November 21st 2024
Millions of US adults could benefit from semaglutide treatment for diabetes, obesity, and/or CV disease but insurance isn't guaranteed and the drug is costly.
An Elderly Woman With IgA Lambda Multiple Myeloma and Kidney Disease
A 92-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of progressively worsening fatigue, weight loss, generalized bone pain, and dyspnea on exertion. A skeletal survey found lytic lesions in the pelvis, sacrum, and calvarium (shown here).
A Young Man With Thousands of Colorectal Polyps: Anomalous and Benign? Or, Something Else?
April 2nd 2012Diagnostic colonoscopy revealed innumerable polyps carpeting the mucosa from the rectum to the cecum. Endoscopic findings and family history were most consistent with familial adenomatous polyposis.
What Cause of Persistent Diarrhea and Weight Loss?
March 21st 2012A 28-year-old woman presents with a 4-month history of diarrhea and a 15-lb weight loss. She reports starting “another new diet” a few months ago but was in good health until these symptoms began. There is no family history of GI disease and no sick contacts. She denies recent travel.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease: 5 Things Primary Care Doctors Need to Know Now
January 19th 2012Patients with IBD may have discomfort for 3 to 5 years before a diagnosis is made. Many are treated unsuccessfully with antibiotics, anti-spasmodics, or narcotics. Here, read 5 important tips, plus a bonus point, to help streamline diagnosis and management.
Congenital Hairy Nevi in an Obese, 24-Year-Old Woman
January 12th 2012Would you worry about neoplastic transformation of these lesions, or would your concerns be focused more specifically on their midline location? If so, why? Would you pursue further investigation? We invite your comments. Click here for more details.
Video: Observer Bias in GERD Diagnosis
November 9th 2011Is obesity really leading to an increase in GERD? Or, has GERD just become a catch-all phrase for all sorts of upper GI distress? Has GERD become the new "dyspepsia"? G. Richard Locke, MD, FACG, from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, discusses his findings as presented at the ACG 2011 program.
Bugs as Drugs: Prebiotics and Probiotics in Gastroenterology
November 3rd 2011If ACG 2011 had a recurrent theme, it was nicely summed up in this lecture: probiotic treatments are coming. Scientific evidence is accumulating for this approach, and patients will likely embrace it as a “natural” remedy. Primary care physicians should carefully follow this emerging trend-it holds promise for some of our most challenging patients with chronic disease.
Understanding Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Its Impact on GI Disease
November 1st 2011Following on the heels of the obesity epidemic, a second epidemic has become apparent-sleep-disordered breathing and its effect on esophageal conditions, primarily gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Many, many primary care providers have heard the following complaint: “I gained 10 pounds and now I have heartburn/cough/worsening asthma” (take your pick). What’s going on?
Obesity: Epidemiology and Medical Management
November 1st 2011Prevalence for overweight (BMI 24.9 to 29.9) and obesity (BMI > 30) have been steadily rising for the past 30 years-two-thirds of Americans now qualify as overweight or heavier. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and GERD prevalence are following this epidemic. Obesity is now the second most common preventable cause of death, exceeded only by smoking.