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News, opinions and meeting coverage in primary care.

Humira Benefits Persist in Spine Disease

Anti-TNF treatment efficacy maintained at 3 years in axial spondyloarthritis.

Now What? DEA Tosses Tramadol in Schedule IV

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) scheduled tramadol as a Schedule IV substance -- whats the big fuss about tramadol that led to this decision by the DEA?

How To Tell Fake Neck Pain From Real: The Pain Medicine News Report

A regular update on what’s new in surgery from our friends at Pain Medicine News.

Medtronic's Infuse Moves From Operating Room to Courtroom

An investigative series by MedPage Today/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been tracking the spinal fusion device called Infuse in a 4-year-long series and now reports how a flawed FDA system for device approval may have led to a long string of adverse events culminating in thousands of liability suits.

Medtronic Sued by 1,000 Infuse Patients

Medtronic said about 1,000 people have sued the company over its bone morphogenetic protein-2 product, Infuse, and that many more lawsuits may be coming.

Killing Pain: Xanax Tops Charts

Alprazolam, more popularly known by its brand name -- Xanax--is America's favorite tranquilizer and one that is often used in combination with an opioid.

Opioid Use Common After Spine Surgery

NEW ORLEANS -- One year after surgery to relieve back pain, about of third of patients still were using narcotic painkillers, according to a study that raised new concerns about the long-term use of opioids.

FDA Warns of Fatal Skin Reactions with Acetaminophen

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Acetaminophen is associated with rare but severe and sometimes fatal skin reactions at usual doses, the FDA said Thursday.

Hydrocodone Curbs Back Pain All by Itself

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Treatment with extended-release hydrocodone without acetaminophen offered effective relief from chronic low back pain compared with placebo, researchers said here.

Meningitis: FDA Warns of 'Light Therapy' Claims

A Tennessee company made false claims that its "light therapy" has benefits for fungal meningitis, the FDA said.

Drug Relieves Opioid-Induced Constipation

LAS VEGAS -- An investigational opioid antagonist provided effective and durable relief from opioid-induced constipation in patients with chronic pain without interfering with analgesia, a randomized trial showed.

Ablation Possible for Back Pain When Steroid Injections Fail

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Patients with low back pain who don't respond robustly to intraarticular steroid injections may still be candidates for treatment with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), researchers said here.

Short-Acting Opioids May Have Less Impact on Testosterone

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Men who take long-acting opioids for chronic pain may have a higher risk of hypogonadism than those on short-acting formulations of the drugs, researchers said here.

Follow the Money: Pain, Policy, and Profit

When the Federation of State Medical Boards decided it needed to put a model guideline for opioid use into a book, it reached out and touched the makers of opioid drugs to make it happen.

Acetaminophen OD More Deadly if Taken in Stages

Acetaminophen overdoses were more likely to be fatal if patients consumed a series of high doses spread over the course of a day rather than downing, say, a bottle of pills at one time, outcomes among patients admitted to a specialized liver center showed.

Training Technique Stresses Athletes' Spines

CHICAGO --The squat lift, an exercise that has long been a standard training technique for athletes, puts inordinate stress on the spine and likely is the cause of chronic stress fractures in young athletes.

Herniated Disc Surgery Found Cost-Effective

HANOVER, N.H. -- For patients with a herniated disc, surgery proved a cost-effective alternative to nonsurgical treatment over the course of two years, an observational study found.

AHA: Some Statins May Disrupt Sleep

ORLANDO -- If patients taking simvastatin (Zocor) develop sleep disturbances, changing statins may be a good idea, researchers suggested here.

Chinese Herbs Ease Menstrual Cramps Better than NSAIDs

SYDNEY, Australia -- Traditional Chinese remedies may ease painful menstrual cramps better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) and other drugs, according to a Cochrane systematic review.

FDA Warns Against Use of Red Yeast Rice Supplements

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA has warned consumers against using three brands of red yeast rice, a product marketed as a natural remedy for high cholesterol, because they may contain lovastatin, the active ingredient in Mevacor.

One Cannabis Joint Equals Smoking Up to Five Cigarettes

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Smoking a single marijuana joint by a heavy user can cause bronchial damage similar to smoking 2.5 to five cigarettes, researchers reported.

AAPA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Wearies the Heart

PHILADELPHIA -- The most obvious clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea may be weariness of mind, but this breathing disorder also slowly and silently wears down the heart, according to researchers.

Topical Retinol Bolsters Elderly Skin and Reduces Wrinkles

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Topical vitamin A (retinol) may improve fine wrinkles, collagen deficiency, and atrophy in the fragile skin of elderly patients.

Salmonella Worries Prompt Recall of Shark Cartilage Capsules

BOHEMIA, N.Y. -- A maker of shark cartilage capsules has issued a nationwide recall after routine product testing revealed potential Salmonella contamination.

AGS: Geriatricians Go Slow with Newer Chronic Constipation Therapies

SEATTLE -- Few geriatricians appear willing to try newer medications to treat chronic constipation in older adults, an informal survey here showed.

USPSYCH: Insomnia Treatment Boosts Antidepressant Efficacy

SAN FRANCISCO -- A significant number of patients with major depression also suffer from chronic insomnia that hampers recovery, and treating the insomnia may improve both conditions.

Overdoing Niacin Can't Thwart Drug Abuse Tests and Is Risky

PHILADELPHIA -- Those who try to foil urine drug tests with massive doses of niacin -- it doesn't work -- may wind up in a hospital emergency department.

Promising Outcomes in Spinal Disc Cadaver Allografts

HONG KONG -- Replacement of degenerative discs in the cervical spine with cadaver allografts shows early promise as an alternative to fusion or artificial discs, found researchers here.

Slentrol (dirlotapide) Goes to the Dogs

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA approved a diet drug today that it wants no one to even consider taking. Slentrol (dirlotapide), is an obesity agent for dogs, with nasty side effects if humans try it.

Hot Air Blows Away Head Lice Infestations

SALT LAKE CITY -- Head lice appear to fall prey to heavy-duty blow drying just as well as to chemical treatments, researchers here said.

AACAP: Vitamin B12 Injections for Autism Show No Signs of Benefit

SAN DIEGO -- Preliminary results of a small ongoing study of vitamin B12 injections for children with autism showed no signs of significant benefit, researchers reported here, but they remained hopeful.

Accelerated Weight Loss May Signal Imminent Dementia Onset

ST. LOUIS -- An early warning sign for Alzheimer's disease could be accelerated weight loss, found a study of aging and memory.

Titration May Reduce Nausea from Anti-Smoking Drug

FARMINGTON, Conn. -- Many patients taking Chantix (varenicline tartrate) to help kick the smoking habit could be spared the side effect of nausea if introduced to the drug gradually, researchers here said.

High Blood Pressure Lowers Walking Ability in Elderly

CHICAGO -- High blood pressure appears to impair older patients' ability to walk, and the reason may be more than just peripheral arterial disease.

SLEEP: Ambien Appears to Remedy Central Sleep Apnea

SALT LAKE CITY — The sedative Ambien (zolpidem) appears to reduce the symptoms of central sleep apnea, according to a small open-label study reported here.

DDW: Constipation Drug Seen Safe and Effective for Long Term Use in Elderly

Los Angeles â€” The new medication Amitiza (lubiprostone) is safe and effective as long-term therapy for chronic constipation in older patients, researchers reported here. Results were at least as good in seniors as in the more general populations studied earlier.

ACP: Garlic, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, and Ginger All Bad Actors with Coumadin

PHILADELPHIA - When it comes to adverse events associated with Coumadin (warfarin) therapy, beware of herbs and many supplements beginning with the letter G, according to a University of Washington investigator.

Pediatricians Say Most U.S. Kids Don't Get Enough Calcium

ELK GROVE, Ill. - Most U.S. children don't get enough calcium in their diets, and pediatricians should intervene to help remedy the problem, according to guidelines issued today by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Epidural Steroid Injection Not Useful for Chronic Shingles Pain

UTRECHT, The Netherlands - An epidural injection of steroids with a local anesthetic did not provide the long-term pain relief doctors anticipated for patients suffering from post-herpetic neuralgia, researchers here said.

Face Transplant Recipient's Habit Could Jeopardize Recovery

TUCSON, Ariz. - The French woman who became the world's first face-transplant recipient is able to go out in public again without attracting attention, and is said to be doing well. But her recovery could be jeopardized by her renewed cigarette smoking, her doctors warned.

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