Authors

The Pelvic Examination: To Do or Not to Do...?

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" and "seeing the same glass as being half-empty or half-full" are two commonly cited adages and nowhere is their meaning more evident than in the ongoing debate of whether a pelvic examination should be part of the routine check-up of a female patient.

Beauty Is Certainly More Than Skin Deep

Medicine and Miracles

An Ontario historian and hematologist has become perhaps the world's leading expert on the role medicine has historically played in how miracles are assessed by the Catholic Church as part of its process to grant sainthood.

Can You Collect Disability Benefits For Burnout?

Physician's applying for disability due to "burnout" need to be prepared to combat insurance companies seeking to trivialize and downplay the situation.

Sex, depression, and health outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Depression at the time of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with a lack of functional benefits at 6 months after the surgery. These negative effects appear to be stronger for women than for men. Further research is needed to determine whether the treatment of depression after CABG surgery can improve outcomes. In the meantime, current guidelines recommend evaluation for symptoms of depression after CABG surgery and consideration of treatment for both men and women.

Uncorking new evidence in the alcohol-hypertension relationship

Klatsky reports a link between elevated blood pressures and increased risk of hospitalizations for coronary heart disease and stroke that is independent of alcohol intake.

Unlocking the Gateway to the American West

Establish a Sound Retirement Plan Today

Are statins cardioprotective in patients undergoing major vascular surgery?

We evaluated the cardioprotective effects of intensive statin therapy before major vascular surgery in a prospective study of 359 subjects. After multivariate analysis, lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was associated with decreased myocardial ischemia, troponin T release, and 30-day and late cardiac events. Furthermore, higher doses of statins were associated with better cardiac outcome, even after adjusting for LDL cholesterol.

Prediction of coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes and albuminuria

We developed a set of equations to predict the risk or probability of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) in 10 years among American Indians. The equations are based on the significant risk factors identified in the Strong Heart Study, a longitudinal study of cardiovascular disease in American Indians. The equations can be used in patient education and to evaluate the efficacy of CAD prevention and intervention programs.

Contemporary cardiac imaging in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

Features of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) include obstruction at the left ventricular outflow tract (caused by a markedly thickened proximal interventricular septum) and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. The case discussed here illustrates several classic features of this disease including clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and noninvasive and invasive management.