番茄社区

Geriatrics

News, opinions and meeting coverage in geriatrics.

Life Expectancy Shorter After TIA

Nine years after discharge, the survival of patients hospitalized with a transient ischemic attack was 20% lower than expected, with older patients more likely to be affected, according to an Australian study.

Jumpy Legs in Parkinson's Likely Not RLS

Patients with early Parkinson's disease were more likely to have a movement disorder called leg motor restlessness than true restless legs syndrome, a study found.

Airport Metal Detectors Safe for Pacemakers

Metal detector security screening appears safe for people with pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), researchers found.

Linezolid Toxic With Prozac, Other SSRIs, FDA Warns

The FDA has issued an updated statement on the potential for serious central nervous system toxicity when patients taking serotonergic psychiatric drugs are treated with the antibacterial agent linezolid (Zyvox).

High Blood Pressure May Spark Facial Nerve Pain

Patients with hypertension appear to carry a higher risk for developing trigeminal neuralgia, a Taiwanese study showed.

Parkinson's Drug Doesn't Slow Disease Progress, FDA Staff Says

WASHINGTON -- Azilect (rasagiline), which is already approved to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, does not appear effective at slowing progression of the neurodegenerative disease, according to an FDA review.

Readers Say Vitamin Levels Should Be Checked Yearly

Processed foods, mineral-depleted soil, overcooked vegetables, increased stress levels -- all of these increase the chances of having a vitamin deficiency, according to a vocal majority of 番茄社区 readers who commented on last week's poll.

FDA Okays ED Drug for Enlarged Prostate

Tadalafil (Cialis), currently marketed for erectile dysfunction, also may be used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, the FDA said.

Brain Takes Multiple Hits from Low B12 Levels

Low levels of vitamin B12 may contribute to cognitive problems for older adults in more than one way, according to a cross-sectional study.

FDA Blocks Sale of Supplements for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

WASHINGTON -- The FDA filed a permanent injunction against two Minnesota companies that distributed amino acid products marketed as treatments for Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and a number of other neurological disorders.

HFSA: Controversy Highlighted at Upcoming Meeting

BOSTON -- Much progress has been made in managing heart failure, but there are still some areas of controversy that will be highlighted at the upcoming meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America here.

Medtronic Infusion Pump Recalled

Battery problems with two of Medtronic's SynchroMed II implantable infusion pumps have forced the company to recall them, according to the FDA, although the recall only affects products not yet implanted.

FDA Warns Against High-Dose Citalopram

Citing increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and a lack of therapeutic benefit associated with high doses of the SSRI citalopram hydrobromide (Celexa), the FDA has reduced the recommended maximum to 40 mg/day.

Knee Pain Eased With Combo Treatment

Combination treatment using ibuprofen plus acetaminophen provided better relief of chronic knee pain than acetaminophen alone -- but at the cost of increased side effects, a British randomized study found.

Level of Diastolic Function Predicts Death

The presence of moderate or severe diastolic dysfunction in patients with preserved systolic function independently predicted mortality, a retrospective study determined.

AMA: House of Delegates Backs Individual Mandate

CHICAGO -- The American Medical Association's House of Delegates has reaffirmed its support of individual responsibility -- including a requirement that most U.S. residents buy health insurance -- as the foundation of universal coverage.

Lab Notes: Red Wine Before Radiation and Red Clover for Hair Loss

Red is the color of the day, as components of red wine and red clover lead this week's Lab Notes, but the blues get their turn in the spotlight, too, as depressed people outshine cheerier folks in some elements of decision making.

No More Infant Dose of OTC Acetaminophen

Over-the-counter drug makers have announced that they will no longer produce acetaminophen in concentrated infant drops; liquid acetaminophen products for children under 12 will be sold only in a 160 mg/5 mL concentration.

Diet, Exercise Sufficient to Reduce Triglycerides

While cholesterol control is often balanced between statins and lifestyle changes, reducing triglycerides can usually be accomplished with diet and lifestyle changes alone, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

Medicare Paid Millions for Viagra

WASHINGTON -- Despite a rule that bars Medicare reimbursement for erectile dysfunction treatment, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) paid out $3.1 million for the drugs in 2007 and 2008, a new government report found.

Japan Stops Some Vaccinations After Deaths

Japanese health officials have suspended the use of two pediatric vaccines as a precaution following the deaths of four young children, according to multiple media reports.

New ARB Cleared for Hypertension Treatment

The FDA has approved azilsartan medoxomil (Edarbi), an oral angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) for hypertension, expanding the ranks of ARBs now available to U.S. patients.

AAOS: Arthritis Common Career Killer for GIs

SAN DIEGO -- Osteoarthritis is the most common reason for discharge from the military following battlefield injuries, according to a cohort study conducted by U.S. Army doctors.

FDA Panel: Keep ECT Devices as High Risk

GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- The FDA should continue to regulate electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) machines as high-risk devices for treating depression and most other conditions for which ECT is typically used, members of the agency's Neurological Devices Advisory Committee agreed.

Cardiologist Who Revealed Echo Errors Out of a Job

MILWAUKEE -- A cardiologist whose research at a national medical meeting revealed that other doctors at her hospital were misreading a substantial number of diagnostic echocardiograms has been fired by that hospital, the Journal Sentinel and 番茄社区 have learned.

Will Contrave Succeed Where Others Have Failed?

As part of the Year in Review series, 番茄社区 reporters are revisiting major news stories and following up with an analysis of the impact of the original report, as well as subsequent news generated by the initial publication. Here's what's happened on the weight-loss drug front this year.

AHA: One or Two Drinks May Not Hurt Bypass Patients

CHICAGO -- Having an alcoholic drink does not appear to cause problems for patients following coronary artery bypass graft surgery -- but doctors warn that these patients cannot have more than one or two drinks a day.

AHA: Rivaroxaban Scores Win While Omega-3 Flops

CHICAGO -- Good news and not so good news about investigational treatments for atrial fibrillation are featured in this exclusive InFocus video report from the American Heart Association meeting.

FDA Panel Looks at Trials of Devices to Treat Depression

GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- An FDA advisory panel met Friday to discuss how to analyze trials designed to test devices used to treat depression, but didn't offer the FDA any clear-cut guidance.

Not Enough Evidence to Use BMP Off-Label, Panel Says

BALTIMORE -- A Medicare advisory committee has voted that there is not enough evidence to warrant off-label use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP, for bone surgery.

Mild Mania Often Accompanies Major Depression

A high proportion of people with major depression may actually have a "hidden" form of bipolar disorder, according to a population-based study.

Artificial Heart Now Sold Online

The maker of the only FDA-approved temporary total artificial heart has opened an online store to take orders for the device and its accessories.

Diagnostic Nerve Blocks Costly -- and Controversial

While some guidelines recommend two diagnostic nerve blocks before radiofrequency treatment for chronic low back pain, a randomized trial showed greater success without use of the prior blocks.

Common Antibiotic Linked to Elevated Potassium

Among older individuals, the commonly used antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is associated with the development of hyperkalemia requiring hospitalization, researchers found.

Giving tPA Late: Risk May Outweigh Benefit

Although beneficial within 4.5 hours of stroke onset, administering recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) beyond that window appears to increase the risk of dying, a pooled analysis of eight clinical trials showed.

Heart, Not Ear, Main Source of Dizziness in Elderly

Heart disease, not inner ear problems, appears to be the most common cause of dizziness in elderly patients seen in primary care offices, researchers say.

ASH: Hypertension Plus Tachycardia Equals High Risk

NEW YORK -- An elevated resting heart rate is associated with an increased risk of cardiac events in high-risk hypertension, according to a secondary analysis of a large randomized trial.

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome May Warn of Apnea

When physicians see a patient with floppy eyelid syndrome, they should also screen for obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, new research has shown.

ACC: Triglycerides Decreased with Rosuvastatin Therapy

ATLANTA -- In a study that specifically scrutinized the effects of statin therapy on triglycerides, researchers said that rosuvastatin (Crestor) significantly reduced the blood lipid that has been linked to coronary artery disease better than placebo.

ACC: Clopidogrel Black Box Likely to Have Immediate Clinical Impact

ATLANTA -- The FDA's decision to add a black box warning to the label of clopidogrel (Plavix) came without warning to doctors attending the American College of Cardiology meeting here. But getting the word out to more than 13,000 cardiologists gathered in this city not an easy task.

鈥�

92