The American Journal of Medicine Blog

  A 39-year-old man with unremarkable past medical history, but with a positive family history for coronary artery disease, was admitted to the hospital because of persistent arterial hypertension and sudden-onset chest pain in the mid-substernal region with neck radiation. Assessment Results from physical examination were unremarkable. The 12-lead electrocardiogram and the cardiac biomarkers were […]

  In one memorable case, the patient’s attire told physicians more about his health than the initial interview and physical examination. A 65-year-old veteran with a history of dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, and post-traumatic stress disorder presented for a routine primary care visit and had no symptoms. He specifically denied having any chest pain. Assessment When asked […]

  The study objective was to quantify the association between daily physical activity measured by accelerometer and 1-year changes in symptoms among people with knee osteoarthritis. Methods Participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative had knee radiographs and physical activity assessed using GT1M ActiGraph (Pensacola, FL) uniaxial accelerometers at the 48-month visit. Physical activity was calculated and […]

  Vertebral fractures are the most common type of osteoporotic fracture and are associated with substantial morbidity and decreased survival. In the United States, annual direct management costs for vertebral fractures are more than $1 billion (United States dollars in 2011). Vertebral fracture, once suspected, can be confirmed by X-rays, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or vertebral […]

Smoking is a modest risk factor for lumbar radicular pain and sciatica. Smoking cessation appears to reduce, but not entirely eliminate, the excess risk. Background The role of smoking in sciatica is unknown. This study aimed to estimate the effect of smoking on lumbar radicular pain and clinically verified sciatica. Methods Comprehensive literature searches were […]