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How hypertension increases the risk of dementia

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

February 7, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by John Gever, MedPage Today Senior Editor

Another study has found that hypertension may contribute to increased risk of dementia, this time with evidence of actual brain abnormalities.

Data from an offshoot of the Women’s Health Initiative found that participants’ baseline blood pressure was strongly correlated with volume of lesions in their brains’ white matter, according to Lewis …

What is the biggest risk for soldiers fighting overseas?

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

February 6, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by John Gever, MedPage Today Senior Editor

More than 85% of American military medical evacuations from the Middle East were not the direct result of enemy action, but the result of non-battle injuries and disease, researchers said.

Of some 34,000 military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan who shipped out for medical reasons from 2004 to 2007, only …

When doctors are at greatest risk of making a mistake

Dr. Martin Young

Physician

February 5, 2010

Early in my training as a glider pilot my instructor showed me an excellent but simple analogy for ensuring my safe performance as a pilot. I have always remembered this lesson, which he called the ‘accident slope’, and have tried to apply it to my method of practicing medicine, as well as the other ‘dangerous’ activities for which I have an affinity.

“Accidents and mistakes are seldom the result of one …

The specialty of underwater medicine, and an interview with a dive physician

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

February 5, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Kristina Fiore

Physicians tend to prefer intellectual hobbies — chess, reading, writing. Dr. Alfred Bove is no exception. His hobby often requires application of his expertise in physiology. You know him as the president of the American College of Cardiology. But you may not know that his heart belongs to the sea.

Bove’s interest in scuba diving …

Leg and buttock pain can be signs of peripheral arterial disease, especially in patients with diabetes

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

February 4, 2010

by Michael Jaff, MD

Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a condition commonly correlated with diabetes, also known as a “silent killer,” affects at least one in every three diabetics over the age of 50 and approximately eight million Americans in total over the age of 40. Although PAD is prolific among diabetic and senior populations, current data show that public and physician knowledge of the disease is startlingly low, with only 25 …

Differences between the Senate and House approach to health insurance exchanges

Kevin

Health Policy

February 4, 2010

by Deborah Maggart

It’s a very exciting time to be a part of the health care world.

The U.S. Senate and House were in deep negotiations attempting to reform health care in America by reconciling their separate visions into a single bill and – just as reform was deemed imminent – a special election in Massachusetts complicated matters by ending the Democrats’ filibuster-proof “supermajority” and with it the possibility of strictly partisan …

Why did Canadian premier Danny Williams come to the United States for heart surgery?

Kevin

Health Policy

February 4, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent

It is rare that a simple matter of patient choice causes an international flap.

But that’s what happened when 60-year-old Danny Williams of St. John’s, Newfoundland, decided to go to the U.S. for heart surgery.

That’s because Williams isn’t just any old Newfoundlander — he’s the premier of Canada’s easternmost …

Why primary care doctors need to practice insurance free medicine

Matthew Mintz, MD

Physician

February 3, 2010

I never thought I would be in academic medicine for so long.

When I was hired about 12 year ago, I figured I would stay in academics for a few years and then join a private practice Internal Medicine group. Now, I can’t even fathom that idea. One of the reasons I have stayed at my institution for so long is that I love teaching and the academic environment.

However, a second …

Why there are so few leaders in medicine and how to fix it

Kevin

Health Policy

February 3, 2010

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Jeff Brown, MD

A quick look at a newspaper will tell any doc just how important physician leadership has become, and increasingly so, in having a say in our economic futures. But our titular leaders are in a historically weak system complicated by being only one group of voices struggling to be heard in the rush to deal with national health care reform. There are many docs …

How soon should the dead be buried in Haiti?

Kevin

Physician

February 3, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Crystal Phend

Aid appears to still be trickling in to Haiti, making little headway against the swelling need for food, water, and medical care after last Tuesday’s earthquake.

With a projected death toll between 100,000 and 200,000, the dead bodies piled in the streets — and reportedly even being incorporated into roadblocks by angry Haitians …

How should pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and pharmacies communicate with physicians?

Kevin

Medications

February 2, 2010

by George Van Antwerp

In the pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) business, there are lots of reasons to reach out to a physician:

* Drug-drug interactions
* A chemically equivalent version of the drug prescribed is available
* A therapeutically equivalent version of the drug prescribed is available
* The prescribed drug is not covered
* A prior authorization is required
* The patient is required to try an alternative drug first (step therapy)
* The prescribed …

A comprehensive plan to fight obesity begins at an early age

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

February 2, 2010

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Jeffrey Gene Kaplan, MD, MS

In a given year in the U.S., 1/4th of US men and 2/5ths of US women attempt to lose weight, unfortunately, they often fail to keep the weight off.

Sobering statistics that we see all around us, particularly poignant in my office as a pediatrician. Clearly a multifaceted approach is required, but the most …

What doctors need to know about Google Android and Nexus One

Satish Misra, MD

Health Technology

February 2, 2010

The momentum and enthusiasm in the mobile technology world is, these days, clearly with Google.

The question for many people is whether to go with the reigning champion of the mobile device world (arguably Apple) or to take a chance on the challenger. The Nexus One, the flagship of the Android family of mobile devices, was unveiled to much fanfare in …

10 ways an Apple iPad can help doctors improve patient care

Joseph Kim, MD, MPH

Health Technology

February 2, 2010

The current (first generation) Apple iPad probably won’t run a robust electronic health record (EHR).

However, it may run some iPhone/iPod touch EHR/EMR apps. I think most physicians will prefer to use a standard tablet PC instead of the iPad. However, given that a large percentage of physicians are not using the tablet in the outpatient office setting, perhaps …

EMRs can slow medical charting by requiring too much information

Edwin Leap, MD

Health Technology

February 1, 2010

We have a new EMR system. I like it because I type well. I’m facile at using a keyboard and touch-screen. Not everyone in my group is so blessed, and we’ve had some difficulties using the voice-transcription software. Nevertheless, my gut tells me that in a month or two more, we’ll be getting along with our new system swimmingly. It’s the sort of thing I have wanted for a while, …

Why doctors are too quick to prescribe drugs for ADHD

Kevin

Medications

February 1, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff Writer

Physicians may be too quick to medicate children suspected of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The etiology of the disease is not well understood, and while some cases may have neurological causes, children may respond to psychotherapy instead, Esther Fine, PhD, a psychoanalyst in private practice in Los Angeles, told …

How the stress of caregiving can lead to stroke

Kevin

Conditions and Diseases

January 31, 2010

Originally published in MedPage Today

by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent

The strain of caring for a disabled spouse is associated with an increased risk of stroke, researchers found.

The risk is increased for men, and especially African-American men, according to William Haley, PhD, of the University of South Florida, in Tampa, and colleagues.

On the other hand, there was no significant …

Should society consider purchasing and selling tissues and organs?

Michael Kirsch, MD

Conditions and Diseases

January 31, 2010

by Michael Kirsch, MD

Choose the best answer.

To stimulate organ donation, we should provide organ donors with:

* Cold, hard cash
* Upgrades to business class on any flight within the continental United States for 1 year
* College tuition discounts for up to 3 children
* Income tax relief
* First row Bruce Springsteen concert tickets
* A certificate of appreciation

There is a reason that we don’t ask families of kidnapped victims what our policy should …

5 reasons why Apple’s iPad will have trouble in health care

Kevin

Health Technology

January 30, 2010

Originally published in HCPLive.com

by Colin Crawford

The Steve Jobs iPad Tablet media show held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco was always going to have a hard time living up to the ridiculous pre-launch hype that’s been circulating around the Web.

Steve’s presentation was more moderate than at previous product launches as he tried to manage expectations positioning …