September 2012 Briefing - Geriatrics
Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Geriatrics for September 2012. 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.
SNPs Linked to Erectile Dysfunction After Radiotherapy
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with development of erectile dysfunction (ED) following radiotherapy for prostate cancer, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- New use of benzodiazepines correlates with an increase in the risk of dementia, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in BMJ.
Study Supports Diet High in Total Antioxidants for Lower MI Risk
THURSDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A diet high in total antioxidant capacity, based on fruits, vegetables, coffee, and whole grains, is associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction, according to a study published in the October issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Being Deemed 'Unfit to Drive' Cuts Subsequent Road Crashes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Medical warnings to patients who are potentially unfit to drive correlate with a reduction in the number of road crashes in which the patient is a driver, according to a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Antibiotic Use Varies by Season, Geographic Region for Elderly
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Antibiotic usage among older adults varies widely by geographical region and season, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Drugs Similar in Efficacy for Neuropathic Pain in Diabetes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- In the treatment of patients with chronic diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), there are no significant differences in pain-relief efficacy between amitriptyline, duloxetine, and pregabalin; however, pregabalin improves sleep continuity and duloxetine improves daytime functioning, according to research published online Sept. 18 in Diabetes Care.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Medicare Knee Replacement Numbers Up Over Last 20 Years
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- From 1991 to 2010 there was a 161.5 percent annual volume increase in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) among Medicare enrollees as well as an increase in per capita utilization, according to research published in the Sept. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Emotional Neglect in Childhood Ups Stroke Risk in Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Emotional neglect as a child may be tied to a higher risk of stroke as an adult, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in Neurology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Duration of Antiplatelet Drugs for Drug-Eluting Stents Studied
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- In patients receiving drug-eluting stents, dual antiplatelet therapy can be safely discontinued during the first year, according to two studies published online Sept. 19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Abstract - Ferreira-González
Full Text
Abstract - Kim
Full Text
Editorial
Nearly Half of European Mortality Due to Cancer, Chronic Disease
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Deaths from cancer and chronic diseases accounted for approximately 42 percent of deaths in 2007 across the European Union (EU), according to a study published online Aug. 28 in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
L-Carnitine Does Not Reduce Cancer-Related Fatigue
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with invasive malignancies who take L-carnitine supplements do not experience a reduction in fatigue, pain, or depression, according to research published online Sept. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Resuming Warfarin After GI Bleed Cuts Mortality
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- In the 90 days following a gastrointestinal tract bleeding (GIB) event, patients who do not resume warfarin therapy experience an increased rate of thrombosis and death, according to research published online Sept. 17 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
No Increased Cancer Risk With Herpes Zoster Infection
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- There is no increased risk of cancer among patients with newly diagnosed herpes zoster infection, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Health Ambiguity Linked to Depression in Stroke Survivors
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Health ambiguity, or uncertainty about the outcome of illness, is significantly associated with depression in survivors of first stroke, and this association is stronger for men than women, according to research published online Sept. 14 in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Study Looks at Pain Processing Abnormalities in Knee OA
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with knee osteoarthritis (K-OA), the lack of correlation between clinical pain and radiographic evidence of disease severity may be due to central sensitization, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Considerable Out-of-Pocket Costs in Last Few Years of Life
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Out-of-pocket health care expenditures can put a significant financial burden on elderly Medicare beneficiaries in their last five years of life, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Up Over Time in Oldest Old
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- For the oldest old, increases in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) occur over time but do not correlate with mortality, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Ups Cardio Risk in the Elderly
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- In the elderly, untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, and adequate treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce this risk, according to research published online Sept. 13 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disability for 15 Percent of Patients After Minor Stroke, TIA
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately 15 percent of patients exhibit some disability 90 days after a minor stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), and more than 50 percent of patients who have a recurrent event experience disability, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Stroke.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Higher Mortality Risk With Preoperative Hyponatremia
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with preoperative hyponatremia have a higher risk of 30-day mortality and morbidity, including coronary events, surgical site wound infections, and pneumonia, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Risk of Car Accidents Up With Antidepressant Use
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- There is an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) for patients taking antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or Z-drugs, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
Long-Term Finasteride Doesn't Impair Quality of Life
THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Taking finasteride to prevent prostate cancer does not negatively affect the physical function, mental health, or vitality domains of health-related quality of life, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Persistence of Statin Use Linked to Decreased Cancer Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- There is an inverse association between statin persistence and cancer risk, particularly for hematopoietic malignancies, according to a study published in the September issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.
Epidural Steroid Injection Impairs Hip Bone Density
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) for radiculopathy negatively impact bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Spine.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Review: Omega-3s Do Not Reduce Risk of Cardio Events
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is not associated with a statistically significant reduction in major cardiovascular end points, according to research published in the Sept. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Less Alzheimer's Pathology With Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Use
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- In autopsy findings, patients treated with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) show less Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related pathology, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Neurology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Adding Ketamine to Opioids Doesn't Reduce Cancer Pain
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Using subcutaneously administered ketamine in a dose-escalating regimen as an adjunct to opioids and standard co-analgesics does not have any clinical benefit in relieving cancer pain, but it is associated with increased toxicity, according to research published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Acupuncture Activates Neural Responses in Parkinson's
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with Parkinson's disease may benefit from acupuncture treatment on acupoint GB34, with improved neural response noted after acupuncture stimulation, according to a study published in the September issue of CNS Neurosciences & Therapeutics.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
NSAID Use Ups Cardiovascular Risk Up to Five Years Post-MI
MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The increased cardiovascular risk associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use following a first myocardial infarction (MI) persists up to five years, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Circulation.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Cancer Survivors Uneasy With Primary Care Doctor Follow-Up
MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Early-stage cancer survivors have concerns about receiving cancer-related follow-up care from primary care physicians, according to a study published in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Drinking Dealcoholized Red Wine Lowers Blood Pressure
MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Drinking dealcoholized red wine, compared with red wine or gin, decreases systolic and diastolic blood pressure, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in Circulation Research.
No Gender Effect on PCI Outcome in Acute Coronary Syndrome
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- There are no significant gender differences in outcomes between men and women undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES) for the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Not All Docs/Nurses Want to Be Asked About Hand Hygiene
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although most health care workers (HCWs) appreciate the role of patients in preventing health care-associated infection, a considerable proportion are uncomfortable with patients asking about their hand hygiene, according to a letter published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Prevalence of Diagnostic Errors in the ICU Assessed
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnostic errors in the intensive care unit (ICU) are prevalent, with 28 percent of autopsies reporting at least one misdiagnosis, according to a study published online July 21 in BMJ Quality & Safety.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Ginkgo Biloba Extract Does Not Cut Progression to Alzheimer's
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- For elderly adults with memory complaints, use of standardized ginkgo biloba extract is no better than placebo for reducing the incidence of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in The Lancet Neurology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Simple Eye Tracking Can Identify Neurological Disorders
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be detected with high accuracy by tracking eye movements while watching television, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in the Journal of Neurology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Themes Identified for Improving End-of-Life Care in ER
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Major and minor themes have been identified by emergency nurses who often provide end-of-life (EOL) care in the emergency department setting, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Hospitals Vary in Resuscitation Times for Cardiac Arrest
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest, the duration of resuscitation attempts varies between hospitals, with increased duration of resuscitation linked to improved survival, according to a study published online Sept. 5 in The Lancet.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Clopidogrel After MI Less Effective in Diabetes Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Clopidogrel therapy following a heart attack does less to reduce the risk of death in patients with diabetes than in those without diabetes, according to a study published in the Sept. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Unrecognized MI Prevalent in Older Adults, Ups Mortality
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients, the prevalence of unrecognized myocardial infarction (UMI), as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, is higher than that of recognized myocardial infarction (RMI) and correlates with increased mortality, according to a study published in the Sept. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Over Half of U.S. Adults With HTN Do Not Have It Under Control
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Of U.S. adults with hypertension, more than half have uncontrolled hypertension, yet the majority report having a usual source of care and health insurance, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
Elderly Discharged Home Do Well After Heart Valve Surgery
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- People over the age of 80 generally do well after aortic or mitral valve replacement surgery, especially if they are discharged home, according to a study published in the September issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Plasma Glucose Tied to Atrophy in Hippocampus, Amygdala
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- For cognitively healthy individuals without type 2 diabetes, high plasma levels within the normal range are associated with atrophy in the hippocampus and amygdala, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 issue of Neurology.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Stressful Lifestyle, Type A Behavior Linked to Stroke
MONDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Stressful habits and type A behavior correlate with an increased risk of stroke, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
