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Thiazide-type diuretics reduce the risk for mortality, stroke, and cardiovascular disease among patients with hypertension. (1) Given the reasonable adverse effect profile and high-quality evidence for efficacy, thiazide-type diuretics are [...]

Thiazide-type diuretics reduce the risk for mortality, stroke, and cardiovascular disease among patients with hypertension. (1) Given the reasonable adverse effect profile and high-quality evidence for efficacy, thiazide-type diuretics are [...]

Osteopenia places postmenopausal women at a higher risk for fragility fracture, which can increase morbidity and mortality. To date, no randomized trial has demonstrated therapeutic benefit of bisphosphonate therapy for [...]

Osteopenia places postmenopausal women at a higher risk for fragility fracture, which can increase morbidity and mortality. To date, no randomized trial has demonstrated therapeutic benefit of bisphosphonate therapy for [...]

Level 2: Mid-level evidence In recent years, a number of evidence-based interventions for cardiovascular disease have been incorporated into clinical practice guidelines. A recent nationwide study in Sweden analyzed a [...]

Ivabradine is a novel agent that lowers heart rate by inhibiting the I(f) current in the sinoatrial node. The SHIFT trial evaluated the drug's efficacy in 6,558 patients with symptomatic [...]

The prevalence of BRCA1 or BRCA 2 mutations is estimated at about 0.2%-0.33% of the population, but these mutations account for 5%-10% of breast cancers and 10%-15% of ovarian cancers [...]

Level 2: Mid-level evidence Previous data from the Nurses Health Study has suggested that aspirin use has no effect on breast cancer incidence (J Natl Cancer Inst. 1996;88:988-993; available at [...]

Level x (mid-level) evidence Thrombolysis with alteplase (tissue-type plasminogen activator, t-PA) given up to 3 hours after the onset of acute ischemic stroke is associated with an increased likelihood of [...]

Level 1: Likely reliable evidence Current guidelines only recommend antihypertensive treatment for patients with acute stroke if BP is significantly elevated. Previous research has suggested that candesartan (Atacand), an angiotensin-II [...]

Guidelines from U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and Canadian Task Force for Preventive Health Care do not recommend lung-cancer screening, even in persons who smoke. The National Lung Screening Trial [...]

A surgical safety checklist developed by the WHO (available at whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241598590_eng_Checklist.pdf, accessed November 15, 2010) to facilitate communication and safety checks was associated with reduced surgical mortality in a before-and-after [...]

Level 1: Likely reliable evidence B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as well as its N-terminal fragment (NT-proBNP) can provide useful diagnostic and prognostic information in patients with acute dyspnea and chronic [...]

Level 2: Mid-level evidence The American College of Cardiology and the American HeartAssociation recommend clopidogrel (Plavix) in addition to aspirin for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Recently, the Study [...]

Level 2: Mid-level evidence Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are frequently advised for patients with heart failure (HF) who are at increased risk for sudden cardiac death. However, a new systematic review [...]

Level 1: Likely reliable evidence Elevated procalcitonin levels indicate an infection is more likely to be bacterial than viral in etiology. Several trials have shown that antibiotic usage can be [...]