September 15, 1999

Raloxifene augments bone mineral density and lowers total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Its effects on fracture risk and its ability to protect against cardiovascular disease have yet to be determined. Also unestablished is the effect of raloxifene on the…

Using a systematic diagnostic approach, the family physician can determine the cause of asymptomatic microscopic hematuria in nearly 80 percent of patients.

Newer and more acceptable pharmacotherapies for erectile dysfunction have prompted more men to seek such treatment. Family physicians are in a good position to diagnose and treat this common disorder.

Outpatient detoxification, including the management of acute withdrawal and long-term recovery, can usually be performed safely and effectively by family physicians.

Until further data are available, angiotensin II receptor antagonists may be an alternative to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors and who have comorbid conditions for which ACE inhibitors have shown benefit.

The treatment of atopic dermatitis is directed at correcting underlying skin abnormalities such as xerosis, pruritus, superinfection and inflammation. Lubricants, antihistamines and topical corticosteroids are the mainstays of therapy.

This document has been endorsed by the American Academy of Family Physicians and developed in cooperation with the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Practice Residency Directors and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. These revised…

Last year's review on chronic cough, by W. Ross Lawler, M.D. (appearing in the December 1998 issue, page 2015), has joined an elite group of articles published in AFP: it was nominated and selected as the best article published in 1998 by a family physician author, making it…

Selected policy and health issues news briefs from AAFP News Now.

Don't let patients get carried away by the zinc bandwagon, warns Family Practice News. It seems that some people who use zinc lozenges for the common cold are ingesting such huge amounts of the metal, they're risking zinc toxicity. Although studies suggest that sucking on zinc…

The search for the most optimal post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is rapidly becoming one of the most widely pursued ventures in modern medicine. A few basic goals should be considered. The optimal agent should prevent cardiovascular disease; it should prevent…

A recent article in American Family Physician addressed the topic of home health care.1 Another article on home health care will be published in American Family Physician in the near future.2 The first of these articles outlined the physician's role in coordinating and…

WLL has found that he needs to ask teenagers not only if they are using standard tobacco products (smoked, dipped or chewed), but also if they are smoking anything else, since the smoke wafting through some of the teen hangouts in our small town isn't just from regular…

(51st Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology) A hand-held laser pointer may help persons with Parkinson's disease alleviate a sudden and frustrating condition that causes muscles to become stiff and unmovable in some patients, according to a study of six patients…

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, March 1999, p. 214.) Approximately 6 percent of elderly persons have hypothyroidism and 2 percent have hyperthyroidism. Diagnosis of these conditions is frequently missed or delayed in older persons because of an obscured presentation or altered…

In response to an increase in the number of pediatric call centers in the United States, the Provisional Section on Pediatric Telephone Care and the Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have issued guidelines for the…

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued a new practice bulletin on vaginal birth after previous cesarean (VBAC) delivery. The new statement, published in the July 1999 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, replaces an earlier version published in…

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has published a research update on brief intervention for alcohol problems (Alcohol Alert No. 43). The report notes that a brief intervention can reduce patients' risk for alcohol problems and is more effective than…

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Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to break more easily. It begins in women around the time of menopause. The major cause is lack of estrogen. Osteoporosis can lead to painful fractures (broken bones), most often in the hips, backbone or arms.

“Microscopic” means something is so small that it can only be seen through a special tool called a microscope. “Hematuria” means blood in the urine.

When you can't get an erection to have sex, it's called erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is also called “impotence.” You might not be able to get an erection at all, or you might be unable to keep one long enough to finish having sex.

Viagra is the brand name for sildenafil. It's a medicine that helps men with erectile dysfunction have sex again.

You may have a problem with alcohol or drugs if any one of the following statements is true:

Eczema (also called “atopic dermatitis”) is a skin disease. (Say the word this way: ex-em-ah.) Eczema causes dry skin that can itch, get red and crack. Part of the skin might break out in a rash, or the rash might be on the whole body.