Archive for April, 2011
Joe Elia • April 22nd, 2011
Most clinicians, when asked, say they will routinely recommend calcium supplements for their postmenopausal patients. A meta-analysis from BMJ shows that this well-intentioned advice seems to lead to a moderate increase in cardiovascular risk in these women. We talk with Prof. Ian Reid, whose re-analysis of Women’s Health Initiative data confirms earlier work he’d [...]
Joe Elia • April 8th, 2011
Two authors of a JAMA study published earlier this week discuss how prescribing patterns for opioids figured in the rates of unintentional overdose. The work was done using data from Veterans Administration records. Briefly, they found that the risk for overdose was directly related to the maximal dose prescribed, however, patients who received only [...]
Joe Elia • April 1st, 2011
Statins, according to a 2010 meta-analysis in Lancet, are associated with a slightly increased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes. One, atorvastatin (marketed as Lipitor), was underrepresented in that analysis. Researchers, along with the manufacturer, decided to have a look at data from three trials to see whether atorvastatin also conferred that risk. And, [...]
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