Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for June 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Pain Is a Public Health Issue and Economic Burden in U.S.
THURSDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- An integrated approach that responds to all the factors influencing pain can successfully treat, manage, and prevent chronic pain, according to a report published in June by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), on behalf of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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Poorer Thyroid Cancer Survival in African-Americans
THURSDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- African-Americans (AAs) with thyroid cancer have a poorer survival rate than whites, which may be attributed to differences in disease characteristics, according to a study published online June 21 in Ethnicity & Disease.
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Incentives Negatively Impact Non-Incentivized Activities
WEDNESDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Incentives may have a detrimental impact on non-incentivized activities of quality of care in the long-term, according to a study published online June 28 in BMJ.
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In Lumbar Stenosis, ABI and TBI Needed for PAD Diagnosis
WEDNESDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) with or without normal arterial pulses, screening for peripheral artery disease (PAD) should include measuring the ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) and toe brachial pressure index (TBI), according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Spine.
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E-Alerts Found to Help Prevent Thromboembolism
WEDNESDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Electronic alerts (e-alerts) may be a cost-effective prophylactic strategy to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized patients, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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New Model Estimates Impact of Breast-Cancer Risk Factors
TUESDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- A new breast cancer risk model predicts that changes in the modifiable risk factors in a woman's lifestyle may reduce the absolute risk of developing breast cancer, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Poor Bowel Preparation Tied to Missed Adenoma Diagnosis
FRIDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who undergo colonoscopies with suboptimal preparation of the bowel may have missed adenoma diagnoses, which are detected at repeat colonoscopy, according to a study published in the June issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
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New Biomarker May Identify Early Alzheimer's Disease
THURSDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Soluble amyloid precursor proteinβ (sAPPβ) may be a useful biomarker for incipient Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published online June 22 in Neurology.
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Variability Seen in Primary Care High-Risk Prescribing
WEDNESDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- High-risk prescribing or potentially inappropriate prescribing of drugs in primary care patients shows considerable unexplained variation between practices, and it is more likely in patients prescribed long-term drugs, according to a study published online June 21 in BMJ.
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Millions in U.S. Do Not Receive PAD Prevention Therapies
TUESDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of U.S. adults with peripheral artery disease (PAD) may not be receiving secondary prevention therapies, despite the fact that treatment with multiple agents is significantly correlated with lower all-cause mortality, according to a study published online June 20 in Circulation.
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Averaging BP Measurements May Help Control Classification
TUESDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- An average of several blood pressure (BP) measurements should be used to classify patients' BP control, as a single clinic recording is not a meaningful quality metric, according to a study published online June 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Early Statin Therapy May Reduce Unstable Angina
TUESDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- Early statin therapy following acute coronary syndromes (ACS) may reduce the risk of unstable angina at four months, but does not significantly reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke, according to a review published in the June issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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Updated Performance Measures May Improve Patient Care
MONDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- A series of 10 performance measures for adults may help improve the care of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension by providing treatment and controlling risk factors; the measures were published online June 13 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Many Primary Care Physicians Not Addressing Weight Issues
FRIDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- A large number of primary care physicians (PCPs) do not offer adequate counseling for weight status for adults or children, according to two studies published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Abstract - Huang
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Caregiver Support May Reduce Psychological Distress
FRIDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- The psychological distress of caring for a friend or relative with a terminal disease may be reduced if informal caregivers receive direct support, although the quality of evidence is low, according to a review published in the June issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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Flecainide Treatment Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death
THURSDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) treated with flecainide develop an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or proarrhythmic events, according to a study published online June 2 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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Multifactorial Causes Linked to Increasing Opioid Deaths
THURSDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- Opioid-related deaths occur due to multifactorial causes, and solutions are required to address all the causes, according to a review published online June 13 in a supplement of Pain Medicine.
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Vitamin D Supplementation Widely Recommended
THURSDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- Depending on age and clinic circumstances, vitamin D supplementation at suggested daily-intake and tolerable upper-limit levels is widely recommended, particularly for those individuals at risk of deficiency, according to the Endocrine Society's guidelines published online June 6 in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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High Olive Oil Consumption May Prevent Stroke in Elderly
THURSDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- High olive oil consumption is associated with a decreased risk of stroke in older people, according to a study published online June 15 in Neurology.
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Life Expectancy in U.S. Counties Below Many Nations
WEDNESDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Most counties within the United States fall behind the international frontier with the best life expectancies in the world, according to a study published online June 15 in Population Health Metrics.
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Inappropriate Medicines Tied to Serious Avoidable Adverse Events
WEDNESDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the Screening Tool of Older Persons' potentially inappropriate prescriptions (STOPP) criteria has identified an association between potentially inappropriate medicine (PIM) prescriptions and the likelihood of a serious adverse drug event (ADE) in older people; and, when hospitalized, older people are at risk of being prescribed PIMs and actually inappropriate medicines (AIMs), especially in intensive care units (ICUs), according to a study and research letter published in the June 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract - Hamilton
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Abstract - Morandi
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Similar Number for Outpatient, Inpatient Malpractice Claims
TUESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- The number of paid malpractice claims is similar in both inpatient and outpatient settings, according to a study published in the June 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Lengthy TV Viewing Tied to Increased Morbidity, Mortality
TUESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Prolonged television viewing is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality, according to a meta-analysis published in the June 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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First Ceramic-on-Metal Hip Replacement Approved
TUESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- The first ceramic-on-metal total hip replacement system has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Ranibizumab May Reduce Impaired Vision in AMD
TUESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with ranibizumab may reduce legal blindness and visual impairment, according to a study published in the June issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
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Low Fat, Glycemic Index Diet May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk
TUESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- Following a diet low in saturated fat and with a low glycemic index may positively impact biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease for healthy individuals and those with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), according to a study published in the June issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Splints May Reduce Hand Pain in Hand Osteoarthritis
FRIDAY, June 10 (HealthDay News) -- Use of splints may reduce hand pain in patients with hand osteoarthritis, according to a review published online May 31 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Higher Cognitive Decline Risk for Stroke Belt Residents
THURSDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Regional differences seen for stroke mortality in the United States are also seen for cognitive decline, according to a study published online May 26 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Facelift Surgery Complications Are Independent of Age
WEDNESDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly patients undergoing a facelift have a similar risk of complications, regardless of chronological age, according to a study published in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
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VHA System in United States Provides Better Cancer Care
WEDNESDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system in the United States provides similar or better care for older men with cancer than fee-for-service Medicare, although some new technologies are less available, according to a study published in the June 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Parkinson's Disease Linked to Higher Melanoma Occurrence
WEDNESDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a moderately higher occurrence of melanoma, according to a review published in the June 7 issue of Neurology.
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CDC: Incidence of Several Foodborne Infections Declines
TUESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although the incidence of several foodborne infections -- including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 -- has declined over the past several years, the incidence of Salmonella infection has not decreased, according to a Vital Signs report in the June 7 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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More Strokes Treated With Thrombolytics in the U.S.
FRIDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- The use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) to treat acute ischemic stroke (AIS) increased significantly between 2005 and 2009 in the United States, according to a study published online June 2 in Stroke.
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FDA: Blood Pressure Drugs Not Tied to Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified consumers and health care providers that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are not associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.
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Corticosteroids May Shorten Pneumonia Hospital Stay
WEDNESDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Non-immunocompromised patients with community-acquired pneumonia treated with intravenous dexamethasone in addition to antibiotic therapy may have a shorter hospital stay, according to a study published online June 1 in The Lancet.
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Beta Blockers May Benefit Breast Cancer Patients
WEDNESDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with breast cancer, beta-blockers may reduce disease progression and mortality as well as improve relapse-free survival, according to two studies published online May 31 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Abstract - Barron
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Abstract - Melhem-Bertrandt
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