Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for May 20, 2008, issue

1. Sequential Therapy Appears Superior to Standard Therapy for Eradicating H. pylori

An evaluation of all randomized, controlled trials comparing sequential and standard triple therapies in patients with documented, previously untreated H. pylori infection found that sequential therapy appears superior to standard triple therapy for eradication of H. pylori infection.

Authors say if further trials confirm these findings, 10-day sequential therapy could become a standard treatment for H. pylori infection in patients who have not received treatment.

(NOTE: This article and editorial is being released early online at www.annals.org. It will appear in the June 17, 2008, print edition of the journal.)

2. Study Finds Physicians Often Do Not Adjust Medications When They Are Uncertain If an Elevated Blood Pressure Reading Is Correct

Editorial writers offer two paradigms for treatment. (Article, p. 717; Editorial, p. 783.)

3. Study Finds HIV-Infected People Have a Higher Risk of Some Common Cancers

A new study compared the incidence of different types of cancer among HIV-infected people with the incidence in the general population in the United States between 1992 and 2003 and found that certain cancers were more frequent among HIV-infected patients than among the general population (p. 728).

Besides cancers that are common with AIDS, these included vaginal, liver, lung, mouth or throat, colon, and kidney cancer, leukemia, and melanoma. Authors say that patients with HIV infection and their doctors should be alert for signs of these types of cancer.

4. Subclinical Thyroid Disease May Be Associated with a Modest Risk for Heart Disease

(NOTE: This article is being released early online at www.annals.org. It will appear in the June 3, 2008, print edition of the journal.)

NOTE: Annals of Internal Medicine is published by the American College of Physicians. These highlights are not intended to substitute for articles as sources of information. Information in press materials is copyrighted. Annals of Internal Medicine attribution is required. For an embargoed copy of an article, call 1-800-523-1546, ext. 2653, or 215-351-2653.