JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Oral steroids for acute radiculopathy due to a herniated lumbar disk: a randomized clinical trial.
Oral steroids are commonly used to treat acute sciatica due to a herniated disk but have not been evaluated in an appropriately powered clinical trial. ⋯ Among patients with acute radiculopathy due to a herniated lumbar disk, a short course of oral steroids, compared with placebo, resulted in modestly improved function and no improvement in pain.
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Meta Analysis
Prevalence of cerebral amyloid pathology in persons without dementia: a meta-analysis.
Cerebral amyloid-β aggregation is an early pathological event in Alzheimer disease (AD), starting decades before dementia onset. Estimates of the prevalence of amyloid pathology in persons without dementia are needed to understand the development of AD and to design prevention studies. ⋯ Among persons without dementia, the prevalence of cerebral amyloid pathology as determined by positron emission tomography or cerebrospinal fluid findings was associated with age, APOE genotype, and presence of cognitive impairment. These findings suggest a 20- to 30-year interval between first development of amyloid positivity and onset of dementia.
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Amyloid-β positron emission tomography (PET) imaging allows in vivo detection of fibrillar plaques, a core neuropathological feature of Alzheimer disease (AD). Its diagnostic utility is still unclear because amyloid plaques also occur in patients with non-AD dementia. ⋯ Among participants with dementia, the prevalence of amyloid positivity was associated with clinical diagnosis, age, and APOE genotype. These findings indicate the potential clinical utility of amyloid imaging for differential diagnosis in early-onset dementia and to support the clinical diagnosis of participants with AD dementia and noncarrier APOE ε4 status who are older than 70 years.
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increase in mortality and morbidity, with a substantial increase in stroke and systemic thromboembolism. Strokes related to AF are associated with higher mortality, greater disability, longer hospital stays, and lower chance of being discharged home than strokes unrelated to AF. ⋯ Stroke prevention is central to the management of AF, irrespective of a rate or rhythm control strategy. Following the initial focus on identifying low-risk patients, all others with 1 or more stroke risk factors should be offered OAC.