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- 04.11.2008 In-Hospital Cardiogenic Shock Has Decreased over Past 10 Years
Over the past 10 years, the rate of cardiogenic shock during hospitalization for acute coronary syndromes has decreased, reports Annals of Internal Medicine.
Researchers examined registry data on nearly 24,000 patients admitted for acute coronary syndromes at 70 hospitals in Switzerland from 1997 through 2006. + zobacz więcej - 03.11.2008 Features of HPV Infection Examined in Hawaiian Cohort
A prospective study of the natural history of human papillomavirus infection has produced some unanticipated findings, according to a report in Cancer Research.
Nearly 1000 sexually active women between ages 18 and 85 were recruited as members of a cohort living in Hawaii. All subjects had normal cervical cytology and underwent testing for the presence of HPV DNA at baseline and every 4 months thereafter (about one-quarter had HPV at baseline). + zobacz więcej - 03.11.2008 FDA Approves Drug Treatment for Overactive Bladder
The FDA has approved Toviaz (fesoterodine), an anticholinergic agent, to treat overactive bladder in adults. The drug relaxes smooth muscle in the bladder, thereby reducing urinary frequency, urgency, and incontinence. Available doses are 4 and 8 mg daily.
Contraindications include severely reduced kidney function, urinary or gastric retention, uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma, severe liver impairment, and use of medications (e.g., ketoconazole) that block fesoterodine metabolism. The FDA also recommends caution in prescribing fesoterodine for patients with decreased gastric motility. + zobacz więcej - 31.10.2008 Anxiety in Children: CBT and Sertraline Each Effective Alone, but More Effective Together
Cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) and sertraline (Zoloft) each improve anxiety in children, but a combination of the two is even more effective, according to a study released online by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Nearly 500 children with separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or social phobia were randomized to CBT (14 sessions), sertraline (starting dose, 25 mg/day, titrated up to 200 mg/day by 8 weeks), both, or a placebo pill. At 12 weeks, more children were rated as much improved or very much improved in the CBT group (60%), sertraline group (55%), and combination-therapy group (81%), compared with the placebo group (24%). Combination therapy proved more effective than either treatment alone. + zobacz więcej - 31.10.2008 Diabetes Incidence Nearly Doubles in a Decade
The annual age-adjusted incidence of diabetes in the U.S. nearly doubled over the past decade, according to the results of a telephone survey of adults reported in MMWR.
The incidence rate increased from 4.8 per 1000 people in 1995–1997 to 9.1 in 2005–2007. In the latter period, age-adjusted rates were generally highest in the South and lowest in the Midwest. They ranged from a high of 12.7 in West Virginia to a low of 5.0 in Minnesota. + zobacz więcej - 30.10.2008 Comorbidities Associated with Delays in MS Diagnosis
Multiple sclerosis goes undiagnosed longer — and is more severe when diagnosed — in patients with comorbid conditions, according to a study published online by Neurology.
Nearly 9000 patients with MS completed questionnaires about physical and mental comorbidities. The mean time from symptom onset to MS diagnosis was up to 10 years longer in patients who had vascular, autoimmune, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, visual, or mental comorbidities, compared with those without such conditions. Smoking and being overweight also delayed diagnosis. + zobacz więcej - 30.10.2008 Breast Cancer Less Likely to Recur in Women with Vasomotor, Joint Symptoms During Early Treatment
Women with vasomotor or joint symptoms during early breast cancer treatment may be less likely to experience cancer recurrence, according to a report released online by Lancet Oncology.
Industry-funded researchers retrospectively examined data on some 4000 women with hormone-receptor–positive tumors who were randomized to tamoxifen or anastrozole in the ATAC trial. Three months after treatment began, 38% of the women reported vasomotor symptoms, and 31% reported joint symptoms. The annual rate of breast cancer recurrence was significantly lower among women with either type of symptom than among those with no symptoms (2.1% vs. 3.2%). + zobacz więcej - 30.10.2008 Genetically Elevated CRP Levels Not Associated with Increased Cardiovascular Risk
Although polymorphisms in the gene for C-reactive protein are associated with increased CRP levels, they are not associated with increased cardiovascular risk, the New England Journal of Medicine reports.
Researchers studied four cohorts comprising nearly 51,000 Danish adults who had either ischemic heart disease or ischemic cerebrovascular disease or who served as controls. They found that CRP levels above 3 mg/L were associated with increased cardiovascular risk, relative to levels under 1 mg/L. They also found that CRP polymorphisms, as assessed through genotyping, were associated with increased plasma CRP. However, CRP polymorphisms themselves did not confer increased risk for either ischemic heart disease or ischemic cerebrovascular disease. + zobacz więcej - 29.10.2008 Geneva Scoring for Pulmonary Embolism Simplified Further
A further simplification of the Geneva score to evaluate the likelihood of pulmonary embolism retains the diagnostic accuracy of the original, reports Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers evaluated the simplified approach retrospectively in some 1050 patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. + zobacz więcej - 29.10.2008 Statin Use Associated with Drops in PSA Levels
Prostate-specific antigen levels appear to drop after men begin using statins, according to an observational study published online by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The study included some 1200 men with healthy prostates who had their PSA levels measured within 2 years before filling prescriptions for a statin and again within 1 year afterward. Overall, the median PSA concentration fell by roughly 4% after statin initiation. + zobacz więcej
