Table of Contents

February 15, 2005; 142 (4)

Articles

  • The Effects of a Smoking Cessation Intervention on 14.5-Year Mortality: A Randomized Clinical Trial

    • Nicholas R. Anthonisen,
    • Melissa A. Skeans,
    • Robert A. Wise,
    • Jure Manfreda,
    • Richard E. Kanner,
    • John E. Connett,
    • and for the Lung Health Study Research Group*
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:233-239

    This article provides long-term mortality results of a randomized trial of a smoking cessation program. Only 21.7% in the intervention group had stopped smoking at 5 years (compared with 5.4% of controls). Nonetheless, all-cause mortality per 1000 person-years was 8.83 deaths in the intervention group and 10.38 deaths in the control group. Smoking cessation programs substantially reduce mortality even when only a minority of patients stop smoking.

  • A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Combination Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B: Comparing Pegylated Interferon-α2b and Lamivudine with Lamivudine Alone

    • Henry Lik-Yuen Chan,
    • Nancy Wai-Yee Leung,
    • Alex Yui Hui,
    • Vincent Wai-Sun Wong,
    • Choong-Tsek Liew,
    • Angel Mei-Ling Chim,
    • Francis Ka-Leung Chan,
    • Lawrence Cheung-Tsui Hung,
    • Yuk-Tong Lee,
    • John Siu-Lun Tam,
    • Christopher Wai-Kei Lam,
    • and Joseph Jao-Yiu Sung
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:240-250

    In patients with hepatitis B e antigen–positive chronic hepatitis B, combination treatment with pegylated interferon-α2b and lamivudine may lead to a higher rate of virologic response than lamivudine monotherapy. The rate of sustained virologic response was 36% for combination therapy and 14% for lamivudine monotherapy.

  • A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Combination Antiplatelet Therapy for High-Risk Acute Coronary Syndromes: Clopidogrel plus Aspirin versus Aspirin Alone

    • Mark D. Schleinitz and
    • Paul A. Heidenreich
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:251-259

    In patients with high-risk acute coronary syndromes, 1 year of therapy with clopidogrel plus aspirin followed by life-long aspirin results in greater life expectancy than life-long aspirin alone. The cost-effectiveness of adding clopidogrel—$15 400 per quality-adjusted life-year—is similar to that of many well-accepted interventions.

Improving Patient Care

  • Systematic Review: The Relationship between Clinical Experience and Quality of Health Care

    • Niteesh K. Choudhry,
    • Robert H. Fletcher,
    • and Stephen B. Soumerai
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:260-273

    The authors systematically reviewed studies relating medical knowledge and health care quality to years in practice and physician age. Seventy-three percent of the evaluations showed decreasing performance with increasing years in practice for all or some of the outcomes assessed. Four percent of evaluations showed improving performance with increasing experience. Physicians who have been in practice longer may be at risk for providing lower-quality care.

Academia and Clinic

  • An Evidence-Based Guide to Writing Grant Proposals for Clinical Research

    • Sharon K. Inouye and
    • David A. Fiellin
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:274-282

    This article provides recommendations on how to write a grant for clinical research. It describes specific problems that grant reviewers frequently identify in their critiques and shows how to avoid these problems.

Updates

  • Update in Pulmonary Diseases

    • Martin J. Tobin
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:283-288

    This year's Update in Pulmonary Diseases incorporates articles on mechanical ventilation, obstructive lung disease, and pulmonary infection.

Review

  • Narrative Review: Celiac Disease: Understanding a Complex Autoimmune Disorder

    • Armin Alaedini and
    • Peter H.R. Green
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:289-298

    This review discusses current concepts in the clinical presentation and diagnosis of celiac disease. It describes the pathogenesis of the disease; the diagnostic usefulness of serologic markers, including the sensitivity and specificity of available tests; and the association of celiac disease with other disorders.

Editorials

  • Smoking Kills: Experimental Proof from the Lung Health Study

    • Jonathan M. Samet
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:299-301

    The new results from the Lung Health Study, reported in this issue, confirm again that smoking cessation prolongs life. In addition to their public health importance, these findings remind clinicians that interventions do increase the rate of successful quitting. The implications are obvious: Physicians should obtain a smoking history from all patients, and they should help smokers quit.

  • “Practice Makes Perfect” … Or Does It?

    • Steven E. Weinberger,
    • F. Daniel Duffy,
    • and Christine K. Cassel
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:302-303

    The medical profession cannot ignore the striking findings reported by Choudhry and colleagues and their implications: Practice does not make perfect. Physicians must make an ongoing vigorous effort to maintain their knowledge and skills, and they must work actively to sustain the quality of care in their practice.

On Being a Doctor

  • She Is a Beautiful Lady

    • Sara Sasha Battar
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:304

    Dean, 87, and his wife Donna, 78, would ritualistically arrive every 3 months in my geriatrics clinic, rain or shine. They had been married for 61 years. From the beginning, Donna ably presumed the spokesperson's role and impressed me as a reliable and caring informant who knew Dean more than he knew himself.

Letters

  • Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure

    • Enrique V. Carbajal,
    • Grace W. Huang,
    • and Billy Hu
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:305

  • Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure

    • Melanie Calvert,
    • Nick Freemantle,
    • and John G.F. Cleland
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:305-307

  • Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure

    • Finlay A. McAlister,
    • Natasha Wiebe,
    • and William Abraham
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:307-308

  • Relative Cost-Effectiveness of Different Tests for Chlamydia trachomatis

    • Brian Jackson
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:308

  • Relative Cost-Effectiveness of Different Tests for Chlamydia trachomatis

    • Sue J. Goldie,
    • Delphine Hu,
    • and Edward W. Hook III
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:308-309

  • Treating Controls in Unblinded Trials

    • Paul S. Heckerling
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:309

  • Treating Controls in Unblinded Trials

    • Lucy Yardley
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:309-310

  • Debilitating Muscle Cramps after Teriparatide Therapy

    • Parul J. Kakaria,
    • David J. Nashel,
    • and Eric S. Nylen
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:310

  • Statins and Nasal Polyps

    • Caterina Bucca,
    • Andrea Marsico,
    • Erika Panaro,
    • Patrizia Bigo,
    • and Luisa Brussino
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:310-311

  • Correction: Cardiac Resynchronization in Patients with Symptomatic Heart Failure

    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:311

Medical Writings: Book Notes

Ad Libitum

  • Sherbet

    • Jerald Winakur
    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:301

Medical Notices

  • Medical Notices

    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:0

Summaries for Patients

  • The Effects of a Smoking Cessation Program on Long-Term Survival in Smokers with Mild Lung Disease

    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:I-12

  • Combination Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B

    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:I-30

  • Is It Cost-Effective To Treat High-Risk Cardiac Patients with Clopidogrel plus Aspirin as Opposed to Aspirin Alone?

    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:I-53

  • Is an Older, More Experienced Doctor a Better Doctor?

    Ann Intern Med February 15, 2005 142:I-54
« Previous | Next Issue »

This Issue

February 15, 2005; 142 (4)
  1. Articles
  2. Improving Patient Care
  3. Academia and Clinic
  4. Updates
  5. Review
  6. Editorials
  7. On Being a Doctor
  8. Letters
  9. Medical Writings: Book Notes
  10. Ad Libitum
  11. Medical Notices
  12. Summaries for Patients

Search in this issue:

Current Issue

  1. November 17, 2009, 151 (10)
  1. Alert me to current issues