Low Testosterone Syndrome Rx: Still Waiting for Godot
September 27th 2013A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and I am proof. There is a lot more to the saga and much of the information is essential to decision making in primary care practice on whether or not testosterone replacement is indicated.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Update on When to Suspect
September 22nd 2013Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy among reproductive-aged women; the prevalence is 5% to 10%.1 Like women with PCOS, affected adolescents often present with irregular menses, hirsutism, and acne. However, despite widespread agreement that the metabolic derangements of PCOS arise during puberty, the condition is diagnosed more often in adults than in adolescents.
HIV and Hypertension: The Need to Pay More Heed
September 20th 2013About a third of HIV-positive patients have high blood pressure. Is this a predictable consequence of ordinary aging, or do their history of HIV infection and treatment play a role? Whatever the explanation, many of these patients don't take the problem seriously enough.
Ecchymoses and Erosion on Fragile Skin
September 18th 2013These wounds occurred when this 77-year-old woman fell when chasing her dog. Such wounds-a combination of ecchymoses and erosion caused by blunt and sheering forces on fragile skin-are common in the elderly, even after relatively mild trauma. Simple interventions will promote healing.
Too Much Medicine Is Bad for Our Health
September 13th 2013Curing medical excess will not be easy. Harmful overtesting and overtreating is promoted and protected by the enormous economic and political power of the medical industrial complex. Here's just a beginning list of what needs to be done . . .