Harrisons Principle Of Internal Medicine

Despite their disproportionate obesity rate, African- American women can lose weight and keep it off once they overcome cultural barriers, according to a focus group study conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston. Results are presented in the July print edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine and are available online. Thirty-seven black women who lost weight and kept it off or who lost weight and regained it participated in focus groups about their weight loss experiences for the study. According to data gathered by the Center for Disease Control in 2002, 82 percent of African-American women over the age of 40 are overweight or obese compared to the national average of 64 percent. The focus group results have been developed into a survey about weight loss for African Americans. Individuals who complete the survey can become part of the African-American Weight Control Registry funded by the National …

Could fish oil and vitamin supplements slow the leading cause of vision loss in older Americans? Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the National Eye Institute want to find out. They are seeking the help of 4,000 volunteers between the ages of 50 and 85 who are diagnosed with the early stages of age-related macular degeneration in both eyes or have advanced AMD in at least one eye. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 will look at the effects of vitamins supplemented by lutein/zeaxanthin and/or omega-3 fatty acids on the progression of the disease. Lutein and zeaxanthin are plant-derived yellow pigments that accumulate in the area of the eye's retina that is responsible for central vision, the same area where people with AMD begin to lose sight. Omega-3 fatty acids are the active components found in fish oil and are lauded for their heart-health benefits. This study builds on a previous NIH study – AREDS – that found high dosages of …

Whether over the counter or prescribed by a doctor, all medicines must be handled with care when their shelf life runs its course. Related video: Medication Safety ( RealPlayer required); script "If pills are thrown in the trash, they're accessible to curious individuals who may not know what the drug is for," said Dr. Addison Taylor, professor of medicine, pharmacology, and molecular physiology and biophysics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "One of the biggest causes of poisonings in children is the inadvertent ingestion of things that were supposedly disposed of but in fact were not done so properly." Pets, whose sensitivity to drugs is different than that of full-grown humans, are counted among the curious and at-risk. "The pills that …

Now more than ever, cystic fibrosis patients can expect a better quality of life – even though it means facing new challenges as a result, say lung experts at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Marcia Katz, assistant professor of medicine and director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at BCM, says that while understanding of and treatment for the genetic lung disorder have come a long way in recent years, a greater life expectancy introduces a new set of obstacles as patients grow up. "As our patients are living into adulthood, we're also dealing with cancer, coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, and menopause," said Katz. "You can imagine the diagnoses that are part of growing old in our society that – good news/bad news – cystic fibrosis patients are starting to deal with." Whereas before, patients didn't live long enough to make decisions about their future, advances in research and medical treatment …