Laura Mayans
Despite the implementation of primary prevention strategies in the United States such as banning lead in paint, gasoline, and plumbing, many children are still at risk of lead poisoning. In 2017, it was estimated that more than 500,000 U.S. children had blood lead levels of 5...
Anne D. Halli-Tierney, Catherine Scarbrough, Dana Carroll
Polypharmacy, commonly defined as the use of at least five medications, can have negative consequences for both the patient and health care system. Risk factors for polypharmacy can be patient related, such as chronic conditions managed by multiple subspecialists,...
David A. Klein, Scott L. Paradise, Rachel M. Reeder
There are many underlying conditions that can lead to amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is the failure to reach menarche and requires evaluation if menarche has not occurred by 15 years of age or three years post-thelarche. Secondary amenorrhea is the cessation of regular menses...
Kenneth W. Lin, Mark H. Ebell
Since 2003, American Family Physician (AFP) has published an ongoing series of short articles that systematically evaluate the attributes of new drugs using the STEPS (Safety, Tolerability, Effectiveness, Price, and Simplicity) framework.1 Choosing an appropriate treatment is...
Kenneth W. Lin
Epi proColon is a blood test used for the detection of the methylated septin 9 (mSEPT9) gene. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for colorectal cancer screening in people at average risk who have declined first-line screening tests.
Key clinical questions and their evidence-based answers directly from the journal’s content, written by and for family physicians.
Anne Mounsey, Elizabeth A. Leonard
Which noninvasive diagnostic test—urea breath test, serology, or stool antigen test—provides the most accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients?
Pamela O. Obi
Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists reduce hospitalizations for patients with HFpEF. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers have not been shown to change the morbidity or mortality in patients with HFpEF.
Scott Christensen, Rebecca Davis
Compared with monotherapy, the combination of an ACE inhibitor and an ARB has not been shown to improve cardiovascular or overall mortality in patients with symptomatic heart failure. The combination is associated with an increased number of adverse drug effects.
Nisrine N. Makarem
A healthy 30-year-old woman presented with a rash over both lower extremities (Figure 1) that began two months earlier. The rash was slightly itchy but not painful. She lived in a cold area and reported sitting in front of an electric heater for two to three hours daily over...
Stephen T. Dudley
The loss of a loved one, especially a spouse or a child, is perhaps one of the most difficult events a person will experience in a lifetime. The resulting grief can be overwhelming and incapacitating for a time. Family physicians can be sources of comfort to those who grieve...
Carrie Armstrong
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently published updated recommendations on physical activity based on a systematic review of the effect of physical activity on health. The committee addressed 38 questions and 104 subquestions and graded the evidence based...
Patricia Van Leer
The use of progestin therapy in women with recurrent pregnancy loss appears to reduce the incidence of spontaneous abortion, preterm labor, and stillbirth, and increase the rate of live birth. However, due to issues with the studies the authors were hesitant to give progestin...
Any detectable lead in the blood is abnormal. Even low blood lead levels can cause delays in brain development and behavior problems. High levels of lead can cause further problems in the brain, intestines, kidneys, and bone marrow.
Incorrect evidence evaluation and study statistics. The FPIN's Help Desk Answers, “Wearable Devices for Weight Loss” (December 1, 2018, p. 670), contained two errors. The first was in the first sentence of the “Evidence-Based Answer” section (page 670), which should have read...
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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