September 15, 2005

Diagnosis of this chronic inflammatory disease primarily is clinical but can beconfirmed with laboratory tests and imaging studies. Uncontrolled proliferationof synovial tissue and multiple comorbidities may be delayed with earlyidentification and treatment.

A treatment algorithm starts with a targeted history and physical examination,followed by a stepwise management approach that reflects evidence from theAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

This vitamin-like substance is used to treat a variety of disorders related tosuboptimal cellular energy metabolism and oxidative injury.

Typically easy to diagnose, these conditions may be preventable in the future.For now, multiple treatment options are available to the family physician.

editor’s note: The American Academy of Family Physicians and the Department of Family Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center together announce the John C. Rose Fellowship in medical editing for 2006–2007. This one-year fellowship blends hands-on training in medical…

AAFP Web Resource Answers Questions About Medicare Part D | Ambulatory Care Quality Standards Endorsed by NQF | NIGMS Allocates $9 Million to Centers for Stem Cell Research | AHRQ Study Finds Medical Disparities Are Narrowing | AHRQ Issues New Data on Uninsured Americans | HHS…

For those people who claim they are too busy to hit the gym, the Mayo Clinic Letter has the solution. It is called the NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis) office. After years of research on the way people burn energy, the NEAT office was created to function as a working…

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common reversible disability in the world, and its economic burden has been estimated to be between $3,600 and $60,300 annually per patient.1 In this issue of AFP, Drs. Rindfleisch and Muller2 summarize the approach to the patient with newly…

Most people in the United States consult a general physician each year, and some see other subspecialists. However, the proportion of people consulting a general physician who sees adults and children appears to be declining.

This is a momentous time for me. After 14 years, I’m leaving my current position at St. Joseph’s. As much as I love my job and my relationships here, I’m being drawn by the chance to work with another fine group of faculty and to do something I’ve dreamed of—start a magazine…

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

Considerable uncertainty surrounds the screening, diagnosis, and management of prostate cancer.

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

Duloxetine is safe and effective for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Because of its expense and the lack of data supporting its superiority over other antidepressants, it should be used as an alternative if other agents are ineffective or are not tolerated.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released updated recommendations for the prevention and control of influenza.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has released evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care of patients with endocarditis. The updated recommendations reflect the evolving nature of the condition and new issues that physicians face when treating…

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has released evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in adults.

Rheumatoid (say: ROO-mah-toyd) arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Usually, your immune system keeps you from getting sick. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system attacks your own body’s cells. Joints between bones usually are attacked first. Later, other…

Shingles is a skin infection caused by the chickenpox virus. You can only get it if you have had chickenpox or have had the chickenpox shot. The chickenpox virus stays in your body and can cause shingles later. Shingles is most common in older people.