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Geriatrics

News, opinions and meeting coverage in geriatrics.

Early Swimming Increases Diarrhea Risk For Babies

NEUHERBERG, Germany -- Babies taken swimming in public pools in the first year of life have an increased risk of diarrhea, researchers here said.

Frozen Burger Recall Prompted by E. Coli Outbreak

ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Nearly two dozen illnesses from frozen hamburgers apparently tainted with Escherichia coli O157:H7 have prompted a meat company to recall more than 300,000 pounds of beef.

ASNC: Caffeine Screens Before Stress Tests Often Miss Positives

SAN DIEGO -- Routine screening by questionnaire for caffeine intake before pharmacologic cardiac stress testing fails to identify most patients who have detectable serum levels of the stimulant, investigators said here.

Virginia Tech Missed 'Clear Warnings' of Shooter's Mental Instability

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Tech massacre might have been prevented if university authorities had heeded "clear warnings of mental instability" from the shooter, found a state review panel.

Boxed Heart Failure Warning Added to Two Diabetes Drugs

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The makers of rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos), have agreed to add a black box warning to the type 2 diabetes drugs' labels about an increased risk of heart failure, the FDA said today.

One Cannabis Joint Equals Smoking Up to Five Cigarettes

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Smoking a single marijuana joint by a heavy user can cause bronchial damage similar to smoking 2.5 to five cigarettes, researchers reported.

Grand Jury Refuses to Indict New Orleans Doctor Charged with Killing Katrina-Stranded Patients

NEW ORLEANS -- Almost two years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged this city, a grand jury here refused to indict Anna M. Pou, M.D., in the deaths of four elderly patients at Memorial Medical Center.

IAS: HIV Treatment Requires Cardiac Assessment

SYDNEY -- As the long-term prognosis for patients with HIV improves, it becomes more important to assess the patient's risk for cardiovascular disease and other health issues, researchers suggested here.

Gabapentin (Neurontin) Eases Chronic Pain in Fibromyalgia

CINCINNATI -- For treating the chronic pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia, the anticonvulsant gabapentin (Neurontin) proved safe and effective, researchers here reported.

AAPA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Wearies the Heart

PHILADELPHIA -- The most obvious clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea may be weariness of mind, but this breathing disorder also slowly and silently wears down the heart, according to researchers.

APA: Simple Screen Improves Suicide Risk Assessment

SAN DIEGO -- Emergency department patients who may be suicidal can be identified with a simple tool designed for use by health professionals without a mental health background.

APA: Abilify Has Adjunctive Antidepressant Effect

SAN DIEGO -- Aripiprazole (Abilify) may be a useful adjunctive therapy in patients with major depressive disorders who have incomplete responses to antidepressants, researchers reported here.

Topical Retinol Bolsters Elderly Skin and Reduces Wrinkles

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Topical vitamin A (retinol) may improve fine wrinkles, collagen deficiency, and atrophy in the fragile skin of elderly patients.

USPSYCH: Insomnia Treatment Boosts Antidepressant Efficacy

SAN FRANCISCO -- A significant number of patients with major depression also suffer from chronic insomnia that hampers recovery, and treating the insomnia may improve both conditions.

FDA Warns of Botulism-Tainted Olives

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA issued an urgent warning tonight to consumers about the risk of olives that are potentially contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

Grief Following Death in the Family Ebbs in Six Months

NEW HAVEN -- The negative emotions of grief -- yearning, depression, and anger -- following the death of a family member from natural causes usually peak within six months, according to a Yale bereavement study of 233 mourners

Trichomoniasis Increases HIV Risk

SEATTLE -- For women, infection with a common sexually transmitted disease sharply increases the risk of contracting HIV, according to researchers here.

Childhood Vaccination Schedule Expanded for 2007

ATLANTA -- A more comprehensive vaccination schedule for children and adolescents has been issued by the CDC for 2007.

Methamphetamine May Trigger Ischemic Stroke

IRVINE, Calif. -- Methamphetamine users may develop carotid artery dissections, leading to a severe stroke, an effect also seen in cocaine users, according to researchers here.

After Meniscectomy, Thigh Muscle Weakness Impairs Knee Function

MALM脙鈥�, Sweden -- Four years after surgery to repair a non-traumatic meniscus tear, loss of muscle strength in the quadriceps left patients with a painful, unstable knee prone to future osteoarthritis, researchers here reported.

Hot Air Blows Away Head Lice Infestations

SALT LAKE CITY -- Head lice appear to fall prey to heavy-duty blow drying just as well as to chemical treatments, researchers here said.

AACAP: HIV-Infection in Children Leads to More Psychiatric Symptoms

SAN DIEGO -- For a variety of factors, HIV-infected children appear to have more psychiatric problems than uninfected children, researchers reported here.

ACEP: Don't Drink the Fabuloso!

NEW ORLEANS -- A brightly colored, attractively packaged household cleaning product called Fabuloso has led to a rash of emergency department visits for accidental ingestion, toxicology researchers reported here.

Heartburn Remedy May Help Treat Heart Failure

SUITA CITY, Japan -- Heart failure patients who added 30 mg of Pepcid (famotidine) to standard therapy significantly improved NYHA functional class and reduced plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels compared with those given 150 mg of teprenone.

Accelerated Weight Loss May Signal Imminent Dementia Onset

ST. LOUIS -- An early warning sign for Alzheimer's disease could be accelerated weight loss, found a study of aging and memory.

High Blood Pressure Lowers Walking Ability in Elderly

CHICAGO -- High blood pressure appears to impair older patients' ability to walk, and the reason may be more than just peripheral arterial disease.

FDA Warns on Mixing Antidepressants with Migraine Drugs

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Mixing common migraine drugs such as Imitrex (sumatriptan) with antidepressants like Prozac (fluoxetine) or Cymbalta (duloxetine) can trigger a life-threatening condition called serotonin-syndrome, the FDA has warned.

SLEEP: Ambien Appears to Remedy Central Sleep Apnea

SALT LAKE CITY — The sedative Ambien (zolpidem) appears to reduce the symptoms of central sleep apnea, according to a small open-label study reported here.

DDW: Constipation Drug Seen Safe and Effective for Long Term Use in Elderly

Los Angeles 芒鈧€� The new medication Amitiza (lubiprostone) is safe and effective as long-term therapy for chronic constipation in older patients, researchers reported here. Results were at least as good in seniors as in the more general populations studied earlier.

High-Dose Steroids Linked to Risk of Atrial Fibrillation

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands 芒鈧€� High dose corticosteroid therapy may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, researchers here reported.

Blood Clots Linked to Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementias

MANCHESTER, England 芒鈧€� Spontaneous cerebral blood clots were detected at similar rates in patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, suggesting a common pathology and a potentially preventable or treatable cause for some dementias, researchers here said.

ACP: Garlic, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, and Ginger All Bad Actors with Coumadin

PHILADELPHIA - When it comes to adverse events associated with Coumadin (warfarin) therapy, beware of herbs and many supplements beginning with the letter G, according to a University of Washington investigator.

ACC: Coronary Artery Disease Patients Should Have Low LDL Goal

ATLANTA, March 10 - For all patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), the goal of therapy should be to get LDL cholesterol lower than 70 mg/dL, said Christie Ballantyne, M.D., director of the center for cardiovascular disease prevention at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

AAAAI: Lady Beetle Allergy Bugging More Patients

MIAMI BEACH - There has been a significant rise in allergic sensitization to ladybugs, an aphid-eating friend to farmers, in many parts of the U.S. because the insects swarm indoors to get out of the cold, several research teams reported here.

FDA Approves Rituxan for Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The FDA today approved Rituxan (rituximab) for use in combination with methotrexate to treat moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis that has not responded to traditional treatments.

FDA Approves First Antidepressant Transdermal Patch

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The FDA has approved a once-a-day antidepressant patch that delivers a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Called Emsam (selegiline), the patch can be used at its lowest dose without the dietary restrictions that accompany oral MAO inhibitors.

Epidural Steroid Injection Not Useful for Chronic Shingles Pain

UTRECHT, The Netherlands - An epidural injection of steroids with a local anesthetic did not provide the long-term pain relief doctors anticipated for patients suffering from post-herpetic neuralgia, researchers here said.

Most Over-the-Counter Cough Remedies Have No Value

NORTHBROOK, Ill. - Most over-the-counter cough remedies do next to nothing, according to new cough guidelines issued by the American College of Chest Physicians.

Acetaminophen Is Leading Cause of Acute Liver Failure

SEATTLE - Deliberate or inadvertent overdosing with acetaminophen (Tylenol and generics) is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States, researchers reported.

Toddlers With Sleep Apnea Should Get Off Their Backs

HOUSTON - If toddlers with sleep apnea slept less on their backs their quality of sleep and associated symptoms might improve.

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