August 15, 2005

The proper treatment of hyperthyroidism depends on recognition of the signs and symptoms of the disease and determination of the etiology. Family physicians should be aware of the major causes of and treatments for hyperthyroidism.

Pain associated with gallstones typically is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. In most patients, gallstones can be treated expectantly.

Although no single therapy has been shown to achieve complete remission, the two most common treatments for cutaneous warts are patient-applied salicylic acid and physician-administered cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen. A variety of second-line therapies are available.

Chronic hepatitis C virus is a common blood-borne infection that may be treated with the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

An accurate prognosis enables patients with terminal cancer to make plans, put their affairs in order, and decide how they want to spend the time they have left. A prognosis also may help the primary care physician refer the patient for hospice care at a time when the patient…

The AFP team is pleased to welcome two editorial fellows for the 2005–2006 year. Lara Johnson, M.D., and Laurie MacDonald Crain, M.D., have accepted the John C. Rose medical editing fellowship. As of July 1, they joined the medical editors based at Georgetown University Medical…

Latest Senate EHR Bill Combines and Replaces Previous Proposals | Agencies Collaborate to Help Patients Recover from Mental Illness | Study: Most Americans Do Not Think Obesity Risks Are Overestimated | NIAAA Issues New Guide for Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much…

Money isn’t the only reason that some older Americans don’t take their prescription drugs. Health Affairs published the results of a prescription drug survey given to 17,685 Medicare recipients. The cost of the drugs was the leading reason that prescriptions were not filled (26…

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects an estimated 3 million persons in the United States, most of them younger than 50 years.1 Most of these infections are asymptomatic until advanced liver disease develops. HCV infection is one of the leading causes of chronic…

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a nonfederal, independent panel of scientists with notable experience in primary care and evidence-based medicine, is convened and supported by the Agency for Health-care Research and Quality and charged by Congress to develop…

Historically, osteopathic physicians have made an important contribution to the primary care workforce. More than one half of osteopathic physicians are primary care physicians, and most of these are family physicians. However, the proportion of osteopathic students choosing…

My first patient today wanted to talk about his wife’s health rather than his own. “My wife has seen three doctors this year for her arthritis, and not one of them has counseled her about how important it is to her health for her to lose weight,” the patient complained. I…

This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for pancreatic cancer and the supporting scientific evidence and updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2d ed.1 In 1996, the…

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

Olmesartan is a safe and effective antihypertensive agent. There is no evidence that olmesartan is more effective than other ARBs or ACE inhibitors. The longest peer-reviewed studies of olmesartan are of two months’ duration; thus, there is no evidence showing olmesartan’s long…

Patient-choice cesarean delivery, although uncommon in the United States, has become controversial in the medical literature and among pregnant women and their maternity care providers over the past three years.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the results of a systematic review on managing menopause-related symptoms. The report evaluates the benefits and harms of common interventions to relieve menopause-related symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released recommendations on identifying and treating lead exposure in refugee children.

Hyperthyroidism (say: hi-per-THI-royd-iz-um) is when you have an overactive thyroid. The thyroid is a gland in your neck (see the figure). It makes a hormone that helps your body’s metabolism (the way your body uses food and energy). An overactive thyroid can cause weight loss…