Recent DocAlert Messages — Editors' Pick
All Epocrates mobile products include the DocAlert medical news service to
help you stay on top of the latest developments.
DocAlerts are brief medical
news alerts delivered to your mobile device when you AutoUpdate (sync while connected
to the Internet). They are designed for quick scanning, and allow you to determine
if you want more comprehensive information on the topic. DocAlert messages
are carefully selected by Epocrates editors, often in consultation with outside
specialists and publishers, and include summaries and expert commentary. Topics
include clinical alerts, CME alerts, government safety alerts, and medically
relevant tips on practice management.
Below are some selected messages from HealthDay News.
Small Portions, Less Dense Foods Reshape Eating Habits
Reducing portion size and the energy density of the foods that are consumed
both work independently to produce a sustained reduction in energy intake without
creating increased hunger, according to a study published in the January issue
of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University in University Park,
Pa., and colleagues supplied two consecutive days' worth of meals and snacks
to 24 women for four weeks. Although the same menus were used for each of the
two-day periods, all foods were varied in terms of both portion size and energy
density between standard (100%) and reduced (75%) levels.
When the portion size was reduced by 25% there was a 10% decrease in energy intake;
a 25% reduction in energy density resulted in a 24% reduction in energy intake.
The effect on energy intake was sustained from meal to meal and was additive.
Study participants did not rate hunger or fullness markedly differently across
the range of different diet scenarios.
"Because reductions in the energy density of foods are both more effective
in reducing energy intake and less noticeable than are reductions in portion
size, decreasing energy density while maintaining portion size may provide an
acceptable approach to moderate energy intake," the authors conclude.
New Guidelines for Prevention of Recurrent Stroke
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) should be treated just as aggressively as
stroke in patients who have a history of stroke or TIA, and diagnostic work-ups
and therapy should be equally aggressive, according to new guidelines published
in the February issue of Stroke. The guidelines also address stroke risk in specific
populations, such as pregnant women or ethnic minorities.
For example, the elderly, blacks, Mexican Americans and members of lower socioeconomic
groups are at high risk of recurrent stroke and may face barriers to care, according
to the guidelines. In addition, hormone replacement therapy should be avoided
in postmenopausal women to prevent vascular events.
The guidelines also contain recommendations on modifiable risk factors including
smoking, alcohol, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Medical options such as
the use of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents, and interventions such as
carotid artery surgery or angioplasty are also addressed.
The guidelines were developed by a committee chaired by Ralph L. Sacco, M.D.,
M.S., of Columbia University Medical Center in New York, for the American Heart
Association and the American Stroke Association Council on Stroke. The guidelines
are co-sponsored by the Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention
and affirmed by the American Academy of Neurology.