JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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To investigate how local television news reported on health system reform during the week President Clinton presented his health system reform bill. ⋯ Although health system reform was the focus of a large number of local television news stories during the week, in-depth explanation was scarce. In general, the news stories provided superficial coverage framed largely in terms of the risks and costs of reform to specific stakeholders.
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To test the hypothesis that long-term lead accumulation, as reflected by levels of lead in bone (as opposed to blood which reflects recent lead exposure), is associated with an increased odds of developing hypertension. ⋯ Our findings suggest that long-term lead accumulation, as reflected by levels of lead in bone, may be an independent risk factor for developing hypertension in men in the general population.
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Mortality following inpatient addictions treatment. Role of tobacco use in a community-based cohort.
To determine the impact of tobacco- and alcohol-related deaths on overall mortality following inpatient treatment for alcoholism and other nonnicotine drugs of dependence. ⋯ Patients previously treated for alcoholism and/or other nonnicotine drug dependence had an increased cumulative mortality that was due more to tobacco-related than to alcohol-related causes. Nicotine dependence treatment is imperative in such high-risk patients.
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To investigate the natural history and response to treatment of patients with unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI). ⋯ Among patients presenting with acute ischemic chest pain without persistent ST-segment elevation, blacks appeared to have less severe coronary disease, received revascularization less frequently, and had less recurrent ischemia compared with nonblacks. Women were also found to have less severe coronary disease and were treated less intensely than men, but experienced similar outcomes. Elderly patients had more severe coronary disease than younger patients on coronary angiography, but were more likely to be treated medically, and they experienced far more adverse outcomes. These data suggest that more aggressive strategies should be directed to those patients with the greatest likelihood of adverse outcomes.