JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Although postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is widely used in the United States, new evidence about its benefits and harms requires reconsideration of its use for the primary prevention of chronic conditions. ⋯ Benefits of HRT include prevention of osteoporotic fractures and colorectal cancer, while prevention of dementia is uncertain. Harms include CHD, stroke, thromboembolic events, breast cancer with 5 or more years of use, and cholecystitis.
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Hospitalized infants undergo repeated invasive procedures. It is unknown whether cumulative experiences with pain lead to anticipatory pain behaviors and hyperalgesia. ⋯ Newborns who had diabetic mothers and were exposed to repeated heel lances in the first 24 to 36 hours of life learned to anticipate pain and exhibited more intense pain responses during venipuncture than normal infants.
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Results from several studies conducted in the early 1990s showed that the majority of US methadone maintenance programs did not use treatment practices that met established standards for the care of heroin users. Effective treatment for heroin users is critical given the upsurge in heroin use and the continued role of injection drug use in the human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C epidemics. ⋯ Efforts to improve methadone treatment practices appear to be making progress, but many patients are still receiving substandard care.