Top News

Predicting frailty in postmenopausal women This prospective analysis supports the role of markers of fibrin turnover and fibrinolysis as independent predictors of incident frailty in postmenopausal women. The American Journal of Medicine (10/2009)

Clinical Updates

   From AJM and other Elsevier publications

To reduce weight, risk factors in the obese, try this Liraglutide treatment over 20 weeks is well tolerated, induces weight loss, improves certain obesity-related risk factors, and reduces prediabetes. (Free registration required.) The Lancet (10/23)

There's a lot of suicidal intent among CVD patients This study concluded that discovery and stabilization of suicidal patients is an important benefit of the screening for depression and suicidality in patients with CVD, but the fact that more than 12% of all screened patients will need to be immediately evaluated for suicidal intent has important implications for resource allocation to screening programs. The American Journal of Cardiology (11/2009)

"Women and children first": From a historical moment to an ethical imperative. Time for physicians to act This editorial makes the case for obstetricians advocating for fetal, neonatal and pregnant patients on the basis of substantive and procedural justice. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (10/2009)

Parents plan for HPV vaccine, but what does it take to act? Approximately one year after its introduction, HPV vaccine had been initiated by only 10% of adolescent girls in an area with elevated cervical cancer rates; however, most parents intended for their daughters to be vaccinated. Additional efforts are needed to ensure that parents' intentions to vaccinate are realized.(Full-text access is time-limited.) Journal of Adolescent Health (11/2009)

What do higher C-peptide levels mean for nephropathy? These authors demonstrate that higher C-peptide levels are associated with metabolic syndrome in patients with Type 2 diabetes and in diabetes patients who also had nephropathy and vascular disease. Masson/La Presse Medicale (10/2009)

Gender differences: Still there among the very old While women may live longer, they sometimes live with more illness and functional limitations than males in the same age group. This study shows that 70 to 79-year old patients presented significant differences in comorbidities and in biological/clinical markers of clinical severity according to gender. This finding points to the importance of looking at gender differences when decisions are made regarding health care policy. (Free abstract only.) Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (10/2009)

Medical News

• Depression not well treated in mothers, study shows
  A study found more than 65% of mothers with depression in the U.S. are not adequately treated, with minority women the least likely to get needed care. Working mothers also are less likely to receive adequate treatment, which researchers said could point to an opportunity for depression intervention in the workplace. The study will be published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (10/27)

• Treatment compliance a problem in uncontrolled asthma
  A study of people with asthma that was difficult to control found many didn't comply with prescription drug therapy recommended by their physician. Researchers said of 182 patients in the study, 35% had filled no more than half of their prescriptions for inhaled steroids. The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Yahoo!/Reuters (10/23)

• Medical exposure to radiation increased sixfold since 1980
  The radiation exposure of U.S. patients from medical tests has increased sixfold since 1980, according to a new report in Radiology. About 380 million diagnostic and interventional radiological tests were conducted in the U.S. in 2006, in addition to 18 million nuclear medicine procedures. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (10/27)

Business Practice News

• 10 ways hospitals can fight infections
  Hospitals are reviving basic techniques for infection prevention, such as protocols for hand hygiene, checklists and diagnostic tests to identify infected patients quickly. Many facilities also are using new technologies to fight infections, including data mining, undercover monitoring of cleaning crews and even robots that ferret out lingering bacteria. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/27)

• Fewer U.S. physicians opt for general surgery practice
  Fewer physicians are choosing to become general surgeons because of the work load, high risk and low pay. This has led to a shortage of assistant surgeons available to help in hospital operating rooms, which could be a safety issue for patients. Yahoo!/Time (10/26)

Patient's Perspective

• Home environment matters in efforts to maintain weight loss
  People who maintain weight loss tend to live in homes with fewer TVs and fewer fatty foods on their shelves, a study in Annals of Behavioral Medicine found. Researchers said that people who maintain weight loss had more exercise equipment, and they kept fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods on hand instead of higher-fat foods. Reuters (10/27)

SmartQuote

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word -- excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it." --Pearl Buck, Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer