Daily Headlines

PUTTING BREAKING MEDICAL NEWS INTO PRACTICE^™

Friday March 28, 2008

TODAY'S HEADLINES
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For the latest news, features, columns, video and audio reports and more, visit our home page at www.medpagetoday.com

iPods Don’t Overwhelm Pacemaker Beat and ICD Firing

LONDON, Ontario -- Electromagnetic interference from iPods and other digital music players does not affect pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator function, researchers here affirmed. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Arrhythmias/tb/8920

Heparin Recall Tally Spreads to Six Countries
NEW YORK -- The heparin recall has widened to France, Italy, and Denmark, with the suspect drug once again processed from a Chinese crude product. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/tb/8931

Excess Cancer Deaths Prompt FDA Review of Becaplermin Gel Safety
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA said today it was reviewing the safety of becaplermin gel (Regranex) after learning it may increase cancer deaths in patients with diabetes. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Diabetes/tb/8930

FDA Warns of Possible MI Risk Associated with Two HIV Drugs
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Two HIV drugs may increase the risk of heart attacks, the FDA cautioned today. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/HIVAIDS/tb/8929

U.S. Healthcare Quality Measures Only Edging Up
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The quality of healthcare improved nationwide at a rate of 2.3% per year from 1994 to 2005, revealed dozens of measures of effectiveness, timeliness, and patient safety and satisfaction reported by the government. But the pace of progress was slowing. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/PublicHealth/tb/8928

Exposure Widespread to Safety-Challenged Compound in Sunscreens

ATLANTA -- Most Americans have been exposed to a compound found in sunscreens that has raised safety disquiet in some environmental circles, researchers here said. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Dermatology/GeneralDermatology/tb/8927

Rare Mutations May Lie at Root of Schizophrenia

SEATTLE -- Schizophrenia may be caused by a wide range of mutations -- each individually rare -- that affect genes for neurodevelopment, researchers here said. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Schizophrenia/tb/8925

Heart Failure Increases Risk in Noncardiac Surgery

DURHAM, N.C. -- Heart failure patients who undergo major noncardiac surgery are at greater risk of operative mortality and hospital readmission than are patients with coronary artery disease, investigators here have concluded. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Surgery/GeneralSurgery/tb/8924

FDA Investigates Possible Suicide Link With Montelukast (Singulair)
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA said it will probably take at least nine months for it to complete a safety review of the popular asthma and allergy drug. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/tb/8923

Combination of Antidepressants Linked to Risk of Diabetes

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The use of two types of antidepressants at the same time was associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, a nested case-control study showed. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Depression/tb/8922

Normality Reigns in Family Life After Childhood Liver Transplant

CHICAGO -- Pediatric liver transplants do not set off long-term disruptions in family life, researchers here said. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/LiverTransplantation/tb/8921

New Guidelines Issued for Treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus

BETHESDA, Md. -- The American College of Gastroenterology has issued new guidelines for the diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of Barrett’s esophagus in adults, spurred by advances over the past four years. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/tb/8919

Slight Edge Found for Switching Drug Classes in Second-Line Depression Therapy

BOSTON -- Some depressed patients who don’t respond well to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor may do better if switched to an antidepressant in a different class rather than to another SSRI, a meta-analysis here revealed. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Depression/tb/8917

Coronary Calcification Predicts Heart Risk Across Ethnic Groups

IRVINE, Calif. -- Coronary calcification was strongly associated with the risk of cardiovascular events across several major racial and ethnic groups, researchers here said. full story

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/CoronaryArteryDisease/tb/8916

CME SPOTLIGHT

Managing CardioMetabolic Complexities
You are invited to participate in the following free educational activity where you will learn about the interrelated factors contributing to the metabolic syndrome and novel therapeutic strategies aimed at attenuating cardiometabolic risk while delaying disease progression.
Source: SciMed New York [more]

The Quest for Erythropoiesis: A Preoperative Red Blood Cell Production
This Web activity, featuring experts in the field of blood management, provides a data-driven approach to the preoperative management of anemia in patients undergoing elective surgery.
Source: AdvancMed [more]

Controversies and Consensus in the Management of HIV: Interactive Debates
Are NNRTI- or PI-based regimens the best choice for initial ARV therapy? If a patient is failing therapy, when should you switch? Do treatment experienced patients require 2 or 3 active ARV agents? Join us for thoughtful debates and lively discussion led by a panel of HIV experts.
Source: AdvancMed [more]

Targeted Cancer Therapy From Trial To Clinic
Join Drs. Balducci, Atkins, Cantley, and Herbst for an innovative and in-depth CME-certified Activity on how integration of targeted and conventional therapies for treating cancer is improving patient outcomes.
Source: The Physicians Academy For Clinical and Management Excellence [more]

New phase 3 trials may dramatically alter the management of newly diagnosed myeloma.
This activity reviews these trials as well as new developments in transplantation and relapsed/refractory therapies.
Source: Curatio CME Institute [more]

Depressive Symptoms in an Elderly Patient: Sorting Out the Alternatives
The following certified educational series is designed to help primary care clinicians recognize the signs and symptoms of major depressive disorders. The participant will review evidence-based management strategies for elderly patients with major depressive disorders and medical co- morbidities.
Source: The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine [more]

Who Moved My PEG? The Changing Future of Anti-HCV Therapy
This CME webcast provides information on HCV epidemiology and disease burden, goals for treatment success, methods for minimizing treatment resistance and current and emerging approaches to anti-HCV therapy.
Source: Projects In Knowledge [more]

On-Demand Webcast: What Pharmacists Need to Know About Targeted Therapies
Designed for pharmacists, this on-demand CE webcast discusses the role of angiogenesis in solid tumor formation, the latest targeted therapies, their mechanism of action, and how these innovative agents can be integrated into anticancer treatment regimens.

Source: Projects In Knowledge [more]

JOURNAL DOWNLOADS

First-line SUTENT® data recently published in NEJM
Read first-line SUTENT data in the New England Journal of Medicine. Get it at SUTENThcp.com Source: Pfizer [more]

Efficacy Data for CTCL Published in JCO
Efficacy Data for CTCL Published in JCO. Source: Merck. [more]

RESOURCES

Explore the Possibilities in Type 2 Diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes studies: Understand mechanism of action for a different treatment option. Learn more today. Source: Merck [more]

Why not provide greater LDL-C efficacy for your appropriate newly initiated patients?
View the data on 50% mean reduction right from the start. Source: Merck [more]

Access information on more than 150 Pfizer products at PfizerPro.com
Pfizer medicines have a new home on the Web. Visit PfizerPro.com for information on more than 150 Pfizer products. Convenient access to full prescribing information, scientific literature, professional resources, patient education material, and more. Source: Pfizer [more]

Take a closer look at all 3 major lipids and cardiovascular risk. HDL, LDL and TG levels may be independently associated with cardiovascular risk.
Visit www.totallipds.com, a new source of information for health care professionals, about dyslipidemia, all 3 lipids, and cardiovascular risk. Source: Merck [more]

Featured Job Opportunities from MedJobs Today

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Position consists of clinic, hospital consults, and surgery, and there is ER coverage with a minimum of 10 days per month.
http://www.medjobstoday.com/seeker/job_detail.cfm?jobid=17311&refsrc=dh
Urology, New York
A teaching facility in upstate New York is seeking two urologists to place for clinic and call coverage.
http://www.medjobstoday.com/seeker/job_detail.cfm?jobid=17590&refsrc=dh
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This opening is for weekend call coverage from Friday evening at 5pm to Monday morning at 8am.
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Visit MedJobs Today.com to search for a new job!

ASCO Meeting

ASCO: Neoadjuvant Bevacizumab (Avastin) Safe for Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

ASCO: African Americans Fare Worse in Bevacizumab (Avastin) Colorectal Cancer Study

ADA Meeting

ADA: Investigational Diabetes Drug Rids Glucose Via Urine

ICAAC Meeting

ICAAC: Tampon Coating Reduces Menstrual Toxic Shock Toxin

ICAAC: Day Care Safer Thanks to Vaccines

IASLC Meeting

IASLC: Hand-Rolled Cigarettes More Carcinogenic than Store Bought

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