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In a very large Norwegian study, use of screening mammography was associated with a reduction in the rate of death from breast cancer, but the screening itself accounted for only about a third of the total reduction in death rate.
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Initiating treatment for hypercholesterolemia at age 30 years instead of age 60 years might very well prevent not just 30% of the CAD events as occurred in the 5-year statin trials, but perhaps as many as 60% of the CAD events lifetime.
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A systematic review shows that the three classical symptoms of paroxysmal cough, post-tussive emesis, and inspiratory whoop are helpful for the diagnosis, but cannot be relied upon to rule in or rule out pertussis as the cause of a chronic cough.
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A recombinant, polyethylene glycol (PEG) mammalian urate oxidase (uricase) has been approved by the FDA for treatment of hyperuricemia. Uricase metabolizes urate to allantoin, a water-soluble metabolite, which is cleared renally. Pegliticase is marketed by Savient Pharmaceuticals as Krystexxa™.
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The incretin class of medications (exenatide, liraglutide, sitagliptin, saxagliptin) all share the favorable quality of not being associated with weight gain.
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A Canadian study reveals that while a majority of elderly patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty did not receive home care upon discharge, those that did had longer short-term survival.
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The ECG above was obtained from an 87-year-old woman in for her first doctor visit in several years. She reports no recent symptoms. She is on no cardioactive medications. What are your concerns?
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HDL-cholesterol concentrations are not predictive of residual vascular risk among patients treated with potent statin therapy who have attained very low concentrations of LDL-cholesterol.
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Calcium supplementation without vitamin D supplementation is associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction.
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A new emergency contraceptive has been approved by the FDA that is effective up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse. Ulipristal acetate is a selective progesterone receptor modulator with partial agonist and partial antagonistic effects. It is licensed from Laboratoire HRA Pharma in France and marketed by Watson Pharma as Ella™.
