Drugs

Prescription Opioids for Back Pain and Use of Medications for Erectile Dysfunction

Deyo, Richard A. MD, MPH Spine: 15 May 2013 – Volume 38 – Issue 11 – p 909–915 doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182830482 Health Services Research Abstract Study Design. Cross-sectional analysis of electronic medical and pharmacy records. Objective. To examine associations between use of medication for erectile dysfunction or testosterone replacement and use of opioid therapy, patient age, […]

Incidence of musculoskeletal and neoplastic diseases in patients on statin therapy: results of a retrospective cohort analysis.

Am J Med Sci. 2013 May;345(5):343-8. doi: 10.1097/MAJ.0b013e31825b8edf. Mansi IA1, Mortensen EM, Pugh MJ, Wegner M, Frei CR. Abstract BACKGROUND: Because of their beneficial cardiovascular effects, several studies have recently advocated starting statins at a young age for primary prevention. However, some reports suggest that statin therapy may be associated with an increased incidence of […]

Symptomatic magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed lumbar disk herniation patients: a comparative effectiveness prospective observational study of 2 age- and sex-matched cohorts treated with either high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative therapy or imaging-guided lumbar nerve root injections

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2013 May;36(4):218-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.04.005. Epub 2013 May 22. Peterson CK1, Leemann S, Lechmann M, Pfirrmann CW, Hodler J, Humphreys BK. Abstract OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare self-reported pain and “improvement” of patients with symptomatic, magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed, lumbar disk herniations treated with either high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulative […]

Subacromial impingement syndrome: effectiveness of pharmaceutical interventions

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid, or other injections: a systematic review The term subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) encompasses a wide range of disorders, including rotator cuff syndrome, tendinopathy of the various rotator cuff tendons and bursitis in the shoulder region. The prescription of analgesics (often NSAIDs) and corticosteroid injections is common in primary care. This systematic […]

Low-Dose Birth Control Tied to Painful Orgasm

Published: May 13, 2013 Action Points This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Note that this cross-sectional survey revealed an association between low-dose oral contraceptives and pelvic pain. Be aware that, barring longitudinal data, […]

100 Top-Selling Drugs of 2013

Mark Crane May 10, 2013 The acid blocker esomeprazole (Nexium, AstraZeneca) and the antipsychotic medication aripiprazole (Abilify, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co) are the top-selling US prescription drugs for the first quarter of this year, according to a recent report from Drugs.com, an online drug information resource. The 2 drugs, with quarterly sales in the $1.5 billion range, rank […]

Should You Sell Drugs (Supplements) to Patients?

Debra Hughes, MSDisclosures May 09, 2013 A Win for Patients and Doctors Alike Patients with cancer who are prescribed oral oncolytic medications can fill their prescriptions in several ways: at hospital, retail, and specialty pharmacies; via mail order; or in an oncology practice. Although in-office dispensing — defined as drug dispensing by a physician to […]

Ligament Injury and Healing: A Review of Current Clinical Diagnostics and Therapeutics

R.A. Hauser The Open Rehabilitation Journal, 2013, 6, 1-20 Abstract: Ligament injuries are among the most common causes of musculoskeletal joint pain and disability encountered in primary practice today. Ligament injures create disruptions in the balance between joint mobility and joint stability, causing abnormal force transmission through the joint, which results in damage to other […]

Antibiotics could cure 40% of chronic back pain patients

Ian Sample, science correspondent Tuesday 7 May 2013 04.30 EDT Scientists hail medical breakthrough by which half a million UK sufferers could avoid major surgery and take antibiotics instead. Up to 40% of patients with chronic back pain could be cured with a course of antibiotics rather than surgery, in a medical breakthrough that one […]

SSRIs Linked to Bleeding Risk, Death in Surgical Patients

Caroline Cassels April 30, 2013 Perioperative use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) has been linked to an increased risk of bleeding, transfusion, hospital readmission, and death, new research shows. A large retrospective study that included 375 US hospitals and more than half a million adult patients showed that receiving SSRIs in the perioperative period […]

Seizure Drug May Discolor Skin, Eyes

Published: Apr 29, 2013 By Cole Petrochko , Staff Writer, MedPage Today WASHINGTON — The FDA has warned consumers that the anti-seizure drug ezogabine (Potiga) can cause skin and eye discoloration. Use of the drug may cause blue skin discoloration on or around the lips, in nail beds on fingers and toes, and potentially on […]

Bone Drug Lowers Levels of Bone Growth Markers

MedPageToday.com Published: Apr 18, 2013 | Updated: Apr 19, 2013 By Charles Bankhead , Staff Writer, MedPage Today Story Source Action Points Note that this randomized trial demonstrated that treatment with zoledronic acid (Brand names: Reclast, Zometa/bisphosphonate) increased sclerostin, which may inhibit healthy bone turn-over. Be aware that no clinical outcomes (such as fracture) were […]

Overdoses of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers and Other Drugs Among Women

Overdoses of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers and Other Drugs Among Women United States, 1999-2010 Karin A. Mack, PhD, Christopher M. Jones, PharmD, Leonard J. Paulozzi, MD Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2013;62(26):537-542. Abstract Background: Overdose deaths have increased steadily over the past decade. This report describes drug-related deaths and emergency department (ED) visits among women. […]

Hydrocodone Curbs Back Pain All by Itself

Published: Apr 15, 2013 By Ed Susman , Contributing Writer, MedPage Today Action Points This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Treatment with extended-release hydrocodone without acetaminophen offered effective relief from chronic low back […]

Management of chronic tendon injuries

Childress MA,et al. Am Fam Physician. 2013 Apr 1;87(7):486-90. Abstract Chronic tendon injuries present unique management challenges. The assumption that these injuries result from ongoing inflammation has caused physicians to rely on treatments demonstrated to be ineffective in the long term. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be limited in the treatment of these injuries. Corticosteroid injections […]

Aspirin No Help for Stroke Outcomes

Aspirin No Help for Stroke Outcomes http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Strokes/37427 Published: Feb 19, 2013 By  Chris Kaiser , Cardiology Editor, MedPage Today Low-dose aspirin might help ward off transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), but it didn’t reduce overall incidence of stroke or improve outcomes following a stroke, an analysis of the Women’s Health Study showed. There was no significant […]

Epidural corticosteroid injections in the management of sciatica: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Ann Intern Med. 2012 Dec 18;157(12):865-77. Pinto RZ1, Maher CG, Ferreira ML, Hancock M, Oliveira VC, McLachlan AJ, Koes B, Ferreira PH. Abstract BACKGROUND: Existing guidelines and systematic reviews provide inconsistent recommendations on epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica. Key limitations of existing reviews are the inclusion of trials with active controls of unknown efficacy and […]

Effect of epidural steroid injection on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women

Al-Shoha A, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012. Show full citation Abstract STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of epidural steroid injection (ESI) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: ESIs are used to treat the pain associated with radiculopathy. Although it is known that exogenous steroid […]

Effect of epidural steroid injection on bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women

Al-Shoha A, et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012 Dec 1;37(25):E1567-71. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e318270280e. Abstract STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of epidural steroid injection (ESI) on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: ESIs are used to treat the pain associated with radiculopathy. Although it is […]

Antibiotics Linked to Weight Gain

By Amy Maxmen and Nature magazine Full Story:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=antibiotics-linked-weight-gain-mice Bacteria living naturally within the gut provide a gateway to flab, according to a few reports this week. These bacteria may explain how antibiotics fatten farm animals and perhaps people too, and how certain genes predispose organisms to obesity. In a study published 22 August in Nature, researchers mimicked […]