Do Statins Raise Odds for Type 2 Diabetes? Maybe, but heart benefits likely outweigh any potential risk from the drugs, experts say
The following is an article recently published on WebMD. Many patients have mentioned to me the reports about statins increasing the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. I definitely agree with Drs Crandall and Donovan (see statements in orange below). The benefits of statins in terms of prevention of cardiovascular events outweigh the slight increase risk in HgbA1C/DM.By Serena GordonHealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Oct. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins may lower your risk of heart disease, but also might boost the odds you ' ll develop type 2 diabe...
Source: Dr Portnay - November 13, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Lorazepam, Haloperidol, and Delirium
JAMA Internal Medicinehas published a double-blind,randomized, placebo-controlled trial of adding lorazepam to haloperidol in patients with advanced cancer and agitated delirium. (We had a heads up about this trial because it waspresented at ASCO earlier this year.) If there ever was a sort of consensus in HPM about how we should be treating delirium, my sense is that it ’s been shattered by the recentRCT of low-dose haloperidol vs risperidone for delirium in Australian palliative care unit patients, showing those drugsworsened delirium symptoms. So, it seems like we should all see what we can learn from this newly publi...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - September 25, 2017 Category: Palliative Care Tags: antipsychotics delirium research issues rosielle Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 67-year-old woman who takes diclofenac
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 67-year-old woman is evaluated during a routine examination. She has a history of hip and knee pain related to degenerative joint disease. The joint pain is now well controlled with diclofenac, which was started 3 months ago. A previous trial of high-dose acetaminophen was not effective. She does not have any gastrointestinal symptoms, and she takes the diclofenac with food most of the time. Her medical history is otherwise notable for type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Her parents bot...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - August 5, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions GI Medications Orthopedics Source Type: blogs
Top Companies in Genomics
From portable genome sequencers until genetic tests revealing distant relations with Thomas Jefferson, genomics represents a fascinatingly innovative area of healthcare. As the price of genome sequencing has been in free fall for years, the start-up scene is bursting from transformative power. Let’s look at some of the most amazing ventures in genomics!
The amazing journey of genome sequencing
Genome sequencing has been on an amazing scientific as well as economic journey for the last three decades. The Human Genome Project began in 1990 with the aim of mapping the whole structure of the human genome and sequencing it. ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - May 30, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Genomics Personalized Medicine AI artificial intelligence bioinformatics cancer DNA dna testing DTC gc3 genetic disorders genetics genome sequencing personal genomics precision medicine Source Type: blogs
6 tricks that pharmaceutical marketers use
Long before the Internet and direct-to-consumer advertising, the medical profession tried to reassure people about their health concerns. Remember “take two aspirins and call me in the morning?”
Flash forward to today’s online “symptom checkers.” They are quizzes to see if someone has a certain disease and exhortations to see their doctor even if they feel fine. Once drug makers discovered that health fears and even hypochondria sell drugs, there seems to be no end to the new diseases, symptoms and risks people need to worry about.
In fact, since drug ads began on TV, Americans take so many drugs it inspires ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 30, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/martha-rosenberg" rel="tag" > Martha Rosenberg < /a > Tags: Meds Medications Source Type: blogs
Can a Genetic Test Tell You What Medication to Take For a Headache? The MyDNA Review
I was offered a genetic test by MyDNA that promises to let you know how your body metabolizes medications based on your genetic background. It might be crucial in the future when deciding about certain drugs for certain diseases. Here, I show you the results of my review.
Reading the secrets of your body with genetic testing
As a researcher with a PhD in genomics, it is fascinating for me to see how genetic tests work in action. The feeling of getting the results is similar to that if you could peek into a secret world, as if you could read the Rosetta Stone’s ancient old Egyptian hieroglyphs. The difference is that in t...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 8, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: nora Tags: Genomics Personalized Medicine DNA dna testing dosing drug future gc3 Genetic testing genetics Genome Innovation pharma pharmacogenetics Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 68-year-old woman with progressive abdominal distention
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 68-year-old woman is evaluated for a 3-month history of gradually progressive abdominal distention. Her medical history is notable for a 20-year history of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. She also has had a 10-year history of elevation of serum aminotransferase levels, which was attributed to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. She does not consume alcohol. Her medications are metformin, lisinopril, low-dose aspirin, and simvastatin.
On physical examination, vital signs are n...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 24, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions GI Source Type: blogs
Coronary artery disease: Primary care and prevention – 5
Previous
Statin for primary prevention
Very high lipid levels of the order of LDL cholesterol above 190 mg/dL calls for usage of statins for primary prevention. High intensity statins can be considered in this scenario as in acute coronary syndrome. When the LDL cholesterol level is between 70-189 mg/dL, primary prevention with moderate intensity statin may be considered if they are diabetic and have significant other risk factors for CAD. It is reasonable to measure SGPT/ALT levels before initiating statins and while on treatment so that values above 3 times the upper limit are not reached. Caution is advised in those abo...
Source: Cardiophile MD - December 21, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: Cardiology Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 68-year-old woman with gradually progressive abdominal distention
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 68-year-old woman is evaluated for a 3-month history of gradually progressive abdominal distention. Her medical history is notable for a 20-year history of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. She also has had a 10-year history of elevation of serum aminotransferase levels, which was attributed to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. She does not consume alcohol. Her medications are metformin, lisinopril, low-dose aspirin, and simvastatin.
On physical examination, vital signs are n...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 24, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions GI Source Type: blogs
The Future of Work Part I
Have you ever taken some time to think about what work will look like 5, 10 or even 20 years from now? If you haven’t, it is probably worth the effort because a changing work environment may have dramatic implications for how you are employed in the future. In these two posts, I want to talk about some of the trends I’m seeing and how they may play out in the coming years.
Outsourcing
Companies are getting better and better at spinning off specific business functions and letting them be handled by others. For example, many businesses can’t justify running payroll in-house. It is cheaper to hire a company...
Source: Productivity501 - September 20, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Mark Shead Tags: Misc Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 61-year-old man with generalized weakness
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 61-year-old man is evaluated for a 10-month history of generalized weakness. He reports no pain or myalgia. History is significant for hypercholesterolemia treated with a stable dose of simvastatin for the past 3 years.
On physical examination, temperature is normal, blood pressure is 138/74 mm Hg, pulse rate is 70/min, and respiration rate is 16/min. BMI is 27. There is symmetric weakness of the arm and thigh muscles with slightly reduced grip and power of the finger flexors. No muscle tenderness is noted. Th...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - August 20, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions Neurology Source Type: blogs
Statin scare
It is shocking that so many people are bullied by doctors into taking statin cholesterol drugs: “The evidence is overwhelming: statins save lives.” “You’re a walking time-bomb. I can’t be responsible for your safety if you don’t take it.” “Your cholesterol is so high that you could die of a heart attack any time.” I’ve even heard of many patients being “fired” by doctors because of a refusal to take the prescription for Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, or other drug.
Why such strong-arm tactics? Several reasons:
People are given the wrong diet, a diet—r...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - May 23, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle cardiovascular cholesterol HDL lipids lipoproteins small LDL particles statins triglycerides Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 48-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 48-year-old woman returns for a follow-up visit for management of type 1 diabetes mellitus. She reports doing well since the last visit. Overall, she believes that most of her blood glucose levels are at goal, but is concerned about occasional episodes of hyperglycemia occurring in the morning before breakfast. She eats a bedtime snack every night that is not covered with mealtime insulin. Review of her blood glucose log demonstrates morning fasting blood glucose values from 80 to 190 mg/dL (4.4 to 10.5 mmol/L...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 26, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: mksap Tags: Conditions Diabetes Endocrinology Source Type: blogs
Shared decision making is still the exception and not the rule
Joe had one of the best geriatricians in the city. So when he got a call from the pharmacist saying his new prescription was ready, he assumed that it had to do with his recent annual visit and blood draw. His suspicions were confirmed, a few minutes later, when he got through to the nurse at the office.
Joe was politely informed that he had high cholesterol and was being put on a statin. Although he hung up the phone satisfied and raced out to the pharmacy to pick up his new pills, a casual observer might find a few things concerning.
Neither the doctor nor the nurse actually talked to Joe about the significance of high...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 25, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Jordan Grumet, MD Tags: Physician Geriatrics Source Type: blogs
How Good Medicine Has Become The Exception
Joe had one of the best geriatricians in the city. So when he got a call from the pharmacist saying his new prescription was ready, he assumed that it had to do with his recent annual visit and blood draw. His suspicions were confirmed, a few minutes later, when he got through to the nurse at the office. Joe was politely informed that he had high cholesterol and was being put on a statin. Although he hung up the phone satisfied and raced out to the pharmacy to pick up his new pills, a casual observer might find a few things concerning.Neither the doctor nor the nurse actually talked to Joe about the significance of h...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - February 16, 2016 Category: Primary Care Authors: Jordan Grumet Source Type: blogs
