A guide to GERD, H pylori infection, and Barrett esophagus.

How long should you treat GERD with a PPI? When should you order an endoscopy or test for Helicobacter pylori? How might H pylori treatment choices vary with a patient's antibiotic history?

Hyperlipidemia: Drugs for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Adults.

Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) indicate that lipid-lowering drugs have benefit for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events.

Pharmacologic treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Pharmacologic treatment of hyperlipidemia in conjunction with therapeutic lifestyle changes can be used for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Statins have the most convincing data for primary prevention, especially for higher risk patients. Therefore, risk stratification is essential.

Chronic low back pain: evaluation and management.

Chronic low back pain is a common problem in primary care. A history and physical examination should place patients into one of several categories: (1) nonspecific low back pain; (2) back pain associated with radiculopathy or spinal stenosis; (3) back pain referred from a nonspinal source; or (4) back pain associated with another specific spinal cause. For patients who have back pain associated with radiculopathy, spinal stenosis, or another specific spinal cause, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography may establish the diagnosis and guide management.

Choosing topical corticosteroids.

Topical corticosteroids are one of the oldest and most useful treatments for dermatologic conditions. There are many topical steroids available, and they differ in potency and formulation. Successful treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis and consideration of the steroid's delivery vehicle, potency, frequency of application, duration of treatment, and side effects.

Low-carbohydrate diets.

Americans spend dollar 33 billion annually on weight loss products and services, and a large portion of this money is spent on low-carbohydrate diets. Because of their higher protein and fat content and lower fiber and carbohydrate content, concerns have been raised about the potential health consequences of low-carbohydrate diets. Published long-term data are lacking.

Metformin as treatment for overweight and obese adults: a systematic review.

Purpose: We wanted to determine whether metformin is an effective medication for treatment of overweight or obese adults who do not have diabetes mellitus or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: We searched MEDLINE (1966-2003), EMBASE (1986-2003), Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (1985-2003), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-2003), the Cochrane Library, American College of Physicians Journal Club, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, reference lists of retrieved articles, and articles by selected authors and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Inclusion criteria were being obese or overweight determined by a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or greater or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of more than 0.

Management of corneal abrasions.

Corneal abrasions result from cutting, scratching, or abrading the thin, protective, clear coat of the exposed anterior portion of the ocular epithelium. These injuries cause pain, tearing, photophobia, foreign body sensation, and a gritty feeling. Symptoms can be worsened by exposure to light, blinking, and rubbing the injured surface against the inside of the eyelid.