Frankly Speaking About Family Medicine

Assessing Blood Pressure: How Accurate Are the Blood Pressure Measurements You Use to Care for Your Patients? - Frankly Speaking EP 76

Hypertension affects an estimated 80 million Americans. We diagnose, determine the need for medication therapy, and monitor treatment efficacy based on a simple office blood pressure measurement – but how accurate is that measurement, and what is the most valid method to obtain it? Guest: Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC

Moving Fast, Moving Slow - Frankly Speaking EP 75

Fibromyalgia can be difficult to treat and often requires a multifaceted approach combining exercise, medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, and health education. For many patients, pain hinders participation in a vigorous exercise regimen. Listen to this review of a randomized trial comparing aerobic exercise to tai chi in a patient population with fibromyalgia. Guest: Alan Ehrlich, MD 

Uncomplicated UTI in Women: What a Pain! - Frankly Speaking EP 74

For women experiencing an uncomplicated UTI, nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin are two first-line options for treatment. Is one more effective than the other? Listen to this episode to learn about the results from a multinational, open-label, randomized clinical trial. Guest: Jill Terrien PhD, ANP-BC

Put That Finger Down! The End of the Screening Rectal Exam - Frankly Speaking EP 73

Listen to this week’s podcast episode to learn about a meta-analysis showing no benefit to rectal examinations in men. Guest: Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC 

Don’t Make Me Exercise – Give Me Some Tea & a Pill! - Frankly Speaking EP 72

A recent AHA presentation offered data that showed an overwhelming amount of patients would prefer to take a pill or drink tea rather than exercise to lower their BP. This begs the questions: How much does drinking tea lower BP? Does exercise help those with primary HTN or resistant HTN who are already on medication? Finally, how do we get our patients to exercise?  Guest: Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP

Mom, Do I Have to Practice the Piano Again? The Benefit of Music Instruction on Executive Function - Frankly Speaking EP 71

Listen to this week's episode to learn about a randomized trial of children in music vs. visual arts instruction. Music instruction led to improvements in verbal intelligence, executive functions, and academic performance. Guest: Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC

Hot Flashes, Night Sweats, and Insomnia: Will I Ever Sleep Through the Night Again? - Frankly Speaking EP 70

This episode will review The Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health (MsFLASH) series of 4 randomized controlled trials, pooling individual data that will provide guidance for discussing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options for your peri- and postmenopausal patients. Guest: Jill Terrien PhD, ANP-BC  

Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Diagnosis? - Frankly Speaking EP 69

The National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) just released an updated Framework of the 2011 Guidelines for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, focusing on the use of biomarkers rather than clinical criteria to make the diagnosis. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more. Guest: Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP

My Joints Are Killing Me! Opioids vs. NSAIDs for Chronic Pain - Frankly Speaking EP 68

Chronic pain is a difficult but common problem in primary care. Patients are often desperate for any form of relief, and as a result, many are eventually started on opioid analgesics. This can be associated with many adverse effects. But is it worth it? A recent randomized trial compared opioid to non-opioid management of patients with chronic low back pain or chronic hip pain or knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Guest: Alan Ehrlich, MD

Antibiotics and Sinusitis – How Long is Too Long? - Frankly Speaking EP 67

A recent research study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examined the use of antibiotics to treat acute sinusitis based upon the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline recommending 5-7 days when antibiotics are indicated and found that most courses of antibiotics are too long. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more. Guest: Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP