Chronic Dyspnea: Diagnosis and Evaluation.

Dyspnea is a symptom arising from a complex interplay of diseases and physiologic states and is commonly encountered in primary care. It is considered chronic if present for more than one month. As a symptom, dyspnea is a predictor for all-cause mortality. The likeliest causes of dyspnea are disease states involving the cardiac or pulmonary systems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, pneumonia, and coronary artery disease. A detailed history and physical examination should begin the workup; results should drive testing. Approaching testing in stages beginning with first-line tests, including a complete blood count, basic chemistry panel, electrocardiography, chest radiography, spirometry, and pulse oximetry, is recommended. If no cause is identified, second-line noninvasive testing such as echocardiography, cardiac stress tests, pulmonary function tests, and computed tomography scan of the lungs is suggested. Final options include more invasive tests that should be done in collaboration with specialty help. There are three main treatment and management goals: correctly identify the underlying disease process and treat appropriately, optimize recovery, and improve the dyspnea symptoms. The six-minute walk test can be helpful in measuring the effect of ongoing intervention. Care of patients with chronic dyspnea typically requires a multidisciplinary approach, which makes the primary care physician ideal for management.

Depression treatment in patients with general medical conditions: results from the CO-MED trial.

PURPOSE: We studied the effect of 3 antidepressant treatments on outcomes (depressive severity, medication tolerability, and psychosocial functioning) in depressed patients having comorbid general medical conditions in the Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes (CO-MED) trial. METHODS: Adult outpatients who had chronic and/or recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) with and without general medical conditions were randomly assigned in 1:1:1 ratio to 28 weeks of single-blind, placebo-controlled antidepressant treatment with (1) escitalopram plus placebo, (2) bupropion-SR plus escitalopram, or (3) venlafaxine-XR plus mirtazapine. At weeks 12 and 28, we compared response and tolerability between participants with 0, 1, 2, and 3 or more general medical conditions. RESULTS: Of the 665 evaluable patients, 49.5% reported having no treated general medical conditions, 23.8% reported having 1, 14.8% reported having 2, and 11.9% reported having at least 3. We found only minimal differences in antidepressant treatment response between these groups having different numbers of conditions; patients with 3 or more conditions reported higher rates of impairment in social and occupational functioning at week 12 but not at week 28. Additionally, we found no significant differences between the 3 antidepressant treatments across these groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with general medical conditions can be safely and effectively treated for MDD with antidepressants with no additional adverse effect or tolerability burden relative to their counterparts without such conditions. Combination therapy is not associated with an increased treatment response beyond that found with traditional monotherapy in patients with MDD, regardless of the presence and number of general medical conditions.

Osteoporosis in men.

Osteoporosis is an important and often overlooked problem in men. Although the lifetime risk of hip fracture is lower in men than in women, men are twice as likely to die after a hip fracture. Bone mineral density measurement with a T-score of -2.5 or less indicates osteoporosis. The American College of Physicians recommends beginning periodic osteoporosis risk assessment in men before 65 years of age and performing dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for men at increased risk of osteoporosis who are candidates for drug therapy. All men diagnosed with osteoporosis should be evaluated for secondary causes of bone loss. The decision regarding treatment of osteoporosis should be based on clinical evaluation, diagnostic workup, fracture risk assessments, and bone mineral density measurements. Pharmacotherapy is recommended for men with osteoporosis and for high-risk men with low bone mass (osteopenia) with a T-score of -1 to -2.5. Bisphosphonates are the first-line agents for treating osteoporosis in men. Teriparatide (i.e., recombinant human parathyroid hormone) is an option for men with severe osteoporosis. Testosterone therapy is beneficial for men with osteoporosis and hypogonadism. Adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D should be encouraged in all men to maintain bone mass. Men should be educated regarding lifestyle measures, which include weight-bearing exercise, limiting alcohol consumption, and smoking cessation. Fall prevention strategies should be implemented in older men at risk of falls.