http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.cn.mygp.co.nz en-us Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:27:08 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135548/New-ACP-Guidelines-for-Nonradicular-Low-Back-PainVeronica-HackethalMD-February-132017ew-post/ The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released updated guidelines for the noninvasive treatment of nonradicular subacute, acute, and chronic low back pain in primary care. The guidelines, along with updated evidence reviews, are published online February 13 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Overall, the new guidelines emphasize conservative treatment. First-line therapy should incorporate nondrug therapies. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or muscle relaxants should be conside... Mon, 27 Feb 2017 11:27:16 +1300 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135548 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135553/PPIs-May-Increase-Risk-for-ChronicSilent-Kidney-DamageNicola-MParryDVM-February-232017New-post/ Among new users of PPIs, more than half of those who go on to develop chronic kidney damage while taking the medication have no signs of acute kidney injury (AKI) beforehand, a new study shows. Yan Xie, MPH, from Veterans Affairs (VA) Saint Louis Health Care System, Missouri, and colleagues published the results of their study online February 22 in Kidney International. "[W]e show that among new users of acid suppression therapy, incident PPI users have increased risk of chronic renal outcomes... Mon, 27 Feb 2017 11:02:31 +1300 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135553 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135524/Blood-Pressure-Targets-in-Older-PatientsMany-GuidelinesMuch-Confusion-An-Interview-With-Franz-MesserliMD/ In 2014, the Joint National Committee (JNC) 8 relaxed the systolic blood pressure (SBP) goal for people ≥ 60 years from < 140 mm Hg to < 150 mm Hg.[1] The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) joint practice guideline reaffirmed this target and suggested a lower goal (< 140 mm Hg) in those with a history of stroke/transient ischemic attack or at high cardiovascular risk.[2] Meanwhile, a prespecified subgroup analysis of the SPRINT tr... Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:26:21 +1300 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135524 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135537/http-www-medscape-com-cardiology-news-BP-Targets-Far-Below-Guidelines-Cut-MortalityCV-EventsSPRINT-Trial/ WASHINGTON, DC ( updated with commentary ) — A large study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that a more intensive strategy of lowering blood pressure—one that aims to achieve a systolic blood-pressure target of 120 mm Hg—reduces the risk of death and cardiovascular events when compared with a strategy that lowers systolic blood pressure to conventional targets[1]. In the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), investigators report that treating high... Tue, 15 Sep 2015 20:22:34 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135537 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135538/http-www-medscape-org-viewpublication-30113-Treatment-vs-RiskUpdated-Look-at-ACC-AHA-Statin-Guidelines/ CLINICAL CONTEXT The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines for cholesterol management defined new eligibility criteria for statin treatment. It was previously undetermined whether the new criteria would improve identification of adults at greater risk for cardiovascular events. The goal of the longitudinal, community-based cohort study was to determine whether the ACC/AHA guidelines better identify persons in whom incident cardiovascular disease (CVD... Tue, 15 Sep 2015 20:07:32 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135538 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135529/Defending-Testosterone_-Debunking-the-Myths/ Testosterone: A Fear-Fueled Debate The effects of testosterone deficiency (also called "hypogonadism" or, informally, "low T") have been recognized for millennia. The treatment of hypogonadism has been described in medical textbooks for decades, and the symptoms are observed daily in medical practices across the country. Still, the use of supplemental testosterone has always been controversial, perhaps more so today than ever before. Its ability to improve men's sexual symptoms, boost energy, ... Thu, 30 Jul 2015 20:06:22 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135529 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135518/A-pragmatic-guide-to-asymptomatic-bacteriuria-and-testing-for-urinary-tract-infections-_UTIs_-in-people-aged-over-65-years/ Asymptomatic bacteriuria is not necessarily bad bacteria It is a common misconception that urine from a healthy person is sterile. In reality bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract can readily enter the bladder via the urethra. Once in the bladder, bacteria are often eliminated by voiding or by the immune system. If this does not occur asymptomatic bacteriuria may result, 1 i.e. the presence of a significant growth of bacteria in the urine with no urinary symptoms. Alternatively, a symptoma... Thu, 23 Jul 2015 14:03:58 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135518 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135523/Aspirin-Benefits-Outweigh-Risks-in-Macular-Degeneration/ VIENNA — Patients can continue to take aspirin as recommended by their primary care physicians without fear of worsening their macular degeneration, researchers say. "Taking patients off aspirin can cause premature morbidity and mortality," said Kent Small, MD, from Los Angeles, California. He presented a meta-analysis on aspirin, cardiovascular disease, and age-related macular degeneration here at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 2015 Annual Meeting. Dr Small explained tha... Sun, 19 Jul 2015 19:42:14 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135523 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135557/The-ABCDEFs-of-Direct-Oral-Anticoagulant-Monitoring/ NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The first six letters of the English alphabet form the basis of a new checklist for monitoring patients receiving direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. "The checklist was designed as a knowledge-translation tool to assist clinicians in providing best-practice follow-up care for patients receiving DOACs," Dr. David J. Gladstone, from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Canada, told Reuters Health by emai... Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:31:17 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135557 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/post/135531/FDA-Strengthens-NSAID-Warning-for-Heart_-Stroke-Risks/ The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened an existing label warning that nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase the risk for heart attack or stroke, according to an agency alert sent today. Following a comprehensive review of new safety information, the FDA is requiring the drug labels of all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs to be updated to reflect the increased risk. Prescription and OTC nonaspirin NSAIDs already include informatio... Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:17:40 +1200 http://www.cn.mygp.co.nz/blog/#post135531