To assess the relative risks for bleeding with thrombolytic therapy in patients who are managed using pulmonary angiograms compared with those managed using noninvasive tests, primarily the ventilation-perfusion lung scan.

A meta-analysis of the effect of antihypertensive drug treatment on mortality and morbidity in elderly patients.

A meta-analysis of randomized trials studying the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on blood pressure.

To evaluate treatments for hyperthyroid disease.

To review the risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of nonvalvular infections of the cardiovascular system.

To explain the rationale supporting the use of ursodiol (ursodeoxycholic acid) for the treatment of patients with cholesterol gallstones and chronic liver diseases and to describe the results obtained in clinical trials.

To review the efficacy of nonmedicinal, noninvasive therapies in hip and knee osteoarthritis.

To critically review the available evidence for screening asymptomatic women for ovarian cancer with ultrasonography or the CA 125 radioimmunoassay (CA 125) or both.

To review the effectiveness of medical treatments for stroke prevention in patients at elevated risk for stroke.

To review DNA analysis of apolipoprotein E used to assess patients with hyperlipidemia.

To review current knowledge of apolipoprotein quantitation used in the clinical management of persons with or at risk for the development of premature coronary artery disease.

Considerable data indicate that fever and its mediators have the capacity both to potentiate and to inhibit resistance to infection. It is difficult to reconcile these apparently contradictory observations if they are viewed solely from the standpoint of the individual. However, when viewed from the perspective of the species, both fever's salutary effects on mild to moderately severe infections and its pernicious influence on fulminating infections become teleologically plausible. If one accepts preservation of the species, rather than survival of the individual, as the essence of evolution, fever and its mediators might have evolved as mechanisms both for accelerating recovery of individuals from localized or mild to moderately severe systemic infections in the interest of continued propagation of the species and for hastening the elimination of fulminantly infected individuals who pose a threat of epidemic disease to the species.

To review the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis for opportunistic infections in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Secondary infections remain the leading cause of death in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Dealing with the rapidly evolving spectrum of infectious problems seen in patients with AIDS requires knowledge of current therapeutic and prophylactic strategies. Through an extensive preclinical trials network supported by both industry and government, an increasing number of new agents are being identified and rapidly moved into clinical trials. Several agents are now available to treat diseases caused by Pneumocystis carinii, and corticosteroids have become a useful adjunct to antimicrobial agents in the treatment of P. carinii pneumonia. Although the treatment of toxoplasmosis remains a challenge, alternatives to sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine are now available. Mycobacterial infections, particularly with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, have become an increasing problem for patients with AIDS, and both old and new combination drug regimens are being used. Cytomegalovirus disease, until recently an untreatable problem, can now at least be partially managed with antiviral agents. The use of more complete prophylactic regimens may decrease the morbidity and mortality from opportunistic infections.

To review the association between low serum cholesterol and death from injury.

To assess the clinical efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for neuroimaging and to provide guidelines for clinical practice.