Geriatrics
News, opinions and meeting coverage in geriatrics.
After Meniscectomy, Thigh Muscle Weakness Impairs Knee Function
MALMÖ, Sweden -- Four years after surgery to repair a non-traumatic meniscus tear, loss of muscle strength in the quadriceps left patients with a painful, unstable knee prone to future osteoarthritis, researchers here reported.
Dec 04, 2006
Heartburn Remedy May Help Treat Heart Failure
SUITA CITY, Japan -- Heart failure patients who added 30 mg of Pepcid (famotidine) to standard therapy significantly improved NYHA functional class and reduced plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels compared with those given 150 mg of teprenone.
Sep 25, 2006
FDA Warns on Mixing Antidepressants with Migraine Drugs
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Mixing common migraine drugs such as Imitrex (sumatriptan) with antidepressants like Prozac (fluoxetine) or Cymbalta (duloxetine) can trigger a life-threatening condition called serotonin-syndrome, the FDA has warned.
Jul 20, 2006
DDW: Constipation Drug Seen Safe and Effective for Long Term Use in Elderly
Los Angeles — The new medication Amitiza (lubiprostone) is safe and effective as long-term therapy for chronic constipation in older patients, researchers reported here. Results were at least as good in seniors as in the more general populations studied earlier.
May 23, 2006
Blood Clots Linked to Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementias
MANCHESTER, England — Spontaneous cerebral blood clots were detected at similar rates in patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, suggesting a common pathology and a potentially preventable or treatable cause for some dementias, researchers here said.
Apr 28, 2006
ACP: Garlic, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, and Ginger All Bad Actors with Coumadin
PHILADELPHIA - When it comes to adverse events associated with Coumadin (warfarin) therapy, beware of herbs and many supplements beginning with the letter G, according to a University of Washington investigator.
Apr 09, 2006
ACC: Coronary Artery Disease Patients Should Have Low LDL Goal
ATLANTA, March 10 - For all patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), the goal of therapy should be to get LDL cholesterol lower than 70 mg/dL, said Christie Ballantyne, M.D., director of the center for cardiovascular disease prevention at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Mar 22, 2006
AAAAI: Lady Beetle Allergy Bugging More Patients
MIAMI BEACH - There has been a significant rise in allergic sensitization to ladybugs, an aphid-eating friend to farmers, in many parts of the U.S. because the insects swarm indoors to get out of the cold, several research teams reported here.
Mar 06, 2006
FDA Approves First Antidepressant Transdermal Patch
ROCKVILLE, Md. - The FDA has approved a once-a-day antidepressant patch that delivers a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. Called Emsam (selegiline), the patch can be used at its lowest dose without the dietary restrictions that accompany oral MAO inhibitors.
Mar 01, 2006
IBD Patients Prone to Other Autoimmune or Inflammatory Disorders
PHILADELPHIA-Patients with the inflammatory bowel disorders ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are significantly more likely to suffer from other conditions with an inflammatory or autoimmune basis, said researchers in two separate studies.
Sep 01, 2005
Actor Brad Pitt Leaves Hospital After Treatment for Viral Meningitis
LOS ANGELES-Film star Brad Pitt, 41, is resting at home after a brief hospitalization for treatment of viral meningitis, according to his spokesperson. Although Pitt recently visited Ethiopia, where there has been a meningitis outbreak, it is considered unlikely that his illness is linked to the trip because Pitt's meningitis was viral, not the bacterial meningococcal meningitis rampant in East Africa.
Jul 14, 2005
Certain Exercise Proposed to Reduce Hip Fracture Risk in Elderly
CAMBRIDGE, England-If hip fractures in the elderly are caused by thinning of the femur that leads to bone buckling in a fall, as a team here contends, cycling, rowing or gymnastics might strengthen the femoral neck and reduce the fracture risk.
Jul 07, 2005
FDA Okays Single Dose Antibiotic for Pneumonia and Sinusitis
NEW YORK-The FDA has approved Zmax (azithromycin extended release) as a single-dose treatment for adults with pneumonia and certain types of acute mild-to-moderate bacterial sinusitis and pneumonia, Pfizer announced yesterday.
Jun 14, 2005
FDA Warns of Excess Mortality to Elderly With Antipsychotics
WASHINGTON-The FDA has issued a public health advisory on the entire class of atypical antipsychotic drugs, pointing to an apparent excess of mortality for older patients with dementia, particularly when the agents are used off-label to treat behavioral disorders.
Apr 12, 2005