Top 20 POEMs of 2013

Cardiovascular Disease

• Fasting Not Necessary Before Lipid Panels
  
• NSAIDs and COX-2 Agents, but Not Naproxen, Pose Vascular Risk to Adults
  
• NSAID Use Associated with Increased Risk of Death Following AMI
• Sustained Modest Reduction in Daily Salt Intake: Reduced BP, No Adverse Effect on Lipids or Hormones
• Mediterranean Diet Reduces Cardiovascular Events (PREDIMED)

Respiratory Disease

• Amox/Clav or Ibuprofen No Better Than Placebo for Acute Bronchitis
  
• Mean Duration of Cough Is 18 Days; Patients Expect About 1 Week
  
• 5-Day Steroid Treatment Effective for Acute COPD Exacerbation
• Amox-Clavulanate During COPD Exacerbations Decreases Sx and Delays Subsequent Exacerbations

Screening and Prevention

• Flu Vaccine Reduces Risk of Adverse CV Events in High-Risk Patients
  
• Screening for Type 2 DM: 10-Year Mortality Not Improved (ADDITION-Cambridge)
  
• Repeat BMD Testing: Little, If Any, Value in Elderly Men and Women
• Colonoscopy and Flex Sig Associated with Lower CRC Mortality
• Smokers Who Quit Smoking Become Less Anxious

Renal Disease

• Three Questions to Diagnose UTI in Women
  
• Most Antibiotics Similar in Efficacy for Lower UTI
• No Association Seen Between Standard-Dose NSAIDs and Progression of Moderate CKD

Miscellaneous

• Fewer Deaths/Strokes/Revascularizations with Metformin Than Glipizide
  
• Clinically Significant Bleeding Occurs in 3.8% Per Year of Pts Aged 65+ Years Using Warfarin
  
• No Association Seen Between Standard-Dose NSAIDs and Progression of Moderate CKD

Levels of Evidence definitions from Essential Evidence Plus(www.essentialevidenceplus.com).

See related AFP article, "Top 20 Research Studies of 2013 for Primary Care Physicians," published in the September 15, 2014 issue.

POEMs are provided by Essential Evidence Plus, a point-of-care clinical decision support system published by Wiley-Blackwell. For more information, please see http://www.essentialevidenceplus.com(www.essentialevidenceplus.com).

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