Ziprasidone Associated With Increased Risk of Hyperglycemia, Diabetes

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Pfizer have notified healthcare professionals by letter of revisions to the warnings section of drug labeling for ziprasidone (Geodon), according to an alert sent today from MedWatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting system. The warning refers to the increased risk of hyperglycemia and diabetes in patients treated with ziprasidone and other atypical antipsychotics."

Anakinra Plus Methotrexate Helpful in Rheumatoid Arthritis

"Anakinra combined with methotrexate is safe and effective for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have inadequate responses to methotrexate, according to the results of a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial published in the September issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases."

Full-Body CT Scanning May Significantly Increase Cancer Risk

"Full-body computed tomographic (CT) scanning may significantly increase the risk of cancer, according to the results of an analysis published in the September issue of Radiology."

American Healthcare Is the Best in the World If. . .

"How many times in the past 20 years have you heard some American politician proclaim, 'the American healthcare system is the best in the world.' Too many, I fear. But let's face it. People tend to speak most fervently from their own personal experiences. Maybe those politicians, medical or otherwise, actually believed what they said. One could make the case that 'the American healthcare system is the best in the world if:"

Urine Pads Help Diagnose UTI in Hospitalized Children

"Changing urine collection pads (UCPs) every 30 minutes almost eliminates contamination, facilitating the diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in hospitalized children still in diapers, according to the results of a randomized trial published in the August issue of the Archives of Diseases in Childhood."

New Guidelines for Stage II Colon Cancer

"A panel convened from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and a Canadian group have issued guidelines, published in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, that recommend against routine adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer."

Statins May Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Type 2 Diabetes

"Patients with type 2 diabetes should receive a statin even with 'normal' cholesterol, according to the results of the Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS) published in the Aug. 21 issue of The Lancet. However, the editorialist recommends individual consideration of risk-benefit ratio before prescribing statins."

Canadian Guidelines Address Prevention of VAP

"A Canadian panel has developed guidelines for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which are published in the Aug. 17 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine."

FDA Approvals: Adderall XR for Adults, Topamax for Migraines, and Others

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine for use in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, topiramate for migraine prophylaxis in adults, a new algorithm to improve distribution of radiation therapy in heterogenous body areas, and two drugs to treat internal contamination from radioactive elements."

Lumiracoxib May Be Useful for Osteoarthritis Without Worsening Cardiac Risk

Lumiracoxib may be useful for osteoarthritis without worsening cardiac risk, according to two reports of the Therapeutic Arthritis Research and Gastrointestinal Event Trial (TARGET) published in the Aug. 21 issue of The Lancet. However, the editorialists advocate a cautious consideration of risks and benefits.

Although cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2)–selective inhibitors should theoretically reduce ulcer complications compared with nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), evidence is limited and raises the possibility that COX-2 inhibitors could increase the risk of cardiovascular events.

Higher Linoleic Acid Intake May Reduce Cancer Risk in Men

In middle-aged men, a relatively high dietary intake of linoleic acid may help lower the risk of prostate cancer and other cancers, according to a Finnish cohort study. The researchers say these findings hint that recommendations to substitute dietary linoleic acid for saturated fat to prevent cardiovascular disease may have the added benefit of protecting against cancers."

Nicotine Patch May Be More Helpful Than Bupropion for...

"Bupropion slow release did not improve smoking cessation over nicotine patch alone in teenagers, according to the results of a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. This is the first randomized trial to compare success rates of the nicotine patch with and without antidepressant medication in teenagers. These findings may suggest that adolescents do respond to smoking cessation therapy, albeit somewhat differently than do adults.

'We're encouraged because in our study the initial quit rates for kids treated with nicotine patches and skills training were similar to those seen in adults,' lead author Joel Killen, PhD, from the Stanford Prevention Research Center in California, says in a news release. 'Just as importantly, most of the kids in the study were able to substantially reduce their tobacco usage, which has not been seen in previous studies.'"

Comprehensive Lifestyle Modification and Blood Pressure Control

"The PREMIER trial showed that comprehensive lifestyle modifications are achievable and effective. These results are applicable to the general population. The effect of adding the DASH dietary pattern to previously established nonpharmacologic recommendations for BP control was subadditive. However, the DASH diet has numerous potential health benefits and comprehensive nonpharmacologic measures should be promoted for prevention of hypertension and as adjunctive treatment in hypertension management."

Role of Antibiotic Therapy in Crohn's Disease?

"No randomized clinical trial has found antibiotics to be effective for the induction or maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease.[1-4] Despite these negative trials, clinical experience has found that metronidazole and/or ciprofloxacin, especially in conjunction with immunosuppression, has long-term beneficial effects for inflammatory-type and fistula-type Crohn's disease."

Short-Course Levofloxacin as Effective as Standard Treatment...

Short-course (five days) and standard (10 days) of levofloxacin treatment are equally effective for uncomplicated cellulitis, according to the results of a double-blind randomized trial published in the Aug. 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine."

Guidelines Updated on Management of ST-Elevation MI

Aug. 10, 2004 — The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have updated joint guidelines on the management of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The new guidelines are published in the Aug. 3 issue of Circulation and the Aug. 4 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Expert Column - Beyond Pharmacotherapy for Heart Failure: The Role of ICDs and CRT CME

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive disorder resulting in a gradual decline in the heart's ability to pump blood. Eventually, the heart is unable to work effectively enough to meet the body's demands. There are a number of underlying conditions that can lead to HF, including chronic hypertension, valvular heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction (MI), as well as other miscellaneous causes. Patients in the more advanced stages of the disease typically experience a variety of symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, swelling of the legs, and heart arrhythmias. Ultimately, patients experience severe limitations in their physical activity, progressive heart dilation and dysfunction, and premature death."