Internal Medicine Alert – January 30, 2007

January 30, 2007

• Antipsychotics in Alzheimer's Patients: The CATIE-AD Study

  Because of adverse effects, special care should be used when prescribing the atypical antipsychotic drugs for patients with dementia.

  Read more

• Dr. Google, I Presume

  Searching Google yielded a correct diagnosis in greater than half of cases.

  Read more

• How Much Do Those Nutrients Really Help You?

  This study addresses the role of nutritional status in the disablement process. Low serum concentrations of vitamins B6, B12 and selenium seem to predict subsequent disability in activities of daily living (ADLs) in older women living in the community.

  Read more

• Long-Term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and Risk of Hip Fracture

  Evaluation of a large United Kingdom (UK) database supports a dose-related association with hip fracture. There appears to be a correlation between PPI use, including dosage and chronicity, and occurrence of hip fractures in patients over age 50.

  Read more

• Paliperidone Extended-Release Tablets (Invega™)

  The FDA has approved a new atypical antipsychotic agent. Paliperidone is the active metabolite of risperidone. The drug is formulated in an osmotic drug delivery system (OROS) developed by ALZA.

  Read more

• Clinical Briefs By Louis Kuritzky, MD

  The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (FDPS) demonstrated that a program of diet and exercise was capable of reducing the incidence of diabetes by approximately 60% in persons with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), compared to placebo.

  Read more