Birthrate bombs . . . and other stories

PhaeochromocytomasIn the past, many cases of phaeochromocytoma came to light only during postmortem examination. A series of cases, diagnosed over 12 years at a tertiary care centre in the UK, shows that most cases are now discovered incidentally when an adrenal mass is found while imaging is being carried out for other reasons. Only a quarter of patients presented with hypertension or adrenergic symptoms (J Clin Endocrinol Metabol doi:10.1210/clinem/dgad401).Acute migraineA retrospective analysis of data on more than 10 million migraine attacks collected using a smart phone e-diary app compared the efficacy of 25 acute medications. Triptans, ergots, and antiemetics emerged as the top performing classes followed by opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and combination analgesics. The winners among the triptans were eletriptan, zolmitriptan, and sumatriptan (Neurology doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000207964).Population growthPublished in 1968, Paul and Anne Ehrlich’s book The Population Bomb identified overpopulation and worldwide famine as imminent threats to humankind. Although the book…
Read Original Article: Birthrate bombs . . . and other stories »