Table of Contents

Why should more patients die when hemoglobin levels are normalized with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents? It could be another case of “messing with Mother Nature.”

Obese people are at risk of low bone mass to begin with, and bariatric surgery increases the risk. Primary care physicians play an important role in their preventive care.

The lesions appeared suddenly and spontaneously and were not associated with trauma. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Several recent studies indicate that raising hemoglobin levels to the normal range with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents can be too much of a good thing, and the US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning on the use of these drugs in renal disease.

The year 2007 was a rough one for these agents, and the story is far from over.

Her dyspnea started about 6 months ago and has recently worsened. What is the cause?

This is one of the few hematologic emergencies. Untreated, most patients die, but prompt treatment allows most patients not only to survive but to recover.

The initial evaluation of acute knee pain should include plain radiography, but computed tomography is the test of choice for fractures, and magnetic resonance imaging is useful for evaluating the cartilage, menisci, and ligaments.

Postmenopausal women who were randomized to follow a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and grains did not have significantly lower rates of breast cancer, colon cancer, or cardiovascular disease. However, a long-term follow-up study is under way. What have we learned, and what are the implications for clinical practice?