February 13th, 2012
Podcast 145: The Y chromosome and the possible role of a common variant in coronary disease in men.
Haplogroups — who knew? Ancient variations in the Y chromosome form what’s known as haplogroups, and haplogroup I is common in Europe, particularly so in northern Europe. Researchers find that “I” is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease in men, carried as it is on the male-only Y chromosome. Listen in as we talk […]
February 3rd, 2012
Podcast 144: Hip fractures, PPIs, and smoking history in postmenopausal women — increased risks
PPIs are back on our radar, and this time it’s their regular use among postmenopausal women. A BMJ article examines data from the Nurses’ Health Study to show a significantly increased risk for hip fracture among postmenopausal women with any smoking history. Never-smokers showed no statistically significant increase. Now that proton pump inhibitors have been available over-the-counter […]
January 27th, 2012
Podcast 143: PPIs and asthma control — it doesn’t work in kids, either
Controlling asthma by the use of proton pump inhibitors apparently doesn’t work any better in children than it does in adults. Yet the practice is widely used. A study in JAMA and an accompanying fiery editorial seem to put the notion to rest. Listen in. As always, suggestions are welcomed. You can reach me directly at 617-440-4374 […]
January 13th, 2012
Podcast 141: Clinically apparent atrial fibrillation increases stroke risk; does subclinical afib do the same?
Yes, it apparently does. An international study in the New England Journal of Medicine monitored subclinical atrial fibrillation among some 2600 patients who’d just received an implanted pacemaker or cardioverter-defibrillator. After 3 months of monitoring, about 10% of the group showed subclinical episodes of afib lasting at least 6 minutes. Over an additional 2.5 years of follow-up the […]
January 6th, 2012
Podcast 140: A new edition of the ACP’s manual on ethics for clinicians is available online
The new edition of the American College of Physicians Ethics Manual has just been released, and at 30 pages, it’s well worth the reading time. It’s available free online as a supplement to the Annals of Internal Medicine. New or updated topics include social media and online professionalism, interrogation of prisoners, and allocation of medical resources. In […]
December 17th, 2011
Podcast 139: CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea seems to improve some measures of the metabolic syndrome
A double-blind crossover study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that 3 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea ameliorates some components of the metabolic syndrome, which is present in about three quarters of such patients. The authors acknowledge the difficulty of motivating patients to […]
About the Podcast
Comments, suggestions, and story ideas welcome. Learn more about Clinical Conversations.
Follow us:
