1. U.S. Task Force Does Not Recommend Routine Screening for Carotid Artery Stenosis
(Clinical Guidelines, p. 854.)
2. Vitamin D is a Standard Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease Despite Lack of Evidence that it is Effective
(Review, p. 840, Editorial, p. 880)
3. The Laws about Organ Donation Need Revising to Insure that Doctors Can Give First Priority to the End-of-Life Care for the Potential Donor Rather than to Preserving Their Organs for Donation
(Academia and Clinic, p. 876.)
4. Major Study Finds Insufficient Evidence to Decide the Most Effective Treatment to Prevent Fractures in Men and Women with Low Bone Density or Osteoporosis
Note: This paper is being released early online at the Web site of Annals of Internal Medicine, www.annals.org . It will appear in the Feb. 5, 2008, print edition of the journal.
5. Balancing Efficacy and Safety of Drug-Eluting Stents in Patients Undergoing PCI
Experts say current clinical evidence implies that benefits of drug-eluting stents probably outweigh risks, even for patients with complex lesions, but “larger prospective studies with adequate power to detect small differences in stent thrombosis, MI and mortality rates are required.”
Meanwhile all patients should be screened before any coronary intervention to be sure they can tolerate uninterrupted dual anti-platelet therapy for a minimum of three to six months and preferably one year.
NOTE: Annals of Internal Medicine is published by the American College of Physicians. These highlights are not intended to substitute for articles as sources of information. Information in press materials is copyrighted. Annals of Internal Medicine attribution is required.
Annals of Internal Medicine