Therapeutics

Combination drug therapy had a higher remission rate than single-drug therapy for newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis

Möttönen T, Hannonen P, Leirisalo-Repo M, et al., for the FIN-RACo trial group. Comparison of combination therapy with single-drug therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis: a randomised trial. Lancet. 1999 May 8;353:1568-73.

Raloxifene reduced the incidence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Cummings SR, Eckert S, Krueger KA, et al. The effect of raloxifene on risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Results from the MORE randomized trial. JAMA. 1999 Jun 16; 281:2189-97.

Review: Estrogen alone increases endometrial hyperplasia in postmenopausal women

Lethaby A, Farquhar C, Sarkis A, et al. The association of oestrogen, oestrogen-progestogen and placebo with endometrial hyperplasia and irregular bleeding in the menopause. Cochrane Review, latest version 24 Feb 1999. In: The Cochrane Library. Oxford: Update Software.

Review: b-blockers have outcomes similar to calcium antagonists but cause fewer adverse events in stable angina

Heidenreich PA, McDonald KM, Hastie T, et al. Meta-analysis of trials comparing b-blockers, calcium antagonists, and nitrates for stable angina. JAMA. 1999 May 26;281;1927-36.

Lorazepam reduced recurrent alcohol-related seizures in chronic alcohol abuse

D'Onofrio G, Rathlev NK, Ulrich AS, et al. Lorazepam for the prevention of recurrent seizures related to alcohol. N Engl J Med. 1999 Mar 25;340:915-9.

Endoscopic re-treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers had fewer complications than surgery

Lau JY, Sung JJ, Lam Y-H, et al. Endoscopic retreatment compared with surgery in patients with recurrent bleeding after initial endoscopic control of bleeding ulcers. N Engl J Med. 1999 Mar 11;340:751-6.

Review: Polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin reduced mortality in bacterial sepsis

Alejandria MM, Lansang MA, Dans LF, Mantaring JB. Intra-venous immunoglobulin for treating sepsis and septic shock. Cochrane Review, latest version 22 Feb 1999. In: The Cochrane Library. Oxford: Update Software.

Assistive technology and environmental interventions helped slow functional decline in frail elderly adults

Mann WC, Ottenbacher KJ, Fraas L, Tomita M, Granger CV. Effectiveness of assistive technology and environmental interventions in maintaining independence and reducing home care costs for the frail elderly. A randomized controlled trial. Arch Fam Med. 1999 May/Jun;8:210-7.

Metrifonate was effective in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease

Raskind MA, Cyrus PA, Ruzicka BB, Gulanski BI, for the Metrifonate Study Group. The effects of metrifonate on the cognitive, behavioral, and functional performance of Alzheimer's disease patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 1999 May;60:318-25.

Etiology

Review: Several risk factors are associated with functional status decline in community-living older persons Stuck AE, Walthert JM, Nikolaus T, et al. Risk factors for functional status decline in community-living elderly people: a systematic literature review. Soc Sci Med. 1999 Feb;48:445-69.

Vitamin E, vitamin C, and b-carotene were not associated with a decreased risk for stroke in men Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Hernán MA, et al. Relation of consumption of vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids to risk for stroke among men in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 1999 Jun 15;130:963-70.

Quality Improvement

Multiple reminders were more effective than single reminders for increasing the rate of diabetic retinopathy examinations

Halbert RJ, Leung K-M, Nichol JM, Legorreta AP. Effect of multiple patient reminders in improving diabetic retinopathy screening. A randomized trial. Diabetes Care. 1999 May;22:752-5.

Clinical Prediction Guide

5 simple clinical variables predicted 1-year survival after traumatic brain injury

Signorini DF, Andrews PJ, Jones PA, Wardlaw JM, Miller JD. Predicting survival using simple clinical variables: a case study in trau-matic brain injury. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1999 Jan;66:20-5.

How To Cite Evidence-Based Medicine

1. Citation of material from the Notebook:

Milne R, Hicks N. Evidence-based purchasing [EBM Note]. Evidence-Based Medicine. 1996 May-Jun;1:101-2.

2. Citation for material taken from a structured abstract, written without attribution by a staff member:

Antihypertensive drugs decrease mortality, coronary events, and stroke in elderly persons [Abstract]. Evidence-Based Medicine. 1996 May-Jun;4:105. Abstract of: Pearce KA, Furberg CD, Rushing J. Does antihypertensive treatment of the elderly prevent cardiovascular events or prolong life? A meta-analysis of hypertension treatment trials. Arch Fam Med. 1995;4:943-50.

3. Citation for material taken from a commentary to an article:

Olds D. Commentary on "Home visiting programmes reduce childhood injury." Evidence-Based Medicine. 1996 May-Jun;4:112. Comment on: Roberts I, Kramer MS, Suissa S. Does home visiting prevent childhood injury? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 1996;312:29-33.