November 15, 1999

Modifiable dietary risk factors for kidney stones include low fluid intake and excessive intake of protein, salt and oxalate. Urinary risk factors for recurrent stones include hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, hypocitraturia and hyperuricosuria.

Although obstructive sleep apnea is fairly common, it continues to be underdiagnosed. Treatment can alleviate the substantial psychologic, social and cardiovascular morbidity of the disorder.

Although stridor may be caused by a relatively benign condition, it may also be the first sign of a serious disorder.

Acute low back pain can usually be managed with conservative therapy, but the examiner must be alert to “red flags” that warrant further evaluation.

Recognizing clinically significant social fears and tailoring the indicated pharmacologic and psychologic treatment to the individual patient are key to addressing this common, distressing and disabling anxiety disorder.

If a transient ischemic attack is recognized, measures can be instituted to prevent a subsequent stroke. These measures include lifestyle modification, antithrombotic therapy and, in selected patients, carotid endarterectomy.

New insulin strategies have made it possible to maintain near-normal glycemia. Flexible insulin regimens are based on predetermined actions in response to blood glucose self-monitoring or a situation that can affect glycemia.

The staff of AFP recently had a unique opportunity to witness the journal's tremendous reader support. Despite the antics of hurricane Floyd, which struck the eastern seaboard in mid-September during AAFP's Annual Scientific Assembly in Orlando, decreasing the overall…

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

Are teenage smokers going up in smoke? A recent survey conducted by Health and Human Services found that 60 million persons or 27.7 percent of Americans over the age of 12 years smoke. Despite these significant numbers, the percentage of teenage smokers has decreased since 1997…

At a time when family physicians are being asked to do more in less time for less pay, how should they react to the article1 in this issue of American Family Physician that calls for physicians to diagnose and treat social phobia?

Today was one of JRH's psychiatry days. Several patients came to visit for management of depression and a few for help with anxiety disorders, but the most intriguing patient came for something entirely different. During the course of the social history, JRH discovered that she…

(59th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association) Results of several studies in the United States and Canada show the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (formerly called non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) is increasing in children and adolescents…

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, September 1999, p. 664.) Although childhood cancer is rare, and the early symptoms are often insidious and nonspecific, a high index of suspicion should be maintained, especially when children complain of persistent lethargy or are noted to have…

The Task Force on Community Preventive Services has developed recommendations for interventions to improve vaccine coverage in children, adolescents and adults. The recommendations were developed to help communities achieve high levels of vaccination coverage and low rates of…

The Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association (AMA) has reviewed the different guidelines on Alzheimer's disease. The review article is published in the July/August 1999 issue of Archives of Family Medicine. Included in the report are summaries of the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-a-kind urine test for Streptococcus pneumoniae, a leading cause of pneumonia. The test should be used in conjunction with review of a patient's symptoms to rule out other causes of pneumonia. Test results are…

Low back pain is a very common problem, because the lower back carries most of your weight. Four out of five adults have back pain at some time in their life.

Most people feel nervous in social situations, like having a job interview, going to a high school reunion or giving a speech. Most of us worry about what we're going to say, do or even wear during these events. These events often become easier with some experience. However, in…

An ischemic stroke happens when a part of the brain doesn't get enough blood. Without enough blood, that part of the brain doesn't work right. The cause is usually a blood clot in an artery.

Insulin is a hormone that controls the level of sugar (also called glucose) in your body. When you have type 1 diabetes, your body doesn't make enough insulin. This causes sugar to build up in your blood. Over time, high blood sugar levels can cause serious health problems…