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General Medicine
The original Journal Watch. Readable summaries and practical interpretation of the most recent and most important research – all from the perspective of practicing physicians.
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Featured Article
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Bupropion plus Naltrexone for Weight Loss?Free
- September 2, 2010
- Bruce Soloway, MD
Adverse effects were mild-to-moderate and transient.
- Reviewing:
- Greenway FL et al. Lancet 2010 Aug 21; 376:595
Recent General Medicine Articles
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Sibutramine Raises Risk for Adverse Cardiovascular Events
- September 2, 2010
- Allan S. Brett, MD
Should the drug be used at all?
- Reviewing:
- James WPT et al. N Engl J Med 2010 Sep 2; 363:905
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Vertebroplasty: New Trial, Conflicting Results
- September 2, 2010
- Allan S. Brett, MD
This time, vertebroplasty led to less pain immediately and at 1 year.
- Reviewing:
- Klazen CAH et al. Lancet 2010 Aug 10
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Caregiver Support and Functional Improvement in Dementia Patients
- September 2, 2010
- Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
Structured home-based intervention improves some outcomes for both caregivers and patients.
- Reviewing:
- Gitlin LN et al. JAMA 2010 Sep 1; 304:983
CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE WATCH
Vaginal Birth After Previous Cesarean Delivery: Updated Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsFree
- August 5, 2010
- Allison Bryant, MD, MPH
- Women's Health
Recent data enable more-specific recommendations for managing pregnant patients who have experienced previous cesarean delivery.
- Reviewing:
- Obstet Gynecol 2010 Aug; 116:450
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Calcium Supplementation Is Associated with Excess Risk for Myocardial Infarction
- August 31, 2010
- Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP
Marginal-to-moderate bone benefits must be weighed against cardiovascular risks.
- Reviewing:
- Bolland MJ et al. BMJ 2010 Jul 29; 341:c3691
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Once-Weekly Exenatide vs. Sitagliptin or Pioglitazone for Type 2 DiabetesFree
- August 26, 2010
- Bruce Soloway, MD
Long-acting exenatide lowered glycosylated hemoglobin levels more than the other two drugs did.
- Reviewing:
- Bergenstal RM et al. Lancet 2010 Aug 7; 376:431
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Aortic Root Dilation in Athletes
- August 26, 2010
- Thomas L. Schwenk, MD
Dilation progresses in a small proportion of athletes, although the reasons are unclear.
- Reviewing:
- Pelliccia A et al. Circulation 2010 Aug 17; 122:698
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Exercise Echo in Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation
- August 26, 2010
- Kirsten E. Fleischmann, MD, MPH
MR severity increased markedly during exercise in 32% of patients.
- Reviewing:
- Magne J et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010 Jul 20; 56:300
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Healthcare-Associated MRSA Infections in the U.S.Free
- August 25, 2010
- Richard T. Ellison III, MD
- Infectious Diseases
Surveillance data from the CDC show that the incidence of such infections declined between 2005 and 2008.
- Reviewing:
- Kallen AJ et al. JAMA 2010 Aug 11; 304:641
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Adult ADHD: When Medications Aren't EnoughFree
- August 24, 2010
- Joel Yager, MD
- Psychiatry
Using cognitive-behavioral therapy to train attention in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adds to the benefit of medications.
- Reviewing:
- Safren SA et al. JAMA 2010 Aug 25; 304:875
Editor's Picks from across Journal Watch
CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE WATCH
Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Women with Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer: Update from the American Society of Clinical OncologyFree
- July 29, 2010
- By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
- Women's Health
New guidelines emphasize use of aromatase inhibitors, whether alone or sequentially with tamoxifen.
- Reviewing:
- J Clin Oncol 2010 Jul 12
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Should We Look for Silent PE in Patients with DVT?
- August 9, 2010
- By Aaron J. Calderon, MD, FACP
- Hospital Medicine
Although one third of patients with lower-extremity deep venous thrombosis exhibited silent pulmonary embolism, routine screening for PE generally does not change management.
- Reviewing:
- Am J Med 2010 May; 123:426
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Light Alcohol Consumption During Early Pregnancy: The News Might Not Be So BadFree
- August 19, 2010
- By Allison Bryant, MD, MPH
- Women's Health
Women who consumed low levels of alcohol during the first trimester did not incur higher risk for behavioral problems in their children.
- Reviewing:
- BJOG 2010 Aug; 117:1139
FEATURE
Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: New Diagnostic Tool, New Drug, New Therapeutic StrategiesFree
- August 12, 2010
- By Nelson B. Watts, MD
- Women's Health
Powerful tools are available to identify patients at high risk for fracture and to lower that risk.
Journal Watch General Medicine summarizes important medical journal articles about a wide variety of medical subjects including arthritis,asthma, diabetes, genetics, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, palliative care, pneumonia, and thrombocytopenia.
