October 31st 2024
ACG 2024: New study results indicate GLP-1 RAs have a potentially protective role to play in combating EO-CRC, the incidence of which is notably rising worldwide.
October 10th 2024
Low Birth Weight Spells Adult Risk for Diabetes and Hypertension
May 16th 2007HELSINKI, Finland -- When babies born prematurely with a low birth weight become young adults, they are likely to have higher levels of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and higher blood pressure than those born at term, researchers here reported.
Preventing Reinfarction: Recommenations for a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle
May 1st 2007ABSTRACT: In addition to appropriate pharmacotherapy and assistance with smoking cessation, a secondary prevention plan should include counseling about a heart-healthy diet, a structured exercise program and/or increased physical activity, and assessment of psychosocial risk factors, such as depression. Advise patients to reduce their intake of salt, sugars, refined carbohydrates, and saturated and trans fats; incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and fish into their diet; and balance caloric intake and physical activity to achieve and maintain a body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. Cardiorespiratory fitness is the key to cardioprotection; the threshold for improving it in persons with coronary heart disease is about 70% of the mea-sured maximal heart rate. Encourage patients to engage in multiple short bouts of physical activity daily, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking the dog. Among previously sedentary persons, this approach has effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and coronary risk factors similar to those of a structured exercise program.
Preventing Reinfarction: Basic Elements of an Effective Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
May 1st 2007ABSTRACT: Patients who experience an acute myocardial infarction (MI) are at very high risk for recurrent cardiovascular events. Both site-supervised and home-based cardiac rehabilitation programs can effectively reduce all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Start risk factor reduction as soon as possible; pharmacotherapy is best initiated while patients are still in the hospital. All patients who have had an MI should receive aspirin, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and a ß-blocker, unless these agents are contraindicated or are not tolerated. Prescribe aggressive lipid-lowering therapy to bring patients' low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to below 70 mg/dL. For smokers, quitting is the single most important change they can make to reduce future risk of MI.
Pilonidal Sinuses in a Man With Diabetes
May 1st 2007A 45-year-old man sought medical advice after suffering for 6 months with recurrent pain and a purulent discharge at the sacrococcygeal region. Two weeks before this consultation, an abscess on the patient's right buttock had been drained by another physician. The patient had type 1 diabetes mellitus for 5 years; his medical history was otherwise unremarkable.
Is obesity really a risk factor for asthma?
May 1st 2007Obesity is a well-known risk factor for many diseases. Now it looks like asthma can be added to the list. A meta-analysis that was conducted by Beuther and Sutherland indicated that being overweight is associated with a 50% increase in the incidence of asthma. The risk applies to both men and women.
Cachexia Secondary to Pancreatic Cancer?
May 1st 2007Frightened but lucid man who appears stated age. Vital signs are normal. No mass palpable in abdomen, though there is a faint suggestion of upper-abdominal distension. No supraclavicular lymphadenopathy, umbilical nodules, or upper-abdominal vascular bruit.