May 1, 2001

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United States continues to rise, along with the introduction of new therapeutic agents. This article reviews the oral agents available for management of this disease, options for monotherapy and combination therapy, efficacy of…

Most commonly, galactorrhea is idiopathic or caused by medications and prolactinomas. Treatment goals include decreasing or eliminating symptoms, curing any identified underlying cause, preventing bone loss, relieving the patient's anxiety and fears and, when desired…

Because of a known increased incidence, nasopharyngeal cancer should be considered in patients from southern China or Southeast Asian countries who present with signs or symptoms of ear, nose and throat disease. Radiotherapy is often curative.

Pulmonary hypertension may be a primary disorder or a complication of a pulmonary, cardiac or extrathoracic condition. Without treatment, right-sided heart failure occurs.

Recognizing the core symptoms and following the recommendations in the guideline established by the American Academy of Pediatrics can aid the family physician in diagnosing children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Clayton Raker Hasser is about to embark on a new path after her imminent retirement from a career in the medical publishing industry, which culminated in her role as vice president for publications and communications/group publisher for the AAFP. You might notice that this…

Designation of a county as a Primary Care Health Personnel Shortage Area (PCHPSA) depends on the number of primary care physicians practicing there. Without family physicians, an additional 1,332 of the United States' 3,082 urban and rural counties would qualify for designation…

Here's something you don't hear too often: Your house isn't dirty enough! According to the “cleanliness hypothesis,” asthma is on the rise in the United States and other rich countries because of overly protective parents who keep their houses too clean. That's right—dust…

Type 2 diabetes (formerly known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes) results from progressive beta-cell failure superimposed on longstanding insulin resistance.1,2 The insulin resistance is associated with a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including central obesity…

The idea of collaborative care has been captured in the saying “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” This is also true with families who are raising children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This message echoes throughout the new ADHD clinical…

Sometimes data are compelling. In this issue of American Family Physician, researchers at the AAFP's Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Practice and Primary Care demonstrate convincingly family physicians' unique role in promoting access to health care.1 In a…

The past decades have seen a spectacular burgeoning of a new cognitive field—molecular genetics—beginning with Watson and Crick's1,2 description of the structure of DNA. However, translating new biomedical knowledge into clinical applications has been difficult. Effective…

”Study Details Success of First Gene Therapy”

The value of a good history should never be underestimated. Today, a patient presented for an exacerbation of her asthma. ASW asked her how often she was using her albuterol (Ventolin) inhaler. She was surprised to hear that the patient wasn't using it at all. In fact, she was…

Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

(Great Britain—The Practitioner, October 2000, p. 884.) Although mortality rates are falling, the continuing rise in the incidence of breast cancer makes understanding the risk factors increasingly important. While the etiology of most types of breast cancer is multifactorial…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a statement on adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. Adjuvant therapies administered after surgery eradicate deposits of cancer cells that may have spread from the primary cancer site, and such therapies increase a woman's…

Cardiovascular Benefits of Soy Protein | AAP Statement on Sexuality, Contraception and the Media | Surgical Alternatives to Hysterectomy | ISMP Self-Assessment Tool for Prevention of Pharmacy Medication Errors

A case scenario describing a six-month-old infant's weight loss. The physician commentary outlines the careful analysis required to reach an accurate diagnosis.

Your body uses sugar (glucose) from food for fuel and energy. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas, one of the organs in your body. Insulin helps maintain your blood sugar level in the normal range (not too high or too low). Diabetes is a disease in which your body does…

Nasopharyngeal (say: nay-zo-fair-in-gee-al) cancer is a tumor that develops in the nasopharynx (say: nay-zo-fair-inks). The nasopharynx is the area where the back part of your nose opens into your upper throat. This is also where tubes from your ears open into your throat.

Pulmonary hypertension is a disorder of the blood vessels in the lungs. “Pulmonary” means “in the lungs,” and “hypertension” means “high blood pressure.”

ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a common health problem in children. Children with ADHD are hyperactive—they can't sit still. They are also impulsive and easily distracted. They have trouble coping at school and at home.

Sometimes a woman's breast makes milk even though she is not breast-feeding a baby. This is called galactorrhea (say: gal-act-tor-ee-ah). The milk may come from one or both breasts. It may leak with no stimulation or it may leak only when the breasts are touched.