Family Practice

Four Traits in Adolescents May Predict Future Substance Abuse

  • The Preventure program has been shown to reduce substance abuse among adolescents.
  • Identification of 4 personality traits along with intervention related to those traits reduces rates of substance abuse.
  • Program has been studied in randomized controlled trials in schools in the U.K.

Pediatric Academy Says No More Codeine for Kids

  • American Society of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians stop prescribing the drug.
  • Codeine response is widely variable among children, outcomes are unpredictable.
  • This crude opioid is potentially lethal.
  • Other drugs are better suited for pediatric clinical scenarios.

Oncologists Are Leading the Effort for Universal HPV Vaccination

  • HPV is thought to be responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, 70% of vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.
  • The vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered to be nearly universally effective when properly administered.
  • Pediatricians and primary care physicians have been unable to succeed in providing widespread vaccination in preteens and adolescents.
  • Studies show that physician assertion of efficacy is the most effective means of convincing parents to inoculate young patients.

Family Physicians’ Contraceptive Recommendations Frequently Lack Evidence

  • Family physician’s contraceptive suggestions for patients were frequently not evidence based.
  • The results suggested that that 23% of providers’ oral contraceptive pill recommendations and 40% of intrauterine device recommendations were inconsistent with CDC guidelines.
  • As many as 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. Optimal use of contraceptive methods would reduce this number
  • Results were derived from a survey study with 1054 participants.
  • Misconceptions were noted with regard to eligibility for use of an intrauterine device.

Gonorrhea Cases in the U.S. Becoming Increasingly Drug Resistant

  • Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported notifiable disease in the United States; 350,062 gonorrhea cases were reported in 2014.
  • Infection is often asymptomatic so the number of cases is very likely under reported.
  • Treatment with ceftriaxone 250mg as a single intramuscular dose plus azithromycin 1g orally is thought by CDC experts to still be effective.
  • The number of U.S. cases of gonorrhea where strains showed "decreased susceptibility" to a key antibiotic, azithromycin, increased significantly from 0.6% in 2013 to 2.5% in 2014.

Early Exposure to Farm Allergens Improves Adult Lung Function, Reduces Rates of Allergies

  • Study found beneficial effects of early farm life on sensitization, asthma, rhinitis, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness.
  • Researchers examined adults more than 10,000 adults from 14 countries.
  • Children raised on farms were 54% less likely to develop asthma or hay fever and 57 percent less likely to have nasal allergies than children raised in cities.
  • Children raised on farms were also 50% less likely to develop asthma than children raised in cities.
  • Female children raised on farms in all of the 14 countries studied had superior lung function as adults than did women who grew up in cities.

Urgent Zika Update: Florida Officials Investigating First Possible Non-Travel Related Zika Case In U.S.; First Baby Born in NYC with Zika Microcephaly

As has long been expected, we have likely witnessed the first mosquito-to-human transmission of the Zika virus within the continental U.S. Kaiser Health News has issued an urgent press release as physicians call on Congress to pass legislation to prevent the spread of the disease with the U.S.

Oncologists Are Leading the Effort for Universal HPV Vaccination

  • HPV is thought to be responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, 70% of vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.
  • The vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered to be nearly universally effective when properly administered.
  • Pediatricians and primary care physicians have been unable to succeed in providing widespread vaccination in preteens and adolescents.
  • Studies show that physician assertion of efficacy is the most effective means of convincing parents to inoculate young patients.

Oncologists Are Leading the Effort for Universal HPV Vaccination

  • HPV is thought to be responsible for more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, 70% of vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers, and 60% of penile cancers.
  • The vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered to be nearly universally effective when properly administered.
  • Pediatricians and primary care physicians have been unable to succeed in providing widespread vaccination in preteens and adolescents.
  • Studies show that physician assertion of efficacy is the most effective means of convincing parents to inoculate young patients.

Comprehensive Self-Management Strategies Are Effective for IBS

  • Strategies resulted in long-lasting improvements in both GI symptoms and quality of life (QOL).
  • The multicomponent comprehensive self-management (CSM) program allowed patients to select the most effective and feasible strategies to self-manage symptoms.
  • Strategies included variations in diet, relaxation techniques, and tools for identifying thought distortions, and challenging underlying beliefs, among others.
  • At 12 months’ follow-up after the CSM program, 94% of the participants (76/81) were still using ≥6 strategies and adherence was >79% for all subthemes of CMS strategies.

Predict Which Mothers Will Develop Postpartum Depression, Anxiety

  • Seven characteristics predict who will become anxious or depressed.
  • Children of depressed mothers are significantly more likely to be abused.
  • Children of depressed mothers are significantly more likely to become depressed, anxious, or attempt suicide.
  • Depressed mothers often suffer unnecessarily; the disorder can be effectively treated.
  • Pre-natal intervention can spare significant pain and comorbidity in mother and child.

Two Meta-Analyses Find Exercise Improves Cognitive Function


  • Low to moderate intensity physical exercise improved cognitive and physical health in both middle-aged and older adults.
  • Studies evaluated executive function, memory, processing speed, depressive symptoms, flexibility, balance, and lower limb strength.
  • Two meta-analyses include 38 studies in all.

Perceived Stress Increases Dementia Risk in Elderly

  • Highly stressed participants were 30% more likely to develop Alzheimer disease than those who were not stressed.
  • Study linked stress later in life with mild cognitive impairment, which can often progress to Alzheimer disease.
  • The good news is that perceived stress can be effectively treated with a number of modalities.
  • Study included more than 500 patients of which about 70 were diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment during the study.
  • Approximately 470,000 Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer disease annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Just Half of U.S. Adults Eligible for LDL-Lowering Drugs are Taking Them

  • Study reveals opportunities to reduce treatment disparities through targeted patient education and cholesterol management programs.
  • Represents a relatively easy performance-based medicine intervention with a low cost to benefit ratio.
  • A chance to both clinically benefit patients in an evidence-based manner.
  • Represents a significant financial opportunity.
  • Nearly 90% of compliant patients were taking a statin.

© 2024 /alert® unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Editorial Policy | Advertising Policy