JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
-
Review
Screening for prostate cancer with the prostate-specific antigen test: a review of current evidence.
Prostate cancer screening with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test remains controversial. ⋯ Available evidence favors clinician discussion of the pros and cons of PSA screening with average-risk men aged 55 to 69 years. Only men who express a definite preference for screening should have PSA testing. Other strategies to mitigate the potential harms of screening include considering biennial screening, a higher PSA threshold for biopsy, and conservative therapy for men receiving a new diagnosis of prostate cancer.
-
Caregiver burden may result from providing care for patients with chronic illness. It can occur in any of the 43.5 million individuals providing support to midlife and older adults. Caregiver burden is frequently overlooked by clinicians. ⋯ Physicians have a responsibility to recognize caregiver burden. Caregiver assessment and intervention should be tailored to the individual circumstances and contexts in which caregiver burden occurs.
-
Tremor, defined as a rhythmic and involuntary movement of any body part, is the most prevalent movement disorder, affecting millions of people in the United States. All adults have varying degrees of physiological tremor so it is imperative to distinguish physiological tremor from pathological tremor types. Tremor is not inherently dangerous, but it can cause significant disability at home and in the workplace. ⋯ Less common tremors, such as those induced by drugs or brain lesions, are also important to recognize because they may be more refractory to medical therapies and may require earlier referral to a neurological specialist. In patients with the most progressive and severe tremors that are resistant to medical therapies, surgical interventions are available and typically target deep brain regions with stimulation or lesioning. This Grand Rounds review describes the evaluation and evidence-based management of the most common tremors, essential tremor and Parkinson disease tremor.