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BARCELONA, Spain -- An aggressive 16-week lifestyle intervention reduced cardiovascular risk factors in both patients and their domestic partners, found a European trial.

BARCELONA, Spain -- The long-term safety of drug-eluting stents suddenly eclipsed all other concerns this week at the world's largest gathering of cardiologists

BARCELONA, Spain -- In a head-to-head trial, the investigational drug-eluting stent, Xience, which is coated with everolimus, significantly outperformed Taxus, the popular paclitaxel-eluting device.

HERSTON, Australia -- Children of mothers who drink during pregnancy have a greater risk of developing alcohol problems as they grow up, according to Australian researchers.

NEW YORK -- Men in their 40s are nearly six times more likely than men in their 20s to father children with autism spectrum disorders, according to researchers here and Israel.

BARCELONA, Spain -- Lovenox (enoxaparin) may be a better choice than unfractionated heparin for preventing thrombus in myocardial infarction patients who undergo percutaneous coronary interventions following initial fibrinolytic therapy.

BARCELONA, Spain -- Two Swiss meta-analyses have found an increased rate of myocardial infarction and death with the Cypher (sirolimus-eluting) coronary stent, which is likely to put a serious chill in interventional cardiology's infatuation with drug-coated devices.

BARCELONA, Spain -- The concept of a single pill packed with the potency of aspirin, statins, and ACE inhibitors-the triad proven to prevent a recurrent heart attack-got a powerful push at the opening of the World Congress of Cardiology here.

In his “What’s Your Diagnosis?” column, Dr Henry Schneiderman discussed thecase of a young man with periorbital swelling caused by nephrotic syndrome(CONSULTANT, June 2001, page 1017) (Figure 1).

ABERDEEN, Scotland -- Children whose mothers consume more foods containing vitamin E during pregnancy are less likely to develop wheeze or asthma by the age of five, according to researchers here.

While playing soccer, a 24-year-old man fell on his outstretched hand, felt a "pop," and immediately noticed a deformity of his wrist. He was in severe pain when he presented to the emergency department.

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This year, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) published guidelines for referring patients to an allergist/immunologist.1 The AAAAI's recommendations for patients with asthma were summarized in the July 2006 issue of

Two recent studies provide encouraging data about the effectiveness of voriconazole in the treatment of aspergillosis. One study found that voriconazole was effective in the management of subacute invasive aspergillosis and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. The other study found that it was beneficial in the treatment of chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis.

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.

My patient, in whom allergic rhinitis has been diagnosed, has been receiving weekly allergy shots since June 2003 for allergies to dust, grass, mountain cedar trees, and ragweed. She has benefited greatly from these shots. However, she complains that she sometimes smells "cigarette smoke" for periods of 2 to 3 days--even though she is never exposed to it. What might be the cause of this?

ABSTRACT: The number of medical therapies for patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) has increased in recent years because of our expanded understanding of the physiologic and neurologic causes of ED. Oral agents range from testosterone to antidepressants to phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Nitroglycerin and minoxidil have shown some effectiveness as topical agents. Alprostadil, which can be applied intraurethrally, is also effective as intracavernosal injection therapy. Prostaglandin E1 and papaverine are effective as intracavernosal injection agents. Some studies have shown that combined use of intracavernosal injection and oral therapy produces satisfactory erections.

ABSTRACT: Our knowledge of chronic diseases has advanced significantly in recent decades, but patient outcomes have not kept pace. This is largely because the traditional acute care model does not adequately address the needs of patients with chronic disease. Patients play an active role in the management of chronic disease, and successful outcomes are highly dependent on adherence to treatment. Thus, clinicians need to have skills in coaching and encouraging as well as an awareness of factors in patients' backgrounds that are likely to affect their ability or willingness to follow treatment plans. Provider- and system-related factors, such as lack of reimbursement for counseling and high copayments, can also act as barriers to compliance. Among the strategies that can improve adherence are the use of community resources, multidisciplinary approaches, and regular follow-up.