Obesity Medicine

ATLANTA -- About one in three residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia are obese, which makes these the fattest states in the U.S.

ATLANTA -- About one in three residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia are obese, which makes these the fattest states in the U.S.

MONTREAL -- New imaging modalities offer impressive anatomical and functional images, but physicians must understand their benefits and limitations in order to develop a rational, safe, and cost-effective approach to their use.

MONTREAL -- New imaging modalities offer impressive anatomical and functional images, but physicians must understand their benefits and limitations in order to develop a rational, safe, and cost-effective approach to their use.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Statins dramatically reduced markers of inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome, researchers here reported.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Statins dramatically reduced markers of inflammation in patients with metabolic syndrome, researchers here reported.

A 44-year-old African American woman presented to the emergency department with constipation of 4 days' duration. She also complained of a sticking sensation in her throat over the past year and dysphagia to solids but not liquids. Over the past 2 years, she had an unintentional 40-lb weight loss, which she attributed to decreased appetite.

SENDAI, Japan -- Cup after cup of green tea earned a high grade for reducing all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a study here, but cancer mortality drew a blank.

SENDAI, Japan -- Cup after cup of green tea earned a high grade for reducing all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a study here, but cancer mortality drew a blank.

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

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- A high level of physical activity in the year before a diagnosis of breast cancer seems to bestow a benefit for overweight and obese women but not for those of normal weight, according to researchers here.

BOSTON -- The anaplastic large cell lymphoma diagnosed in Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Jon Lester, detected by his uncle, is a childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a high-grade malignancy with a favorable clinical course.

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Watchful waiting when faced with overweight preschoolers and elementary school children is poor pediatric practice, concluded a longitudinal study of more than 1,000 U.S. children.

BARCELONA, Spain -- An antiplatelet-anticoagulant duo, which showed promise in treating coronary disease, increased the risk of life-threatening bleeding events in patients with peripheral arterial disease, according to results of a trial reported here.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- Portions of buffet-style food that college students pile on their trays have generally grown significantly in 20 years, a sign of so-called portion distortion.

NEW ORLEANS -- Among the many things destroyed by Hurricane Katrina a year ago was the illusion of adequacy in the system of health-care delivery here. Now visionaries believe health-care planners have a rare chance to scrap the old and start anew.

The patient was a 40-year-old African American woman, with no significant past medical history, who presented to our medical center with a 4-week history of shortness of breath and lower extremity edema. The onset was progressive and initially occurred only with moderate exertion until about 2 weeks before presentation; at that time, her symptoms had worsened to the point where she experienced shortness of breath at rest. Orthopnea also developed at this time. The patient also reported intermittent palpitations, wheezing, and a dry cough of unknown duration.

ABSTRACT: Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and several factors related to atherosclerosis, including increased C-reactive protein levels and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. However, considerable controversy exists about screening for and treating this thyroid disorder. Thyroxine therapy lowers elevated LDL cholesterol levels in patients whose serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations are higher than 10 mIU/L ; thus, most experts recommend treatment for such patients. However, there is no consensus regarding the management of patients with TSH levels of less than 10 mIU/L. Although the evidence supporting treatment of these patients is not compelling, it is reasonable to offer a therapeutic trial of thyroxine to those who have symptoms.

The term "prehypertension" was introduced in the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) guidelines to describe blood pressures (BPs) of 120/80 mm Hg to 139/89 mm Hg.1

To initiate a discussion with a patient about excess weight without causing embarrassment or offense, try reporting the patient's body mass index (BMI), saying something like the following: "Mr X, did you know that your BMI is 36?" Patients typically answer with something such as "No--what's a BMI?" This creates an easy opening for discussion of the comorbidities associated with excess weight and counseling about lifestyle changes.

A healthy 56-year-old woman, who is seeing you for her annual checkup, asks if she still needs to continue the calcium supplements she has been taking. She has heard reports on the evening news that calcium and vitamin D were of negligible value in women her age--and could even cause kidney stones. How would you respond? What is the latest thinking about calcium and vitamin D supplements for postmenopausal women?

Hepatomegaly is detected during the routine physical examination of a healthy 40-year-old woman who is employed as a secretary. She has noticed some fullness in the right upper abdomen for many years, but it has not been accompanied by pain or GI symptoms.

The optimal approach to subclinical hypothyroidism continues to be debated. Experts disagree over screening for thyroid dysfunction, the threshold TSH level for treatment, and the upper limit of normal of the TSH reference range.

Should patients with prehypertension be treated with antihypertensive drugs?

Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements: Breaking News on Fracture Prevention