Most Clicked AANP SmartBrief Stories
1. IDSA issues guidelines on treating diabetes-related foot infections
AANP SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
The Infectious Diseases Society of America released new guidelines highlighting the importance of appropriate care in diabetes patients with foot infections, stating that providing proper wound treatment may help prevent lower extremity amputations. The guidelines were published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal. Diabetes.co.uk (U.K.) (05/25)
2. Gerontological NP track to be phased out by 2015
AANP SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
The Gerontological Nurse Practitioner track and certification exam will be phased out by 2015, Patrice Villars writes in the GeriPal blog. With an aging population, she writes, adding geriatric content to adult NP programs may not be enough to meet the unique needs of older adults. GeriPal blog (05/23)
3. NPs with palliative training benefit cancer patients, study finds
AANP SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
A Mayo Clinic study found that consultations by oncology nurse practitioners trained in palliative care led to significant improvements in metastatic cancer patients' emotional health. Senior investigator Dr. Gerardo Colon-Otero said the study in the Journal of Palliative Medicine "suggests that we shouldn't be afraid of these discussions, and that many of our patients actually welcome having advance directives and hearing about hospice services." Nurse.com (05/20)
4. Calcium supplements could raise heart risks, study says
AANP SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
People who regularly took calcium supplements had an 86% increased risk of a heart attack compared with people who did not take supplements, University of Zurich researchers reported in the journal Heart. They also found that a moderately high intake of calcium from food sources may reduce the risk of heart attack. Extra calcium had no effect on reducing stroke risk, according to the study. HealthDay News (05/24)
5. Statins benefit cirrhosis patients, study finds
AANP SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
A study of 243 cirrhosis patients with heart disease found that those who took statins were less likely to suffer from hepatic decompensation compared with those who didn't receive statins. The statin group also had significantly lower mortality rate than nonusers. The findings were reported at Digestive Disease Week. MedPage Today (free registration) (05/23)
6. NPs make practice headway in Midwestern states
AANP SmartBrief | May 23, 2012
In Iowa, where NPs can work independently, the number of ARNPs has risen by more than 300 this year. In Illinois, nurse practitioner Jennifer Scales joined the staff of a nursing home, where she has helped reduce the number of physician visits made by residents because of her in-house care. Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Iowa) (05/20) State Journal-Register (Springfield, Ill.), The (05/09)
7. Obese patients might benefit from liraglutide treatment
AANP SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity revealed obese patients treated with liraglutide lost more weight than those who took a placebo or orlistat. Researchers also found that daily intake of 3 mg of liraglutide for one year resulted in a mean weight loss of 35.6% of excess body weight in participants. Medscape (free registration) (05/22)
8. High vitamin D levels curb mortality in metabolic syndrome patients
AANP SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Patients with metabolic syndrome who attained optimal vitamin D levels were 66% less likely to die of heart disease and had a 75% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared with those who had severe deficiencies in vitamin D, researchers reported in Diabetes Care. NutraIngredients (05/22)
9. Aspirin can be alternative to warfarin for blood clots
AANP SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
Aspirin can serve as an alternative to warfarin treatment for venous thromboembolism after a standard course of anticoagulant therapy, according to an Italian study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Aspirin "may reduce recurrence of venous thromboembolism without increasing complications," said lead researcher Dr. Cecilia Becattini of the University of Perugia. U.S. News & World Report (05/23)
10. C-section delivery doubles risk of childhood obesity, data show
AANP SmartBrief | May 25, 2012
Data from records of 1,255 mother and child pairs in eastern Massachusetts showed that babies born via Caesarean section were twice as likely to be obese at age 3 as vaginally born babies. The study appears in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Washington Post, The (05/23) Google (05/24)
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