can last up to five years in menopausal women.

Study shows gluten alters bowel functions in patients with IBS-D and that removal of gluten from the diet may reduce the frequency of bowel movements.

Recognizing that melatonin secretion from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract improves abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but decreases with age, Polish researchers from the Medical University of Lodz aimed to define the effect of administering melatonin in postmenopausal women with different predominating IBS symptoms.

Initial data show similar efficacy but different costs among injectable insulin treatments for patients who fail oral antidiabetic drugs.

A recent study suggests that skipping breakfast in overweight women may lead to insulin resistance.

Dr. Lim discusses the challenges of diagnosing and treating lupus, the tools and resources offered by the Lupus Initiative, and the impact of unconscious bias on care.

The American College of Rheumatology recently announced a new easy-to-use curriculum and tools aimed to help medical professionals advance the diagnosis, treatment, and management of lupus.

Study supports the current practice of post-surgery H. pylori eradication in patients with perforated peptic ulcers.

Genome studies provide clues about variation in individual risk for H. pylori infection.

In diagnosing a patient with type 2 diabetes, an endocrinologist or primary care physician may struggle with developing healthy treatment targets when comorbid conditions like obesity and hypoglycemia are at play.

From full-motion video demonstrations of orthopedic clinical tests to suites of disease activity score calculators, these apps for Google and Apple mobile devices provide rheumatologists with useful and easy-to-access information at crucial moments in diagnosis and treatment.

Data from the PARTNER cohort A trial show transcatheter aortic valve replacement produces similar mortality rates at one year compared with the standard procedure.

Results from the ASTRONAUT trial show that adding aliskiren to standard therapy for chronic heart failure does not improve mortality or rehospitalization rates.

Jeffrey S. Borer, MD, of the Howard Gilman Institute for Heart Valve Disease, discusses treating patients with heart failure with beta-blockers and whether there are any patients in this group who are not good candidates for this treatment.