Gastroenterologists' prescribing of infliximab for Crohn's disease: a national survey.

Background: Practice guidelines suggest that immunomodulators (IMs) be given prior to infliximab (IFX) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The package insert for IFX recommends that maintenance therapy be prescribed for patients who respond to induction therapy. Our aim was to determine the extent to which gastroenterologists (GIs) are utilizing IM prior to IFX and prescribing maintenance IFX when treating patients with CD.

Major CHD risk factors predominate among African-American women who are eligible for lipid-lowering drug therapy under the new ATP III guidelines.

Background: Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and death among African-Americans. We studied the cardiovascular risk factor distributions among African-American men and women deemed eligible for lipid-lowering treatment under the new Adult Treatment Panel Guidelines (ATPIII).

Design And Methods: A sub-sample of African-American NHANES III subjects aged 20-79 years, with known cardiovascular risk factors and LDL-C levels was identified (n=4,213).

Glycemic control from 1988 to 2000 among U.S. adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: a preliminary report.

Objective: To describe the changes in demographics, antidiabetic treatment, and glycemic control among the prevalent U.S. adult diagnosed type 2 diabetes population between the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988-1994) and the initial release of NHANES 1999-2000.

The effectiveness of a community health worker outreach program on healthcare utilization of west Baltimore City Medicaid patients with diabetes, with or without hypertension.

Objectives: Assess impact of community health workers (CHWs) on healthcare utilization of African-American Medicaid patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with/without hypertension (HTN).

Design: Maryland Medicaid claim files were analyzed to compare utilization of emergency rooms, hospitalization, and costs in a population managed by CHWs (N=117).

Setting/patients: Patients were recruited from the discharge rolls of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and/or the Maryland Diabetes Care Program from March 1992 to June 1994.

An assessment of the independent effects of olanzapine and risperidone exposure on the risk of hyperlipidemia in schizophrenic patients.

Background: The newer antipsychotic agents exhibit a superior safety profile compared with conventional antipsychotic agents in terms of extrapyramidal symptoms. Previous studies have suggested an association between olanzapine treatment and hyperlipidemia. We evaluated this association using a large health care database.

Assessment of independent effect of olanzapine and risperidone on risk of diabetes among patients with schizophrenia: population based nested case-control study.

Objective: To quantify the association between olanzapine and diabetes.

Design: Population based nested case-control study.

Setting: United Kingdom based General Practice Research Database comprising 3.

New National Cholesterol Education Program III guidelines for primary prevention lipid-lowering drug therapy: projected impact on the size, sex, and age distribution of the treatment-eligible population.

Background: The guidelines in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP III) include absolute risk and lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) levels to assess eligibility for lipid-lowering drug therapy. We studied the impact of these changes on the size, sex, and age distribution of the target US population using data from the Third Annual National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III) (1988 to 1994).

Methods And Results: A subsample of NHANES III participants aged 20 to 79 years with known cardiovascular risk factors and LDL-C levels was identified (n=13 589).