• Articles

    Hyperthyroidism: Diagnosis and Treatment

    JERI R. REID, STEPHEN F. WHEELER

    The proper treatment of hyperthyroidism depends on recognition of the signs and symptoms of the disease and determination of the etiology. Family physicians should be aware of the major causes of and treatments for hyperthyroidism.

    Management of Gallstones

    CHARLES F. BELLOWS, DAVID H. BERGER, RICHARD A. CRASS

    Pain associated with gallstones typically is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. In most patients, gallstones can be treated expectantly.

    Cutaneous Warts: An Evidence-Based Approach to Therapy

    ROCKY BACELIERI, SANDRA MARCHESE JOHNSON

    Although no single therapy has been shown to achieve complete remission, the two most common treatments for cutaneous warts are patient-applied salicylic acid and physician-administered cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen. A variety of second-line therapies are available.

    Using Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin to Treat Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

    RAYMOND P. WARD, MARCELO KUGELMAS

    Chronic hepatitis C virus is a common blood-borne infection that may be treated with the combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

    Determining Prognosis for Patients with Terminal Cancer

    MARK H. EBELL

    An accurate prognosis enables patients with terminal cancer to make plans, put their affairs in order, and decide how they want to spend the time they have left. A prognosis also may help the primary care physician refer the patient for hospice care at a time when the patient...

    Inside AFP

    AFP Welcomes Two Editorial Fellows to the Team

    JOYCE A. MERRIMAN

    The AFP team is pleased to welcome two editorial fellows for the 2005–2006 year. Lara Johnson, M.D., and Laurie MacDonald Crain, M.D., have accepted the John C. Rose medical editing fellowship. As of July 1, they joined the medical editors based at Georgetown University...

    Newsletter

    Newsletter

    CARRIE MORANTZ

    Latest Senate EHR Bill Combines and Replaces Previous Proposals | Agencies Collaborate to Help Patients Recover from Mental Illness | Study: Most Americans Do Not Think Obesity Risks Are Overestimated | NIAAA Issues New Guide for Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much |...

    Quantum Sufficit

    Quantum Sufficit

    AMBER HUNTZINGER, LAURA COUGHLIN

    Money isn’t the only reason that some older Americans don’t take their prescription drugs. Health Affairs published the results of a prescription drug survey given to 17,685 Medicare recipients. The cost of the drugs was the leading reason that prescriptions were not filled ...

    Editorials

    Integrating Risk History Screening and HCV Testing into Clinical and Public Health Settings

    MIRIAM J. ALTER

    Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects an estimated 3 million persons in the United States, most of them younger than 50 years.1 Most of these infections are asymptomatic until advanced liver disease develops. HCV infection is one of the leading causes of chronic...

    Screening for HCV Infection: Understanding the USPSTF Recommendation

    GURVANEET S. RANDHAWA, NED CALONGE

    The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a nonfederal, independent panel of scientists with notable experience in primary care and evidence-based medicine, is convened and supported by the Agency for Health-care Research and Quality and charged by Congress to develop...

    Graham Center Policy One-Pager

    Osteopathic Physicians and the Family Medicine Workforce

    Historically, osteopathic physicians have made an important contribution to the primary care workforce. More than one half of osteopathic physicians are primary care physicians, and most of these are family physicians. However, the proportion of osteopathic students choosing...

    Diary from a Week in Practice

    From a Week in Practice

    KATHY SOCH

    My first patient today wanted to talk about his wife’s health rather than his own. “My wife has seen three doctors this year for her arthritis, and not one of them has counseled her about how important it is to her health for her to lose weight,” the patient complained. I...

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    Screening for Pancreatic Cancer: Recommendation Statement

    This statement summarizes the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for pancreatic cancer and the supporting scientific evidence and updates the 1996 recommendations contained in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2d ed.1 In 1996,...

    Photo Quiz

    Annular Lesions

    FRANCIS X. HALL, DAVID W. BRAY

    Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

    STEPS

    Olmesartan (Benicar) for Hypertension

    KRISTINA E. WARD, ANNE L. HUME

    Olmesartan is a safe and effective antihypertensive agent. There is no evidence that olmesartan is more effective than other ARBs or ACE inhibitors. The longest peer-reviewed studies of olmesartan are of two months’ duration; thus, there is no evidence showing olmesartan’s...

    POEMs

    Gabapentin Plus Morphine for the Treatment of Neuralgia

    MARK EBELL

    Vitamin E Supplementation May Increase Risk of Heart Failure

    DAVID SLAWSON

    Warfarin Increases Mortality in Intracranial Arterial Stenosis

    MARK EBELL

    Decrease in Aneurysm Deaths in Men with AAA Screening

    ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

    How Do PPIs Affect Patients with Bleeding Ulcers?

    ALLEN F. SHAUGHNESSY

    PEG Tubes Worsen Quality of Life in Patients Who Have Had a Stroke

    HENRY BARRY

    Curbside Consultation

    Patient-Choice Cesarean Delivery

    LAWRENCE LEEMAN

    Patient-choice cesarean delivery, although uncommon in the United States, has become controversial in the medical literature and among pregnant women and their maternity care providers over the past three years.

    Practice Guidelines

    AHRQ Releases Evidence Report on Managing Menopause-Related Symptoms

    AMBER HUNTZINGER

    The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the results of a systematic review on managing menopause-related symptoms. The report evaluates the benefits and harms of common interventions to relieve menopause-related symptoms.

    Practice Guideline Briefs

    CDC Recommendations on Lead Poisoning in Refugee Children

    CARRIE A. MORANTZ, LIZ SMITH

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released recommendations on identifying and treating lead exposure in refugee children.

    Letters to the Editor

    Skin Conditions That Exhibit the Koebner Phenomenon

    David L. Smith

    Intrauterine Device: Acceptable Contraceptive Option

    Alternative to Liquid Nitrogen for Freezing Skin Lesions

    M. DEAN HAVRON, JR

    Adapter Provides Constant Spray of Liquid Nitrogen

    Tips from Other Journals

    Cost-Related Underuse of Medications

    KARL E. MILLER

    Do Calcium Antagonists Help Patients with Angina Pectoris?

    ANNE D. WALLING

    Is There a Better Model for Asthma Care?

    KARL E. MILLER

    Stress Patterns in Parents of Chronically Ill Children

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Endoscopy for Nonvariceal Upper-GI Bleeding

    RICHARD SADOVSKY

    Improving Advance Directive Completion Rates

    CAROLINE WELLBERY

    Information from Your Family Doctor

    Treating Hyperthyroidism

    Hyperthyroidism (say: hi-per-THI-royd-iz-um) is when you have an overactive thyroid. The thyroid is a gland in your neck (see the figure). It makes a hormone that helps your body’s metabolism (the way your body uses food and energy). An overactive thyroid can cause weight...

    Corrections

    Correction



    Disclosure

    All editors in a position to control content for this activity, AFP journal, are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships. View disclosures.


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