Acute Sinusitis—Antibiotics, or Watch and Wait? A recent article in JAMA suggests that among 133 adults with uncomplicated rhinosinusitis, treatment with amoxicillin resulted in no significant difference in symptoms compared with placebo.

Evaluating the Newer Antidepressants. Among the constellation of depressive disorders, major depressive disorder is the most prevalent, affecting more than 20.7 million people in the United States.

Sex Is Safe for Many Patients With Heart Disease. Your patients will be happy to hear the latest advice from the American Heart Association (AHA)!

Does Every Adult Patient Need Aspirin?  Print This Post  Your patients are likely to ask you about a meta-analysis just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showing that while aspirin may reduce the risk of heart attack in middle-aged adults without known heart disease, the...

Do Older Women Really Need Osteoporosis Testing Every Two Years? While many women older than 65 years are referred for bone mineral density testing every two years, a new study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" suggests that the interval can safely be much longer.

Texting, Not Smoking. A new effort to help teens quit smoking makes use of one of teens’ most constant companions—the mobile phone. According to the program’s developers, 75% of youth between the ages of 12 and 17 own a cell phone, so “there is immense potential for mobile technologies to affect health awareness and behavior change among teens.”

OpenNotes: A New Prescription for Communicating With Your Patients. According to early data from the OpenNotes project, patients are overwhelmingly interested in exploring the notes their primary care doctors write about them after an office visit. However, the doctors worry about the impact of such transparency on their patients and on their own workflow.

"Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times"—Mark Twain. At this time of year, many of your patients are likely to make a resolution to stop smoking. But like all good intentions that go awry, patients may need your support and encouragement to help them through the physiologic and psychological barriers they face in quitting. Many of them are also likely to ask you about the latest trend in smoking cessation aids—electronic cigarettes.

No Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Adults Who Take ADHD Medications. A new study published in JAMA has found no evidence of an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or sudden cardiac death in young and middle-aged adults who use medications to control attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The medications studied include stimulants (amphetamine products and methylphenidate), atomoxetine, and pemoline.

ADHD Medications and Cardiovascular Complications. The FDA is updating healthcare professionals and the public that a recently completed large study on children and young adults treated with medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed no association between the use of certain ADHD medications and adverse cardiovascular events.

Increased Risk of Blood Clots With Newer Birth Control Methods? Your female patients are likely to ask you about a new study released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)[1] showing that women taking certain brands of birth control pills are 75% more likely to develop a blood clot.

Routine Vaccination Against HPV Recommended for 11- and 12-Year-Old Boys. Members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have voted to recommend boys ages 11 and 12 years should routinely receive three doses of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. In a second vote, the committee voted to extend routine HPV vaccinations to boys and men through age 21. In a third vote, the panel voted 13-0-1 to recommend the vaccine for men between the ages of 22 and 26 if they have sex with men or a weakened immune system.

Reducing Sleep-related Deaths in Infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has just issued a new policy statement aimed at reducing all sleep-related deaths in infants, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In 1992, the AAP issued recommendations that all babies should sleep on their backs; although deaths from SIDS have declined by more than 50% since the early 1990s, SIDS remains the third-leading cause of infant mortality and the leading cause of postneonatal mortality (28 days to 1 year of age).

Medicare Extends Open Enrollment Period. Offers seniors more benefits, better choices and lower costs. You may want to share the following information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with your older patients.

PSA Testing: More Harm Than Good? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released a draft document recommending against prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer. This recommendation applies to asymptomatic men, regardless of age, race, or family history.