One Quarter of Those Older Than Age 40 Will Develop Atrial Fibrillation

"One in four men and women older than 40 years will develop atrial fibrillation (AF), according to the results of an analysis of the Framingham Heart Study published in the Aug. 31 issue of Circulation. The study was published online ahead of print on Aug. 16."

Moderate-Intensity Warfarin Appropriate in APA Syndrome

"Moderate-intensity warfarin is appropriate in antiphospholipid antibody (APA) syndrome, according to the results of a trial published in the Sept. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Target international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.0 to 3.0 was not associated with higher rates of recurrent thrombosis than was a target of 3.1 to 4.0 in patients with APA syndrome and a previous thrombosis. The editorialists review the knowledge of this syndrome, including issues for which evidence is lacking."

Avastin Associated With Risk of Serious Arterial Thromboembolic Events

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Genentech, Inc., sent a letter yesterday to healthcare professionals that warns of the risk for serious and fatal arterial thromboembolic events related to the use of bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer."

Nadolol Reduces Progression of Small to Large Esophageal Varices

Nadolol reduces progression of small to large esophageal varices, according to the results of a placebo-controlled trial published in the August issue of Gastroenterology. The investigators recommend initiating therapy with ?-blockers while varices are still small. "Beta-blockers are extensively used to prevent variceal bleeding in patients with large esophageal varices," write Carlo Merkel, MD, from the University of Padua in Italy, and colleagues from the Gruppo Triveneto Per L'ipertensione Portale. "The clinical usefulness of beta-blockers in preventing the growth of small varices to large ones is still uncertain."

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Helpful for Depression in PD

"Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is as effective as fluoxetine for the treatment of depression in patients with Parkinson's disease, according to the results of a placebo-controlled trial published in the August issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry."

C-Peptide Can Help Diagnose Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

"C-peptide can facilitate the diagnosis of fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), according to the results of a study published in the August issue of Diabetes Care.

'The key issue for the diagnosis in this new subtype of type 1 diabetes is absence of autoantibodies against islet cells,' write Shoichiro Tanaka, MD, from the University of Yamanashi in Japan, and colleagues. 'However, the measurement of pancreatic autoantibodies including GADAb, ICA, IA-2Ab, and IAA is in the process of being standardized, and these autoantibodies can be measured in a limited number of laboratories.'"