May 1, 2004

Barrett’s esophagus is a premalignant metaplastic process that may be suspected on endoscopic evaluation of the esophagus but is confirmed by biopsy. Current treatment guidelines include relief of the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease with medical or surgical measures.

Numerous topical and systemic medications are available for the treatment of acne. Patients should be counseled about appropriate treatment options and expected outcomes.

Polycythemia vera leads to hyperviscosity of the blood that predisposes patients to potentially fatal thrombosis. Treatment includes phlebotomy, with or without myelosuppressive agents.

Men who have sex with men are at an increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases and psychologic and behavioral disorders. Various obstacles may hinder optimal care of these patients.

A sequential approach is helpful in determining the cause of chronic cough. In immunocompetent adults, the most common causes of chronic cough are postnasal drip syndrome, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Respiratory tract infections, asthma, and gastroesophageal…

In each issue of AFP, you will find patient information handouts that complement many of the review articles, and most issues also offer a patient information collection on a selected topic. Readers often tear out the patient information handouts and keep them in a file, adding…

Family Medicine Residency Match Numbers Are Up Slightly | Future of Family Medicine Project Releases Recommendations | HHS Announces Medicare Discount Drug Card Sponsors | Congress Okays Reimbursement to Organ Donors for Nonmedical Expenses | National Library of Medicine Adds<i…

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found depression to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular death (as well as all-cause mortality) in older women without a history of cardiovascular disease. The Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study…

In this issue of American Family Physician, Shalauta and Saad1 describe endoscopic screening for Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with reflux symptoms. This type of screening has been proposed in an effort to decrease the rate of death from…

In Barrett’s esophagus, the normal squamous lining of the distal esophagus is replaced with a metaplastic, intestinal, columnar epithelium. Barrett’s esophagus represents the end stage of severe, uncontrolled gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, Barrett’s esophagus…

In an article published in 2002,1 Schillinger and colleagues reported that patients with diabetes who had low literacy levels had poorer diabetic outcomes as measured by hemoglobin A1C levels. This finding is extremely important when we consider that approximately 44 million U…

Smoke signals—the protruding front pocket on the left side of the shirt, nicotine-stained fingertips, and the scent of cologne mingled with traces of cigarette smoke. I must have told Emmett a hundred times to stop smoking. The 69-year-old man has averaged two packs of…

Vaginal estrogen preparations are safe and effective as short-term treatment in patients with vaginal atrophy who are not candidates for systemic hormone therapy. Compared with estradiol products, conjugated equine estrogen creams may be associated with a higher incidence of…

What are the effects of interventions to prevent embolism? What are the effects of interventions for conversion to sinus rhythm? What are the effects of interventions to control heart rate?

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

Chronic rhinosinusitis is a group of disorders characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the nose and paranasal sinuses lasting for at least 12 consecutive weeks. The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership has released a report to help physicians diagnose this disease more…

NAMS Statement on Hormone Therapy | Registration Deadlines for AAFP Scientific Assembly | Anti-Infective Agents for Intra-Abdominal Infections | Cancer Statistics, 2004 | IDSA Guideline for Candida Infections

Because my father lives in another state, I usually am not involved in his medical care. Recently, though, I was contacted when he was hospitalized for pancreatitis. I knew that my father’s medical history included metabolic syndrome—diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension…

Your esophagus (say: ee-saw-fuh-gus) is a tube that goes from your throat to your stomach. When you swallow food, it goes through this tube and into your stomach. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (also called GERD) is a health problem you get when stomach acid goes up into your…

Acne happens when the inside of a hair follicle becomes sticky and forms a plug. Every strand of hair grows from a follicle under your skin.

Polycythemia (say: polly-sigh-thee-me-ah) vera (PV) is a disease in which your body makes too many red blood cells. Your blood may become too thick, causing serious health problems. PV may cause shortness of breath, dizziness, itchy or flushed skin, fatigue, and headaches. Also…

Coughing is good because it helps to clear foreign objects and mucus from your lungs and breathing tubes. However, a cough that lasts a long time can be the sign of a health problem. A chronic cough is a cough that lasts longer than eight weeks.

An item in the STEPS department, titled “Tegaserod (Zelnorm) for Irritable Bowel Syndrome” in the January 15, 2004, issue (page 363), contained an error in the author’s affiliation. G. Robert DeYoung, Pharm.D., BCPS, is a clinical pharmacist with Advantage Health Physicians and…