More articles from From the Editor
- The Journal at 80 years: ‘Same as it ever was’—sort of
In the 1980s, the musical group Talking Heads sang, “You may ask yourself, How did I get here?”—an appropriate question as we begin our 80th year.
- Why is fixing the plumbing so difficult?
For carotid stenosis, a catheter-based procedure would seem safer than endarterectomy, but reality is not always so simple.
- Preventing clots: Don’t let the complex overshadow the simple
Although we often approach anticoagulation therapy with a confidence born of familiarity, it is not for the faint of heart.
- Finding the right target for treating Alzheimer disease
It is not always easy to pick a therapeutic target. Sometimes, potential targets are actually embers of the pathologic process rather than flames driving the disease.
- Exchanging the skin bleb for the test tube
New blood tests are a positive step towards accurate recognition and treatment of patients with latent tuberculosis.
- HIV: Just another chronic disease
Did we ever expect a time when HIV would be viewed as a chronic disease, with patients warranting screening for coronary artery disease in order to decrease long-term coronary complications?
- Escaping the heat in the EMR pool
The electronic medical record (EMR) is a tool, and it performs at the skill level of the person using it.
- LVH and hypertension: Is treating the pressure not enough?
I am not sure the weight of current evidence supports routinely screening hypertensive patients for left ventricular hypertrophy using echocardiography, but the concept warrants consideration and study.
- The complexities of vitamin D
Patients with conditions as diverse as systemic lupus erythematosus and congestive heart failure seem to fare worse if they have lower vitamin D levels. But the seeming simplicity of this association belies several levels of complexity, with resultant clinical controversy.
- The pretravel visit: A ‘teaching moment’
Often, a pretravel visit is also a good time to introduce concepts of preventive health to patients who might not otherwise be accessible or amenable.