Neurology News CME/CE

• Migraine With Aura Doubles Stroke Risk CME Ischemic stroke risk doubles in individuals with migraine with aura, especially in those who are women, young, smokers, or those receiving contraceptives containing estrogen.
  Medscape Medical News CME, November 2009
• First-Time Antipsychotic Use Linked to Rapid Weight Gain, Adverse Metabolic Changes in Kids CME/CE First-time, second-generation antipsychotic use in children and adolescents is associated with rapid and significant weight gain as well as varied adverse metabolic changes, new research shows.
  Medscape Medical News CME, November 2009
• Distribution of Body Fat Important in VTE CME The distribution of body fat, as well as the amount, is important when it comes to the risk of venous thromboembolism, Danish researchers have discovered.
  Heartwire CME, November 2009
• FDA Safety Changes: DepoDur, Neoral, Lexiva CME/CE The FDA has approved safety labeling revisions for morphine sulfate extended-release liposome injection, cyclosporine capsules and oral solution, and fosamprenavir calcium tablets and oral suspension.
  Medscape Medical News CME, November 2009
• More Suicidal Ideation With Nortriptyline vs Escitalopram Among Men, but Both Drugs Decrease Adverse Effect CME Men treated for depression with nortriptyline had almost a 10-fold increase in suicidal thoughts at 5 weeks vs men treated with escitalopram, but both drugs effectively reduced suicidal ideation.
  Medscape Medical News CME, November 2009
• FDA Safety Changes: Ultram, Ultracet, Sustiva, Kayexalate CME/CE The FDA has approved safety labeling revisions for tramadol HCl tablets, tramadol plus acetaminophen tablets, efavirenz capsules and tablets, and sodium polystyrene sulfonate powder.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Serum, Cerebrospinal Fluid Urate May Predict Clinical Decline in Parkinson's Disease CME In a Parkinson's disease study, higher baseline concentrations of serum and cerebrospinal fluid urate were associated with slower rates of clinical progression.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Peer Problems, Short Stature Predict Persistent Low Back Pain in Children CME Peer relationship problems and shorter stature are among the factors that independently predict the persistence of low-back pain in children between 11 and 14 years of age, new research shows.
  Reuters Health Information CME, October 2009
• FDA Approvals: Gardasil, Cervarix, Micardis CME/CE The FDA has approved a vaccine for the prevention of genital warts in males, a human papillomavirus vaccine for cervical cancer prevention, and an expanded indication for telmisartan.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Declining Visuospatial Skills May Precede Eventual Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis CME A new longitudinal study shows that a decline in cognitive abilities, especially in visuospatial skills, may lead to earlier identification of patients at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Herpes Zoster Attacks Increase Stroke Risk By 30% CME A new epidemiologic study shows that the risk for stroke increases after a zoster attack (shingles) by 30% and by up to 4-fold when the attack involves the eye.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Diuretics Effective as Second-Line Therapy for Hypertension CME Diuretics, especially hydrochlorothiazide, are as effective when given as second-line therapy for high blood pressure as they are when used as initial treatment, according to a new review.
  Heartwire CME, October 2009
• Nontramadol Opioids Should Not Be Routinely Used for Osteoarthritis CME/CE In a review, small to moderate benefits of nontramadol opioids were outweighed by large increases in risk for adverse events; these should not be used routinely even if osteoarthritic pain is severe.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Maternal Smoking in Pregnancy Linked to Increased Risk for Psychotic Symptoms in Adolescents CME/CE A new cohort study from the United Kingdom shows that maternal (but not paternal) use of tobacco during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for psychotic symptoms in their children.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• New Review Confirms Homocysteine Lowering Does Not Prevent CVD Events CME/CE The latest review to look at the effects of homocysteine lowering with vitamin-B supplementation has come to much the same conclusions as most other studies and analyses in this field.
  Heartwire CME, October 2009
• FDA Safety Changes: Symbyax, Zoladex, INOmax CME/CE The FDA has approved safety labeling revisions for olanzapine/fluoxetine HCl capsules (Symbyax), goserelin acetate implants (Zoladex), and nitric oxide for inhalation (INOmax).
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Prenatal SSRIs Linked to Problems in Newborns CME/CE Babies of mothers who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy are more likely to have preterm birth, low 5-minute Apgar scores, and neonatal intensive care unit admission.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Surgery Provides Modest Benefit for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome CME A new trial shows that surgery can be useful for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and no denervation.
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Certain Prophylactic Medications Reduce Risk for Breast Cancer but May Increase Other Risks CME A systematic review shows a reduced risk for primary breast cancer but an increased risk for thromboembolic events (tamoxifen, raloxifene), endometrial cancer (tamoxifen), or stroke (tibolone).
  Medscape Medical News CME, October 2009
• Simple, Fixed-Dose Drug Bundle May Lower MI and Stroke Risk CME A bundle of medium doses of a statin and an ACE inhibitor appears to lower CV risk in high-risk individuals, an observational study suggests, but critics caution that these are early days.
  Heartwire CME, October 2009