• Articles

    Management of Hypertension in Older Persons

    LORI M. DICKERSON, MARIA V. GIBSON

    Antihypertensive therapy reduces morbidity and mortality in elderly persons, but less than one third of these patients have adequate blood pressure control. Low-dose thiazide diuretics are first-line therapy for these patients, and second-line therapy should include beta...

    Antidepressants and Antiepileptic Drugs for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

    MORRIS MAIZELS, BILL MCCARBERG

    The development of newer antidepressant drug classes and second-generation antiepileptic drugs has created unprecedented opportunities for the treatment of chronic pain. The actions of these agents differ in neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain, and agents within each...

    Ambulatory Detoxification of Patients with Alcohol Dependence

    RICHARD D. BLONDELL

    Alcohol detoxification can be undertaken on an outpatient basis in alcohol-dependent patients with signs of mild to moderate withdrawal. Sedatives, sympatholytics, and neuroleptics are used to treat the clinical manifestations of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Progress can be...

    Cultural Diversity at the End of Life: Issues and Guidelines for Family Physicians

    H. RUSSELL SEARIGHT, JENNIFER GAFFORD

    By paying attention to patients' values, spirituality, and relationship dynamics, family physicians can elicit and accommodate cultural preferences.

    Inside AFP

    AFP Salutes its Artists

    JANIS WRIGHT

    One of the the greatest joys I have had as managing editor of AFP is working with the many talented artists who light up the cover and inside pages with their creative and colorful illustrations. Working under the guidance of AFP's art coordinator, David Klemm, whose office...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    GENEVIEVE RESSEL

    AAFP Joins Center for Practical Health Reform | Grants Are Available for Family Medicine Research Projects | AAFP Offers Online Resource for Meeting HIPAA Security Rule Deadline | CDC Issues Reminder About Proper Use of Antibiotics | NIH Opens 2005 Director's Pioneer Award...

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    SARAH EVANS, AMBER HUNTZINGER

    Breastfeeding may help fend off joint pain, according to a recent study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism. The study, which examined the health of over 120,000 women since 1976, found that those who breastfed for 13 to 23 months were only one fifth as likely to develop...

    Editorials

    Moving Beyond Cultural Stereotypes in End-of-Life Decision Making

    HOWARD BRODY, LINDA M. HUNT

    Imagine that all of our patients are invited to attend a “cultural competence” workshop called “Understanding the Medical Culture,” where they will learn how the strange and mysterious environment of medical practice affects physicians, so that their otherwise...

    Linking the Hospital and the Office in Cardiovascular Secondary Prevention

    KENNETH A. LABRESH, PATRICIA A. TYLER

    Cardiovascular disease and stroke cause 38.5 percent of all deaths in the United States.1 Despite the existence of guidelines for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC),2 many...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    Diary

    JOHN O'HANDLEY

    The majority of medical problems can be handled on the mobile clinic. Today was an exception. JT, a family nurse practitioner, was staffing the mobile clinic with a third-year medical student, AW. The first patient was complaining of chest pain and had ST elevations in the...

    Cochrane for Clinicians

    Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Low Back Pain

    KATHERINE MARGO

    In the short term, manipulative therapy is as effective for acute or chronic low back pain as other treatments such as analgesics, physical therapy, exercises, back school, and routine care from a primary care physician. Radiation of pain, type of manipulation, and use of...

    Cochrane Briefs

    MARK H. EBELL

    Efficacy of Antioxidants in GI Cancer Prevention

    Cochrane Briefs

    MARK H. EBELL

    Delaying Antibiotics for Respiratory Infections

    Clinical Evidence Handbook

    Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    THOMAS M. KENNEDY, GREGORY RUBIN, ROGER H. JONES

    What are the effects of treatments in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

    FPIN's Clinical Inquiries

    Treatments for Persistent Otitis Media with Effusion

    THOMAS J. SATRE, JOAN NASHELSKY

    Treatments such as antibiotics, steroids, antihistamines/decongestants, and mucolytics afford no long-term benefit in the treatment of patients with otitis media with effusion (OME).

    Photo Quiz

    Hemorrhagic Pustules, Tenosynovitis, and Arthritis

    MARC R. HAPPE, HOLLY E. WEINER, NADJA Y. WEST

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

    POEMs

    Radio-Frequency Endometrial Ablation for Menorrhagia

    LINDA FRENCH

    Sildenafil Does Not Interact with Alcohol

    ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

    Physical Therapy Adds Little to Back Pain Treatment

    ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

    Ductal Lavage Ineffective in Finding Breast Cancer

    HENRY BARRY

    Esterified Estrogen and Venous Thrombotic Risk

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Fathers Can Promote Breastfeeding

    LINDA FRENCH

    Complementary/Alternative Medicine for Anxiety

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Are ACE Inhibitors or ARBs Beneficial in Diabetes?

    ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

    Tips from Other Journals

    Long-Term Care of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Response to PPI Treatment May Not Confirm GERD

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Individualizing Nicotine Replacement Therapy

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Rectal Bleeding and Small Colon Polyps

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Concerns over Antidepressant Therapy in Children

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Topical Capsaicin for the Relief of Chronic Pain

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Endorectal Ultrasonography and Malignant Rectal Adenomas

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Intensive vs. Standard Lipid-Lowering Therapy

    BILL ZEPF

    Nationwide Success Rates at Fertility Clinics Are Increasing

    BILL ZEPF

    Do Childhood Vaccinations Cause Type 1 Diabetes?

    BILL ZEPF

    Human Metapneumovirus: An Emerging Infection

    BILL ZEPF

    Does Pergolide Therapy Damage Heart Valves?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Ginger May Relieve Nausea During Early Pregnancy

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Corticosteroid Injections for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Effect of Episiotomy on Pelvic Floor Weakness

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Controlling Lipids in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Treating Suicidal Teens in the Emergency Department

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Physical Function and Levels of Activity in the Elderly

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Drugs for Weight Reduction

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Higher Cholesterol Levels Are Not as Risky in the Elderly

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Post-traumatic Seizures and Hospitalization in Children

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Anxiety and Depression in Cardiovascular Disease

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Practice Guidelines

    ACG Releases Updated Practice Guidelines for Ulcerative Colitis in Adults

    KAREN HELLEKSON

    Updated practice guidelines for the treatment of ulcerative colitis in adults have been issued by the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG's) Practice Parameters Committee.

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CARRIE MORANTZ, BRIAN TORREY

    Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Women

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CARRIE MORANTZ, BRIAN TORREY

    Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CARRIE MORANTZ, BRIAN TORREY

    Assisted Reproductive Technology Statistics

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CARRIE MORANTZ, BRIAN TORREY

    AHA Report on Response to Cardiac Arrest

    Letters to the Editor

    Preventing the Progression of Diabetes Mellitus

    BRIAN V. REAMY

    Clarifications on Patients Presenting with Jaundice

    MOUSSA F. YAZBECK

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Alcoholism—What Should I Know About It?

    Alcoholism is a disease that affects the part of the brain that controls your feelings, the way you make decisions, and the way you act. People with alcoholism cannot control how much they drink.

    Constipation

    When you have trouble having bowel movements, you have constipation. Your stools may be very hard, making them so difficult to pass that you have to strain and push. Or you may feel like you still need to have a bowel movement after you just had one.

    Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a problem with the intestines. In people with IBS, the intestines squeeze too hard or not hard enough and food moves too quickly or too slowly through the intestines.

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease

    Inflammatory bowel disease is the name of a group of disorders that cause the intestines to become inflamed (red and swollen). The inflammation lasts a long time and usually comes back over and over again.



    Disclosure

    All editors in a position to control content for this activity, AFP journal, are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships. View disclosures.


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