Top articles in medicine in June 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in June 2012:

Risky Music-Listening Behavior Associated with Health-Risk Behavior: alcohol, drugs and unsafe sex (study) http://goo.gl/eoUfL

Study: Couples get health benefits simply from sleeping in the same bed - WSJ http://goo.gl/PBlPJ

Love's initial romantic phase lasts anywhere from 18 months to 3 years, experts say, then it ends - WSJ http://goo.gl/2x1mS

5 Minute Medicine Video Series by Internal Medicine at McMaster University http://bit.ly/KidaPU

Aspiring to Make MDR-TB Nevermore: Delamanid for Multi-drug Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis - NEJM http://goo.gl/b7rQ8

The risks and benefits of social media for cardiologists - theheart dot org interview with @doctorwes http://goo.gl/TUfxj

Radiation from 2-3 head CTs in children triple the risk for brain tumors (5-10 CTs triple risk for leukemia) http://goo.gl/xs2ZH - Source: Radiation exposure from CT scans in childhood and subsequent risk of leukaemia and brain tumours: a retrospective cohort study - The Lancet http://goo.gl/teqnX

Inhibiting Hedgehog Pathway in Basal-Cell Cancer: Vismodegib is effective but 50% stop treatment due to adverse events http://goo.gl/966X5

Small-molecule inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway Vismodegib showed 58% response rate in advanced basal-cell cancer http://goo.gl/sJfm1

Another therapeutic option for Multidrug-Resistant TB: Delamanid nitro-dihydro-imidazooxazole inhibits mycolic acid http://goo.gl/zUhYY

Hospital mortality is complex and should be used cautiously in evaluating quality of care. Last 10 years marked by diminishing returns, with growth in costs far outpacing reductions in inpatient mortality http://goo.gl/T16W3

Churchill had a doctor's approval for "medicating with a minimum 250 cc alcohol at meal times" - “This is to certify,” the doctor writes — this in the midst of Prohibition — “that the postaccident convalescence of the Hon. Winston S. Churchill necessitates the use of alcoholic spirits especially at meal times.” The quantity, the doctor continues, is “naturally indefinite,” but the “minimum requirements would be 250 cubic centimeters,” or just over 8 ounces. Archives in NYT http://goo.gl/Yc9cr

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Top articles in medicine in June 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in June 2012:

Cancer rates worldwide are expected to increase by 75% by 2030 http://goo.gl/Wu8i9

Zinc could be useful adjunct treatment in infants with probable serious bacterial infection - The Lancet http://goo.gl/Hgqs7

To screen or not to screen for prostate cancer? Fewer than 2% of Johns Hopkins doctors plan to follow the recommendations and stop ordering PSA screening - Lancet http://goo.gl/5Nkha

Dark chocolate could work as prevention therapy of cardiovascular disease - BMJ's exercise in wishful thinking: http://goo.gl/Om6kq

UV protection and sunscreens: What to tell patients - CCJM http://goo.gl/yhRH4 -- Related reading: How to avoid damaging ultraviolet light - CCJM launches "Patient Page" similar to JAMA http://bit.ly/MkL6Ae

NYTimes asks experts what they want from the future: "permanent sunblock that embeds in skin ~ Lasik eye surgery" ?! http://goo.gl/TnHZa -- Related: 32 Innovations Will Change Your Tomorrow - underwear with sensors tells how hard you’re working your quadriceps muscles http://goo.gl/EWRuX

Psoriasis: Evolving treatment for a complex disease - CCJM 2012 review, free full text http://goo.gl/Sc9Uy

Acute community-acquired bacterial meningitis in adults: CCJM 2012 review, free full text http://goo.gl/XKYQR

"Walmart clinics go live in the cloud": retail giant pushes healthcare providers to make diagnoses over the internet http://goo.gl/P51NW

A Single Inhalation of Laninamivir Works in Children With Influenza (study) http://goo.gl/BxgRs

Inhaled Hypertonic Saline (3%) mixed with albuterol reduces length of stay and admission rate for wheezing children http://goo.gl/g9cFH

College freshman at age 9, medical degree at 21 - Dr. Yano is the youngest student to get an M.D. from UChicago http://goo.gl/qkqNh -- Disclaimer: I am an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at UChicago and have met Dr. Yano in our clinic.

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Top articles in medicine in June 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in June 2012:

Fatty acids in formula don't make babies smarter http://goo.gl/FYyVX - Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids http://goo.gl/1WVjY

Electronic health records linked to worse diabetes care compared to old-fashioned paper records (study) http://goo.gl/vm2mR

Being sleepy behind the wheel is almost as bad as drinking and driving (study) http://goo.gl/Ub9hu

Study: Older People Have Special Smell, but It's Not Unpleasant as Stereotype Implies http://goo.gl/7bHfv

If we're going to think of exercise as a therapeutic intervention, like all interventions there will be adverse effects http://goo.gl/unjJS

DrotAA in Septic Shock - graph clearly shows lack of benefit from rh activated protein C, drotrecogin alfa http://goo.gl/bCktn

The Emerging Threat of Untreatable Gonococcal Infection - what to do if allergic to PCN and cephalosporins? NEJM http://goo.gl/fwFq3

Gallup tracks the U.S. Mood daily, only 41% were happy on June 7, 2012 http://goo.gl/Pn0lz

Drowning - free NEJM review of the current concepts, 2012 http://goo.gl/xSqLu

Intensive Enough? Intensive care units (ICUs) began in the 1950s, staffing models continue to be controversial http://goo.gl/2rZNk

Men vs. Women: Whose Offices Are Germier? Study confirms suspicion: Men Are "Greater" Source of Bacteria Than Women http://goo.gl/JkzF5

Residents' Response to Duty-Hour Regulations: 41% reported worsened education - NEJM http://goo.gl/leaC4

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Top articles in medicine in May 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in May 2012:

The primary care doctor is a rapidly evolving species - and in the future could become an endangered one - NEJM http://goo.gl/BPcVB

Japanese rail workers have to pass a daily smile scan. Even a faux smile may increase happiness - Lancet http://goo.gl/DKwD9

Mental Illness: "Checklist diagnoses" cost less in time and money but fail compared to comprehensive evaluation - NEJM http://goo.gl/uOmcd

Only 50% of people with major depression in the general population receive any treatment for depression http://goo.gl/IfCCq

Natalizumab-Associated Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) - NEJM lists the risk factors http://goo.gl/J71JA

Azithromycin and the Risk of Cardiovascular Death - NEJM: 7 additional cardiovascular deaths per 1 million courses; patients in the highest decile of risk for cardiovascular disease had an estimated 245 additional cardiovascular deaths per 1 million courses. http://goo.gl/QITcP

Coffee consumption was inversely associated with total and cause-specific mortality. Whether this was a causal or associational finding cannot be determined - NEJM http://goo.gl/0EMJF

The Right Way to Try to Buy Happiness: By using money to create memories with your family, build things with your hands or even sleep more, you stand a pretty good chance of being happier. http://goo.gl/FO2I5

Up to 21% of adults will develop tinnitus - 2% of population have severely impaired quality of life because of it http://goo.gl/q1Yuc

Aspirin Prevents the Recurrence of Venous Thromboembolism, with no increase in risk of major bleeding - NEJM http://goo.gl/3sqDu

Women who worked the night shift were 40% more likely to develop breast cancer http://goo.gl/VQPQt

Hyperglycemia on admission predicts death in patients with community acquired pneumonia without pre-existing diabetes http://goo.gl/edAwQ

How can I treat toenail fungus? Ask Doctor K from Harvard Medical School http://goo.gl/9pdj9

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Top articles in medicine in May 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in May 2012:

Large numbers of very rare genetic mutations may underlie common human diseases like schizophrenia and cancer http://goo.gl/GttAQ

14 Ways Social Media May Soon Change Your Doctor's Visit http://goo.gl/muWK1

Drunk driving across the globe: many countries have “no tolerance” laws with 0.0% blood alcohol limit http://goo.gl/aIsRn

Top 10 Cloud-Based EHRs - CureMD and Practice Fusion (the only free EMR) scored best http://goo.gl/jWMuu

Pets at birth either decreased or had no effect on allergic disease up to age 12. No evidence that exposure to cats or dogs at birth increases the risk of allergic disease in high risk children http://goo.gl/MS4iW

Cleveland Clinic starts a blog called "Health Hub" http://goo.gl/66FF0 - competing with the aging consumer portal of MayoClinic.com

CT colonography is accurate in detecting adenomas 10 mm or larger but less so for smaller lesions http://goo.gl/gMTiX -- Laxative-free colonoscopy on the way? Virtual colonoscope digitally removes stool from the colon http://goo.gl/sJG6H

Do we need vacations? Vacations improve employee wellbeing but the positive effect is short-lived (study) http://goo.gl/jd3CH

NRMP to Implement “All-in” Policy for 2013 Match http://goo.gl/tn5Cs

New labeling will help you pick the best sunscreen - Consumer Reports http://goo.gl/Wtm3M

U.S. politicians invoke the “R word” - rationing for healthcare - NEJM http://goo.gl/Urhua

Pepsi and Competitors Scramble as Soda Sales Drop in the U.S. Average American drank less than 2 sodas/day in 2011, a drop in per capita consumption of 16% since the peak in 1998. Sugary soft drinks are the No. 1 source of calories in U.S. diets - NYTimes http://goo.gl/9tjdD

"Z-Pak Heart Attack" - sudden death may be a new (rare) risk linked to commonly prescribed antibiotic azithromycin http://goo.gl/3DeIh

Coffee Drinkers May Live Longer - there are 1,000 or more compounds in coffee - NYT and NEJM http://goo.gl/VSfbN

Using Internet Search Engines to Obtain Medical Information: users preferred Bing over Google in this study http://goo.gl/mJgpm

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Comments from Twitter:

Mike Cadogan @sandnsurf: Reading: Top articles in medicine in May 2012 bit.ly/KUxEhs via @DrVes ...more great articles from the world of medicine

Karim Jessa @karimjessa: great stuff! thanks dr @DrVes

Top articles in medicine in May 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in May 2012:

For every hour of "social jet lag", the risk of being overweight or obese rises 33% http://goo.gl/fTlge

Lorcaserin (Lorqess) will be the first new prescription weight loss drug in more than a decade http://goo.gl/MexzC

Healthcare crushed by acronyms http://goo.gl/FqPX6

Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis - 2012 Lancet review http://goo.gl/SpbKg

Spanish health cuts could create “humanitarian problem” - The Lancet http://goo.gl/YA0OA

Doctors in China were once revered, but now face increasing threats to their personal safety at work - Lancet http://goo.gl/gf62Q

Cosmetic laser treatment for removal of hair and tattoos can cause burns, blistering, scarring, permanent blindness http://goo.gl/71gdx

Statins: Is It Really Time to Reassess Benefits and Risks? http://goo.gl/vnn9x -- NEJM: studies are needed assess statin-induced diabetes.

How To Do Medical Education Research? A step-by-step guide: http://goo.gl/bTnIh

Understanding Research Impact http://goo.gl/2ZHCK and 20 Strategies To Enhance The Impact Of Your Research http://goo.gl/49MLb

Knee osteoarthritis in former elite soccer players: 40-80% have osteoarthritis http://goo.gl/qLu4f

Former world record holder in the 100-meter sprint, ran it in 22.04 seconds -- when he was 95 years old http://goo.gl/9bu01

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams. Please feel free to send suggestions for articles to clinicalcases@gmail.com and you will receive acknowledgement in the next edition of this publication.

Top articles in medicine in May 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in May 2012 so far:

Point-of-care genetic testing for personalisation of antiplatelet treatment is effective http://goo.gl/ZWLvz

Patient empowerment - who empowers whom? Virtually all people are patients at some point in their lives http://goo.gl/4YKjq

Doctors' love-hate relationship with EHRs http://goo.gl/wd74F

Why U.S. spends more on healthcare than other developed countries: Higher prices, readily accessible technology, obesity http://goo.gl/cid6S

Austerely law transforms Spain’s health system from universal access to one based on employment | BMJ http://goo.gl/36u4C

Bevacizumab (Avastin) is as effective as ranibizumab (Lucentis) for wet AMD and could save NHS millions - NHS http://goo.gl/JJ8uV

Having 'Type D' Personality - a distressed and pessimistic outlook on life - May Affect Your Health http://goo.gl/kFbpA

New Cautions About Bisphosphonate Use - NYTimes http://goo.gl/PYiKy

How to Create Your Own Website using Blogger - Step-by-Step Guide for Physicians http://goo.gl/tCd37

Truvada (Emtriva + Viread), first drug to prevent HIV infection in healthy people at high risk (MSM, partners of HIV+) http://goo.gl/e1MJM

Can mobile phones give you brain cancer? The verdict's still on hold http://goo.gl/gI6Ta

Drink Water to Improve Test Scores http://goo.gl/MNB6k and http://goo.gl/EO12p

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Top articles in medicine in May 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in May 2012 so far:

Is Geriatric Medicine Terminally Ill? asks Annals of Internal Medicine http://goo.gl/J4jMU

Low vitamin D (below 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) increases risk for clinical disease among older adults http://goo.gl/tBXS4

Senior physicians keep working, putting off the R-word - 20% of U.S. physicians are older than 65 http://goo.gl/Dxgip

Many young doctors worried about future of medicine - amednews http://goo.gl/r61lW

"One of the greatest risks of social media is ignoring social media" says chief integrity officer of Cleveland Clinic. Patients want to use social media tools to manage health care http://goo.gl/9SAry

Doctors can risk lawsuits when writing about patients - amednews points to books about patients as examples http://goo.gl/QhqFS

Coffee is the most complex food known to man. It has 1200 flavor components. The nearest comparison is red wine with 450 chemical compounds in the flavor make-up. In most commercial blends there are 10 to 12 different coffees, from different farms. http://goo.gl/m2LwD

Guidelines for social media use by Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) describe in detail what NOT to do: http://goo.gl/Raq2e

Prevention of acute knee injuries in adolescent female football (soccer) players: warm-up could help http://goo.gl/dBgSS

Is It Possible To Walk And Work At The Same Time? Kaiser Permanente tries walking meetings http://goo.gl/cRu8l

Corneal transplantation - 2012 state of the art review in The Lancet http://goo.gl/JBAag

Towards an optimum strategy in rheumatoid arthritis: For RA patients who fail initial methotrexate treatment, add-on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are appropriate http://goo.gl/ONq6u

Time Spent Behind the Wheel May Increase Heart Health Risks, linked to less time spent exercising http://goo.gl/NUYX7

Recipe For Safer Drinking Water (from bacteria)? Add Sun, Salt And Lime http://goo.gl/kU2ZK

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Healthcare social media - top articles

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles related to healthcare social media in the past 2 weeks:

Doctors and social media: “How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet” http://goo.gl/pIrgh

Consumer Expectations for Healthcare Social Media http://goo.gl/REXqV

Why all hospitals need Twitter accounts: Google ranking of a URL linked to number of Tweets about that URL http://goo.gl/AYf9t

Interviewee eliminated as a candidate because his Klout score was too low (34), “They hired a guy whose score was 67”. Even if you have no idea what your Klout score is, there’s a chance that it’s already affecting your life. People with formidable Klout will board planes earlier, get free access to VIP airport lounges, stay in better hotel rooms, and receive deep discounts from retail stores. A two-week vacation from social media might causes your Klout score to nose-dive. http://goo.gl/ABu2S

13 Things You Never Knew You Could Do On LinkedIn http://goo.gl/mh4da

100 Ways To Use Twitter In Education, By Degree Of Difficulty http://goo.gl/lAs5v

Pack the Right Gadgets for the Road - NYTimes http://goo.gl/SmQgA

A Review of Living Language and Rocket Languages - App Smart - NYTimes http://goo.gl/kpvJT

10 HTML Tags All New Bloggers Should Learn http://goo.gl/24FpW

Is this the future of Khan Academy? http://goo.gl/xtErX - Bozeman Biology on YouTube http://goo.gl/GUry5

Many consumers worldwide worry that technology is overtaking their lives http://goo.gl/cJj5e

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Comments from Twitter:

Heidi Allen @dreamingspires: Healthcare social media - worth reading - Klout and Google rankings linked to tweets.

Top articles in medicine in April-May 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April-May 2012:

Always advocate for the patient. When in a bind, ask yourself, “Self, what's best for my patient?” You can only see ONE patient at a time. The patient in front of you is the only patient you have. http://bit.ly/HGJcU8

Adolescence is changing: age of onset of puberty is decreasing, age at which mature social roles are achieved is rising http://goo.gl/dshDG

Pilot sends plane into dive after mistaking Venus for oncoming plane http://bit.ly/INqXjw - "It's happened to most of us", starts CNN... North American-based pilots flying eastbound at night towards Europe are at increased risk of fatigue-related performance issues http://bit.ly/INqXjw

Are we ready to recommend aspirin for cancer prevention? Lancet http://goo.gl/WyRXY and http://goo.gl/oytIK

First described in 1967, Kawasaki disease is now a leading cause of acquired heart disease in developed countries http://goo.gl/ShL00 -- Addition of prednisolone to standard treatment with IVIG improves coronary artery outcomes in severe Kawasaki disease http://j.mp/JdUbTl

Bullying victimisation is associated with a myriad of emotional and behavioural problems throughout adolescence http://goo.gl/VzBrf

Thoughts for new medical students http://goo.gl/cr5k3 - Advice from the BMJ editor in 2003, still mostly relevant.

Consumer Expectations for Healthcare Social Media http://goo.gl/REXqV

Women are much more responsive than men to the weather, and life satisfaction decreases with rain (study) http://goo.gl/gp5KE

Use of Social Media by Western European Hospitals: Longitudinal Study shows that SoMe awareness is growing http://goo.gl/l41tz

Geriatrics update 2012: What parts of our practice to change, what to ‘think about’ - CCJM http://goo.gl/rvH9O

Family history: Still relevant in the genomics era - CCJM http://goo.gl/ty5vG

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Top articles in medicine in April 2012 (part 3)

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April 2012:

Botulinum Toxin for Prophylaxis of Migraine and Tension Headaches: not so great - JAMA http://j.mp/IecqxB

Varicocele Is Associated with Erectile Dysfunction: 3.3% of ED patients have it vs. 1.2% of controls http://goo.gl/R8nPi

Evaluation of nail abnormalities: subungual melanomas, account for 50% of melanomas in persons with dark skin http://goo.gl/ryWVo

Sunscreens & Vitamin D: the overwhelming majority of dermatologists recommend to get your vitamin D from food, not from the sun http://goo.gl/BcFtP

Heat waves that last for more than a week can be deadly, particularly for the elderly. For every 1 degree C increase in summer temperature, death risk of the elderly with chronic conditions rises 3-4% http://goo.gl/2sYh1

Personal vs. Professional: How Doctors Manage Their Social Media Profiles - University of Chicago Medicine blog http://goo.gl/JNyu1

45% of women overestimate the effectiveness of the Pill and condoms for pregnancy prevention (study) http://goo.gl/1QcXW

FDA approves fast-acting Viagra rival: Avanafil (Stendra) starts working in 15 min, the fastest of the 4 ED drugs http://goo.gl/Joskq

More than 40% of people in the U.S. live in counties with unsafe levels of air pollutants http://goo.gl/G2bG8

20% of Americans have gone out on a date with someone they met online. New to Online Dating: Here are 11 Tips http://goo.gl/ulviK

Most Peaceful, Least Peaceful U.S. States - For 11th year in a row, Maine is the most peaceful state in America http://goo.gl/ZTr4X

Damage control on physician-rating websites - "We've all got a megaphone now," says CEO of physician-rating site http://goo.gl/ouxiI

7 steps to responding to angry patients - "RAPSAND" acronym builds "emotional muscle" in staff members http://goo.gl/IXcWP

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Top articles in medicine in April 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April 2012:

Rise in Scientific Journal Retractions Prompts Calls for Reform - NYTimes http://goo.gl/6qB8H. The higher a journal’s impact factor, the higher its retraction rate. The highest “retraction index” naturally belongs to NEJM. Retractions are “a symptom of a dysfunctional scientific climate”. Each year, every laboratory produces a new crop of Ph.D.’s, who must compete for a small number of jobs, and the competition is getting fiercer. In 1973, more than half of biologists had a tenure-track job within six years of getting a Ph.D. By 2006 the figure was down to 15 percent. Yet labs continue to have an incentive to take on lots of graduate students to produce more research (“pyramid scheme”).

Harvard University says it can't afford journal publishers' prices: $3.5m a year, 145% increase over 6 years http://goo.gl/tlxWP

Warren Buffett may be the richest man in America, but he appears to be getting the poorest medical advice. In medicine, "watchful waiting" is now called "active surveillance with delayed intention to treat" - Harvard http://hvrd.me/JsK3vK

Lab Testing in Erectile Dysfunction: glucose, testosterone, prolactin, and lipid profile may reveal comorbidities http://goo.gl/MdBrn

75% of diabetics who had gastric bypass surgery no longer were diabetic after 2 years. Bariatric surgery costs $18,000-35,000 without insurance - for those with coverage, $5,000 deductibles are common j.mp/Ie0xYl

30% of U.S. workers are not getting enough sleep - 41 million sleep 6 or fewer hours putting the public at risk http://goo.gl/mnQJg

Survey lists "Best Paid and Worst Paid Doctors". Only 11% of U.S. doctors consider themselves rich. 45% of doctors think: "My income probably qualifies me as rich, but I have so many debts and expenses I don't feel rich." http://goo.gl/a5gq8

Among children and adolescents in a low-income, urban area, text messaging increased rate of influenza vaccination http://goo.gl/waznJ

Most major British universities are paying £4-6 million a year to journal publishers like Elsevier, Springer, etc. Most publishers have to pay for content they publish. Not journal publishers. Content is provided free by researchers. The peer reviewing that ensures quality of publications is provided free (value of UK unpaid peer reviewing is £165m) http://bit.ly/HYzonu

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Top articles in medicine in April 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April 2012 so far:

Another Sobering Result: Among older patients, telemonitoring did not result in fewer hospitalizations or ED visits http://goo.gl/r0hXr

Turmeric spice (3 gm/day) decreases risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting http://goo.gl/TTO5b

Fast-food salt content varies by country: Chicken McNuggets contain 0.6 g of salt/100 g in UK vs 1.6 g in US http://goo.gl/PfJDj and http://goo.gl/Lg9rM

He Who Sits the Most Dies the Soonest http://goo.gl/ia1Jz and - Original study: http://goo.gl/pEkmk

Insulin degludec, new ultra-longacting basal insulin, associated with lower risks of hypoglycaemia than insulin glargine - The Lancet http://goo.gl/UbJpE

Promising new era for CF: ivacaftor (Kalydeco) blue pill, $294,000 per year, works for 4% of patients (G551D mutation) http://goo.gl/gXPxl

Value of screening for kidney disease unclear - 11% of all US adults and 44% of those older than 70 have it http://goo.gl/Bqfwv

Five S's relieve babies' pain during vaccinations: "swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking" http://goo.gl/NDYK2

1 in 16 youth plays the highly dangerous choking game: putting pressure on the neck with a towel or belt to cut off someone's oxygen supply, then releasing the pressure to give a "high" sensation http://goo.gl/bMeaE

Why MRI Machines Make That Loud Noise? 125 DB equivalent to a rock concert, ear protection is recommended. http://goo.gl/gKzJn

Why Facebook Terrifies Google - Facebook's ad targeting page has an incredible basket of granular options http://goo.gl/Vxxi0 - Does this work for clinical trials recruitment?

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Comments from Twitter:

Australian Doctor @australiandr: I'm not so sure re swaddling one, other thoughts?@DrVes: Top articles in medicine in April 2012 goo.gl/vA3Ys

Top articles in medicine in April 2012

Here are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in April 2012 so far:

Dr. Breslow, Who Tied Good Habits to Longevity, Dies at 97 - NYTimes http://goo.gl/ftRDR - It certainly worked for him. His recommendations: do not smoke; drink in moderation; sleep seven to eight hours; exercise at least moderately; eat regular meals; maintain a moderate weight; eat breakfast. Dr. Breslow found that a 60-year-old who followed the seven recommended behaviors would be as healthy as a 30-year-old who followed fewer than three.

Activation of free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1) by experimental drug TAK-875 offers hope as new diabetes therapy j.mp/IQTDnd

Vitamin D Doesn't Improve Academic Performance in Children (study) http://j.mp/ICZpyu - It also doesn't help patients with pneumonia

Phthalates May Double Diabetes Risk - Phthalates are chemicals found in cosmetics, scented candles, plastics http://j.mp/ICZ5j7

Endangered species found in Chinese herbal medications... http://j.mp/HF001J

Google starts ranking journals http://j.mp/HBGIez -- using Google Scholar Metrics for Publications http://j.mp/HBGK6f. Google ranks the top 100 journals and NEJM is no more the "top dog" http://j.mp/HBGYKB according to G Scholar Metrics for Publications. The most cited NEJM article is "Vitamin D Deficiency" followed by "CT - An Increasing Source of Radiation Exposure" http://j.mp/HBHsAi

NEJM now has 17 Interactive Medical Cases - free full text online http://j.mp/Hw5F59

12-Word Social Media Policy by Mayo Clinic: Don’t Lie, Don’t Pry, Don’t Cheat, Can’t Delete, Don’t Steal, Don’t Reveal http://bit.ly/Hr8c1E

Chinese herbal medicines made from Aristolochia plants might be responsible for urinary tract cancer - BMJ http://j.mp/I1pCD5

5 Futures for Academic Medicine. "Drivers of Change in Academic Medicine: “Big hungry buyers” demanding more from health care" - PLoS Medicine http://j.mp/Hw07t4

FDA Approves "Alzheimer's PET scan" by Eli Lilly - radioactive agent florbetapir tags clumps of sticky amyloid in brain http://goo.gl/VbQi7

The articles were selected from my Twitter and Google Reader streams.

Health News of the Day

A school based compulsory physical activity improved fitness and reduced adiposity in children. BMJ, Feb 2010.

Dr. Wes: Cardiology is easy until it isn't

No doubt Mr. Cheney has had impecable cardiovacular care. But despite that care, after three bypasses, a history of atrial fibrillation, deep venous thrombosis, a cardiomyopathy that requires a defibrillator or two, and scores of medications to stabilize the angina - you've suddenly got a tough case: http://drwes.blogspot.com/2010/02/dick-vs-bill.html

PeRSSonalized Geriatrics from Webicina.com

http://www.webicina.com/perssonalized/?page=1&cat=37

PeRSSonalized Medicine is a free, easy-to-use aggregator of quality medical information that lets you select your favourite resources and read the latest news and articles about a medical specialty or a medical condition in one personalized place.

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

Health News of the Day

Hypertension is a "neglected disease"

"Although hypertension is relatively easy to prevent, simple to diagnose, and relatively inexpensive to treat, it remains the second leading cause of death among Americans," said David Fleming, who led the study committee that wrote the report for the US Institute of Medicine. Hypertension is the most common primary diagnosis in the United States, affecting about 73 million adults (one in three).

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/340/feb22_2/c1074

Can't Remember Faces? Blame Your Genes

The ability to remember a face is inherited, according to a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers also found that people who are good at remembering faces are not necessarily good at other memory tasks. Face recognition ability comes from a dedicated circuit, or set of circuits, in the brain.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123975339&ft=1&f=1007

Erythropoiesis stimulating drugs caused tumours to grow faster and led to earlier deaths in some cancer patients, prompting the FDA to restrict their use.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/340/feb22_2/c1050

Medical implications of the Taser: Serious harm is rare, but incident reporting needs to be improved

Amnesty International has identified more than 300 deaths associated with Taser use in the United States. However, association is not causation, and other factors complicate the interpretation of fatal outcomes. The dominant conducted energy device used in police forces worldwide is the Taser X26. This device generates five second trains of electrical pulses that are delivered to the body either by two propelled barbs (which embed in clothing or skin and remain connected to the handset by conductive wire) or by direct contact of the handset’s electrodes (drive-stun mode).

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/340/feb22_1/c853

Rational Or Emotional? After you've lost weight, you have an increase in the emotional response to food

One of the hormones that play a role in controlling appetite in the body is called leptin. After significant weight loss, leptin levels drop. This seems to signal to the brain a need to seek more food.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123894109&ft=1&f=1007

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

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Health News of the Day

25% of stroke patients die within a year

25 percent of people who had a stroke died within a year and 8 percent had another stroke within a year. They said 50 percent either died or had another stroke or a heart attack within four years.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61E4TD20100215

Girls' involvement in team sports can mean lifelong improvements in educational, work and health prospects. NYTimes.

Counting Sheep Does Not Help You Fall Asleep

Subjects took slightly longer to fall asleep on nights they were instructed to distract themselves by counting sheep or were given no instructions at all. But when they were told to imagine a relaxing scene — a beach, for example — they fell asleep an average of 20 minutes sooner. Don’t count sheep; instead, try picturing relaxing images.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/health/16real.html

Non-hospitalized patients dealing with an IBD flare-up are 16 times more likely to suffer a blood clot in a vein

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61E4ON20100215

China discovers doughnuts — with salmon

"Patrick Lin is sure he can succeed where others have failed, and get the Chinese hooked on doughnuts. Doughnuts are shaped like pearl bracelets, and toppings include ham and cheese, red spaghetti sauce, salmon, spicy beef and seaweed flakes. "Dunkin' Donuts has dropped the sugar level as the Chinese, like Taiwanese, don't like snacks that are too sweet," she said. "It has also added new varieties, such as one with pork." Chinese newspapers don't have a word for doughnuts and call them "tian tian quan" or "sweet, sweet rings."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35394535/ns/business-consumer_news

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Health News of the Day

Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in bullet-point format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day:

Junior Doctor Portal by the BMJ Group http://juniordoctor.bmj.com - Good idea but why no RSS feed? It looks like iGoogle or Netvibes.

Presentations and Health Education Videos by UTHSC http://goo.gl/czab

Obesity, glucose intolerance, and hypertension in childhood were associated with increased rates of premature death http://bit.ly/cjCpnp

How to Live 100 Years - TIME special report http://goo.gl/1XmH and http://goo.gl/iyAE - Long read but worth it.

Medical news tweets are not research articles - they are 140-character messages - please always go to the original source, links, etc. Tweets and links do not represent endorsement, approval or support. Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

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Health News of the Day

Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in bullet-point format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day:

Spending on health care in US is 17.3% of GDP, up from 16.2% in 2008 - largest percentage increase in 5 decades http://goo.gl/IZE4

People who drank 2 or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk of pancreatic cancer http://goo.gl/DcXd

Thirdhand Smoke (tobacco smoke residue) Creates Indoor Cancer Risk. Nicotine reacts with indoor air pollutant to form carcinogenic compounds called tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) http://bit.ly/cRpb4r

Mediterranean diet may help prevent dementia - CNN http://bit.ly/a9lGLb

Latrepirdine (Dimebon) - oral medication developed for Alzheimer's - may also help patients with Huntington's chorea http://bit.ly/aAs3Uo

Paroxetine use during tamoxifen treatment is associated with an increased risk of death from breast cancer - BMJ http://goo.gl/9hHn

Crestor (rosuvastatin) Wins Approval as a Drug to Prevent Heart Disease in People with Normal Cholesterol Levels. Cheaper generic versions of Lipitor are expected in late 2011 http://goo.gl/2LLO      

Medical news tweets are not research articles - they are 140-character messages - please always go to the original source, links, etc. Tweets and links do not represent endorsement, approval or support. Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

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Health News of the Day

Health News of the Day is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in bullet-point format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day:

Procalcitonin-guided strategy to treat suspected bacterial infections reduced antibiotic exposure in ICU by 2.7 days http://goo.gl/mws0

Both low and high HbA1c associated with increased mortality in diabetes. Guidelines for minimum HbA1c value may be needed. Survival as a function of HbA1c in type 2 diabetes: U-shaped association, with the lowest hazard ratio at HbA1c of 7·5% http://goo.gl/Lywx

No sedation vs. interrupted sedation in mechanical ventilation was associated with fewer days on the ventilator. Lancet http://goo.gl/OYoe

One Bowl = 2 Servings. Puzzled? F.D.A. Weighs Update to Standard Serving Sizes. http://goo.gl/GQuo

Cymbalta (duloxetine), used to treat depression, fibromyalgia, diabetic nerve pain, may also help low back pain. http://bit.ly/b2Z0Xq

Doctors were 30% more likely to recommend boys for growth hormone treatment compared with girls. http://goo.gl/ngSE

Can Foods Contribute to Infertility? Infertility seems to be more common in people with untreated celiac disease. http://goo.gl/iD27

UTI therapy: backup antibiotics as delayed prescription can help to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. http://goo.gl/qL14

Medical news tweets are not research articles - they are 140-character messages - please always go to the original source, links, etc. Tweets and links do not represent endorsement, approval or support. Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.

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